12 Days of Christmas Cookies--Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies

Day 3: Soft Almond Sugar Cookies.  These are so YUMMY.  However, this is another dough that needs to be chilled for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling and baking, so keep that in mind if you are baking more than one cookie recipe at a time.

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Catchall Bars

This is the second cookie from the list six that can be made from the Basic Cookie Dough recipe I posted last month.  Since it was made in a bar form, baked in layers and cut after baking--it was easier and faster than the last recipe.  Also I think everyone that tried both cookies liked this one better.  It was tasty, but I couldn't decide which I liked best. You be the judge!


RECIPE:
Basic Cookie Dough recipe
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate pieces
1 1/2 cups toffee pieces
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut (I didn't use a whole cup of coconut, since we're not that crazy for the stuff.)
1 cup chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Grease foil; set pan aside.

2. Prepare Basic Cookie Dough as directed.  (See recipe here.)  Press three-fourths of the dough evenly onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake crust in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. In a large bowl, combine chocolate pieces, toffee pieces, coconut, and pecans.  Add the sweetened condensed milk.  Spread mixture evenly over the baked crust.   Crumble the remaining one-fourth of the dough evenly over the top.

4. Bake about 20 minutes more or until crumbled topping is lightly browned.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Using the edges of the foil, lift out of the pan.  Cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars (I cut into smaller pieces so I got more than 24 bars).

To store: Place bars in single layer in an airtight container; cover.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Basic Cookie Dough

This one dough can be made into six different cookies, Cinnamon-Sugar Roll Cookies, Mexican Chipotle-Chocolate Bites, PB and J Bars, Catchall Bars, Chocolate-Hazelnut Thumbprints, and Espresso Tarts--enough variety to amuse any palate.  Just think around holiday time, if you made one of every batch, how much time you would save and still be able to wow everyone with your wondrous assortment.  Check back, I'll be making and posting the recipes for these cookies, beginning with the Cinnamon-Sugar Roll Cookies.

BASIC COOKIE DOUGH
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, shortening, and cream cheese.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.  Makes about 2 1/4 cups dough. Use in desired recipe listed above.






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