Easiest-Ever Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients

1 roll (16.5 oz)  refrigerated sugar cookies

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour, pecans and vanilla until well blended.
2. Shape dough into 54 (1-inch) balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly on cooling rack.
4. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on cooling rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

 

3-Ingredient Secret-Center Cookie Cups

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury or store brand refrigerated peanut butter cookies

36 miniature milk chocolate-covered nougat and caramel candy bars (about 1-inch square), unwrapped

1 container (1 lb) chocolate creamy ready-to-spread frosting

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. For each cookie cup, wrap heaping teaspoonful cookie dough around 1 candy bar, enclosing it almost completely and forming ball. Place in 1 3/4-inch paper baking cups placed 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
2. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. (Centers of cookies will sink slightly.) Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
3. Spoon about 3/4 cup frosting into pastry bag with a star tip. Pipe frosting on top of each cookie cup.

 

Santa’s Belly Cookies

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury or store brand  refrigerated sugar cookies

24 large marshmallows

1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting

Red, yellow and black gel food colors

48 white vanilla baking chips (for Santa’s suit buttons) 

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. On ungreased cookie sheet, place dough rounds 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Meanwhile, slightly flatten marshmallows.
2. Remove from oven, and top each cookie with marshmallow. Return to oven, and bake 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Remove cookies from cookie sheets; cool completely on cooling racks. Meanwhile, separate frosting into 3 small bowls, using 1 1/4 cups to make red frosting, 1/4 cup for yellow frosting and 1/4 cup for black frosting. Add food color to each, and mix to get desired colors (red, yellow and black). Frost and decorate cookies to look like Santa’s belly, using photo as a guide

 

5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Crumble Bars

Ingredients

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury or store brand refrigerated sugar cookies

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

 

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add 1/4 cup of the flour; mix with spoon or hands until well blended. Break up three-fourths of the dough in pan; press evenly in bottom of pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir remaining 2 tablespoons flour and the caramel topping. Pour over crust in pan; carefully spread evenly. Sprinkle salt and 1/4 cup of the pecans over caramel.
5. In small bowl, mix remaining dough and remaining pecans until well blended. Crumble over bars in pan.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

Cute Reindeer Cookies

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz)  Ready to Bake refrigerated sugar cookies

10 oz chocolate candy coating, cut into pieces (from 20-oz package)

24 small white fudge-covered pretzels, halved (from 5-oz bag)

48 candy eyeballs

24 chocolate-covered creamy mint candies (from 1.84-oz box) 

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; shape each cookie into oval (do not flatten).
2. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
3. Melt candy coating as directed on package. Working with one cookie at a time, dip top of cookie into melted candy coating, letting excess drip off. Place 2 pretzel halves on top of cookie for antlers, 2 candy eyeballs for eyes and 1 mint candy for nose. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in airtight container.

 

5-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

1 roll  refrigerated sugar cookie dough

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break cookie dough into small chunks. Add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes; remove to cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, unwrap cream cheese. Place in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until softened. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on cookies.

 

Courtesy of Pillsbury

 

Melted Snowmen Cookies

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz)  refrigerated sugar cookies

12 miniature creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

24 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped

1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting

12 large marshmallows

48 miniature chocolate chips (for eyes)

2  orange gumdrop candies, cut into small carrot-shaped triangles (for noses)

1 pouch black cookie icing

24 (7 1/2-inch) pieces red string licorice, clipped on ends for fringes of each scarf 

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. On ungreased cookie sheet, place dough rounds 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, to make hats, remove creme from sandwich cookies, and attach miniature peanut butter cup to one half of sandwich cookie, using small amount of vanilla frosting. Continue for remaining hats.
3. Cut marshmallows in half, and place one half on top of each cookie, cut side down. In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining frosting uncovered on Medium (50%) 20 to 40 seconds, stirring halfway through, until slightly warm. Spoon frosting on top of marshmallow and cookie to look like melting snow; attach hat to top of each cookie. Attach miniature chocolate chips and orange gumdrop candy for eyes and nose. Allow to set 20 minutes.
4. Use black cookie icing to pipe arms on each snowman cookie. Wrap one piece of licorice around neck for scarf. Allow to set completely before serving, about 30 minutes.