Christmas Cookie Trays...

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AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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After doing almost NO baking last year, I'm planning to get back in the game this year!

For my co-workers, DH's co workers and daycare staff I am going to make Christmas Cookie trays. I will be making dough ahead and freezing and/or baking and freezing to save time.

My question to everyone is, what is a good assortment? 7 - 10 kinds? What flavors / colors are nice for a good variety?

I can't make cookies for ALL of DH's co-workers - the company is huge - but I'll want to fill a pretty good size tray to cover his floor at least. Might just do two trays depending.

My office has two floors now so I'll be making at least two big trays for them plus one big tray for daycare staff.

Finally, even with making ahead the dough or even the baked cookies, I tend to always want to add a little extra something to the trays. You know, like spreading PB between two Ritz crackers and then dipping in melted chocolate.

Or putting a Rolo on a little pretzel, warming it, then pressing a pecan half down on top...

If anyone has any other suggestions for little "cheats" like this I am all ears!!!
 

missjane

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Oct 13, 2007
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At least one "cheat" that I know of is buying a simple cookie, like a plain shortbread cookie and dipping it (only about 1/2 -2/3 of it), then adding sprinkles. I know I have some others, but I will have to look them up. This could be fun!
 

snowlvr

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Oct 14, 2007
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I will tell you this past year I made the peanut butter ritz crackers dipped in white chocolate candy melts, sprinkled on some Christmas sprinkles-and mailed them with the Christmas packages I sent family and they went crazy! My niece told me "those are like crack!!" I broke down and bought one of those $20 candy melters that AC Moore/Michaels have on sale now and then-best thing ever for making those... I make cookie trays, I find 4-5 different kinds is usually fine-something chocolate, something traditional like shortbread, etc..you are so smart to make the dough ahead..
 

Lana

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Oct 13, 2007
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We make several cookie/candy trays to give at Christmas! We make the stuff on Saturday into Sunday a.m. at times and then try to deliver on Sunday. Trays go to work on Monday.
I like to put a rolo on a ritz cracker and then put into the oven for like 2 to 3 minutes (starting to melt) or on plate in microwave for a minute (ovens vary) and then when they come out you put another ritz on top pushing down lightly. Can be dipped in chocolate too. Everybody seems to really like them. Fudge goes a long ways. Use peanut butter and white frosting or chocolate frosting for an easy fudge. I do a Fannie May one too.
 

AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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Great ideas!!! Thank you! I'll take more though - lol

I did find this note - I think I must have saved it from this forum:

"Take fig bars (store brand works fine) and cut them in half, either the long way (so you end up with two strips) or diagonally (you end up with two triangles). I like to do some of each shape. Dip each piece about halfway in melted semisweet chocolate, then into finely chopped nuts. Place on wax paper until set."

Fudge is a great idea! A little does go a LONG way! One batch would probably be enough for all the trays I have planned!

I also looked on Pinterest and saw a couple of ideas using Hershey's kisses. One was to place a plain Hershey's kiss in the middle of a small round pretzel, warm until chocolate is soft, then press a red or green M&M down onto the kiss.

The other was to place a Hershey's Hugs on a small square pretzel, the kind with the lattice shape in the middle, and warm until chocolate is soft, then press another little pretzel down on top of that.

Good way to utilize leftover Halloween candy - or candy you buy on sale right after Halloween! :)
 

MrsSoup

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Oct 13, 2007
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You can do the same with a Rolo. You put the Rolo on the pretzel and pop it into the oven for a few minutes and then push a pecan or piece of candy down on top of it. They are super addicting and so good. The pecan ones taste like Turtles.

Fudge is a good one. I also make sugar cookies, gingerbread men, peanut blossoms... You could always dip Oreos and when I was little we used to take two Ritz crackers and put peanut butter between them like a sandwich and then dip them in white chocolate. You could also dip pretzels in white or regular chocolate. You could also make mini loaves of pumpkin bread or something like that. One regular batch of bread batter makes a lot of mini loaves. I did that one year and wrapped the mini loaves in freezer paper and tied some ribbon around it.
 

Minta

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Another quick filler is dip half of a pretzel rod in melted chocolate and sprinkle jimmies or colored sugar crystals on the chocolate before they harden.

We do cookie tins/trays each year some of my must make cookies are:
Chocolate chip with the red and green chips
Cut out sugar cookies - some decorated with frosting, some decorated with sprinkles/sugar crystals and some plan.
Peanut butter blossoms
Ginger Bread men


You could also make Orange cranberry bread/muffins and banana bread/muffins. These freeze great and make an easy addition to trays.
 

AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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Oh man, such yummy sounding "cheat" ideas! The mini quick bread loaves are a great idea too!

I'll share what recipes I've had good success with freezing the dough below. But I think most any drop cookie would work great. And there are slice and bake type cookie dough recipes that would also work great.

I line cookie sheets with wax paper and place the shaped mounds or balls of cookie dough on them - fitting very close together but not touching - then put in freezer for 1 hr or so. Then they are hard enough to throw in a ziplock bag.

I've always baked cookies frozen this way from their frozen state. I would say it adds a few minutes to the baking time so I keep close tabs on the first batch and then just bake that amount of time for the rest of them.

Right now my tried and true cookie recipes intended for this year's trays are:

Chunky Chocolate Gobs
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chunky-chocolate-gobs-10000001839958/

Cocoa Kiss Cookies
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cocoa-Kiss-Cookies/

After baking and letting them cool, these are meant to be rolled in powdered sugar. So good!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations - I use the recipe on the back of the bag! :) The dough freezes great! I simply vary my additions to the basic dough for the holidays...instead of semi sweet chocolate chips I often do one of these variations:

- White Chocolate Chips, Dried Cranberries and Chopped Pecans
- Dark Chocolate Chips, Dried Cherries (I also add a tsp of Almond Extract to the dough)

A tsp or so of cinnamon added to the dough works great for either of these variations as well!

- Cookies n' Creme Version = Chopped Oreos and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Lemon Crinkles
http://witandwhistle.com/2011/04/27/lemon-crinkle-cookies/

I shape the dough, roll in powdered sugar and THEN flash freeze on the lined cookie sheets.

Another cookie I've pre-made dough for successfully is Peanut Butter Gingerbread Cookies.
http://www.food.com/recipe/peanut-butter-gingerbread-cookies-132966

I rolled out the dough, cut my shapes and transferred them carefully to lined cookie sheets to freeze. I later put them in large ziplock bags - separating "layers" of cookies in the same bag with pieces of wax paper.

Now - when I make these again, I'm going to try baking the cookies THEN freezing. At least some of them to see how they turn out. I bet there is no difference. One thing about this recipe - it makes a TON! 5 dozen!!!
 

aggy

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Oct 11, 2007
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For years I've done about 7 kinds of cookies (peanut butter, sugar, gingerbread, chocolate, oatmeal raisin, etc). But reading all these ideas and shortcuts is giving me the courage to switch up some of my treats.