Tis the season to...bake! Try baking these fun and delicious holiday treats this winter break. Impress your family, your friends and yourself!

Peppermint Bark Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups white chocolate chips

6 peppermint candy canes (crushed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, vegetable shortening, light brown sugar, and white sugar in a separate large bowl until creamy. Beat eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts, and red food coloring into butter mixture until smooth. Gradually beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until dough is smooth. Fold white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes into dough.
3. Pinch off 1-tablespoon-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Lightly flatten cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are set but not browned, 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.

Peppermint Cookies N Cream Brownies:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3 cups suga

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 2/3 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups roughly chopped peppermint oreos (approx 18)

1 candy cane

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease lightly.
3. In a medium-large saucepan over low heat, melt together butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in sugar, salt and vanilla & peppermint extracts; remove from heat.
5. Whisk in eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
6. Stir in flour and cocoa powder until mixture is uniform. Stir in crushed cookies.
7. Spread batter into prepared pan.
8. If desired, crush 3-4 additional cookies finely and scatter on top of batter. You can also crush 1 candy-cane and sprinkle it on top; it will melt slightly but still be pretty and festive.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, but not coated with batter.
10. Cool brownies in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes, then lift brownies in the foil out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely (at least one more hour) before slicing.

Gingerbread Cookies:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon clove

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup margarine

1 egg, beaten

3 1/2 cups flour

frosting and sprinkles for decorating!

shaped cookie cutters

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat; stir in soda (it will foam up).
3. Stir in margarine till melted.
4. With a fork, stir in egg, then flour.
5. On a floured surface, knead dough till mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap; set aside.
6. Roll half the dough, with a rolling pin, slightly thinner than 1/4 inch.
7. Cut with cutters.
8. Bake at 325F on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
9. Makes about 3 dozen 3" gingerbread people.