Christmas baking

I didn't do any baking last year, and since we added an additional thyroid med, I actually have more energy this year. So we are baking some Christmas cookies. The hubby asked if we could bake some for him to bring in to work, so we're doing lemon cookies and Crookies for that, plus some peanut butter/kisses drops. I also remembered the chocolate snowballs I baked for him when we started dating way too many years ago, so might make some of them as well. 

I'm posting the recipes here, as I seem to lose them!

Lemon Cookies

1 pkg (Duncan Hines) lemon supreme cake  mix 
2 eggs 
1/3 cup veg oil 
1 T lemon juice 
3/4 C chopped nuts or flaked coconut (we omit) 
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper

Combine cake  mix, eggs, oil, and lemon juice in large bowl, beat at low speed with electric mixer until well blended it will lighten in color a bit

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake 6-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to cooling rack. Place paper towel under cooling rack and dust with confectioners sugar. paper towel helps make clean up easier!

Makes about 3 dozen.

Before the sugaring --

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Easy PB Cookies

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 
3/4 to 1 cup peanut butter 
1 egg 
1 t vanilla extract 
2 C bisquick baking mix 
Hershey’s kisses, Unwrapped 
Granulated or candy coating sugar

In large mixer bowl beat sweetened condensed milk, PB, egg, and vanilla til smooth. Add bisquick, mix well. 
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on I ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake 6-8 mins or until lightly browned. Do not overbake.

Press kisses in center of each cookie immediately after baking. Let cool.

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Crookies

4 oz saltine crackers (1 sleeve) 
1 C butter 
1 C brown sugar 
2 C choc chips 
Chopped nuts if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). 
Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer to fill the pan, edges touching parchment paper lining helps wih clean up 
In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely. 
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes it will be bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

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Chocolate Snowballs

2 C sifted all purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

3/4 C butter

3/4 C firmly packed brown sugar

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1/4 milk

10X sugar for rolling

Measure dry ingredients into sifter

Cream butter with brown sugar until light

Beat in melted chocolate, egg, vanilla, and milk

Sift in dry ingredients a little at a time, blending well to make a stiff dough. 

Chill overnight or until firm

Roll dough a tsp at a time into marble-sized balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased [parchment lined] cookie sheets

Bake 8 mins in 350 degree F oven, until tops are crackled

Remove and roll in 10X sugar while still hot

Cool on wire racks, then roll again in 10X sugar to make a generous white coating