Oreo Balls: A No-Fail, Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Treat

When it comes to holiday baking, I love treats that are simple to make, delicious, and a hit with all ages. One of my go-to recipes that checks all the boxes is Oreo Balls. These little bites are rich, creamy, and let’s be honest — anything dipped in almond bark is a holiday winner! Plus, they’re great for making ahead, and the kids love helping roll and dip them. It's a fun family tradition we do every year.

Easiest Christmas Cookie EVER

Want to make some Christmas cookies this week but just don't have the energy or time? Then make the easiest Christmas cookies ever that uses just two ingredients - Peanut Butter Cup Cookies!

Classic No Bake Cookies

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week.  

All views and opinions shared are my own.*,

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan and looking for a quick sweet, then look no further than the Classic No Bake Cookie.  My family loves these cookies all year long and they are always a must for Christmas Cookie Trays every December.

Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week and sponsors 
Sprinkle Pop and YumGoogle.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Christmas isn't complete without making the iconic cut-out sugar cookie.  You won't need another recipe after trying these simple and soft cookies, perfect for decorating.

Delicious Cookies: A Family Classic

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week and sponsor Silpat.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Delicious Cookies are not only delicious, they are a buttery shortbread cookie with a little extra added crunch that brings back memories for my husband's family, perfect to add to your Christmas Cookie platter or to make just because.

Bake to your Heart's Desire with Christmas Cookies Week

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week and our generous sponsors 

Adams Extract, Sprinkle Pop, YumGoogle and Silpat.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Tis the season for snow flurries, caroling and of course, Christmas Cookies!  This week I'm joining forces with 33 other bloggers to bring you over 100 festive cookie recipes, perfect for your holiday cookie platter.  I'm excited to be sharing my husband grandmother's Delicious Cookies with you tomorrow, my go-to Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies on Wednesday and my classic No Bake Cookies on Friday.  All three of my cookies are tried and true recipes that have been favorites of my family for years, decades and even generations!

22 Family Favorites for Your Christmas Cookie Tray

With Christmas just a week away it is time to make sure I have enough goodies to fill Christmas plates for our neighbors and Christmas Cookie Trays for all of our family gatherings.  Thankfully, with over 130 recipes shared on the #Celebrate365 Cookie Exchange I have no short of inspiration of how to fill the trays.  Here are 22 recipes that were linked up that have been family favorites for generations!

Gram's Classic Thumbprint Cookies, Savory Moments

Almond Roca, Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats

Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies, Vickie's Kitchen and Garden

Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies, The Tip Garden

Grandma Joan's Gooey Wonders, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Fudge Dipped Crescent Cookies, Cooking with Carlee

Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting, Living on Cloud Nine

Chocolate Crinkles, Oak Hill Homestead

Marlene's Sour Cream Cookies, Cooking with Carleee

Peanut Butter Balls, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies, Savory Moments

Cut-Out Butter Cookies, Canning and Cooking at Home

White Chocolate Dipped Snickerdoodles, Living on Cloud Nine

Homemade Caramels, Flint & Co.

Muddy Snowballs, Family Around the Table

Old-Fashioned Hermit Bar Cookies, Happily Homegrown

Sour Cream Cookies, Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Easy No-Bake Cathedral Cookies, 2 Cookin' Mamas

Rum Logs, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Tender Italian Sugar Cookies, Jolene's Recipe Journal

Butterball Cookies, My Fearless Kitchen

Cherry Chews, Red Cottage Chronicles

I love how many of these recipes have been handed down from generation to generation through the years.  What is your family's favorite Christmas Cookie?  Remember to Comment for a Cause.

Peppermint Sandies #ChristmasCookies

*This post has been sponsored by Christmas Cookies contributor,

Nielsen-Massey Flavors.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

I can't believe it is already Friday of Christmas Cookies Week!  I hope you have been following #ChristmasCookies on social media to see all of the delicious cookie recipes from over 30 bloggers.  When I first found out that Nielsen-Massey was sponsoring Christmas Cookies Week I was excited to try their different vanillas and extract flavors and was drawn to their Peppermint Extract.  Afterall, how much more festive can you get than peppermint!

These buttery, crispy, Peppermint Sandies have just the right balance of flavor and are the perfect refrigerated cookie to add to your Christmas Cookie platter.

Peppermint Sandies

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Shortening

2 eggs

1/2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Peppermint Extract

3 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Peppermint Baking Chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter and shortening.  Add eggs and peppermint extract and combine till light and fluffy.  Mix in flour and baking soda well.  Stir in peppermint baking chips.

Divide cookie dough in half.  Shape each half into 2 inch diameter log.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Cut logs into slices. Bake cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool completely before storing.

