Coffee Bean Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 3-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:

Combine coffee and milk, and let stand until dissolved. In another bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, about 30 seconds on high if using an electric mixer. Add brown sugar and vanilla to this mix, then add the coffee-and-milk mix. Beat until combined, then beat in the flour as well. Cover and chill for one hour. Then take out and shape into 1-inch balls, shaping into ovals after determining the correct amount of dough. Press a ridge into the center of each oval to make it look like a coffee bean. Bake at 350º F for 9-11 minute, 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 48 cookies

Poppy Seed Spirals

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons poppy seed
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

Instructions:

Beat butter until fluffy, about 30 seconds on medium if using an electric mixer. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt, and combine. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Then beat in flour. Divide the dough in half. Stir poppy and lemon into one half, and leave the other plain. Roll each into a 9×6 rectangle. Roll poppy rectangle onto the plain, and seal them together. Roll up like a jelly roll, wrap in plastic, and chill for 4 to 24 hours until firm. Cut dough into 1/8-1/4-inch slices. Bake at 375º F for 8-10 minutes, 1 inch apart. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Yield: 48 cookies

Snickerdoodle Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 3-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions:

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until thoroughly whipped; about 30 seconds on medium if using an electric mixer. Add 1 cup sugar and the baking powder. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in the flour last. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half between two sheets of wax paper into a 12×8 rectangle. Remove the top wax paper and brush dough with melted butter. Then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cinnamon/sugar mix on top, dusting evenly. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, removing wax paper. Seal the edges, then repeat with the other half. Chill the rolls for 4 hours wrapped externally in wax paper. After chilled, cut into 1/4-inch slices and bake at 375º F for 8-10 minutes, 1 inch apart. Cool on the sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack. NOTE: Make sure that the rolls have as few cracks as possible, because cracks will become permanent after baking, and they spoil the swirl effect if you are going for a pretty and festive cookie.

Yield: 60 cookies