Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies Food

ITALIAN FROSTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir orange zest into flour mixture. Mix vegetable shortening and margarine into dry ingredients, using your hands, until mixture is crumbly.
• Beat eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy; add egg mixture, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup milk to flour mixture and knead dough in the bowl until thoroughly combined and dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Dough will be stiff. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.
• Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
• Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.
• Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place frosted cookies on racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let cookies dry overnight.

CHOCOLATE-CHESTNUT TORTELLI (CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Blend the chestnuts, sugar and salt in a food processor until the chestnuts are finely ground. Add the rum, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Blend until the filling is almost smooth, scraping down the work bowl as necessary. Add the chocolate chips and pulse until combined. (Can be made 2 days in advance).
• Working with 1 pie crust at a time, unroll the pie crusts on a work surface and, using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out 10 rounds from each crust. Brush the pastry rounds with the beaten egg to cover. Drop 1 generous teaspoon of the filling into the center of each round. Fold half of the dough over the filling and seal to make a half-circle shape. Brush the top of the tortelli with the beaten egg. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts., Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until bottoms are light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For glaze, in a large bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, corn syrup and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Dip tops of cookies into glaze; if desired, decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until set. Store between pieces of waxed paper in airtight containers.

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cloves, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
• In a large separate bowl mix together eggs, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture to wet mixture in small batches and mix until combined.
• Add chocolate chips and chopped almonds. Dough will be very stiff.
• With lightly oiled hands, continue to mix the dough till all ingredients are incorporated. Wash hands thoroughly.
• Lightly oil your hands again so the dough won't stick to them and break off pieces of dough, rolling them with your palms into balls the size of walnuts.
• Arrange on prepared baking sheet 2" apart and bake for 10 minutes.
• Once cooled, dip the top of each cookie into the chocolate glaze. While still wet garnish tops with a few sliced almonds.
• When set, re-dip the bottom of each cookie back into the chocolate glaze and let set again.
• While still slightly wet, generously dust or roll each cookie into 1 cup powdered sugar.
• Set aside to dry before stacking.
• Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Firstly, sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
• Then, in a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and add vanilla, then pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix.
• Knead and add flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to hands. Pinch off dough, roll in your hands to form a log and then twirl into shape. Place on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
• Combine the next 3 ingredients until creamy.
• Dip cookies into icing and sprinkle with trim. Place on wire rack with wax paper on counter to collect the dripping icing and sprinkles.