Family Christmas Cookies

These cookies have been in my family since I was born (so for awhile) and they are phenomenal. If you have the patience to make them (I usually make them over a period of a few days), you won't regret it! I look forward to making them every year and they are fabulous. So...here's the recipe:

Cookie
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sifted flour

Cream the butter and gradually add the powdered sugar (it really is important to use a sifter for these cookies--I've done it both ways and trust me on this one). Cream well. Add vanilla, evaporated milk and salt. Mix well. Blend in the flour and mix. Roll the dough, half at a time into about 1/8 inch thickness (sometimes I like them a bit thicker) and use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut them out. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes (you really have to watch them so they don't brown). Cool and at this point you can freeze them (it's easier to make them when they are frozen). I usually 7 times this recipe to make like 200-250 cookies so I can give them away for Christmas, but one batch would probably make about 25 cookies (I don't really know since I've never made 1 batch of them :) ).

FYI: On the topping I usually make half of what I do for my cookie recipe. So...if I was going to double my cookie recipe, I would half my topping and only make 1 recipe of the topping. It does make awesome ice cream topping too (so save those leftovers) :)

Caramel Topping
1/2 lb. Kraft caramels (this can be fun for kids to do--unwrap all the caramels)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine caramels and evaporated milk in a double boiler stirring occasionally (I actually do this in the microwave using my crock pot cause it saves lots of time--you just have to make sure to stop it every-so-often and stir, stir, stir). Add butter and powder sugar. Mix well and then add in the pecans and mix. You might need to heat this up again every-so-often depending on how many cookies you have and how workable you need the topping :)

Chocolate Topping
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate pieces with evaporated milk over low heat (once again, I use the microwave). Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and powdered sugar.

Assembly
After everything has been made (and the toppings do refrigerate well), lay out all your cookies. Take a small spoon and put a dollop of carmel on the center of each cookie. Then put a dollop of chocolate on top of the caramel (smaller than the caramel) and then put a whole pecan on top of the caramel. Let the cookies set and then go caroling and bring them to friends--or stop yourself from eating 10 of them at once. They are SO yummy and they freeze well too! Usually after we take cookies to all of our friends we have some left over that we freeze and get to eat throughout the season. YUMMERS! So...if you want an amazing cookie and decide to take the time to make them, you definitely won't regret it! They are fabulous :)