Looking for some new Christmas cookies? Most of us bake the same Christmas Cookies every year – it's a family tradition, and family and friends would certainly complain if they discovered that their favorite variety wasn't available. However, sometimes it's fun to try something new to add to those traditional cookies. I was in Dublin just at the right time and picked up three of their Christmas food magazines. All three are phenomenal and I got dozens of ideas from them. The following Christmas Chocolate Swirls is a buttery swirled cookie filled with a decadent chocolate filling and a few sprinkles to make it festive for the season. It was adapted from the Irish magazine Easy Food Christmas Annual which a foodie's dream.

Even Mr. Picky, the Official Hancock Taster's equivalent to Grumpy Cat when it comes to food, loves these new Christmas Cookies, and they are now carefully hidden so that my friends and family can taste them before he consumes the entire buttery batch. These cookies are quite easy: simply divide the dough into pieces, roll or pat them into thick rectangles, cover them with an easy microwave filling, add a few Christmas sprinkles, and roll. Once baked, they are easily cut with a sharp knife and can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month or longer. They also freeze well.

120 small cookies

Filling:
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Dough:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

Christmas Sprinkles
Powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Filling: Place the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe container.
3. Microwave 3 minutes. Let sit 3 minutes and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
4. Set aside to cool a little.
5. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
6. Measure the flour and salt into a fine strainer and shake it over the butter mixture; add the milk and mix until the dough comes together.
7. Divide the dough into six equal pieces.

8. On a floured pastry cloth, roll each piece of dough into a rectangle 6" x 10".
9. Measure 1/2 cup filling (it will be quite stiff), and tear pieces over the filling; press together with your fingers, leaving a 1" edge on each side.

10. Roll up, using the pastry cloth, jelly-roll style.
11. Place each roll on a parchment-covered or well-greased baking sheet.
12. Bake 20-25 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each roll with a little powdered sugar.
14. Let the rolls cool thoroughly and cut into 1/2" slices with a sharp knife.
15. Store in an airtight container.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 85 Calories from Fat 40
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 47% Protein 3% Carb. 50%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 8 mg
Sodium 50 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 1%