Great Christmas cookie recipes - perfect to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve

Chocolate mint, sinful oatmeal and molasses sugar - nom, nom, nom

"It’s Christmas eve again, in the drunk tank."

The after work parties, nothing like it, standing on tables singing, everyone with a big drunken festive grin on their face. Tinsel around the shoulders, kissing strange girls who 2 hours ago wouldn't have give you the time of day. Magic.

This is what I miss about Brum and New York, Christmas when its 90 degrees just isn't the same. Down here now Christmas doesn't exist, it's all happy holidays or seasons’ greetings.

You can't help but associate the place and surroundings you grew up in with what Christmas means to you. To a lot of people, Christmas means nothing, but to others it's a pretty important time. I think that missing family and friends are the main issue, but the place and atmosphere and sense of belonging comes into it as well.

Here, I shall be working over the holidays {see they've even got me saying it} but having a little son and daughter, I have spent most of my off time talking about Santa and Christmas trees, So this week when you are standing on the table or the bar with a lager in your hand singing "feed the world" have a toast to the ex-pat Brummie, I am there in spirit. {So I don't have to buy a round!}

COOKIES FOR SANTA

Wondering how to tempt Jolly old Saint Nick down the chimney? Hint: Appeal to his sweet tooth.
It’s no secret that the trick to keeping Santa happy is to set out a plate of warm, homemade cookies for him. But what is the best cookie for the job? Always looking for a good excuse to eat, we at Home & Away have made some selections for you  So, whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year, try one (or all) of these recipes, and you’ll be sure to get everything on your list.

CHOCOLATE MINT MARVELS

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
2 eggs
2½ cups flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
3 or 4 packages of Andes mints

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir to melt; put mixture into a bowl and let cool. Add eggs, and then mix in flour and baking soda. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and place an Andes mint on each one. As the candy melts, spread it across the top of the cookie with a butter knife. Makes 3 dozen.

SINFUL OATMEAL COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup sugar
2 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 ten-ounce package Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips
1 cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup chopped pecans

METHOD

​
Nster.com