The last of our Christmas cookies, it took me a while to get around to posting.What baking day is complete without the gingerbread men, or in the case a gingerlady and man :). These are simple to whip together and let chill while you work on everything else.

Gingerbread Men (From:My Mom)

• 6 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 T. ground ginger
• 1 T. ground nutmeg
• 1 T. ground cloves
• 1 T. ground cinnamon
• 1 C. shortening, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 C. molasses
• 1 C. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C. water
• 1 egg
• 1 T. vanilla extract

Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 in thickness, wrap in plastic wrap,refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. CXut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

I know, I am late. I promised this blog giveaway a few weeks back, but we just got busy. We had an exciting new family memberjoin our family and she has taken a lot of time. I still have in the kitchen but just haven’t taken the time to site down and update my blog.

I have two more Progresso “Perfect Recipe” gift basket. You will receive the below basket.  Included in this basket is a free coupon for Progresso Broth, a recipe card holder, recipe box and wicker basket, as well as a set of serving spoons and a spoon rest.

There is two ways to win…

• First is to post a comment in my blog telling me why you love my blog
• Second is to post on your blog about the giveaway and then posting a comment on my blog with a link to yours.

You have until midnight December 31st 2008 to post. I will announce the winners on the 1st.

I know you have probaly seen these on every blog already this year, we make these EVER year. Personally they are my least favorite cookie but my mom really enjoys them so we make them every year.

I am also submitting this to this months tasty tools event. I think everyone uses a baking sheet in the month of Dec! This is the same recipe we use every year, but I wanted to post it along with all our baking.

Peanut Butter Blossoms (From: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 T. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• Herseys Kisses

Beat shortening and peanut butter with an electric mix 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping bowl. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1/4 c. sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool

I was so excited when I got this months cookie recipe in my e-mail, I have been searching for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe and I was excited to have a reason to try one!

These are AMAZING cookies, they had wonderful flavor are extra chocolatey and just overall wonderful, this will be my new standby chocolate chip cookie recipe. I also found although these are wonderful gooey and chocolate out of the oven, they are even better once cooled.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies (From: In The Sweet Kitchen By: Regan Daley)

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
• 1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingrdients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 for small cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown.  If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If somehow they don’t get inhaled immediately they may stored airtight at room temperature for up to one week.

ENJOY!

As soon as I saw that whoopie pies were this months cookie carnival recipe I was excited. I honestly have never heard of whoopie pies until I started my blog and started reading other blogs, lots of people had made them. Ever since seeing them I wanted to make them, but needed the perfect reason, this was it. It was the cookie recipe. And I have to say we really liked them

I also decided to make half pumpkin filling and half pink cherry filling and submit this to the power of pink challenge blogging event. So please do your monthly self breast exam this month!

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (From: Martha Stewart)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

Prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Prepare filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whip until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary. For the cherry filled ones I omitted the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In it’s place I added cherry flavoring, and pink food coloring.

Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.