Christmas Baking
Here is a selection of cookies I baked for family and friends this Christmas. Actually this is the first time I'm baking cookies over the holidays and I really enjoyed it. The pine nut cookies and stained glass trees recipes are from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies (a fabulous special edition holiday magazine). The cranberry pistachio bark is from The Best of The Best, one of the recipe books in my collection. The photos are mine.
PINE NUT COOKIES 
(makes about 3 dozen)
2 cups pine nuts
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup almond paste
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Process 3/4 cup pine nuts, the sugar, almond paste, and vanilla in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add egg; pulse to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; process until dough just comes together.
2. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining pine nuts, gently pressing to coat. Spce 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BARK
(makes about 1.5 lbs.)
1 lb. good quality white chocolate
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup shelled pistachios
1. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Let cool to room temperature. Roast pistachios at 350F for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Stir cranberries and pistachios into melted chocolate. Pour onto foil-lined 10x15" edged cookie sheet. Refrigerate for atleast 1 hour, then break into pieces.
STAINED GLASS TREES
(makes about 3 dozen)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7 oz. (about 30) assorted clear coloured hard candies, such as Jolly Rancher, colors separated and finely chopped
1. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla. wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well-floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shape cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in center of each cookie for candy filling. Reroll scraps, and cut.
4. Sprinkle candy in a single layer in hole of each cookie, avoiding edges of triangle. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
5. Bake cookies until candy has melted and completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.
