Holly Berry Cookies

I enjoy making these delectable treats for Christmas, along with the help of my husband.  After I prepare the cookies and place them on a baking sheet, my husband then tops each with the Red Hots Cinnamon Candies.  We love these no-bake cookie treats, they are colorful, festive, and delicious!

Holly Berry Cookies

1/2 cup butter
30 large marshmallows
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon green food coloring
4 cups corn flakes cereal
Red Hots Cinnamon Candies, to garnish cookies

1.)  Line 2 large baking sheets with wax paper; then set baking sheets aside.

2.)  In a large kettle or Dutch oven, add the butter.  (I used a 5-quart Teflon coated Dutch oven.)

3.)  Melt the butter over low heat, then add the marshmallows; stirring constantly until the marshmallows have melted completely.

4.)  Remove kettle from heat, and add the vanilla extract and food coloring; stirring until the food coloring has blended well into the melted marshmallow mixture.

5.)  Remove kettle from heat, and add the vanilla extract and food coloring; stirring until the food coloring has blended well into the melted marshmallow mixture.

6.)  Drop mixture, one heaping tablespoon at a time onto the wax paper; spacing them at least 1-inch apart, then decorate each with 2-3 red hots cinnamon candies (quickly before they set).

7.)  Allow cookies to set on the wax paper for a few hours, so they will harden.

8.)  To store cookies, place them in an air-tight container with a lid.

9.)  Yields: About 2 dozen cookies

10.) Note: When I display the cookies on a platter, I keep them intact on the wax paper.  If giving cookies to others, I cut closely around the wax paper and cookies with a scissors.  And when ready to eat the cookies, just peel off the wax paper.

In this photo, I displayed the Holly Berry Cookies
and the Snickerdoodle Blossoms on a cookie platter.

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Holly Berry Cookies | Just A Pinch Recipes

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Pink Peppermint Melt-A-Ways

I love these cookies!  They are a peppermint-y tasting cookie.

I like how they look displayed in the center of the cookie platter.

Pink Peppermint Melt-A-Ways

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
15 drops red food coloring
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, for coating the cookies

1.)  In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch, then set the bowl aside.

2.)  In a large bowl cream together until light and fluffy, the butter and the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.

3.)  Mix in the peppermint extract.

4.)  Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, and mix well.

5.)  Thoroughly mix the food coloring into the cookie dough.

6.)  At this point, I refrigerate the cookie dough (in a bowl covered with aluminum foil), so the dough firms up enough to shape into dough balls.  This may take anywhere from 1-2 hours.  (I let mine set overnight in the refrigerator, and bake mine the next day when I have the time.)  I then let the dough sit on the counter (in the bowl covered with foil) for about an hour, before making the cookies.

7.)  When ready to bake the cookies, heat your oven to 350º F.   And in a shallow bowl, add the 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar.  Set the bowl aside (Use more powdered sugar if need be.)

8.)  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

9.)  Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls.  (I used a small cookie scoop which is equivalent to 1 tablespoon to make each cookie, then shape the cookie dough into 1" balls.)

10.)  Place the dough balls 2-inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets.

11.)  Place baking sheets in the oven, and bake for about 13 minutes (until the bottoms of cookies are lightly brown) then remove from oven, and let cookies set 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack.

12.)  Gently roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar, then place the powdered coated cookies back on the wire racks.

13.)  Once the cookies have cooled slightly, gently roll them again in the powdered sugar, and place them back on the wire racks to finish cooling.

14.)  Makes approximately: 3 dozen cookies.

15.) Note: I had noticed after baking 2 sheets of cookies, the cookie dough was becoming soft, so I place the remaining cookie dough back in the refrigerator, so it could firm up a bit, then finished baking the cookies.  Also, once these cookies had cooled, I then place them in a container (such as Tupperware or Rubbermaid) and in the freezer, as these cookies do keep well if stored in the freezer. I then only take out a few cookies at a time when I want to serve them. 

I added another photo of the Pink Peppermint Melt-A-Ways,
which are surrounded by Snickerdoodle Blossoms,
plus (Red & Green Sugar Coated) Gingersnap Cookies.

