Peppermint Candy Cookies

Ingredients:
Cookie dough:
1 cup soft butter (or margarine)
1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 c all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup walnuts (or other nuts) finely chopped

Peppermint Fudge Filling
1/2 C crushed peppermint stick candy
1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar
2 T cream cheese
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar
red food coloring

For the cookie dough, cream the butter. Add the 1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, creaming well. Blend-in the sifted flour and 1/2 C walnuts. Mix thoroughly. Cover.

Prepare Peppermint Fudge Filling. For the filling, combine the crushed peppermint stick candy and the 1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar. Set aside.

Blend the cream cheese with the milk until smooth and creamy. Add another 1/2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar gradually; add the peppermint candy and confectioner’s sugar mixture (already combined), as well as one drop of red food coloring. Mix well.

Now, shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Make a deep hole in the center of each and fill with about 1/4th teaspoon of the filler. Reshape and seal. Place on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Do not brown.

While warm, roll in remainder of peppermint candy and confectioner’s sugar mixture. Cool; re-roll in candy mixture.

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Jodi thoughts:

I have found that these are a much yummier version of a traditional looking Christmas cookie that many folks make. Many folks call the more traditional ones "Mexican Wedding Cookies" but I don't make those. I think Gran did make those. But I always thought they were so boring. They look like snowballs. It's basically a blah dough in powdered sugar. This cookie is similar, except it tastes like peppermint! At least it tastes like a holiday cookie flavor!