🎄YOUR NEW FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES | Bakery Sugar Cookies | Creme De Menthe Cookies | Winter Bark

These 3 cookies come together quickly and make a beautiful presentation on a holiday cookie platter. All 3 recipes are in my cookbook if you'd rather not have to copy it down. Scroll down for link to purchase. Thank you.
Bakery Sugar Cookies
1\2 c. butter
1\2 c. shortening
1\2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1\2 c. white sugar
1 T. corn syrup
1 T. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1\2 tsp. salt
3 1\2 c. flour
Cream fats and sugars until light and fluffy. Add wet ingredients. Stir very well until smooth. Add 1 c. flour and the soda, powder, and salt. Mix. Stir in remaining flour. Dough will be dry. If you feel it's too dry to come together when squeezed, add 1-2 tsp. water. Shape dough into balls and flatten slightly in sugar or sprinkles. Place on ungreased cookies sheets and bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 1-2 more minutes and place on foil or cooling racks. These freeze very well.
cookie scoop amzn.to/3ypqFvY
Andes Crème De Menthe cookies
www.keyingredient.com/recipes...
Andes mints amzn.to/3m1ZeTR
Winter Bark
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped or almond bark
11.5 (now they're 10) oz. bag Ghiradelli premium bittersweet chocolate baking chips (60% cacao) amzn.to/3m4BAWW
7 oz. salted cashews (about 1 1\2 cups), roughly chopped
Melt white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate separately. Add cashews to bittersweet. Line cookie sheet with parchment. Spread bittersweet chocolate in thin layer. Plop spoonfuls of white chocolate on top. Use knife to swirl. Cool completely; break into pieces. Store in tins. Super yummy!!
🎄Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange December 10th, 2021 !!!
Playlist • Holiday Cookie Recipe ...
Sign up for my weekly e-newsletter here
mailchi.mp/b5285cf875a2/count...
COOKBOOKS ARE BACK IN STOCK. ORDER YOURS HERE.
🎁FREE SHIPPING UNTIL CHRISTMAS - US ORDERS ONLY🎁
one for you www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
one for you & one for a friend www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
one for you, one for your sister & one for a friend www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
K I T C H E N T O O L S I L O V E
KitchenAid Mixer amzn.to/2M9Bxoa
Rada Cutlery Stainless Steel Made in the USA (I own 9 knives and several other utensils and LOVE every one of them) amzn.to/2QbaP1z
Potato Slicer amzn.to/2MgnwZH
18 Quart Nesco Roaster amzn.to/2NKqW53
7 Quart Crockpot amzn.to/2NasNyI
Hamburger Press amzn.to/2NQA0W7
Patty Papers amzn.to/2ut2Rqu
My favorite sheet pans amzn.to/2MEALjm
My Food Processor amzn.to/2tGPCTy
📫📫📫 Business or Personal Mail
A Country Life
PO Box 33
Pittsville, WI 54466
Music from Filmora and bensound.com and incompetech.com/music (Creative Commons License) and KZbin Music Library.
Hi friends! I'm Jennifer, a forty-something wife and mother of 7 children ages 8 - 24. We are Catholic. We homeschool. We cook from scratch. We farm cranberries. We drink coffee. We advocate for Down syndrome awareness. We are loud. We are chaotic.
Business Inquiries OR Collaborations [e-mail]
This post contains affiliate links. Please know if a purchase is made through one of these links I receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you for shopping through my links.
#acountrylife #ChristmasCookies #ChristmasCookieCollab
Time4Learning is working great for us this year!!
www.time4learning.com/signup/...

[@AlwaysEatonSweets]

Anyone who is on the fence about buying the cookbook JUST DO IT!!! I love it and have made so many great things. They are not 'fussy meals' but instead home cooked stick to your ribs delish that you want to make more than once!

[@acountrylife]

Thank you!! This is very kind of you to say.

[@lorigress2494]

Hello Jennifer! I just want to thank you for letting us be a part of your family. I enjoy your content so much. I stayed at home with our kids until the youngest was in 5th grade and then I worked for the school so it was very handy. Now I am a stay at home grandma. I love your recipes and your cookbook. Thanks for signing my copy. My daughter and I look forward to every video. 😊

[@shirleymorgan9254]

Maria is so precious, I know she is a lot of help in the kitchen. Cookies look amazing.

