3 Terrific & Easy Last Minute Christmas Cookie Recipes

If you're super busy this holiday season, it can be hard to find the time to bake Christmas cookies. These three recipes are easy, and pretty quick to put together.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies - This is a great, soft, cake like cookie that stays moist. It's a great alternative if you want something less sweet and a little more savory than a traditional sugar cookie.
Ingredients:
1 8oz package cream cheese softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Butter (softened)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 Cup Flour
1 can Cream Cheese Frosting
Sprinkles (optional)
Using a hand or standing mixer, mix all ingredients until creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate over night. The next day roll dough out on a floured surface and using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Place on cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer cookies to wax paper, frosting and decorating them when cooled.

Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Pecan Cookies - This cookie is like a meal. Great for breakfast with some coffee, and a nice alternative to traditional Christmas cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Beaten Eggs
3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Oatmeal
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Granny Smith Apple peeled and grated.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and using a hand or standing mixer, blend until creamy. The dough might look a little "wet" but that's fine. It's the juice from the apples and will evaporate during baking. Drop dough in teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until golden.

Pumpkin Pie Cookie Bars - I am not a fan of traditional Pumpkin Pie, but these are fantastic.
Ingredients:
9" x 13" Cake Pan
Crust
1 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Butter (Softened)
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
Filling
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin (Not pie filling!)
2 Eggs Beaten
1 1/2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon allspice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine all of the crust ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of the cake pan that's been well sprayed with PAM. Bake for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients and pour over crust. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clear. Allow to cool, then chill covered in plastic wrap for about four hours. When chilled, cut into squares and serve.

These non traditional cookies are always a hit, and a welcome surprise among all of the expected Christmas cookies. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!