Cherry Nougat Cookies 12 Days Of Christmas Recipes

OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the vanilla and incorporate into the butter and sugar mixture.
• Add the flour and cornstarch. On low speed, mix into the butter and sugar until well incorporated.
• Divide the dough into two portions, wrap each portion completely in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 2 hours.
• When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Set aside.
• Roll one portion of the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Once the cookie is completely cooled, whisk together the icing ingredients and set aside.
• Line the cookies up on the cooling rack so that they are evenly spaced. Place a layer of paper towels under the cooling rack for easy clean up. (This will catch the icing if any drips over the side.)
• Transfer the prepared icing to a Ziploc bag. Cut a small hole in one lower corner with scissors. Drizzle the cookies with the icing.
• Top the cookies with the halved glace cherries.
• Allow the iced cookies to sit undisturbed for one hour. This will allow the icing to harden.
• Cookies can be stacked. Store in a food-safe container. Can be frozen up to 3 months.

CHERRY NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture. Stir in candied cherries and pecans.
• Shape dough into long rolls about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill at least 4 hours. (May be made days ahead before baking and stored in refrigerator or freezer. Let dough thaw slightly before slicing.).
• Unwrap and cut into 1/4 inch slices; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes.