Easy Melting Snowman Cookies and My Favorite Christmas Recipes Round-Up

Easy Melting Snowman Cookies

Yields 48 Cookies

Ingredients:

For the Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 large egg

For the Buttercream Frosting

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup skim milk

Preparation:

1. For the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese (if you’re using it) until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, and the egg; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the flour mixture, and mix at low to medium speed until the mixture is evenly moistened.
5. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between them. Using a flat-bottomed glass, flatten the cookies to about 1/4″ thick.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes — 10 minutes for softer cookies, 12 minutes for crunchier. The edges of the cookies will just barely begin to brown.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely.
8. For the Frosting: Beat together butter, shortening, and salt in large bowl until fluffy. Add about half the sugar, and beat slowly until well blended. Add the vanilla and half the milk, and beat until fluffy. Continue mixing in the remaining sugar and milk alternately until they’ve been completely incorporated, and beat until the forcing light and fluffy.
9. To Decorate: To make the hat, cut each Reese’s in half from top to bottom. Next, cut the top of the reese’s off of each half so you have 4 pieces. The harder top piece is the  base of the hate, and the the taller bottom half will be the top of the hat. Pipe frosting onto each cookie, first outlining the melted snowman body, then filling in. Place one 1/4 piece of bottom Reese’s on top of cookie and add one 1/4 piece of hat base. Use orange sprinkle for nose and black icing for eyes.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Snowman design from BHG