12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Day 1

It's that time of year again - time to count down the days till Christmas with some festive cookie recipes. We had our annual Cookie Swap last week and, as usual, there were some terrific cookies to be sampled. This is the one that I made for the occasion.


1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup chopped almonds
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tablespoon orange extract extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and orange flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1 inch thickness.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When cookies are just cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Use a very sharp knife to keep from breaking the edges. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

When toasted cookies are cool, dip half into melted dark chocolate. Delicious with hot cocoa or cider.