‘Twas The Week Before Christmas: Serving Up Christmas on a Platter!

Posted on Dec 22 2014 - 9:46am by Brenda Meehan

Christmas cookies are one of our most adored accompaniments to the holidays! Easy arrangements of assorted sweets can dress up any dinner, perk up a dessert buffet, and curb even the biggest sweet tooth. You’ve already seen our go-to Chocolate drop cookies HERE...but did you know you can MICROWAVE your way to crisp graham cracker brittle style cookies, or use your own thumbprint to bake an old-school delight? We even stirred up a few Scotcharoos this year after being inspired by Margaret and they’re a delightful indulgence. Let’s start setting up our sweets!

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Thumbprint Cookies: These are a family favorite from the Jamma Gramma!

1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg separated, yolk will be for dough, whites used for egg wash
1 cup chopped walnuts
a few tbsp of raspberry, strawberry, and/or mint jelly for green and red “thumbprints”

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Separate egg, reserving egg white. Cream butter or margarine, sugar, and egg yolk.
3. Add vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well.
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in egg white, then walnuts. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to make a small “dent” in each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from oven, and allow to cool SLIGHTLY, so jelly will melt a bit. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint.

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Graham Cracker Brittle: cherries, crunch, and coconut! Merry microwave morsels in minutes.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped green or red candied cherries
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 package graham crackers, each split in half (makes about 36 squares)

1. Lay your grahams out on wax paper covering a microwaveable cookie sheet.
2. On medium heat, melt butter in a pot and then add brown sugar. Stir until fully melted into a caramel-type sauce. Reduce heat, and add coconut + cherries. Combine well.
3. Carefully pour mixture over graham crackers, spread with a spatula evenly and pop in the microwave for approx 3 minutes on high.
4. Allow to cool completely by storing cookies in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then break apart or cut cookies into brittle squares!

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Scotcharoos: Sticky, sweet, crispy and nutty bars topped with chocolate! Inspired by Margaret…

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1.5 cups peanut butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with PAM. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, mix together corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in crisp rice cereal.
3. Transfer mixture into 9×13 inch pan. With your hands, carefully pat it down into pan.
4. In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth. Spread over top of bars and let bars cool. Cut into squares.

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Wondering how to arrange these sweets and lacking the platters to plan? A fest, festive, and fun platter can be crafted in minutes using a favored Christmas mug, and a matching Christmas colored plate! We stacked a red plate on one of our favorite red santa mugs, and surrounded it with a coordinating mug filled with candy canes for snacking + a clear mug filled with candy cane pieces and a flameless candle. In less than 5 minutes, you have a cookie platter that’s company ready! What are YOU baking up this Christmas? Share your must have cookie creations in comment!