12 Crafts of Christmas {Edible Edition}

For some folks (myself included), there is no better gift than the gift of food.
I love me some homemade goodies!

So today I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes that I’ve found here and there over the years:

Easy Oreo Truffles by the lovely Rachel (Marshall’s favorite)

Butterfinger Cookies from Taste of Home (My BIL’s favorite)

Saltine Toffee from Taste of Home (Marshall’s other favorite) (aka Candy Crack)

Cream Cheese Finger Cookies from Taste of Home (Best all-around!)

Reindeer Cookies from Me(circa 2007)  (Kidlet favorite)

And three of my favorite recipes: two of my own and one from my friend Noelle.
(No pictures this time though because I didn’t think it was wise to try to bake while struggling to breathe.)
(Dear cold, you’re killin’ me.  Please go away!)

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Shortbread Cookies by Noelle

1 1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups flour

Heat oven to 275º.
Butter a 9×13 pan and line with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add salt & vanilla, and beat to combine.
Add flour one cup at a time on low speed until just combined.
Press dough into pan and use a butter knife to cut the dough length-wise into 9 strips.
Cut cross-wise into bars and use tines of a fork to make indentions in each cookie.
Bake for 70-85 minutes, or until a pale gold (not brown).
Cool in pan and cut along lines to break into individual cookies.

These cookies get better with age…if they last that long!

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Crunchy Nut Clusters

2 cups(12 oz) baking chips – you choose what kind: milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, peppermint, butterscotch, toffee…
2 cups nuts – you choose all of one kind of nut or an assortment of several types
Rice Krispies(optional)

Melt baking chips in the microwave according to package directions.
Once melted, add nuts (and Rice Krispies if you want).
Mix well.
Spoon out into either mini-muffin tins or small paper candy cups and freeze until set.

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Lace Cookies
(We used to make these and gingersnaps with my grandmother-Mama Jo-every Christmas,
so these are the definition of “Christmas Cookie” to me.)

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup oatmeal
3 heaping TBsp self-rising flour
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Mix egg, sugar, oatmeal and flour.
Pour in butter and vanilla and mix well.
Cover baking sheet with tin foil and butter well.
Drop small spoonfuls of dough onto buttered surface.
(These will expand significantly!)
Bake at 400º just until cookies begin to brown.
Turn off oven and leave cookies in until they are a nice brown.
Cool completely and then slowly and gently remove from foil.

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And if you still haven’t found a recipe that just hits the spot,
check out the Christmas cookies that my friend Mary has been showcasing on her blog!  YUM!

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Want to see more of my crafty creations?
Check out the other 12 Crafts of Christmas:
Week One: Silhouettes
Week Two: Personalized Wall Clocks
Week Three: Glass Etching
Week Four: Fancy Fingerpaint Art
Week Five: Freezer Paper Stencils
Week Six:  Tie-Knot Fleece Blanket
Week Seven: Ribbon & Pearl Bracelet, Wool Ball Necklace, DIY Button Earrings
Week Eight: Chalkboard Paint Ideas: Glasses, Chalkboard, Candle, Love Box
Week Nine: Frugal Finds
Week Ten: Personalized Pendants
Week Eleven: Edible Edition