Pistachio Chocolate Cookies

These are soft cookies,well my came out soft. Be sure and only roll  1-in cookie balls or the cookies will not fully be done in the center.

for health and beauty benefits of pistachio nuts read more:

http://4beautifulskin.blogspot.com/2012/12/money-dosent-grow-on-trees-but-put.html

YIELD: About 6 Dozen

YOU'LL NEED:
1 cup butter,softened   
1 package (8 ounces)cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking power
1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, pudding mix and baking powder; gradually add creamed mixture and mix well. stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Roll dough into 1-in balls. Place 2 in.apart on greased baking sheet; Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

3. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.

 In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla

Combine the flour, pudding mix and baking powder; gradually add creamed mixture and mix well. stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

 Roll dough into 1-in balls. Place 2 in.apart on greased baking sheet; Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are light brown

Indulge!

Brown Sugar Holly Leaves

Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Oven Temp: 350

 Ingredients

• 1 cup(s) butter (no substitutions), cut up  
• 2 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• Green sugar crystals and cinnamon red-hot candies (optional)
• Directions
  1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted and lightly browned. Pour browned butter into small bowl and refrigerate until cold but not firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, on waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat browned butter and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture until blended. (Dough will be crumbly; gather together with hand to form a ball.)
  4. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Between two 12-inch sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. (If paper wrinkles during rolling, peel it off, then replace it to remove wrinkles.) Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until firm enough to cut. (Or, place dough in freezer 30 minutes.)
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove 1 piece of dough from refrigerator. Peel off top sheet of waxed paper and replace. Turn dough over and remove top sheet of waxed paper. With 3-inch holly-leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, reserving trimmings. (If dough is too firm and cracks, let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly.) Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Wrap and refrigerate trimmings.
  6. Using back of paring knife, draw lines on cookies to resemble veins. Sprinkle green sugar along lines and press some cinnamon candies at one end to resemble holly berries if you like.
  7. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned at edges. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.
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Shortbread Bites

Rita Maas

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 18 min

Oven Temp: 325

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour  
• 3 tablespoon(s) sugar 
• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) butter (no substitutions), cold, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon(s) red and green nonpareils or sprinkles or 1/2 cup mini baking bits

Directions

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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse flour and sugar until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in medium bowl. With hand, gently knead in nonpareils or baking bits until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.
3. On lightly floured waxed paper, pat dough into 8" by 5" rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. Cut dough into 1/2-inch squares. Place squares, 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
4. Bake cookies 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week, or in freezer up to 3 months.

Read more: Shortbread Bites - Good Housekeeping 

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2/3 c. butter, softened
• 1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. sour cream

Instructions:

Blend together butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time; blend well.  Add vanilla; beat until light.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream; mix well.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto non-stick or lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack; cool.  Frost with Browned Butter Frosting.  Makes 2 dozen

Browned Butter Frosting

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 2 T. Milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden.  Watch carefully as this will happen quickly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreading consistency.

Watkins double strength vanilla works  great in this recipe. www.watkinsonline.com   ID 396730