Thursday's Christmas Kitchen Cupboard

It's that wonderful time of year for Christmas holiday cheer! Are you ready? There's only 3 days left! I'll be taking the boys out this afternoon to get something special from them for mama. Then we'll be finished. Finally.

Belle's been busy in the kitchen getting her Christmas cheer on with irresistible goodies. Here's a couple of my personal favorites.

Peanut Butter Blossoms allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration
• 2 (9 ounce) bags milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven, and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools.

Jam Filled Butter Cookies  allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fruit preserves, any flavor (Belle used homemade raspberry jam)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Be sure to stop by The Gardener of Eden where for this Thursday only Robin is hosting a special "Thursday's Christmas Kitchen Cupboard" and see what other gardeners are doing with their harvests this winter.