Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie?

Do you share Christmas cookies with friends and neighbors? This year I'm adding a couple of neighbors and my daughter's boyfriend's family to my cookie list. I also gift a bunch of each type I bake to my son and daughter-in-law.

I bake mostly the same cookies every year. These are cookies that seem 'special" to us because I only make them during the holiday season. But I do prefer cookies that are on the easy side.

This is one such recipe. I modified one of my mother's recipes for chocolate-vanilla swirl cookies, making them peppermint and vanilla just for the holidays. They're so popular with my family that this year I'll be doubling the recipe. Here's the single recipe, in case you're interested.

Peppermint-Vanilla Swirl Cookies

These are a refrigerator cookie. You form the dough into logs or blocks, store the dough in the fridge for a days or two, then slice and bake when convenient to you. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening or butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I use imitation vanilla)
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
red gel food coloring
peppermint extract, to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

an extra teaspoon or two of flour for the red dough to stiffen

Thoroughly cream the butter and sugar.  beat in the egg yolk. Mix in vanilla and milk. Stir in the salt and baking powder, then stir in the flour a cup at a time. The dough should be fairly stiff.

Divide the dough into two portions. 

White dough: Wrap one portion in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Red dough: with the other portion of dough, mix in enough red gel coloring until you're satisfied with the red. Mix in peppermint extract to taste. Stir in the extra flour until the dough is as stiff as the white dough. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Roll each half into a large rectangle about 1/8 to  1/4-inch thick on waxed paper. Square up the edges and make sure both portions of dough are about the same size.

Turn the white half onto the red half (removing the paper) with the red extending about 1/2 inch beyond the white dough at the far end from you. Roll the dough up tightly, jelly roll-style, away from you. Gently seal the edge of dough to the roll. Roll this log in a fresh sheet of waxed paper, twist the ends of paper. Chill thoroughly, overnight is preferable.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thickness and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between cookies. Bake for about 12 minutes, until set. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to cooling racks. Yield about 3 to 4 dozen.

You'll notice that this recipe uses a yolk only. I save the white to make a small batch of chocolate- chocolate chip meringue cookies later in the week, using this recipe here.

Yesterday I baked the gingerbread dough (using this recipe) that I mixed and refrigerated on Tuesday. I know some people like to do a huge baking day and get all of the holiday cookies baked at once. I prefer to break the work up into manageable chunks and do a little each day.

Will you be baking any cookies this holiday season? What kinds? Do you have a favorite easy to make Christmas cookie? Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie to eat? Are you a bake-them-all-up-in-one -day or do-a-little-each-day sort of baker?