Oatmeal Raisin - Vanishing

350F - Cookies: 10-12 minutes or Bars: 30-35 minutes

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Oats - Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked

1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350F

2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy

3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well

4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well

6. Drop by level tablespoonful onto parchmented (or ungreased) cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack

Yield: about 4 dozen

Option: substitute dried cherries or cranberries or blueberries for rasins.

We doubled recipe, then did half with raisins, half with cranberry/cherries

Kathie made 2007

Sami made 2009

Sugar Cookies - Blue Ribbon

Prep Time: 45 min Bake time: 7 min 375F
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda
Sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 375oF
Combine butter powdered sugar and ½ cup sugar in large bowl – beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy
Add egg and vanilla; beat until well mixed.
Reduce speed to low; add flour, cream of tartar & baking soda.
Beat until dough forms a ball. Shape dough into 1” balls.
Place 1” apart onto ungreased (parchmented) sheets.
Flatten to about 1 ½” with bottom of glass dipped in sugar;
Sprinkle with decorator sugars if desired.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
Makes: 6 dozen
2007 Made by Branden & Darcie

Butter Cookies by Cuzin Jane

Yea, I get the irony, butter cookies made from margarine.

Beat Together:
2 sticks margarine
1 cup sugar

Add:
2 egg yolks
Pinch of salt

Then add:
1 ½ tsp soda
1 ½ tsp lemon extract
2 ½ cups flour

Mix together. Form balls the size of walnuts. Dip top side in sugar. Press flat with fork. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

2006 by Cousin Jane

Cinnamon Almond Crescents

10-12 min 350°F

1 cup butter (no sub) softened
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground blanched almonds
Topping: ½ cup sugar
½ tsp. Ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and almonds; gradually add to creamed mixture. Roll into 1” balls; shape into crescents. Place 2” apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until set (do not brown). Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll warm cookies in cinnamon-sugar; cool on wire racks.
YIELD: 3.5 dozen

Spritz - Chocolate

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. Milk
4 cups sifted cake flour
½ tsp. salt
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add sifted flour and salt with milk, a little at a time and mix well.
Add cooled chocolate and mix.
Using cookie press for desired shapes, form on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes.

SnickerDoodle Cookies by Vicki

8-10 min 400F
½ cup butter (softened)
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 ¾ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
Topping: ½ cup sugar w/ 2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter shortening & sugar.
Add eggs 1 at a time.
Mix well after each.
Mix dry ingredients.
Add 1/3 to egg mixture at a time mix well after each.
Shape into small balls.
Roll in sugar.
Place 2 inches apart & flatten slightly on greased or parchment covered cookie sheet
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400F
Remove immediately from sheet

Mock Macaroons

Mock Macaroons -first made 2006

Bake: 350°F for 7-10 min

Ingredients:

·       1 box angel food cake mix

·       1 bag flake coconut

·       ½ cup water

Method:

1.  In large bowl mix together angel food cake mix and flake coconut until well blended

2.  Add water – mix (and mix and mix). At first, you won’t think it will come together, but it will

3.  Either drop by level teaspoon or place in pastry bag with large opening, and drop onto parchment paper covered baking sheet. Allow 1 inch between cookies

4.  Bake at 350F for 7 to 10 minutes - Check bottoms for doneness – they will brown sooner than tops

Option:

You can add some cocoa – 3 to 4 tablespoons – to give chocolate flavor. Add during step 1.

This is a weight watcher recipe – first made in 2006 by Boug

Black Bottoms

I've made these in Mini Muffin pans, check after 20 min (toothpick) and use liners
30-35 min 350F

8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sugar
Chopped almonds

Mix cream cheese and egg in bowl. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Beat well. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside. Sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Fill greased or lined muffin cups 1/3 full with the flour-cocoa batter. Top each with a heaping teaspoonful of cheese mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds. Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 12.

Russian Tea Cakes

Bake 8-9 min 400F
1 cup butter or margarine softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts
Powdered sugar

Heat over to 400F.
Beat butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
Stir in flour and salt.
Stir in nuts.
Shape dough into 1” balls.
Place about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-9 minutes or until set but not brown.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet; roll in powdered sugar.
Cool completely on wire rack.
Roll in powdered sugar again.
About 48 cookies.

OPTION: Finely chop cherries and add to dough, or place dough around whole maraschino

Hungarian KIEFLES

This is a family favorite. Connie leaves off the nuts.