Now it is your turn to make these cookies by winning the Nielsen-Massey Flavor Extracts Package!  Be sure to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Nielsen-Massey flavor extract would you like to try?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause and check out the rest of today's Christmas Cookies Week recipes:

• Almond Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Black Forest Brownies by Palatable Pastime
• Chewy M&M Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Chocolate Orange Blossoms by Family Around the Table
• Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Gingerbread Madeleines by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Greek Baklava by House of Nash Eats
• Honningkagehjerter by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Lemon Ginger Crinkle Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Lemon Pizzelle Della Sondra by Girl Abroad
• Grandmas Lily’s Thumbprints by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mocha Biscotti by Books n’ Cooks
• No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
• No-Bake Eggless Chocolate Salami by All That’s Jas
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Simple and Savory
• Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Making Miracles
• Peppermint Sandies by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
• Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies by Soulfully Made
• The Old Fashioned Cookie by Making the Most of Naptime
• White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Rum Logs #ChristmasCookies

♫ It's the most, wonderful time, of the year🎝 

otherwise known as Christmas Cookies Week!  

All this week I'm joining with other bloggers 

to share 130 Christmas Cookie recipes.

I love making Christmas Cookies throughout the month of December and I love sharing Christmas Cookies at family gatherings, with neighbors, and with friends.  Besides Christmas Cookies being delicious, festive, sweet treats, they are also a favorite family tradition of mine.  Every year the first Christmas Cookies I make are Peanut Butter Balls.  I love making these with my mom and sisters after Black Friday shopping.  Another cookie I love making with my family are my Great Grandma Mae's Rum Logs.  Not only do these cookies make me smile because they were one of my Great Grandma's recipes, a woman who I loved and cherished very much (in fact our oldest daughter's middle name is Mae in honor of her).  But these cookies are also one of my Mom's favorites and always makes me think of her.  For the longest time I felt like she was the only one that could make them right, but after a little tinkering with the recipe, I feel like I can make a pretty good batch of Rum Logs and now you can too!

Rum Logs are a light and slightly sweet cookie that are a perfect addition to any Christmas Cookie Platter.  I love how they are soft and will melt in your mouth, especially if you pair them with a glass of egg nog.  Plus, the kids love decorating them with sprinkles!

Miss L and Miss R had a lot of fun decorating
the Rum Logs with sprinkles

Rum Logs

1 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Rum extract flavoring
1 tsp Nutmeg, ground
3 cups Flour

Cream butter and sugar together.  Then mix in egg, milk, vanilla, rum, nutmeg and flour.  The dough will be stiff.  Roll dough into 2 inch long "logs".  You can place them fairly close together on the cookie sheet as they won't raise much.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies appear dry and bottoms are just golden.  Do not let the bottoms of the cookies brown.

Then to make the glaze for the top of the Rum Logs whisk together:

1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Rum extract flavoring
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Milk

Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze and decorate with colored sugar or nutmeg.

I hope you try a batch of these festive cookies soon!  And I hope you check out all of these other great cookies shared today as part of Christmas Cookie Week:

• Alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich cookies) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Candy Cane Tassies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Crystallized Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Dutch Speculaas Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Sugar Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
• Empire Cookies by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cookies by Making Miracles
• Gingerbread Men Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Cookies by Books n Cooks
• Holiday Sugar Sprinkle Butter Cookies by Family Around the Table
• Italian Rainbow Cookies by Everyday Eileen
• Loaded Festive Chocolate Chip Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Makrut Macaroons by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mocha filled Sandwich Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pecan Caramel Turtle Bars by Tip Garden
• Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies) by The Redhead Baker
• Peppermint Candy Canes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Peppermint Crinkle Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Peppermint Macarons by House of Nash Eats
• Peppermint Mocha Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
• Peppermint Shortbreads by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pistachio Wedding Cookies by Soulfully Made
• Raspberry Filled Coconut Snowflakes by Making The Most of Naptime
• Raspberry Thumbprint cookies by Simple And Savory
• Rum Logs by Corn, Beans Pigs and Kids
• Vanilla Bean Pizzelles by Love and Confections
• White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box

What Christmas Cookie sparks your interest?  Do you have any Christmas Cookie traditions?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause!

#Celebrate365 Cookie Exchange Blog Party

Peanut Butter Balls.  No Bake Cookies.  Sugar Cookies.  Gooey Wonders.  Peanut Butter Blossoms.  I really could go on and on, but I think you get the picture... It's Christmas Cookie Week!  And to get things started I am partnering with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Jan from Tip Garden, and Nicole from Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to host a Cookie Exchange Link-Up Party.

All bloggers are welcomed and encouraged to link up their favorite Christmas Cookie recipes.  I can't wait to see what everyone shares, as I love making a few different cookies each week in December leading up to Christmas, that way I have well rounded Christmas Cookie platters with lots of favorites and variety.  

Also, be sure to stay tuned for Christmas Cookie Week by following #ChristmasCookies on social media.  I'm excited to be sharing a family favorite recipe tomorrow as part of the week long festivities, and a new recipe I created that is full of holiday flavor on Thursday!  Be sure to follow along and check out the 130 recipes!

What is your favorite Christmas Cookie?  Be sure to link-up the recipe and Comment for a Cause!

An InLinkz Link-up

Christmas Cookie Exchange - 16 Iowa Cookie Recipes

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is baking and indulging in Christmas Cookies!  I love making Christmas cookie plates as gifts and to bring to Christmas parties, so I start making, freezing and storing Christmas goodies now!  The key to a good Christmas cookie plate in my opinion is to have a diversity of goodies, so I like to make a couple different varieties weekly.  I asked some of my fellow Iowa bloggers what some of their favorite Christmas cookies are and am happy to share them as part of this Christmas Cookie Exchange!