[@Souperat60]

Good morning Jennifer. Cookies look so incredible. I just love baking Christmas cookies. Ohh thank you for the sweet “shout out” every little bit helps🤗. I made your cranberry nut pie the other day ~ gee that is so delicious. Thanks. Looking forward to our collaboration. Lord bless, Darlene

[@acountrylife]

Your videos just keep getting better. I love watching them and that table decor was spot on. I loved it so much!!

[@Souperat60]

I really appreciate that you watch them. You are still my most favorite channel on KZbin and you continue to be a great inspiration to me.

[@cyndis9314]

So glad Darlene at Souper @ 60 got a shout out! She is part of my KZbin subscription watch rotation. I know she also follows some of the other lovely ladies that I subscribe to as well. I enjoy when your kids help you in the kitchen. They are learning so much more than they will ever know. Oh my goodness, I was laughing out loud because the music playing while you and Maria were rolling out and decorating the cookies, was the perfect tempo. And it reminded me of the Rusty Chevrolet song by Da Yoopers! What a fun and inspiring video. I am looking forward to more Christmas baking and vlog type videos! Merry Christmas! God Bless!

[@primrose3316]

That “do you know how to turn on the oven” part got me laughing so hard lol. It reminds me of the time learning how to cook with my mom

[@mgdee8286]

I chill my cookies so they don’t flatten out as much. Love this vlog!❤️❤️

[@acountrylife]

Thanks.

[@lauraknoop1877]

We always chill our chocolate chip cookie 🍪 dough overnight before baking. We found that produces a softer cookie that doesn't spread as easily when baking 🙂. We discovered that by accident and now we always do it!

[@acountrylife]

How in the world can you wait that long? I wouldn’t be able to sleep thinking about the cookies. 🤣

[@lauraknoop1877]

@@acountrylife, of course we have to "test" some of the raw cookie dough 🤣. That helps hold us over!

[@lindasegraves6207]

If I am correct Peter is a SMART young man and a great helper in your kitchen. Wedding, Sugar or Date or Fruitcake are my favorite cookies (along with my favorite).

[@deidrecruickshank7975]

Gosh, Maria is fantastic at gently cracking and opening the eggs now! Well done Maria 👏

[@nina2kalie]

Good evening Jennifer! I got my cookbook today and just want to say thank you so much. Absolutely love that you signed it to me. Thank you again I just love you and your whole family.

[@acountrylife]

😊thank you for letting me know. Enjoy!!

[@beckymiller2185]

Your kids could help me make candy and cookies anytime. They are great help!!!

[@tammyhalderman2031]

I have always chilled my dough so it doesn't flatten out as much.❤

[@audrahcoleman0224]

I just made sugar cookies and I added a little bit of 2 tablespoons of sour cream to my dough and that made it even better

[@acountrylife]

Ooh, that sounds good. My friend uses sour cream in her cutout cookies.

[@judytieger8976]

I love potlucks. Sounds like a good rule of thumb to bring twice as much as your family would eat. It is so much fun to sample what people bring. So much fun watching you and the kiddos cooking together. Maybe chilling the dough keeps the dough from spreading when baked.

[@acountrylife]

I love sampling at potlucks too.

[@jaynebennett3401]

Baking with our kiddos was one way to reinforce fraction lessons, our kiddos were in the kitchen “helping,” from a very early age and now we bake with grandkiddos. It’s just as much fun! And they take home all the treats so I’m not tempted!😄

[@jankitteringham8483]

Super job Jennifer, Peter and Maria. 🥰🇬🇧🎄✨🍪

[@thewoodenspoon9679]

Oh my goodness! Now I must bake cookies! They look amazing!! And the bark looks delicious! Thank goodness I have your cookbook!! I just love it!! I am so enjoying this Christmas baking series! Thank you!!

[@eileenkillen1481]

I never chill my pastry and everyone tells me my cakes, cookies and buns are delicious. Loved the frozen silence when little Maria started coughing near the food!! Loved this bake-a-long video with the kiddos. Blessings to you and your family from Ireland Jennifer and Warren. ♥️🙏🇮🇪🎅🎄🤶

[@dianamiller5583]

Perfect timing for the creme de menthe chunk cookies! My son (21) requested mint chocolate chip cookies just last night. I like to keep cookie dough balls in the freezer for those moments where fresh cookies just sound good. There's only two of us in the home so I can bake up just enough for the evening or bake up the whole batch. It works out great. BTW...Your ginger cookies (pg. 62) are Oh So Good!

