These are a tradition in our family, and especially one of my Dad’s favorites. Even better, they’re super easy, and only have a few ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand. I made some tonight as a little different holiday gift than the usual cookies, but they make great appetizers or snacks, too, and they never stay around too long at our house.

I didn’t have a cookie press, but I managed to find a cheap one at Bed Bath and Beyond for $6, so I enjoyed using my new toy. A cookie press makes these more fun, but I expect they would taste just fine made like drop cookies too. Or, I think a pastry bag with a star tip would make a fine substitute as well.

As a side note, I made another 101cookbooks recipe tonight, Heidi’s recent Hazelnut and Chard Ravioli Salad, except I used spinach, pumpkin ravioli, and acorn squash, and I added a bit of pancetta too, although it definitely didn’t need it. It was absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend it.

You might also like:

Cheese Straws

Ingredients:
8 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 3/4 stick margarine
2 c flour
1/2 t Cayenne pepper

Cream margarine and cheese. Add flour and pepper. Mix well. Fill cookie press with desired shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

As I said before, I’ve been dying to make peppermint bark cookies, inspired by 101cookbooks. I’m also continuing to search for the perfect double chocolate cookie. These Double-Chocolate Espresso Cookies from Cheryl St. John’s blog seemed worth trying, so I made them with chopped peppermint bark instead of the chocolate chips (the ones added whole; I still used semisweet for the ones melted at the beginning of the recipe). I also used 1 tsp of espresso instead of 1 T of instant coffee, since I didn’t want to buy instant coffee.

They turned out pretty well. The cookies are pretty chewy and brownie like, and very rich. They were delicious, but I’m still going for something chewy in the middle like that but a little crispy on the edges and top. Also, I wanted them to be a little bit more peppermint-y. Next time I’ll add a few drops of peppermint extract. I garnished them with little bits of chopped peppermint bark, but they were too small, so they don’t really give a hint to the cookie’s contents like I wanted. Next time, I’ll reserve some of the peppermint bark and press in a few larger pieces into each cookie before baking. The peppermint bark is a little unusual in a cookie, and I liked the way it turned out a lot. The candy cane pieces add a pleasant chewy-crunch, adding more texture than a normal cookie. These are definitely something I will make again.

You might also like:

• Nutty Fingers
• Pecan Toffee
• Date Rock Cookies
• Peppermint Bark
• Christmas Cookies