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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 9: Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

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I am wondering how you’re weekend is going? Is it nice & relaxing, or are you GO,GO,GO!!! For us it’s been the go, go, go type of weekend. It happens, especially this time of year! I had mentioned yesterday we had Daniel’s Command Christmas Party & today was a day FILLED with baking.

I participate in something called a “Cookie Caper” here on base, every December. I did it last year, this year of course and I will for sure next year! I love giving of myself, my time, my baking! So, anyone whom wants to, pledges X-many dozens of cookies for the Caper. Then said cookie will be given out to all the single/unaccompanied sailors and airman on this base! It is meant to spread joy of the season and reach out to those who will be alone this holiday season.

I originally pledged 10 dozen, yeah…not hard to reach that goal depending on what cookie you want to make. Then come to find out my husband pledged 10 dozen as well. So, 20 dozen for us both! Yes, my husband was in the kitchen baking with me all day today! It was wonderful & fun. We actually ended up doing 24 dozen cookies!!

I am now exhausted! It was a very full day but so worth it too! Tomorrow morning my friend Sarah & I volunteered to “collect” pledged cookies for several hours together! I am hoping it will be a fun time and I know it will add to my Christmas spirit & joy!!

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Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 Cup Creamy or Crunchy Peanut Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2½ Cups Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
Instructions
  1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
  2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  3. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 8: Lemon Cookies

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It’s been a busy day!! I am not sure if anyone is aware, but I am a day ahead of everyone in the states normally. There is a few hours in my late evening that I am on the same day as family and friends back in the states. So I am usually baking cookies in my evening while it is your early morning/afternoon…well you folks in the states that is!

Today was just super busy and I did not have time earlier in my day to bake my cookies for today. I had a command Christmas Party to attend tonight. We got home at 10pm and well, I started baking!!! Yummy! The cookies I am sharing today are beyond simple. There is not much to them. Great for in a pinch or if you have other plans but still want to make something.

I next to never use cookie recipes that use a cake mix. I actually don’t even use cake mixes anymore but I do keep 1-2 different flavors on hand for in a pinch cookies. Easy. Done. So make these when you are short on time, everyone will love them and they taste like you spent a long time putting them together!

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Lemon Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Package Lemon Cake Mix
  • 2 Eggs
  • ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • ¾ Cup Chopped Nuts or Flaked Coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees.
  2. Grease Cookie Sheet.
  3. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and lemon juice. Beat on low speed.
  4. When well blended stir in chopped nuts of coconut.
  5. Make dough into 1 inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake for 6-7 minutes, or till lightly browned.
  7. Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet.
  8. Move to cool on wire racks.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 7: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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Wow, day 7 is here!! Where is the time going? It is flying by and before I know it, it’ll be Christmas Eve!!!! I try to slow down a bit this time of year, really soak in the season and enjoy it. What about you??

Thankfully I have some happy news about my tooth issue! It is resolved and ended up being a SUPER easy fix and I am now good! I did end up chipping and edge of a tooth, that piece lodged itself between 2 teeth and did all kinds of strange things. My dentist was able to remove the offending piece this morning and fixed the edge! YaY 🙂

Today’s cookie is a simple but delicious, a chocolate cookie with smashed peppermint candy canes sprinkled on top and “pressed” into the cookie with the bottom of a glass! I don’t have these posts pre written or cookies made ahead of time, in case anyone was wondering. I bake a fresh batch daily, then post!

In other news, we had a 7.4 earthquake here in Japan earlier today and we also had a tsunami warning. The earthquake was very big and everything in our home moved, and not in a slow, calm manner either. We are fine. All another part of living here in Japan, sure makes things interesting sometimes!