[@acountrylife]

Thanks and I hope you love the creme de menthe cookies.

[@lisachatham8690]

I love so many of the recipes in the cookbook. I am making peppermint bark and divinity tomorrow so that they are ready for Christmas. Might also make my pecan pie bars, but that will depend on time because we donate plasma on Wednesday and that takes a while to do.

[@acountrylife]

Thank you for donating. I know how helpful plasma is to people in hospitals. Good luck with the baking.

[@yvettegerry9862]

Jennifer you should put dried cranberries in your bark !! Looks so good 😊

[@TreasureRescue]

I got my cookbook the other day, thank you! So many good reicpes, I made the blondies and pecan dainties...best ever! My hubby says thank you too 😊.

[@acountrylife]

Wonderful!

[@rhondasmith7127]

Lovely I love baking with my grandchildren makes wonderful memories …. all three cookies looked yummy

[@acountrylife]

Thank you so much 😊

[@jewelflores1852]

the potluck advice is actually really nice! I'll keep that in mind

[@dianatennant4346]

We pretty much learned fractions baking and measuring things. We happened to be working on the house at the right time. A fun way to get started on fractions and also just get started on adding fractions.

[@acountrylife]

Real life applications are #1 in my book.

[@pippau.k.65]

Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread….Although yours look great 👍

[@missamymaria]

Great explanation. Ty

[@hairdebi]

I’m going to try that winterbark

[@melissabibby7310]

Looks delicious all cookies! Great to let the kids help.👍☃️❤️

[@mariezafonte6473]

So happy I got my book the other day. Just found you little note! Thank you!

[@tonivoskanian7111]

Love the bark ❤️ yummy 😋 x

[@Shadow_Trader_Troders]

Just ordered the cook book. Those sugar cookies look so good! Can't wait to try them.

[@bktrailmix27]

everything looks amazing!

[@tericarnes799]

I think Peter is going to grow up to be a chef!

[@debgordon6542]

And a great husband and daddy!! From girl moms everywhere, we thank you Jen!!

[@barbaras2899]

Enjoy your channel and your cookbook! Thanks for sharing with us

[@acountrylife]

Thanks Barbara.

[@mollysmith6055]

Yay...cookies! I think it was two days ago I made your Bakery Sugar Cookies...wow, what a great recipe. I did have trouble with it being so dry it was almost sandy and I added extra Karo syrup plus a few spoonfuls of milk to get it to the consistency you've shown in past videos. Hubby and I agree that this cookie is going to go into regular rotation throughout the year. Thank you, thank you for sharing that recipe. I put the rest of the cookies outside in our 'freezer room' that is insulated but unheated. Hope that will help save them from being eaten too quickly. I love seeing you teaching your kids to bake and cook, you are such a good mom.

[@acountrylife]

I’m so glad you like them. Out of sight out of mind.

[@cathydecarles7084]

I love all your cookies recipes

[@acountrylife]

Thank you so much 😊

[@lindaspillman1817]

I love to see the kids helping a learning u have done a great job I’m going to try my hand at the mint cookies I live peppermint patties so I think I will like these and the bark love ❤️ love love it 😊

[@cowgirljones35]

What a excellent tip. Thanks 😊

[@acountrylife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@karenchakey]

Hi Jen the cookies look great, your kids are a joy to watch

[@acountrylife]

Thank you so much! Make today wonderful!

[@reneelopez902]

I like that Peter is in the kitchen. Also, Maria is a good helper. Thanks for the tip on the almond bark. I’ve never used it I’m going to give this recipe a try. Merry Christmas 🎁🎄

[@LifeWithMrsB]

‘What’s the bake button?’ Sounds like something my kids would say 😂😂

[@kate31184]

I chill my gingerbread dough. The reason I do that? Because my mom always did 🤷🏻‍♀️ It has never even crossed my mind to not chill it 😂

[@acountrylife]

I love that! A friend gave me a recipe once for a delicious way of preparing a beef roast. The first direction was to cut it in half so I did. Later I asked my friend why and she had no idea why so she asked her mom. Her mom said it was because the roast never fit in her roaster.

[@tammifields4142]

Thanks for sharing some Yummy treats for the holidays!!😋🎄🎄😋

[@acountrylife]

You are so welcome!

[@elenacala]

I cil dough that tells me to, to keep the cookies from spreading out to far, keeps its shape better.