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Pink Peppermint Melt-A-Ways | Just A Pinch Recipes

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Snickerdoodle Blossoms

I "love" chocolate and Snickerdoodle Cookies!  I get to combine the
cookie with a bit of chocolate.  Both cookie and chocolate make for
one scrumptious tasting cookie!



Snickerdoodle Blossoms

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
52 chocolate stars

1.)  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.  Beat at medium speed until mixture is light and creamy.

2.)  Add the egg, vanilla extract and salt; continue beating until well mixed.

3.)  Add 1 cup of flour and the baking soda to the bowl, and beat on low speed until ingredients have been mixed together well.

4.)  Add the remaining cup of flour; beat on low speed until it has been thoroughly mixed together.

5.)  At this point you will need to refrigerate the dough (in a bowl covered with aluminum foil), so the dough firms up enough to shape into dough balls.  This may take anywhere from 1-2 hours.  (I let mine set overnight in the refrigerator, so I can bake mine the next day, and when I have the time.)  I then let the dough sit on the counter (in the bowl covered with foil) for an hour or two before making it into cookies.

6.)  When ready to bake the cookies, heat your oven to 350º F.  And in a shallow bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and the Tablespoon of ground cinnamon.

7.)  Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls.  (I used a small cookie scoop which is equivalent to 1 tablespoon, to make each cookie, then shape the cookie dough into 1" balls.)

8.)  Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place them 2-inches apart onto either ungreased baking sheets, or baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  (I prefer to line my baking sheets with the parchment paper.)

9.)  Bake the dough balls for 10 minutes, and after removing baking sheet from the oven, immediately press 1 chocolate star in the center of each cookie.

10.)  Let the cookies sit for 1-minute on the baking sheet, then remove the cookies and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

11.)  Makes: 52 cookies

12.) To store the cookies: I place the cooled cookies onto clean baking sheets in a single layer, then place the baking sheets in the freezer, until the chocolate star is firm.  I then place the cookies in a cookie tin or in a Tupperware container, and store the cookies in the freezer.  These cookies do keep well for quite sometime in the freezer. When ready to serve, just take out as many cookies as needed, and let them sit for a bit before serving.  (About 5 minutes.  Providing you can wait that long!)

-Snickerdoodle Blossoms | Just A Pinch Recipes-

Santa Claus Cookies

This recipe is from my 1982 Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook.



Santa Claus Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening, or butter flavor shortening
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (I omit this, don't really need it)
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
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Creamy Frosting: See Recipe Below
Miniature Marshmallows, to decorate cookies

Red Sugar, to decorate cookies
Milk Chocolate, or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, to decorate cookies
Red Hots Cinnamon Candies, to decorate cookies
Flaked or Shredded Coconut, to decorate cookies
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1.)  Mix granulated sugar, shortening, milk, lemon peel and egg.

2.)  Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3.)  Heat oven to 400 degrees.

4.)  Shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls.

5.)  Place about 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten each to about 2-1/2 inch in diameter, with greased bottom of a beverage glass dipped in sugar.

6.)  Bake until edges are light brown, 8 to 10 minutes; then let cookies cool completely before frosting them.

7.)  Spread cookie with small amount of Creamy Frosting.

8.)  Sprinkle top third of cookie with red sugar (to make Santa's cap).

9.)  Press on miniature marshmallow for tassel of cap.

10.)  Press 2 chocolate chips for the eyes, and 1 red cinnamon candy for the nose.

11.)  Sprinkle bottom third with either flaked or shredded coconut, for the beard.

12.)  Frost and decorate each cookie before starting another.

13.)  Yields: about 2 dozen cookies. (Mine yielded: 27 cookies)

14.)  Creamy Frosting: Mix 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 4-6 tablespoons milk; mix until desired consistency.  (I actually used: 3 cups plus 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons plus a 1/2 tablespoon of milk, and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.)

15.) Note: I baked my cookies on Pampered Chef Stoneware, and baked the first 2-3 batches for 10 minutes, and the last 2 batches for 9 minutes, as the cookies were starting to brown up a bit more.

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Santa Claus Cookies | Just A Pinch Recipes

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