Melt in your mouth goodness. And you can tuck a surprise in the center if you like!

This was in my Chatelaine Dec 2008 issue.

Preparation time 15 minutes
Baking time 8 minutes
Makes 42 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour or 21/2 cups (625 mL) cake and pastry flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) ground almonds, about 100-g pkg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) sifted icing sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). In a medium bowl, stir flour with almonds and salt until evenly mixed. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, beat butter with 1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla. On low speed or using a wooden spoon, beat flour mixture into butter mixture.

2. Scoop about 1 tbsp (15 mL) dough and flatten into a disc. To add a chocolate centre, press 2 chocolate chips or 1 chocolate chunk into centre of the disc. Roll dough around chocolate, forming a 1-in. (2.5-cm) ball. Repeat with remaining dough and chocolate. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, at least 1 in. (2.5 cm) apart.

3. Bake in centre of oven until puffed and golden on bottom when lifted, from 8 to 10 min. Remove cookies to a rack to cool for 5 min. Place remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar in a shallow bowl. Then roll warm cookies in sugar until evenly coated and return to rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep well stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week or in the freezer up to 1 month.

My friends made these last year…they were soooo yummy…very fitting too!

And you can totally turn this into edible ornaments for your tree

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Red food coloring

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Gradually mix in the flour.
2. Divide the dough in half. Color one half with red food coloring and leave the other half plain. Roll out a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of plain until they are each 6 to 8 inches long. Twist them into a candy cane, pinching the ends. Repeat.
3. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not brown.
   Makes about 25.

OMG I just saw this on another website and must share…it looks sooooo yummy!

Vanilla Ice Pops!

Serves about 6 – 10

Takes about 5 minutes to make

Takes 3 – 4 hrs to freeze

Ingredients
250 g cream cheese, softened
500 ml milk
60 ml sugar
5 ml vanilla or vanilla beans

Preparation

In food processor, combine cream cheese with milk, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour into glasses or Popsicle molds. Freeze one hour, then insert popsicle stick in middle. Put back into freezer for 3 to 4 hours, to allow liquid to freeze completely. To turn out easily, dip glasses or Popsicle molds into hot water for one minute before pulling on stick. And serve!

From All You Need is Cheese