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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Cup Canola Oil
  • 4 Ounces 99% Unsweetened Chocolate, melted
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 5 Candy Canes-crushed up
Instructions
  1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the oil, chocolate and granulated sugar and blend on medium speed. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. There may be some small clumps of sugar in the batter at this point. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Mix until just incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Chill for 1-2 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Make dough into 1-inch balls.
  5. Bake 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven.
  6. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane on each cookie.
  7. Gently press it into cookie with the bottom of a glass.
  8. Let rest on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, until cookie has set.
  9. Move to wire racks.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 6: Soft Molasses Cookies

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I want to thank all of you out there who have sent me the most wonderful email’s the last few days! I really appreciate you taking the time to connect with me, to share with me! I am so happy I have inspired so many of you out there this happy season! Feel free to contact me any time!

I think it is safe to say we have finally got the first really good snow of the season! Not sure how many inches we have thus far but they have predicted that we may get between 18-24 INCHES!! This is typical up here in Northern Japan and I welcome ever single inch of it!

In case anyone is wondering, I was not able to get an appointment for my tooth today but have an early AM appointment tomorrow. I am hoping it is a small issue but with my track record……

Onto happy things! There is a tree lighting ceremony tomorrow evening that I am looking forward to going to with my husband and with all this freshly fallen snow and more to come, it should add to the joys of it!

Anything fun or special going on for you so far this Christmas season?

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Soft Molasses Cookies
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 82 Cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups shortening
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 large egg
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 2 teaspoons nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Cream together shortening and brown sugar.
  2. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well.
  3. Fold in dry ingredients and stir.
  4. Cover and chill till firm (1-2 hours).
  5. Preheat oven to 350°
  6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
  7. Place on cookie sheet.
  8. Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes.
  9. Leave on sheet one minute until set.
  10. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes about 82 cookies.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 4: Mint Chocolate Delights

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December is moving along! We are already on day 4 of 25 Days Of Christmas Cookies!  Have you done your Christmas shopping or shopping for whatever special holiday your family celebrates? Or have you put it off and will wing it any day now?? We are almost done I think. I am looking at at least one more smallish purchase. Then on December 15th we both go off and do stocking stuffer shopping. This includes candies and little gifts!

If you are not aware, today is Nation Cookie Day! So get baking!!! I really was not aware of it till I saw a post from one of my favorite baking spaces earlier today. Since I was baking cookies today & well, every day till the 25th…I figure I have National Cookie Day taken care of.

In honor of National Cookie Day, I will ask you a question! “What Is Your Favorite Cookie”? Mine, aside from Chocolate Chip, are Sugar Cookies!!! Yum 🙂 Happy Baking!

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Mint Chocolate Delights
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • ⅔ Cup Baking Cocoa
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter or Margarine, softened
  • ⅔ Cup Sugar
  • ⅔ Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1⅔ Cups (10-oz. pkg.) Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels
Instructions
  1. PREHEAT oven to 325° F.
  2. COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
  3. BAKE for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
  4. FOR MINI MINT CHOCOLATE DELIGHT COOKIES: Prepare dough as above. Drop by well-rounded measuring teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Makes about 7 dozen mini cookies.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 3: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spice Kisses

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I am not sure if peanut butter cookies are a thing in your family but my husband loves them. He especially loves the kiss kind too! Normally I would use chocolate kisses but when fall came around here they stocked a new kind, the pumpkin spice kisses. I was thrilled! I told myself I’d make them around Christmas into some kind of cookie.

Here were are, day 3 and I have chosen to pair these kisses with peanut butter. They are very light, soft and the marriage of the peanut butter and pumpkin spice is rather yum! One flavor does not take over the other. Simply put, delicious!!

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spice Kisses
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-7 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup Crisco Shortening
  • 1 Cup Peanut Butter
  • 2 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
  • 3½ Cups Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Package Pumpkin Spice Kisses
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.
  2. Cream together sugars, shortening and peanut butter.
  3. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.
  4. Stir flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add to peanut butter mixture. Beat well.
  5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one kiss into the center of each cookie. Return to oven and bake an additional 3 minutes longer.
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25 Days Of Christmas Cookies. Day 2: Snickerdoodles

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Here we are, the 2nd day of December which means day 2 of Christmas Cookies! I had a SUPER busy day today! Luckily I made my cookie dough ahead, as I often do so that I can get right to baking when I want or need to! Today we were at my husbands Command, creating a “Christmas Card”. Really, it is a HUGE piece of wood that all different commands create a holiday greeting on. They are put in a special area on base, lit up at night time for all to see & enjoy. The tree lighting ceremony is next Friday!

