Poinsettia Balls Recipes

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well blended. Stir in flour by hand using a sturdy spoon while adding enough red food coloring to make the dough turn a pretty red color.
• Roll the balls in the red decorator sugar and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies on their cookie sheets until firm, about 10 minutes.
• When the cookies are firm, make three slices across each cookie to make 6 slices like a pie, cutting only about 2/3 of the way through the cookie balls.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies appear dry. Cool on the cookie sheets, then peel away from the aluminum foil.
• Make the icing for the cookies by mixing the confectioners' sugar and water until it reaches a piping consistency. Add a drop of yellow food coloring. Put icing into a pastry bag or resealable bag and cut a small piece off of the corner. Pipe small dots onto the center of the cookies. Allow icing to dry before storing cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies can be stored for up to two weeks.

POINSETTIA BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, food color, egg and cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
• Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in red sugar. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Make 6 cuts with sharp knife in top of each ball about three-fourths of the way through to make 6 wedges. Spread wedges apart very slightly to form flower petals (cookies will separate and flatten as they bake).
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown. Immediately press 1 candy in center of each cookie. Carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• With a paddle attachment beat butter, cream cheese and egg yolk until smooth, reserving the white for later. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until stiff dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Lightly beat egg white and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough, 1/2 at a time, into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. With sharp knife, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased, parchment-lined cookie sheets.
• Brush with egg white. Lightly press about 1 1/2 inches of wooden stick into bottom center of each dough square. With sharp knife, cut the dough diagonally from each corner to within 1/2-inch of center of each square. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon red sugar over each square. Fold alternate corners of the square to the center to form pinwheel, overlapping the dough at the center pushing down gently to seal in center. Press one M & M in center of each pinwheel.
• Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until set. Using spatula, immediately remove from cookie sheets.

RASPBERRY POINSETTIA BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, gelatin and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. On low speed, beat in flour.
• Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. With sharp knife, make 6 cuts in top of each ball about three-fourths of the way through to make 6 wedges. Spread wedges apart slightly to form flower petals (cookies will separate and flatten as they bake). Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon yellow candy sprinkles into center of each cookie.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown. Cool 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

POINSETTIA BLOSSOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, dry Jell-O powder, eggs and extract. Add baking powder, salt, and food coloring. Add flour and mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 2 hours or until dough is firm. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and roll in red-colored sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, make cuts in top of each ball, not quite all the way through, to make 6 pie-shaped wedges. Spread wedges apart very slightly to form flower petals; cookies will separate and flatten as they bake. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. If using candies, immediately press one candy in center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on baking sheet a minute and then remove to wire rack to cool completely. If not using candies, pipe a dab of prepared cake frosting in center of each cookie when they are completely cooled.