[@charlenebrady9225]

When you chill the dough it makes the cookie dough firmer and keeps it from spreading out so much. My experience this is true. Thanks for sharing we love cookies❤️🤗

[@Vixxen___904]

I tend to always chill my cookie dough because it helps them not spread so much in the oven. It’s definitely not necessary for all cookies though.

[@dianatennant4346]

I have actually never had the bark with cashews I think I would really like that cashews are one of my favorite nuts and I like the idea of The salted ones that you mentioned. Good thinking

[@sharlenedegazon-legay9746]

Hi Jwnnifer I just love to see your kids cooking or baking with you. Great video!

[@acountrylife]

Thank you so much!

[@hannahgillem2069]

Love this baking video!!! We chill to prevent the cookies from spreading. Allows for a fluffier higher cookie...I usually do chill or freeze dough balls and cook that way!

[@acountrylife]

I like to have cookie balls in the freezer for baking up fresh, too.

[@heidi6544]

We are baking today also:) Just made 60 Norwegian Lefsas this morning! It’s a lot of work but love keeping our Norwegian traditions for Christmas. Love from North Dakota

[@acountrylife]

Wonderful!

[@lmiller1239]

Yippee, I got my recipe book today! Time for a cup of tea and a good read. TY Jennifer! - Lori

[@acountrylife]

Hope you like it!

[@toniconder696]

I think im definitely going to try your bark recipe. I love doing all the candy making and tons of baking at Christmas! But iv never made the bark! Thanks ❤🌲🎅🧑‍🎄🤶

[@acountrylife]

Hope you enjoy!

[@carolkay4812]

Great family

[@acountrylife]

Thank you 😊

[@kathysparks6338]

Looks so yummy! Happy Saint Nicholas Day. God bless ❤️🙏

[@valerieknauber2149]

Always love seeing everyone's different baked goods for Christmas. Always a tradition since I was a kiddo to bake with granny. Now I'm a granny , an I still follow that same tradition.

[@acountrylife]

Lucky grandchildren.

[@rkatufus]

Nice video, i had to pause half way through and grab a cookie!

[@acountrylife]

Seeing cookies brings on the cravings!!

[@christyc3720]

I love how you have so much patience. I lack at that cause when I cook I don't like anyone in the kitchen .

[@acountrylife]

We all have our thing and I enjoy cooking with kids. What’s your thing?

[@christyc3720]

@@acountrylife cooking and sewing

[@sammidieffenbach970]

I bake a TON of cookies, only time I ever worry about chilling the dough is for sugar cookies when I want them to keep their shape! They will taste the same either way, chilling just keeps them from spreading out! Merry Christmas!!

[@acountrylife]

Sounds great!

[@lanalong8309]

Chilling helps the cookies not spread so much while baking

[@atsy96]

Chilling the dough allow the fats to solidify so when you bake them it maintains a more chewy texture as the leavening agents activate before the fats all liquify and spread.

[@tinafry6769]

Chilling the dough allows it to hold its shape better

[@Jean2235177]

Maria is getting great experience as a sous chef! Great job! 👍🏻‼️

[@acountrylife]

Thank you 😋

[@patcoleman3705]

Thanks for mentioning the vanilla got left out of the cookbook - I grabbed mine and wrote it in. :)

[@sissyhughes7671]

I got a kick out of Maria licking the beater. My mother always let us lick the beaters and I let my kids. My husband doesn't like licking the spoon or bowl etc. I can't believe that! lol We lived for when mom baked and we licked the beaters! lol Thanks again for sharing with us!

[@acountrylife]

It's the simple pleasures in life for sure.

[@user-nq6mf2gu7z]

Hi Jennifer, it's 5 am here , very dark outside and I'm waiting for my coffee while watching you . I was never a morning person but I've been recently enjoying those early hours . I'm making a batch of granola that I'll be shipping to my sister. I wish I could send you some to try but you're on the other side of the world! Happy cooking folks

[@user-nq6mf2gu7z]

Also you should try to make a German cookie called pfeffernusse! And zimtsterne

[@acountrylife]

My aunt used to make pfeffernusse. Enjoy your coffee.

[@melissaacosta7012]

Thanks for sharing...Will you please give me some of your energy?♥️💚♥️💚♥️💚

[@suewynn9748]

I think cooking with children is such a fun way to teach reading and math.

[@acountrylife]

I totally agree.

