Holiday Favorites!

Hello everyone! I told you I would be back more now that I am not stressed about classes and studying!  And as promised I have been doing alot of baking. One of the wonderful things about Christmas is you can bake a bunch of different things and it is totally ok! The first thing I have made this year is Snicker Doodle cookies (the recipe calls them Santa's SNICKERS Brand Surprises but thats too complicated) and Almond Cookies. I also made a sour cream pound cake but I don't have a great picture of that one... Maybe I will still share it ;)

Snicker Doodles
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter (softened)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3.5 cups all purpose flour (shifted)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 package (13 oz) SNICKERS Brand Miniatures

Directions:
1. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on a medium to low speed until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until throughly combined. Then mix in flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. Cover and chill dough for 2-3 hours.
4. Un-warp all the SNICKERS.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 1 tbls. pieces and flatten.
6. Place a SNICKERS in the center of each piece of dough.
7. Form the dough into a ball around each SNICKERS.
8. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degree for 10-12 minutes.
9. Let cookies cool on baking rack or wax paper.
*Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Almond Glazed Sugar Cookies:
Ingredients for Cookies:                               Ingredients for Glaze:
- 1 cup butter (softened)                               - 1.5 cups powered sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar                                             - 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract                                 - 4 to 5 tsp. water
- 2 cups all purpose four                              - Sliced almonds
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. (1 to 2 minutes).
2. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
4. Flatten balls into 1/4 inch thickness with the bottom of buttered glass dipped in sugar.
5. Bake at 400 degree for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.
6. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool Completely
7. Stir together all glaze ingredients in small bowl, with wire whisk.
8. Decorate cooled cookies with glaze and sliced almonds. Glaze sets up quickly so frost and decorate a few at a time.
* Makes 3.5 dozen.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Cake Mix:                                                       Topping:
- 1 cup butter                                                  - 1 cup chopped nuts
- 2 cups sugar                                                - 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs                                                         - 2 T. brown sugar
- 1 cup Sour Cream                                    
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Mix together ingredients for topping and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add one egg at a time and mix until smooth.
4. Mix together sour cream and vanilla and fold into butter mixture.
5. Sift together baking powder, flour, and salt and fold into mixture.
6. Grease flour tube pan. Pur 1/2 batter, 1/2 topping, 1/2 batter and rest of topping.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Make sure it is done.
8. Cool completely and remove from pan.