Recipe For Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Do you like macaroons?

I love them, especially if they are dipped in chocolate. I came across this super easy recipe for making some.

These are perfect for an everyday cookie to keep in the cookie jar, or fancy enough to put in a pretty package and give as a gift. I'll be giving some at Easter for sure.

The recipe calls for very few ingredients, so use the best available. I buy the sweetened coconut from the bulk foods section of my grocery store. It's much fresher than the coconut in packages.

You can also use white, or milk chocolate to dip the macaroons in. I used dark chocolate this time.

Recipe for Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces dark, white, or milk chocolate, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, coconut, and salt. Add condensed milk and vanilla; stir until well combined.

Drop batter by tablespoonful, 1 inch apart, onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until just golden on bottoms.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When cookies are cool, dip top halves into melted chocolate. Let stand until set.

Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Christmas Butter Cookies

Last week I started getting into the Christmas spirit, and decided to make some Christmas cookies. We always had butter cookies during the holidays when I was a kid. I wish that I had my mom's recipe for them, they were always so rich and delicious, and decorated with sprinkles just like these.

This recipe is actually fairly easy, and I think the cookies turn out best when the dough is refrigerated over night. You can add whatever kind of sprinkles you like of course, but the red and green are very festive.

These cookies hold up well if you'd like to give them as a gift, too. That is if you have any left over, which I didn't because my grandchildren thought they were perfect with a glass of milk on a cold afternoon.

I ate my fair share too, because they just tasted so good. For me, Christmas is about food, and treats and sharing them with friends and family. And cookies are so easy to make and give, and who doesn't love receive homemade goodies?

Recipe for Christmas Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

8 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
Sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once,
Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times.
Turn onto a sheet of waxed paper and roll into a log, wrap and refrigerate, or over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Before baking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the dough into slices about 1/8-inch thick and place them on the baking sheet. Shake on sprinkles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.

Makes approximately 32 cookies.