Holiday Cookie Challenge - Granny's Cookies & Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Here are a few more cookies to add to the holiday cookie challenge! The nutmeg cookie recipe is a Phipps’ tradition passed down from Greg’s grandmother. The recipe was sent to me by his sister (Thanks Leslie!). I have been told that the original recipe was to make them look like yule logs with nutmeg sprinkled on top, but one year their grandmother decided to make them into candy canes and it stuck. I chose to use cookie cutters, but you can also roll them yourselves. These were one of the cookies that I served at a Christmas party we hosted. They became a “decorate your own cookie” project. I made some of the frosting described below, as well as colored tube frosting (for extra color). You could also use a few drops of food color in the homemade frosting, but I didn’t have any on hand. In any case, the cookies were very good. I am a big fan of the flavor the nutmeg and rum adds to the cookie. They are very Christmasy and a great family tradition!

Christmasy.

The next cookie to add to the list is the chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. I guess I was on a chocolate and peanut butter kick this year, but you can’t deny that it’s one tasty combo. To tell you the truth I had forgot of this cookies existence altogether until a couple of weeks ago.  As I began to think of cookies I had previously ate and loved this one came to mind, although I hadn’t eaten one in years. The final outcome was just as delicious as expected. It’s also a great way to shake up your traditional chocolate chip recipe. (As it turns out, peanut butter chips aren’t necessarily easy to find anymore, but I was able to pick some up at Kroger – though the selection is limited)

Granny’s Christmas Cookies - Nutmeg Logs (Candy Cane Cookies)

Next time I will be a pro and they will look like this.

 Ingredients

- 1 cup margarine

- 2 teaspoons vanilla

- 2 teaspoons rum (or rum flavoring)

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1egg

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Cream together the margarine, vanilla, rum, sugar, and egg. Add the nutmeg to the flour and gradually beat in flour mixture. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Then use a cookie cutter, roll into candy canes or shape into logs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Once the cookies have cooled completely, frost as desired.

Cookie Frosting

 Ingredients:

- 3 TBLS margarine or shortening

- ½ tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp rum (or rum flavoring)

- 2 ½ cups confectioner's sugar

- 2 or 3 TBLS milk.

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk, vanilla and rum with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Ingredients 
- 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar

- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

- 2 ¼ cups flour2/3 natural unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa

-  1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 package (12 ounces) peanut butter chips

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Beat margarine, sugars, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in flour, cocoa , baking soda and salt. Stir in chips.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto un-greased cookie sheets.
5. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen cookies.