Caramel-Pecan Tarts

Family Favorite. Make double batch - half without nuts for the fussy people. Put half a nut on top of the nut ones to differentiate.
Use mini muffin liners for ease of removal.

20 min 350°F

YIELD: 2 dozen cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. margarine or butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla
¼ tsp. Salt
½ cup chopped pecans (if using, place half nut on top so can tell with nuts apart)

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, ½ cup margarine and the powdered sugar. Divide into 24 equal pieces. (Keep dividing in half or thirds) Press each piece against bottom and side of ungreased small muffin cup. 13/4” x 1” Do not allow pastry to extend above tops of cups.
2009 suggestion: after making dough, roll out and cut out circles to fit cups. put in that way - should speed up fitting dough into cups.
Mix remaining ingredients. Spoon scant tbsp. mixture into each muffin cup. Bake until filling is set and crust is light brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in muffin cups 20 minutes. Remove from muffin cups with tip of knife; cool on wire rack.
2011 made by Debbie

2012 made by Boug. Debbie made her Nut Cups.
note- in 2012 - with nuts have white papers. Without nut have colored papers.

Only difference between Caramel Pecan and Caramel Tarts are we leave the nuts out of the Caramel Tarts.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Original)

9 to 11 Min 375°F
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, gran sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375° oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pan cookie variation: Prepare dough as above. Spread into greased 15 x 10” jelly roll pan. Bake in preheated 375° over for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. cool in pan on wire rack.

2011 made by Debbie with Pecan, Vicki without nuts.

Gingersnaps - Old-Fashioned

Very strong scent - flavors other cookies in tin. Bag separately. Yummy.

325°F YIELD: 4 DOZEN

¾ cup butter at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. each cinnamon, ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
granulated sugar for coating
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, soda and spices. Add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Batter will be soft. Spoon out rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Roll in sugar to coat lightly. Place on greased baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake in a 325°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on rack.

Old Fashioned Gingersnaps

375F Refrigerate

– Francis Stoops Stoneboro,PA from Taste of Home Winter 2013 Magazine

Made by Emme & Angel 2013

Preparation: 15 Minutes + Chilling

Bake: 10 Min/Batch + Cooling

Makes: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

1 tsp. Ground cloves

1 tsp. Ground ginger

1/4 tsp. Salt

additional sugar

Directions:

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Chill.
2. Roll into 1 1/4-inch balls and dip into sugar. Place 2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. (These Spread!!) Bake at 375^oF for about 10 minutes or until set and surface cracks. Cool on wire racks.
3. NOTE: do not store with other cookies or the flavor /scent will spread and whole container will taste like these.

All-Fruit Mincemeat Cookies

We've made this twice. the mincemeat recipe makes enough for 4 batches of cookies! But one year, Vic was making the cookies (I had made the mincemeat) and she threw all of it (may only have been a half batch, so still twice as much as the recipe called for) into the cookie dough.
Turned out awesome! So, it can be done... can't remember if we added more flour or not to the cookies...
They were VERY moist. I remember that much.

Mincemeat - All-Fruit
YIELD: 8 cups

4 cups chopped unpeeled apples
2 cups raisins, chopped
1 cup snipped dried apricots
1 6-oz can (¾ cup) frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
¾ cup water
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. Ground allspice
½ tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Brandy

In 4.5qt Dutch oven stir together the apples, raisins, apricots, apple juice concentrate, water honey allspice and salt. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more or till liquid has nearly evaporated, stirring occasionally. Stir in the brandy. Cool. Store, covered in the refrigerator.

Mincemeat Drop Cookies
350°F YIELD: 6 dozen

1 cup margarine or butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Baking soda
2 cups All-Fruit Mincemeat (see recipe)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a large mixing bowl beat the margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add half the flour to the margarine. Then add the sugar, eggs, baking powder and baking soda. Beat till thoroughly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the remaining flour. Stir in the All-Fruit Mincemeat and nuts.
Drop dough by rounded tsp. About 2” apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in a 350°F oven for 11 to 13 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minutes. Remove cookies; cool on wire racks.

Angie’s Fig Cookies and Angie's Surprise

Got this from Angie Fischer, one of my good friends. Very mild, and addictive. There is a filling (with figs,) but it's too much work and we like them plain. Very yummy. Could also roll in candy sprinkles

NOTE: they do spread and flatten out. very buttery. Make into maybe 1" balls.
Remember if mixing in KitchenAid - do not put double recipe in at once. too much at once. Hold out part of the flour and hand mix in at end. Maybe try dough hook??

– xmas 2001
350°F Yield: LOTS!!

5 cups flour
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
sesame seeds – to roll in

Mix together to form the cookie dough. Dough should have a consistency a little firmer than bread dough. Roll dough into logs about the size of your middle finger, cut into 2” lengths. Roll in sesame seeds and place on UNGREASED cookie sheet Bake at 350°F until brown – about 15 minutes

Filling:
Candied cherries
Candied Mixed fruit
raisins
black pepper
fresh fig
walnuts

Put in grinder a little at a time, alternating the ingredients.
Add a little water for moisture.
Wrap in towel and refrigerate overnight.
Mix fig cookie dough.
Roll out flat, and put fig cookie mixture in. Fold dough over mixture.
Bake until golden (not dark) brown.

