Crescent Moon

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar

How to make:

1. In nonstick skillet, lightly toast walnuts over medium heat, shaking skillet frequently, until nuts are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Transfer walnuts to food processor, and add 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Process until finely ground. In large bowl, with mixer on high, beat butter and remaining granulated sugar until fluffly, about 3 minutes. Gradually add flour, sour cream, vanilla, salt, and walnut mixture until well combined. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into disk. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Flour hands lightly. Working with  half of dough at a time, shape heaping teaspoonfuls into crescents. Place crescents on baking sheet, 2" apart. Bake 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes. While cookies are slightly warm, dredge in confectioners' sugar to coat. Cool completely on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar. Store cookies in airtight container. Makes about 6 dozen.

Sweet Stockings

Dazzle those kids and beloved family to you this holiday season with these easy-to-make-and-beautiful-to-behold sweet Xmas stocking cookies.

  

Ingredients:

1. Sugar Cookie Dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

2. Decorations

• Royal Icing (recipe below)
• Green and red food coloring
• Green, red, and white sprinkles

3. Royal Icing

• 1 box (1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoon powdered egg whites
• 5 to 6 tablespoon water

How to make:

1. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until fluffly. Beat in eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into disk. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Roll dough to 1/4" thickness on floured surface. Using 4" stocking-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to baking sheet, 1" part. Using drinking straw, punch hole in top corner of each stocking for hanging. Bake 16 minutes, or until golden. Cool 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire rack, and cool completely.
3. To decorate: Put 1/2 cup icing in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. Divide remaining icing into two bowls, and tint one batch green and the other red. Transfer 1/3 cup each to resealable plastic bags.
4. Thin each remaining colored icing with 1 tablespoon water. Using tip of index finger, spread green or red icing over cookie, leaving top 1" uniced. Let dry 30 minutes. Spread reserved white icing on top part of cookie, and cover with colored sprinkles. Snip off corner of icing bags. Decorate stockings with contrasting icing as shown on picture above. Makes about 2 dozen.

St. Nick Cookies

Baking cookies at Christmas is a tradition for many people. It brings families and friends together with the warm goodness of cookies fresh from the oven. Try this tasty St. Nick decorated cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 batch sugar-cookie dough (recipe below)
• Royal icing (recipe below)
• red food coloring white sprinkles
• black tube icing
• hot cinnamon candles

Sugar-cookie dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, with mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into disk. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

Royal icing

• 1 box (1lb) confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered egg whites
• 5 to 6 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, with mixer on low, beat together all ingredients until well combined. Increase speed to high, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. If not using immediately, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of icing and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (Bring icing to room temperature before using.)

How to make the St. Nick cookies:

1. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Roll dough to 1/4" thickness on floured surface. Using 3" santa-face cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can. Carefully transfer to baking sheet, 1" apart. Bake 14 to 18 minutes, or until golden. Cool 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire rack, and let cool completely.
2. To decorate: Thin 1 cup royal icing with 1 tablespoon water, and tint red with food coloring. Using tip of index finger, spread red icing over hat, let dry 30 minutes. Spread white icing on pom-pom and bottom edge of hat. Cover with sprinkles. Spread santa's beard with white icing, and fluff with tip of spoon. For face, pipe black-icing eyes and attach cinnamon-candy nose. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.