PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (6 dozen)
1 cup butter, (2 sticks) softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 TBL vanilla
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
Dash salt
1/2 cup vanilla sugar or granulated sugar to roll cookies in, optional

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets & set aside. Cream together the butter & sugars. Beat in the eggs & vanilla. Add the peanut butter & mix until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda & salt. Add to the creamed mixture & mix until blended well. Roll dough into 1" balls. At this time roll the balls in sugar, if desired. Place on the cookie sheets, 12 to a sheet. Using a fork flatten the cookies with a criss-cross pattern. Put 2 pans in the oven at a time. Bake 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 10 for crispy cookies, switching the pans, top to bottom-bottome to top after half the baking time.~~Penzey's.

Hartshorn or Baker's Ammonia:
*(a.k.a. Ammonium Carbonate) An old-time leavening unexcelled for any cookies, producing an especially light, delicate texture. Hartshorn and baking powder can be used interchangeably in cookie recipes. Dough’s made with Hartshorn store well and its leavening action is only triggered by heat, not moisture. Not affected by age, but will evaporate! There'll be an ammonia smell during baking, but not in your cookies!

Lemon Pecan Stars - a shortbread type cookie

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
4 TB finely grated lemon zest
3-4 TB granulated sugar

Cream butter and sugar well. Add flour, pecans, salt, vanilla, and zest. Mix well. Gather into 2 balls, wrap in waxed paper and chill 4 hours.

Work with 1 portion: roll out to 1/2-inch; use small or medium star cutter, cut cookies; put 1-inch apart on an ungreased sheet (I always use baking parchment) and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Chill sheets 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake one sheet at a time 20 minutes. Cool cookies on a rack. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Makes about 66 cookies.

Date Whirls - make-ahead cookie to freeze before baking
Filling:
1/2 lb. pitted dates
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 t. lemon juice
1 TB butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling: combine dates with sugar and water. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1 TB butter. Cool and add nuts.

Cookie dough:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 t. soda
1/4 t. salt

Cream butter with brown sugar; beat in egg. Stir flour with soda and salt then add to creamed mixture.

Chill cookie dough for 30 minutes. Divide dough into two parts and pat into 2 rectangles on a piece of lightly floured waxed or parchment paper. Make rectangles about 12" long.

Spread half of date mixture on each piece of cookie dough. Roll up on long side. Wrap in waxed paper or foil. Overwrap the rolls with foil. Seal, label and date. Keep up to 6 months.

To bake: unwrap rolls and let dough partially defrost. Cut into thin slices. Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper cover sheets. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes.

SNICKERDOODLES

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
cinnamon-sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets, or use parchment paper. Cream sugar and butter together until light. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda, cream of tartar, salt and nutmeg (if using), then fold into the butter-sugar mixture. Form dough into walnut-size balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets. Do not flatten. Bake for about 12 minutes, until tops are cracked and just turning color. Makes about 4 dozen.

And this is one from Land O Lakes that I am taking to my son's for Christmas
Peanut Brittle Cookie Sticks
2/3c Land O Lakes butter, softened
2/3c packed brown sugar
1T milk
1 1/3c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1c dry roasted salted peanuts, chopped finely
2/3c milk chocolate English toffee bits
Preheat oven to 350° and line with aluminum foil extending over edges. Spray with non-stick spray.
Combine buter, brown sugar and mil, and beat until creamy.
Add flour and baking soda and then stir in peanuts.
Press into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with toffee bits. Bake for 17-18 minutes or til golden brown and set.
Cool 10 minuts. Lift out of pan while stil warm and cut into 2x1" sticks. Remove from foil to cooling rack and cool completely.
48 cookie sticks.
RL`

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints (3-1/2 dozen)
(from Land O`Lakes, Inc.)

Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp. water
1-1/2 tsp. almond extract

Combine butter, sugar and 1/2 tsp. almond extract in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low, add flour. Beat until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour.

Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. With thumb make indentation in center of each cookie and fill with 1/4 tsp. jam.

Bake 14 to 18 mins or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 min; then remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Stir together all glaze ingredients in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

*My sister is allergic to almonds, so I always a batch for her using this same recipe with vanilla extract and have tried other jams and used lemon curd one year. Never had a cookie left!

Kat

What size pan for the Peanut Brittle Cookie Sticks?

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1-½ cups powdered sugar sifted
1-cup margarine
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
2-½ cups flour sifted
1 tsp crème of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Cream sugar and butter; add egg and flavorings. Mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into sugar mixture.

refrigerate 2-3 hours.

Divide dough in half and roll ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes.

Bake @350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Do not over bake. Do not brown

Yield: 2 dozen

Apple Cookies

1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chopped apples
1/4 c. milk or apple juice
Glaze: 1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar, 1 T. soft butter, 2 1/2 T. cream or milk, 1/4 tsp. vanilla

In large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg. Mix flour, spices salt and soda and add alternately with juice or milk to creamed mixture. Fold in nuts and chopped apple. Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees 11 min. or at 375 14 min. Cool and apply glaze.

BAILEY'S IRISH CREME FUDGE (follow directions exactly)
4 1/2 C sugar
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1/2 lb butter
2 12oz pkg milk chocolate chips (Ghiradelli preferred)
2 12oz pkg of semisweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli preferred)
2 7 oz jars marshmallow cream
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 C Bailey's Irish Creme
2 C chopped pecans

Set chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla, Baileys and nuts in a VERY LARGE bowl. Set aside. Bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil and then cook slowly for 11 minutes, sirring constantly. Pour milk mixture over teh other ingredients and stir slowly to blend. DO NOT USE MIXER. Pour into a buttered 9x13 or 10 x 15 pan and chill very well.