We have  never made the filling, but that is why they are called fig cookies.

Caramel Slices

Cause Connie doesn't like nuts, we usually make these without them. They are very mild flavored. I'd suggest making closer to 1 1/2" wide.

8-10 min 350°F

YIELD: 5 DOZEN REFRIDGERATE
1 cup butter, at room temp
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Each baking soda and cream of tartar
3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Beat butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together baking soda, cream of tartar and flour. Add to creamed mixture, mixing until blended. Stir in nuts. Shape into rolls 2 ½” in diameter. Wrap in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill until firm. Cut into 3/8” thick slices and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes are until golden brown.

Chocolate Crinkles

Love these. Make them every year. Tough part is making the cookies, heat from your hands melts the dough into them. cleanup can be tasty... They're like a brownie - don't overcook or they get too hard

REFRIGERATE 10-12 min 350°F
2 cups gran sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix gran sugar, oil, chocolate and vanilla. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Drop dough by tspfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place about 2” apart on greased (parchment paper) cookie sheet. Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, 10 to 12 minutes.
YIELD: 6 dozen cookies
2011 made by Connie

Lemon Lace Cookies

REFRIGERATE 9-11 min 350F

2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract - SUGGEST either go to 1 tablespoon, or add lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Confectioner’s sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and extracts. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on an UNGREASED baking sheet. Flatten balls with bottom of glass dipped in confectioner’s sugar. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on baking sheet 1 minute; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 8 dozen cookies

NOTE: Add more lemon (very light flavor, would enjoy more)
Spread quite a bit - keep the balls small!

2024 suggestion:

Make dough in advance, roll into 1.25" logs

use as slice and bake type.

Oatmeal Cookies - Leonard’s

These are named after our childhood friend Leonard of Hollywood.
He got the recipe from Beachball.
He drove us crazy and we loved him - he'd come over & annoy us, we'd send him home. We'd get bored, we'd call him up & invite him over. Sometimes 4 or 5 times in the same day!
We miss you Leonard, you died too young.

These cookies are a fitting memorial (?)... sorta.
They are light & buttery & practically melt in your mouth.
And INCREDIBLY EASY - just like Leonard....

15 Min 350°F

YIELD: 4 DOZEN
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups oatmeal

Combine sugar & butter, add sifted flour, baking soda & oatmeal. Mix well. Flatten on ungreased sheet. Bake 350°F for 15 min. Makes 4 dozen.

These cookies get Big! Make balls about 1" across

Special Oatmeal Chip Cookies

350°F YIELD: 5.5 dozen

1 cup butter or marg, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking soda
¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in vanilla.
Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll into 1” balls.
Place 2” apart on greased baking sheets flatten to ½” thickness.
Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Drizzle with coating if desired.

2-23-12 made a slight change - Gonna name this version 'Ken's Cookies'
Made them for Ken after his knee surgery, but only had 1/4 cup of peanut butter in the house. So I subbed. did the 1/4 cup pb and added 3/4 cup nutella.
I added 1/2 cup extra instant oatmeal. And did not add the cinnamon & nutmeg.
Probably should cut back on the butter to 1/2 to 3/4 cup. (came out thin) but very Yummy!

Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies

6-8 Min 375°F

YIELD: LOTS
1 (14 -oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
2 cups Baking Mix - Jiffy
1 tsp. vanilla extract granulated sugar

Preheat over to 375°F
In large mixer bowl, beat condensed milk and peanut butter until smooth.
Add biscuit mix and vanilla; mix well.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned - do not overbake.
Press milk chocolate candy kiss in center of each ball immediately after baking. Holiday Saver:

To make your own Sweetened condensed milk:
1 cup instant dry milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 tbsp melted butter
equivalent to 15 oz can of expensive stuff.

Chocolate Cookie Slices

One of my personal favorites, but, they always turn out a bit dry.
I usually don't bother frosting these, might help with the dryness.

8 min 400°F

YIELD: 8 dozen cookies REFRIGERATE
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ¼ cups margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
¼ tsp. Salt
1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans

Mix powdered sugar, margarine and egg. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Divide into halves. Shape each half into roll about 1 ½” in diameter. Roll in pecans. Wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 6 weeks.
Heat oven to 400°F. Cut rolls into 1/8” slices. (If dough crumbles while cutting, let warm slightly.) Place about 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 8 minutes. Remove immediately from cookie sheet; cool. Frost with fudge frosting if desired.

Fudge Frosting

Use with Chocolate Cookie Slices REFRIGERATE
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
¼ cup shortening
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
Heat sugar, milk, shortening, chocolate and salt to rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute without stirring. Place pan in bowl of ice and water. Beat until thick and cold; stir in vanilla.