Bells Holly Lattice Cookies Cranberry White Chocolate Orange Ginger Recipes

MRS. B'S CHRISTMAS BELLS

Steps:

• Make the Dough: Beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the corn syrup, egg, cream, and lemon zest. Whisk together the flour, instant espresso, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to the butter mixture, and beat at low speed until combined. Shape the dough into a flat disk; wrap with plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the Filling: Stir together the brown sugar, maraschino cherry juice and butter until blended; stir in the pecans.
• Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place the dough circles 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each dough circle. Shape into a cone by folding the edges of the dough to meet over the filling; pinch the edges together. Place 1 cherry half at the opening end of each bell for the clapper.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on the pans for 5 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

CRANBERRY-GINGER LINZER TORTE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, water, ginger, and salt for filling in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until cranberries burst. Continue cooking, mashing fruit a bit with the back of a spoon, until thick as jam, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat to cool completely. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt for cookies together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Mix butter and white sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just combined. Add the vanilla. Gradually add in flour mixture on low speed just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough ¼-inch thick and cut into 2-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round into a desired shape. Place all cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
• While cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges just begin to brown or the cookies are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cookies cool for 1 minute on the pan, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.
• When the cookies have cooled, place 1 teaspoon of filling on the flat side of each whole cookie, spreading it out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar. Place the sugared tops on the filled bottoms.

SPICED CHERRY BELLS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in corn syrup, egg and cream. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours or overnight. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , In a bowl, combine the first three filling ingredients; mix well. Stir in pecans. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of each cookie. Shape into a cone by folding edges of dough to meet over filling; pinch edges together. Place a piece of cherry at open end of each bell for clapper. , Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.