Dec 17, 2015

At Wolf Trap Foundation, the staff likes to kick off the holiday season by indulging in delicious homemade treats, baked and brought to us by our very our dedicated colleagues. Each December, the “Trapper Holiday Cookie Exchange” is a hungrily anticipated tradition that gives us the perfect excuse to unearth some of our favorite family recipes to share, and this year we’d like to share some of our seasonal favorites with you!

Featured below are several tasty treats. From our family, to yours: happy baking and Happy Holidays!

White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 package (6 ounces) white baking bars (white chocolate), cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 jar (3 1/2 ounces) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in white baking bar chunks and nuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful’s about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Additional granulated sugar
• About 36 Hershey’s Kisses Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll these in the additional granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix 1 ½ cups of sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Pecan Sandies

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined. Fold in pecans.

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. With the dampened bottom of a glass, lightly flatten each ball.

Bake until cookies are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.

Written by Sarah Perrett, Development Assistant