Christmas Tea Rings

These are a perfect Christmas treat. Make some to give away, some for Christmas breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Step 1

  Roll bread dough into a rectangle 8 inches wide and 15 inches long. Spread butter over the bread, leaving about 1/2 inch of a long edge unbuttered. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the buttered part of the dough.

• Step 2

  Starting with the long edge opposite the unbuttered edge, tightly roll the dough over the filling; seal the roll along the unbuttered edge to make a log.

• Step 3

  Lightly grease a 12-inch round cake pan or baking dish; place dough into the pan and form a ring, pinching the two ends together to seal. Use kitchen scissors or sharp knife to make cuts 3/4 inch deep into the outside of the ring. Twist the cut sections of dough slightly to reveal filling.

• Step 4

  Cover the tea ring with a cloth, place into a warm area, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

• Step 5

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

• Step 6

  Bake tea ring in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil after 15 minutes if tea ring starts to brown too quickly. Let tea ring cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

• Step 7

  Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl to make a smooth frosting. Spread top of the tea ring with frosting.

White Christmas Pie

This is a delicious, yet not-too-filling pie. It does remind you of a blanket of snow on Christmas morning.

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin

• ¼ cup cold water

• 1 cup white sugar

• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups milk

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup flaked coconut

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

• 3 egg whites

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

• 2 tablespoons flaked coconut

Directions

• Step 1

  Sprinkle gelatin over cold water; set aside to soften.

• Step 2

  Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in softened gelatin. When partially set, beat with a rotary mixer until smooth. Blend in vanilla and 1 cup coconut.

• Step 3

  Whip the cream until stiff. Gently fold into coconut mixture.

• Step 4

  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar and 1/2 cup sugar. Continue beating until egg whites form stiff peaks. Fold into coconut mixture. Pile filling into cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with additional coconut. Chill pie for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cream Cheese Cut-Outs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough into two pieces, cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut in to desired shapes using cookie cutters and place the cookies at least 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Mini Pecan Pie Cookies

Wonderful mini pecan pies. Perfect for cookie parties where you want to make something slightly different. You can spice up the cookies by adding cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to the cookie mix!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan, and stir in the confectioners' sugar and corn syrup until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and stir in the pecans until well combined. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, and set aside.
3. Beat brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until well mixed. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball. Press the dough into the bottom of an ungreased cupcake pan cup, and use your thumb to press the dough into a small piecrust shape, with 1/4-inch walls up the sides of the cupcake cup. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Fill each little crust with about 1 teaspoon of the prepared pecan filling.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookie shells are lightly browned, 10 to 13 minutes. Watch closely after 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool in the cupcake pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.