Holiday Goodies: Way Easy Cookies

Well, I missed posting anything yesterday. I had fully intended to post every day until just before Christmas, but just didn't have time yesterday. My son's birthday is a week before Christmas and we had his party yesterday. Having a house full of five year old boys made for a pretty long day. Plus I had to make his cake. I make his cake every year. This year he had a dinosaur party and I made a volcano cake with dinosaurs and tropical foilage around it. It turned out pretty cute. He said it was "awesome" - his current favorite word. My grandmother made my birthday cakes when I was small and it's one of my favorite memories. I hope the cakes I make for my son become some of his too. Even if my cakes aren't exactly perfect, they are made with love.

Now back to the Christmas thing. Today I'm posting some cookies that start with refrigerated cookie dough. There's nothing particularly difficult about making cookies from scratch, but sometimes we could all use a little help. I've made all these recipes and have even given them as gifts and everyone has loved them.

Easy Lemon Bars
1 18 oz roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
Powdered sugar

Heat oven t0 350. Slice cookie dough as directed on package. Arrange slices in the bottom of an ungresed 13x9 pan. With lightly floured fingers, press dough evenly in pan. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder; blend well. Stir in lemon juice. Pour over warm crust. Bake at 350 for an additionl 20 - 30 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into bars.

Quick Peanut Blossoms
1 18 oz roll refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
36 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped or 36 milk chocolate star candies

Heat oven to 375. Shape dough into one inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with chocolate kiss or star candy, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around the edges. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks.

White Chocolate Ginger Cookies
These directions make very large cookies. You can make them smaller - just adjust the baking time as necessary. I usually find crystallized ginger in the produce section of my supermarket.

1 18 oz roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 cup white chocolate baking chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 to 3 1/2 teaspoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir in brown sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, the ginger, nutmeg and orange peel until well combined. Stir in white chocolate baking chips, pecans and crystallized ginger. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

In small bowl, blend powdered sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.