Peppermint Patties & Lemon Cookies

I did some holiday baking this week, making gifts for the teachers, therapists, and Doug's office mates. These are recipes I got from friends a few years ago and are so yummy! I am glad I have adopted them!

Peppermint Patties

1 pound confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons butter (softened)
2-3 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

In a bowl, combine first four ingredients. Add milk & mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Chill for 20 mins. Flatten with a glass to 1/4 inch thickness, then chill 30 more mins. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening together. Dip patties (use 2 forks) in chocolate, then lay on clean wax paper to harden. I keep them on cookie sheets in the fridge to set up until ready to eat or give. A single batch yields about 30-35 patties.




Lemon Cookies

4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1tsp salt
1cp butter, softened
1cp sugar
1cp powdered sugar
2 eggs
1cp veg. oil
1tsp lemon extract
1tsp grated lemon peel

Icing
3 1/2cps powdered sugar
1/2cp fresh lemon juice
1/2cp coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

Cookies: In large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar; set aside. In another large bowl, cream butter and sugars at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until light and fluffy. Add oil, lemon extract, and lemon peel; beat until well-mixed. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; beat until well-blended. Wrap and chill dough for several hours.

Icing: Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a stiff paste. Set the bowl over a pan of hot water to warm the icing to a spreading consistency. Keep over low heat while frosting.

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. Divide dough into thirds. Work one third at a time; keep remaining dough refrigerated. Roll a heaping tsp into a ball, place on cookie sheet, and flatten it into a 2 in. circle with bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 8-10 min. or until just lightly golden at edges. Let stand on cookie sheet 2-3min. before removing. Frost with icing and sprinkle with nuts. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.




And I took photos of the boys standing in front of our tree to print up and make into little gift tag/ornaments for the packages. What little cuties!