ASSORTED CHRISTMAS COOKIES? YES. WHY? TO WELCOME 2017; AND NO, THEY ARE NO LONGER FOR CHRISTMAS ONLY, SMILE!

These cookies and chocolate bark are yummily delicious and they are as easy to make as 1-2-3.  For the assorted cookies, just make a simple sugar cookie dough (I’ll give you the recipe); then melt chocolate and vanilla Almond Bark and coat whatever you like, pretzels, cookies, crackers, make peanut clusters, and have fun with it.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 1.5 hour
Approximate Cost: $11.02 or .27 cents a piece
Servings: 35 cookies, plus chocolate coated pretzels, approx. 40 pieces’ total
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
 
Ingredients
1 stick of unsalted butter (must be at room temperature and soft) (.70)
1 cup of granulated white sugar (.40)
2 cups of all-purpose flour ($1.45)
½ tsp. baking powder (.10)
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg (.16)
1 tsp. of vanilla or almond extract (.25)
1 pack of Chocolate Almond Bark ($2.98)
1 pack of Vanilla Almond Bark ($2.98)
1 cup of Pretzels (.50)
 peanuts, sprinkles, butterscotch morsels, M&M, etc. ($1.50)
 
Directions
For the cookies:

1. In a bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla.
3. Bring the mixer to low, add the flour mixture gradually, mix only until it is combined and you will have now a thick dough.
4. Knead just a bit, place on top of plastic wrap, roll it as a log, cover completely and refrigerate for an hour.
5. After the hour, pre-heat over at 3325 degrees, line a rectangular mold with parchment paper or rub it with butter, cut the log in about ¼” disks and place in your baking mold. If the dough gets too soft, put it back in the fridge for 5-8 minutes.
6. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, (depending on your oven) rotating the mold half way through so cookie edges are evenly golden and don’t burn.
7. Remove from oven and let them cool before decorating them.

Directions to decorate the cookies:
Melt the chocolate barks (3 chunks at a time) according to package directions.
Dip cookies in one side and immediately add the sprinkles, or drizzle chocolate on top.
 
For the pretzels, drop them one at a time inside the melted chocolate bowl, pull them out with a fork and tap the fork with a knife to remove excess chocolate, then place over wax or parchment paper for at least 15 minutes to dry completely.

Directions to make the chocolate bark:
Melt the chocolate according to the package directions.
Line a baking mold with parchment paper.
Once the chocolate melts, with a flat spatula, spread it in the parchment paper and quickly, add the M & M or other candies or chopped nuts.
For the peppermint type, crush the candy and mix it with the chocolate before spread it in the parchment paper.
Let it cool in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes and then, break it into random pieces.