Laura's Reindeer Bites, White Chip Cranberry Cookie, Chocolate Crinkle Surprise, Horns, and Vermont Christmas Cookie, with Homemade Eggnog

Directions for Reindeer Bites:

1. Cream butter and peanut butter together, adding sugars gradually, and then cream until fluffy.
2. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking soda, and salt together, and set aside.
3. Once butter mixture is ready, add egg and vanilla, and mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix.
5. Shape dough into teaspoon-sized balls, roll in sugar, and bake on parchment paper lined sheet at 375 for 8 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, press a pretzel and a rolo into the center of each cookie.
7. Return to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes longer.
8. Press a pecan half into each cookie and then let cool.

Directions for White Chip Cranberry Cookie:

1. Cream butter and sugars together in large bowl.
2. Add milk, vanilla, and eggs, and beat at medium speed until creamy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl.
5. Stir in oats, cornflakes, chocolate chips, cranberries, and coconut.
6. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough on parchment paper lined sheets.
7. Bake at 325 for 11-12 minutes
8. Cool on pan for 4 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.

Directions for Chocolate Surprise Cookies:

1. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and then set aside.
2. Beat granulated sugar and oil together until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla, and beat on low until combined.
4. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.
6. Form dough into 1” balls, wrapping around the caramel.
7. Dip each ball into powdered sugar and place 2-3” on a parchment lined baking sheet, 2”-3” apart.
8. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to cookie rack until completely cool

Directions for Horns:

1. Cream butter for 10 minutes, add sugar, and mix.
2. Add flour and almonds and mix to combine.
3. Shape into crescents.
4. Bake at 365 for 8 minutes.
5. Let cool for 4 minutes and roll in sugar.

Directions for Vermont Christmas Cookie:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until completely incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl; vanilla and orange extracts and mix until blended.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a separate bowl; slowly add to mixing bowl on low speed until fully blended nd dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Divide dough into 2 pieces.
4. On a 12-inch x 16 ½ - inch non-stick silicone baking mat or parchment paper, roll out half of dough to ¼ - inch thickness. Place baking mat or parchment on a cookie sheet and chill dough in the freezer for 5 minutes. (Freezing dough slightly makes it easier to cut out shapes and transfer to cookie sheets)
5. Remove dough from freezer. Cut out shapes with a variety of Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutters. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. To prepare buttercream frosting: cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar and beat on low speed until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl after partially blended. Add cream and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
7. Divide buttercream frosting into 4 portions. Tint each portion to desired shade with food coloring and transfer to a pastry bag.
8. Using a variety of tips, pipe buttercream frosting on cooled sugar cookies to resemble tree branches. Decorate frosted cookies with sparkling sugar and pearls. If making ahead, refrigerate cookies to hold.

Directions for Eggnog:

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer.
3. Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs.
4. Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.
5. Whisk constantly for just a few minutes, until the mixture is just slightly thickened (or until it reaches about 160 degrees F). It will thicken more as it cools.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
7. Pour the eggnog into a pitcher or other container and cover with plastic wrap.
8. Refrigerate until chilled. It will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner, completely smooth consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth.
9. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and fresh whipped cream, if desired.
10. Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.