[@brendaseverance5174]

By chilling the dough before baking helps keep the dough from spreading by keeping the fat from melting. This makes a better shaped cookie. This I am told. If you don't mind cookies that are misshapen then don't chill. But for cookies that are shaped, say tree shape, wreath shape or santa shape, I would chill...

[@acountrylife]

Great point. Thanks.

[@marieparks5674]

When I was growing up, my mom always said to take enough food so you would have a full meal if no one else shows up. My rule of thumb is , I take a meat dish, a side dish, a dessert and a bread. Because I can afford it and a lot of families can’t, and like my mom, I like to feed people….a lot

[@acountrylife]

That's a great way to look at it!

[@valerieh8526]

In my experience, chilling generally leads to less spreading since the butter is firmer. It can also make working with dough easier, if it's sticky. I chill my molasses cookie dough -- a cookie I roll into balls -- but as you said, not my drop cookies.

[@linda-mariestephens3719]

Charlotte from Ky.🙂

[@hollyfink3358]

Loved the suggestions about pot lucks! Many people need that lesson. Always thought there should be one! Never heard it before. I always took plenty, but plain jello, Mac & cheese, Rice Krispies treats or brownies, along with a real dish. Basically kids foods! They were always gone first. Going to make winter bark. Thanks for sharing! Now I need to get to work.

[@midgesilvers9316]

You tickle me, gutters woo hoo🤣 a woman after my own heart that kind of stuff makes me very happy to

[@jojo-tz2ym]

Maria is really beautiful. Jennifer is that how you looked as a child? Thanks for the wonderful cooking video!

[@connieahrens1439]

I only chill rolled or cut out cookies, as it gives them more lift. Drop cookies I do not chill. A very Merry Christmas to you all!

[@mfaithdrew]

When you put your dough in the fridge for an hour or two, it solidifies the butter/shortening back together so when you make the cookies, they won't flatten out completely flat and won't look as good.

[@susnorth40]

First !!!! ❤️🇨🇦

[@acountrylife]

😀

[@susnorth40]

@@acountrylife 😘

[@crus5112]

By refrigerating the dough it solidifies the butter (fat) to help with spread of the cookies. If you put the dough straight on the pan the dough will tend to spread more vs a chilled dough.

[@joanfels6641]

Agree with taking more to pot lucks. My father was a pastor and it was suggested to prepare for your family. In one church I attended there was a lady with at least five children and she would open one can of vegetables to bring and would make sure she was at the first of the line!!!!!

[@acountrylife]

More is always better at a potluck.

[@rw3687]

Let's not judge; with five children, that may be what she had available. Or she may have forgotten to prepare anything.

[@joanfels6641]

I am not judging; I lived it and it happened every meal. It was not out of desperation.

[@carolhensley3857]

Chilling the dough causes the cookies to keep its shape longer in the oven...as silly as that sounds...it works.

[@acountrylife]

Thank you. I suppose all butter cookies don’t spread as much if chilled.

[@ColleenH38]

As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid.

[@angelawix2075]

I was told you chill dough so the cookies don’t flatten as much. I skip this step most the time as well so I can’t tell you if it works. Lol!

[@jackiea3222]

Can you use butter for shortening?

[@acountrylife]

Yes. Cookies will spread more unless you chill the dough well.

[@patacake4997]

Free shipping on your book.....is that only for the USA/Canada?....I live in the UK.

[@acountrylife]

Shipping to UK is $9.50.

[@jamiegrl]

i chill my dough so it doesnt5 spread and come out flat.

[@valorieletkeman8992]

I tend to always chill when t be cookies are made of all butter, cookies seem to not spread then for me.

[@debgordon6542]

Did you ever think that you'd be in a season of life where a gutter would bring so much joy? LOL. Hope it's helping :-)

[@acountrylife]

Never thought about it, but boy am I glad I'm there.

[@sherrypowers552]

I chill several types of cookies. I find that they don't spread out as much after they have been chilled over nite. My Christmas cookie receipes are very old so they don't give specific flour measurements. Instead they say "flour to make stiff dough or "flour to roll out." All that to say that after the dough is chilled the cookies don't flatten or spread as much. Its a sort of safety net since there are no specific flour measurements for my cookies.

[@acountrylife]

I love those kind of recipes.

[@patacake4997]

Sorry ...just read the details below....US only.

[@rosemize343]

You chill the dough so that the cookies don't spread,

[@kathybarnes6066]

If you freeze or chill the cookies don't spread as much