Coconut Snowman Cookies

These snowman cookies are super cute and they are delicious! These buttery cookies are topped with a buttercream frosting and coconut, which make them perfect for chilly days and a cup of hot chocolate! These adorable cookies are easy to decorate too! Just add some chocolate chips and some orange colored fondant for the nose to make the snowman's face. You can also use orange taffy or even an orange Starburst to make his nose.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract (or vanilla)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups flour

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk

Decorations

• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup fondant, colored orange

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and the coconut (or vanilla) extract and continue mixing until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Turn the mixer speed to low and add the baking powder, salt, and flour, mixing until the dough comes together.
5. Divide the dough in half and on a floured work surface, roll the dough to 1/3- inch thick Using a large round cookie cutter (3- inches in diameter) cut out the dough and place the circles onto the prepared baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Re-roll the leftover dough and repeat the process, using all the dough.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Turn mixer to low and add in powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix for 1-2 minutes until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the additional tablespoon of milk if a creamier frosting is desired.

Decorating

1. Spread frosting on top of each cookie.
2. Pour the coconut onto a plate and dip each cookie into the coconut, pressing to make sure the coconut sticks to the frosting.
3. Press 2 chocolate chips into the frosting to make eyes, and press 5 mini chips into the frosting to create the mouth.
4. Form the fondant into 1/2- inch cones to use as noses and press the nose into the frosting.

Christmas Light Gingerbread Cookies

This very festive cookie wreath is easy to make with these gingerbread cookies! Once the ginerbread light bulb cookies are made, arrange them on a platter into a wreath shape, and a bow at the top to complete the look.

YIELDS: 6 dozen TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 45 mins

INGREDIENTS

5 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for work surface

1/2 tsp.kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. molasses

1(16-oz.) package confectioners’ sugar

3 tbsp. meringue powder

Blue, pink, red, and dark green gel food coloring

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture just until combined. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll on a lightly floured work surface to 3/8-inch thick. Cut into light-bulb shapes using 2- and 3-inch light-bulb-shaped cutters. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Knead and reroll scraps up to 2 more times. Repeat with remaining dough disk.

3. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes for small cookies and 10 to 12 minutes for large cookies. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

4. Beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 1/3 cup water on medium speed until smooth and thickened, about 1 minute. Add additional water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as necessary to reach desired consistency for piping.

5. Divide icing into 5 bowls. Tint 4 bowls to desired colors using blue, pink, red, and green food coloring. Leave remaining bowl white. Spoon half of each color into a piping bag fitted with a #2 open piping tip. Spoon one-fourth of remaining white icing into a piping bag fitted with a #1 piping tip.

6. Pipe a white border around “socket” of each cookie with white icing. Outline bulb of each cookie with desired icing color; let stand until dry, 15 minutes. Squeeze any remaining icing back into bowls and thin with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon water; return to piping bags. Fill bulbs of cookies with icing and let stand until dry, at least 1 hour. Arrange cookies on a platter in shape of a wreath.

White Chocolate and Peppermint Blondies

These delicious white chocolate and peppermint blondies bring the feeling and taste of the holidays right to your fingertips!

YIELDS: 18 PREP TIME: 25 mins TOTAL TIME: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2/3 c. packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. pure peppermint extract

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped white chocolate

16 oz. cream cheese

1 c. confectioners' sugar

3/4 c. peppermints, crushed

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
2. Whisk together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and peppermint extract in a bowl until combined. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined. Stir in chocolate. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
4. Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy,1 to 2 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread frosting on blondies; sprinkle with peppermints. Freeze until frosting is set, 30 minutes. Lift blondies from pan using parchment overhangs. Cut into 18 squares.