Cookies from Left to Right, Top Row to Bottom Row:

• Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies from DonnaHup.com - Bacon!  Do I really need to say anymore?  Plus, these cookies are gluten-free, as Donna is gluten intolerant.
• Sugared Chocolate Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - What a great spin on a sugar cookie for chocolate lovers!  Plus, these are blue-ribbon cookies.
• Cream Cheese Cookie Cups from Been There Baked That - These are another set of prize winning cookies and will be sure to impress at your next holiday party!
• Cinnamon Sugar Candied Almonds from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - These would make a perfect Christmas gift and will spice up your Christmas cookie plate!
• Flour Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies from Blissfully Delicious - You can't go wrong with a delicious chocolate chip cookie for your Christmas cookie plate (or to have stocked in your freezer all year long!).  This recipe shared from Yudith includes both all purpose and bread flour, as well as both semi-sweet and milk chocolate.
• Holiday M&M Macaroons from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - These just look festive and I'm sure would pleasing to the eye on any Christmas cookie plate.
• Lemon-Glazed Meltaway Cookies from Jeni Eats - Jeni and I both have a love for church cookbooks so I know this will be a hit since she adapted this recipe from her church cookbook collection.
• Chocolate Star Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - I feel like these cookies are a staple for every Christmas cookie plate.  Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate?
• Mexican Wedding Cakes from In the Kitchen with Jenny - I've seen these cookies on Christmas cookie plates but never knew exactly what they were.  Now I do and can't wait to make these light and nutty cookies!
• Peanut Butter Delights from Been There Baked That - This recipe is an old favorite of Steph's that includes a creamy peanut butter filling.  Another chocolate peanut butter combination to fill your Christmas cookie plate!
• Peanut Butter Cookie from Veggies by Candlelight - This vegan cookie recipe uses maple syrup to sweeten the cookie and just might be the healthiest cookie on your Christmas cookie plate.
• Raspberry Thumbprint Drops from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - If you're looking for something sweet and fruity for your Christmas cookie plate these will hit the spot.  Plus you can't go wrong with a drizzle of chocolate on top!
• The Most Perfect Sugar Cookie Cutout from Sawdust & Embryos - I personally usually make cutout cookies only a couple times of year and Christmas is one of those times.  I'm sure Nick & Beth love making these with their little girls and I can't wait to try their recipe with my kids!
• Sweet Potato Flourless Chocolate and Almond Cookies from Make the Best of Everything - These would be perfect to make with any left over sweet potatoes you might still have in your refrigerator from Thanksgiving.  Another great thing is that these are flourless if you have anyone that needs a gluten-free cookie.
• Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - Pecan pie is my favorite pie and I've made pecan pie bars before but never pecan pie cookies!  I can't wait to try these out this Christmas season.
• Peanut Butter Balls from Me - This is my family's favorite Christmas cookie!  I usually have to make a batch of these weekly throughout the month of December to keep up with demand...

Got your oven on preheat now?  Which one of these recipes are you excited to make?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!  Also, a special thanks to all of my fellow Iowa bloggers that helped contribute to my Iowa Christmas Cookie Exchange!

Christmas Goodie Must - Peanut Butter Balls

Black Friday means several things to me:

• First - I get most of my shopping done (and without kids)!
• Second - I start playing Christmas carols in the car and in the house.
• And Third - I start stocking up on Christmas goodies!

I love making Christmas cookie plates as gifts and to bring to Christmas parties, so I start making, freezing and storing Christmas goodies today.  Each week I try to make a couple different varieties of goodies so I have a diversity of goodies for my cookie plates (and so I have enough to make it till the end of Christmas).  One Christmas goodie that it seems inevitable that I end up making a few batches of is my family's favorite - Peanut Butter Balls (affectionately known as Christmas Crack to My Farmer!)

Peanut Butter Balls

18 oz jar Creamy Peanut Butter (Many brands have decreased their jar size over the last few years so if you can't find an 18oz jar you'll be fine, but you might want to add an extra scoop of peanut butter to your recipe.  If you live in Iowa, I personally know that Fareway still sells their generic brand at an 18 oz size.)

2 cups Powdered Sugar

4 Tbsp Butter, soften

5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Chocolate Almond Bark, melted

Combine first four ingredients.  The mixture should be able to stick and stay together, and at the same time not leave peanut butter all over your hands.  Roll mixture into balls about the size of a quarter.  Dip balls into melted almond bark.  (If your almond bark is really thick, add a tablespoon of shortening to the almond bark to thin it out slightly but not changing the flavor.)  Refrigerate or keep in cold storage.

***Chef's Note*** I like to use a spoon to help cover each peanut butter ball in almond bark and then spoon the ball onto a fork to drain off excess chocolate before letting it set on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it.

What is your family's favorite Christmas goodie?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Also, be sure to check out my blog this weekend for a Christmas Cookie Exchange round-up post!