Grinch Cookies, Take 2

So, the first recipe was a hit.  In fact, I think my father ate nearly the entire batch.  But I wasn't overly happy with the final result.  The cookies lost their green as they browned while cooking, so they looked more like swamp cookies than Grinch cookies.  I figured there had to be a better way.

Enter the sugar cookie base!  Doesn't brown as much as chocolate chip base, and it's a recipe I adore but hadn't planned on using this year.  I think I like these even better.

Here's the recipe.  It's adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  The real test will be if my father likes them too.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
2 oz cream cheese
6 TB butter, melted
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 TB milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package Andes mints pieces

Directions:
1. Melt butter, and combine in mixing bowl with cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until combined- it will still look sort of lumpy and grainy.  
2. Add in the oil, egg, milk, and flavorings, and mix until smooth.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients.  Be careful not to overmix after they are combined.  Stir in the Andes pieces first.
3. Chill dough for at least two hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll dough into one-inch balls, and then roll into sugar.  Place on pans and bake for about ten minutes- the cookies will be slightly firm but not brown.  Remove from the oven and let set on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Cran-Pistachio Cookies

not the best picture, but they're delicious

Pistachio's are one of those things that I always forget that I like until someone offers me one.  That's probably a good thing because they're expensive little nuts. 

These cookies just looked so festive that I had to try them.  I got the recipe from Just a Good Recipe and tweaked it a little.  They're really terrific- soft and chewy with a strong pistachio flavor.  Plus the colors!    They're definitely going into the regular Christmas rotation. 

Ingredients:
 1 box or pouch of Sugar Cookie Mix (should be 1lb 1.5oz)
 1 box pistachio pudding mix
 1/4 c. whole-wheat flour
 1/2 c. melted butter
 2 eggs  1 c. chopped pistachios 1/2 c. chopped Craisins


Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix together cookie mix, pudding mix, and flour with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
3. Slowly add in melted butter and eggs until dough is fully incorporated.  Add pistachios and Craisins at the end.
4. Scoop tablespoon sized mounds onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets, and slightly flatten the tops.
5. Bake for 8 minutes- don't go longer.  Let sit for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks.  Yields about 3 dozen. 

Peppermint Patty Pieces Cookies

We eat a lot of Peppermint Patties at work.  Since the new healthy school guidelines kicked in, they took away our vending machines so the only source of mid-afternoon sanity chocolate has been individual size Peppermint Patties kept on constant supply from Costco.  For late afternoons of meetings or those days when third lunch seems eons away, they're the perfect snack.  That's why when I saw these cookies on Pinterest, I knew that I had to make them.

There was a bit of a disaster in my kitchen over Thanksgiving (long story) but I'm trying to conserve flour as much as possible since I lost about 5 lbs in a radiator mishap.  Subbing in some whole wheat flour (why couldn't THAT have been ruined instead???) worked because the dense chocolate masked any difference in flavor or texture.  I think these are going to be a big hit tomorrow.

Ingredients:
4 oz. chocolate chips (1/3 standard bag)
1/c cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt1 cup York Peppermint Patty Pieces (sold in the candy aisle)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt together butter and chocolate chips.  Cool slightly, then add to mixing bowl.  Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Slowly add cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour to the mixture until all are incorporated.  Add in Peppermint Patty Pieces last.
4. Scoop in rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes.  Let set on sheets for a few minutes before cooling on wire racks.