REFRIDGERATE 20 min 375°F
2 cups flour
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
8 oz apricot jam
½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
granulated sugar

Place flour in a mixing bowl. Add cheese and butter. Cut into pieces. Mix until the dough clings together in a ball. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill several hours. Roll out 1/3 of the dough on a lightly floured board to 1/8” thickness. Cut circles 10 inches in diameter. Spread with jam and sprinkle with nuts. Cut into pie shaped wedges, 3 inches wide at the base. Roll up from the wide end. Place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
YIELD: 2 DOZEN

Pinwheels and Checkerboards

REFRIDGERATE 10 Min 375°F

2 cups flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 squares Unsweetened chocolate, melted

Dough:
Mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Cream butter.
Gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
Divide dough in half; blend chocolate into one half.
Use prepared doughs to make pinwheels or checkerboards.

Pinwheels:
Roll chocolate and vanilla doughs separately between sheets of waxed paper into 12x8” rectangles.
Remove top sheets of paper and invert vanilla dough onto chocolate dough.
Remove remaining papers.
Roll up as for jelly roll, then wrap in waxed paper. chill until firm at least 3 hours (or freeze 1 hour).
Cut into 1/4” slices and place on baking sheets.
Bake at 375°F about 10 minutes, or until cookies just begin to brown around edges.
Cool on racks.

Checkerboards:
Set out small amount of milk.
Roll chocolate and vanilla doughs separately on lightly floured board into 9x4 1/2” rectangles.
Brush chocolate dough lightly with milk and top with vanilla dough.
Using a long sharp knife, cut lengthwise into 3 strips, 1 1/2” wide.
Stack strips, alternating colors and brushing each layer with milk.
Cut lengthwise again into 3 strips, 1/2” wide.
Invert middle section so that colors are alternated; brush sides with milk. Press strips together lightly to form a rectangle.
Wrap in waxed paper.
Chill overnight. cut into 1/2” slices, using a very sharp knife. Place on baking sheets.
Bake at 375°F for about 8 minutes, or just until white portions begin to brown.
Cool on racks.
Makes about 5 dozen.

Chocolate Covered Cherry cookies

These are a little work, but are always a big hit. Not hard to do, just takes time cause of all the steps. Yummy!

7-9 min. . 375’F

DOUGH
½ cup sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1-teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa

FILLING
¼ cup butter
1-tablespoon brandy or ½ teaspoon brandy extract
1 cup powered sugar
TOPPING
36 maraschino cherry (drained on paper towel)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

In large bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and egg yolk; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and cocoa; beat until well mixed. Shaped rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 in. balls; place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With index finger, make indentation in center of each
Bake at 375’F. for 7-9 mins. Or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets, cool for 10 mins.
In a med. Bowl, combine all filling ingredients; beat until smooth.
Spoon ‘bout ½ teaspoon into cooled cookie. Press cherry into filling.
In small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and oil. Cook over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Spoon or drizzle over cherries on each cookie let stand until chocolate is set.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Hershey’s Mini Kiss Chocolate Blossoms

In 2008 - no mini kisses, so used regular size. Still good.
Maybe next year, we make mini cookies with chocolate chips - 1" nummy bites! bwa-ha-ha-ha - how to annoy my chefs...


REFRIDGERATE 8-10 Min 350°F

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine (softened)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
Additional sugar
1 3/4 cups (10-oz pkg) Hershey’s Mini Kisses Semi-Sweet Chocolate

In large bowl, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, coca and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1 1/8” balls; roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minute or until set. Remove from oven. Immediately place 3 Mini Kisses on top of each cookie, pressing down lightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.
2011 made by Vicki

Speculaas - Windmill Cookies

Prep: 45 minutes
Refridgerate: 1 Hour
Bake: 8-10 minutes
350F

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp finely chopped blanched almonds (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down sides occasionally.
Beat in egg, yolk and milk.
Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Using wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and, if desired, the almonds
2. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
3. Cover cookies sheet in baking parchment
4. Press small amount of dough into a lightly oiled cookie mold. Unmold onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
OR on lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Using 2 inch cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes.
Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake in 350 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Makes about 48 2-2 1/2" or six 8" cookies.

Nutrition per 2 - 2.5" cookies: 40 cal, 2 g total fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 g fiber