Today’s cookie is Snickerdoodles. Who does not like a Snickerdoodle?? Well, honestly…me! I am just not a fan of them but they are one cookie that is requested of me to make by people in my husbands command no matter where we are! So, to make them all happy I’ve included it in my 25 days of Christmas cookies!

I will say, they are SO simple to make and anything that has or uses cinnamon/sugar together at least smells amazing while baking. And, they are a crowed pleaser! Whenever I hear someone mention Snickerdoodles I instantly hear lot’s of “MMMmmmm’s” and well, I kind of roll my eyes a little! Sorry.

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Snickerdoodles
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Butter
  • 1½ Cups Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2¾ Cups Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
  2. Cream butter, 1½ cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
  3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
  4. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.
  5. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
  6. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
  7. Roll 1 inch balls of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
  8. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes.
  9. Let rest on cookie sheet 1 minute. Then place on foil till fully cooled.
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Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

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Chocolate & Peppermint? Yes please!

Such a perfect combination of flavors and they are also visually appealing. I’ve not made this specific cookie before but when I saw the peppermint kisses, I could not resist & knew pairing it with a dark, yummy chocolate cookie would make these an amazing sweet treat!

It also helps that it is Christmastime and peppermint anything, goes. It was another perfect day for baking, the snow was falling, it was cold outside and I had Christmas music playing, heaven to me.

What are your favorite flavor pairings? Does it change by season, or are you one to stick with what you love no matter the time of year?

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Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Recipe type: Christmas Cookie
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 Dozen Cookies
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup Butter or Margarine, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • ⅓ cup Hershey's Cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ cup Milk
  • 1 package Peppermint Kiss Candies
Instructions
  1. Beat butter, sugar, egg & vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt alternatley with milk, beating until well blended.
  2. Cover; refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  3. Heat oven to 375. Remove wrappers from candy.
  4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, press one candy into the middle of each cookie, cool on wire rack.
Notes
Make this dough the night before, it really helps to meld flavors and deepens the taste and color of the chocolate &amp; it is very easy to handle and form the cookies!
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Twas The Week Before Christmas

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The busiest week of the whole entire year and I decide to start my baking blog! 

Hello & Welcome to my blog, all about baking goodies of all sorts. 

I’ve been baking since I was a child and my goal is to open and operate my own Bakery. Currently we are a military family and move around, lot’s and it is not an ideal time for me to open my bakery so it will have to wait a few more years.

I am currently living in Japan. Been living here for almost 7 months now. So far I’ve discovered that my least favorite thing about Japan is the summer and my favorite is the winter! I guess I am a snow bunny.

I was hoping and still am looking to learn how to make some Japanese desserts. Funny thing is, the Japanese love American desserts. They love boxed cake and no frosting too! From what I’ve found so far, there is a lot of French influence here, especially when it comes to their “cake houses”.

I am poking around and trying to find classes of any sort to learn a few of the desserts they make here, so far I’ve had no luck. Finding out information online is no different. I am thinking I will have to ask some people here on base who mingle with the locals.

Can you believe it is the week before Christmas!?! It is amazing how much time has flown since we moved here in May. I have not done a ton of baking, only some since we moved here. I am so far behind on my Christmas baking that I am going all out this week.

I’ve decided to start the week off with some classic Christmas Sugar Cookies, so when I make them, I will post them, most likely on Monday as I send all my goodies with hubby to work and he shares them.

Thank you for stopping by & I hope you will come back often and comment! Merry Christmas!

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