I always put waxed paper in my pans and dump the whole thing out to slice in square and I always need more than one pan. This makes a HUGE amount of fudge.

BROWN SUGARED PECANS

1 egg white
1 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 C pecan halves

Humidity seems to affect these.
Preheat oven to 225. Beat egg white until stiff. Gradually add brown sugar while beating. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Drop one at a time (I use my hands) onto well greased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown - about ONE HOUR. Remove from oven. Cool. Store in air tight container.

HUMDINGERS

I never tell people what is in these until after they say they love them. I tend to cut them into TINY bit sized cubes.

1/4 lb butter
2/3 C sugar
8 oz chopped dates
2 C puffed rice cereal
1 C finely chopped pecans
confectionary sugar

Melt butter in saucepan and add sugar and dates. Bring to a boil and cook until the dates fall all to pieces. Remove and add cereal and nuts. Mix well and mash in a flat pan. Cut into pieces and toss in confectionars sugar.

Italian Pizzelle
Here is the recipe I use. It results in delicate, crisp pizzelles every time. I do not try to double up the recipe, but rather make two batches, seperately.
3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup butter or margerine, melted
1½ cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed, or anise oil (this is my own addition)
Add and beat ingredients together in order listed. Drop by rounded spoonful onto center of preheated grid. Close lid immediately clip handles together. Allow to cook until steaming stops -- about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with fork. Allow to cool on wire rack or towels. (While hot, may be rolled into cylinder or shaped into cone.) Dust with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container.
VARIATIONS: Lemon Pizzelle..... omit vanilla and anise seed. Add 2 teaspoons lemon extract and 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel to Basic Recipe.
Chocolate Pizzelle..... mix 3 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons sugar. Add to Basic Recipe.
Nut Pizzelle..... add 1-1/2 cups very finely chopped or ground nuts to Basic Recipe or to Chocolate Pizzelles.
The above recipe came with my Rival Pizzelle Maker.
When there is no longer steam rising from the pizzelle maker, the cookie is ready to be removed from the iron.
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Another version: (Given to me by a good friend)
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup melted butter or margarine
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Anisette Liqueur

Received no specific mixing instructions with this recipe. Follow proceedure given with recipe above.

1 Lb bittersweet chocolate
8 Drops peppermint oil (must be oil NOT extract or the chocolate will seize)
1 Lb chopped white chocolate
3/4 Cup chopped candy canes

Line a 11 X 17 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside

Melt bittersweet chocolate in a heavy pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in 4 drops of peppermint oil. Spread evenly over pan and chill for about 1 hour.

Melt white chocolate in a heavy pot over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 4 drops of peppermint oil and then add in candy cane.

Spread white chocolate over chilled dark chocolate, spreading to the egde of the pan. Chill 4 hours.~

Refrigerate just until just before serving then break into pieces. Will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks ( yeah right!!! LOL) ~

Cream together .........1 ½ C Margerine, l ½ C Sugar
Beat in.................½ C Molasses
Add to the Butter mix...¼ C Brandy (or milk)1 tea vanilla, 8 drops of anise oil. (A tsp of extract)

Sift together ..........5½ C flour
l tea Baking Powder
½ tea Baking soda
2 tea cinnamon
½ tea each cloves and black pepper

Combine ingredients together. Line a 13x9 pan with parchment or wax paper. Press (the original said pound)
dough into pan. Refrigerate overnight (or longer)Remove
pan & paper. Cut into strips 1½" wide. Slice ¼" thick. Place on cookie sheet and bake 350 for about 10 min. Coat cookies in powdered sugar. Store in air tight container. They are best if aged a week or two. This does make many cookies and you will find that changing the thickness of the slices changes the flavor a bit.

2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks) softened
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
colored sugar crystals

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and margarine or butter until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. At medium speed, beat in ricotta, vanilla and eggs until well combined.

2. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.

3. Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft). With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

Mix remaining ingredients and frost the cookies. Sprinkle colored sugar on them while the icing is still soft.

(Woodie’s note - heavy dough, use Kitchen Aid.
Make these for Easter and tint the frosting pink or light green.)

(Funny thing is that my recipe which is cut out from a magazine doesn't indicate how many it makes, but on the other Christmas cookie thread that is running now also, LOL, Brenda posted the same exact recipe and that's how many she said the recipe makes - funny how the same recipes pop up again and again, all the good old favorites.)

OKEECHOBEE BOBBERS

Moist coconut and a touch of orange add tropical flavors to these rich butter cookies.

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!)
3 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup flaked coconut
1 Tblsp. finely grated orange zest

Heat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except flour and coconut in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in flour and coconut by hand until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes).
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Land O’ Lakes®.

SPICY CARDAMOM CRISPS

These Scandinavian spice cookies are great to have with a fresh brewed cup of coffee.

1-1/3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 Tblsp. dark corn syrup
1 Tblsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Sliced almonds

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg, corn syrup, water and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining ingredients except almonds. Beat until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into 1/2-inch thick squares. Wrap each square in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours).

Heat oven to 375° F. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares using pastry cutter or sharp knife; cut squares diagonally in half to form triangles.

Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press almonds into center of each cookie. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and cookies are set. Yield: 7-1/2 dozen cookies.
© 1997 Land O'Lakes, Inc.