This year I want to get back to baking boxes filled with goodies and pass them out to my neighbors.

They will probably have in them:

Fudge
Cookies
Bread


Kassy wants to make the tradition sugar cookies, but i would like to do something different.
Like gingersnaps or snickerdoodles.

I wish i had a cookie machine to make different shapes of cookies, but i dont

do you have a favorite holiday cookie or bar?

My son has to have peanut butter blossoms every year. It is the one cookie, other than your basic chocolate chips, that I can make and make every Christmas.

I make Sour Cream Christmas cookies, Peanut Butter Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip. Also make Scotcharoos, and sometimes Rock Candy.

I make Hello Dolly bars (I think my boys would lynch me if they arrived for Christmas and I didn't have any!)
Butter tart squares
Short bread - some plain, some with dried cranberries
Rolo cookies
Snow ball cookies
Peanut butter cookies with a chocolate Hershey's kiss on top

Jessie, what are Rolo Cookies? They sound YUMMY!! Recipe Please!

They all sound good. I like sugar cookies the best.

Hello Dolly Squares (I have no idea why they're called that! Very rich but very good)
I usually double this recipe and put it in a 9" by 13" pan.

Base:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- mix together and press into bottom of 8" by 11" pan

Spread 1 cup coconut over base (First layer)
Spread 1 cup chopped walnuts over coconut (Second layer)
Spread 1 cup chocolate chips over walnuts (Third layer)

Drizzle 1 can condensed milk over all evenly
Bake at 300 F for 25 minutes
Score top when partially cool - cut squares when completely cool

Those sound Yummy Cousin. I think I will have to add those to my baking list this year.

I usually make Shortbreads some with slivered almonds and some plain. My ladies like to add food colouring to the ones they make (they love using cookie cutters) so we also have some red and green ones.

My mom makes the butter tarts, for some reason I am terrible at making these. My grandmother makes tons of Italian cookies and cookies with reese peanut butter cups (the mini ones) in them for the kids, they devour those.

I am really looking forward to getting baking. I haven't had a chance to in a while now.

If you want to make simple and good gingerbread cookies use the gingerbread box mix by Betty Crocker. I've made them from scratch with a few recipes but you really can't go wrong with the mix. The recipe is on the box. I have a hugh 9" gingerbread man cookie cutter I had special made for me that I use to make each of my grandchildren a big gingerbread man. I'm going to be making the graduated star trees this year with the gingerbread mix.
I just wrote a list of what cookies I will be making this year...here's a few of our favorites.
These recipes are from my files so baking cookies for so many years the directions are mine and not from the original recipes so I hope I make them clear.

Holiday Thumbprints

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs separated
2 cups flour
1 t water
1 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

raspberry jelly or preserves ( no measurement , just use as needed but about 1/4 t. in each cookie)

cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks, add flour and mix. In separate bowl mix egg whites with water and beat well until water is mixed in and egg whites foamy . Put pecans in another bowl.

roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls, dip in egg whites then in nuts and then onto a cookie sheet. ( I use baking mats but would do well on most cookie sheets or use parchment paper as liner). Press a thumbprint i indentation into each ball and bake at 300 degrees 18-20 minutes. As soon as you get them out of the oven add the jelly, preserves into the indentation ( I usually deepen the indentation when hot too)

This is the best roll out/cut cookie recipe I have found similar to Cheryl's Cookies. The dough is easy to roll and cut and bakes up well. I make my own buttercream frosting for these so don't have a precise recipe but will give rough estimates.

Rolled Iced Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 3 oz. pkg softened cream cheese
2 T. grated orange peel
2 T. orange juice
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
3 1/2 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of Tartar
1/2 t. salt

Mix butter and sugar, add cream cheese, add egg, orange peel , orange juice, vanilla and egg and mix together well. Mix dry ingredients together and add. Divide dough in half, wrap and refrigerate a couple hours. Roll dough out no thinner than 1/4", they should be thicker than plain sugar cookies so more like 1/3" and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes until light golden brown. Cool and frost.

Frosting...
3/4 cup butter
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 to 4 T milk

Mix until a nice creamy easy to spread frosting but not too thin, can add color to frosting or sprinkles after. I like to use the glitter flakes for these.

these are a big time favorite anytime so I always add them to my Christmas cookie baking.

Chocolate Swirls

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 cup chocolate chips melted and cooled

mix together the sugars, butter and cream cheese, add egg and vanilla, add dry ingredients. Slowly add the melted chocolate chips and swirl into dough, don't totally mix, should be a variety of colors from the white cookie dough to some pockets of the melted chocolate ( a nice marbling)
Drop by large t. (about size of walnut) onto lined or greased cookie sheet about 1" apart.
Bake @ 375 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Meltaways

3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 t. lemon peel
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch.

Mix together, divide dough in half, using wax paper or plastic wrap form each half into 8' x 1' rolls, refrigerate 2 hours.
Slice cold rolls into 1/4 inch slices, bake at 350 degrees 8-20 minutes.
When cooled frost with
frosting..
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. lemon rind

Orange Cookie Batons

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar 1 egg yolk
1 t. grated orange rind
1 3/4 cups flour
Mix together well, dough can be used in press at this stage using the star disc or refrigerated 2 hours,.
I would say about walnut size amount of dough rolled a 2 1/2" to 3" log.
Bake at 350 8-10 minutes.
When cooled dip 1/3 to 1/2 of cookie in chocolate and sprinkle some nuts on the chocolate end.
Chocolate Dip

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (can use choc. chips)
2 T veg. shortening or can use butter

melt together and mix well.

the other things I will be making are
Pecan Cups
Little nut rolls
Cream cheese press cookies (shaped into wreaths and candy canes through start disc)
Spritz press cookies ( small Christmas trees)
Peanut butter press cookies (any disc)
Chocolate Crinkles
Almond Balls ( Almond Cresent , but I like the balls better because they look like little snowballs)

My daughter makes Anise cookies and a greek Sesame cookie as well as Pizelle's, I can ask her for the recipes if anyone wants them.

I got a personal file from a lady of her cookie recipes, I'm picking and choosing a few but if anyone wants the file she sent PM me. It has about 40 recipes in it. I'll have to forward the email because I don't have a link just her file attachment in the email she sent.
She posted about this one at the site I was reading today and it really did sound good so I emailed her, I think I may try it this year.


SACHERTORTE
4 dozen

Oven Temp:325F

Ingredients:

1 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED
1 SM. PKG. INSTANT CHOCOLATE PUDDING MIX
1 EGG
2 CUPS FLOUR
3 TBSP SUGAR
1/2 CUP APRICOT, CHERRY, RASPBERRY PRESERVE
1/2 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS
3 TBSP BUTTER

Instructions:
Heat oven to 325F. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and pudding
mix until light and fluffy. Add egg; blend well. Lightly spoon
flour into measuring cup; level off. Gradually add flour; mix well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheets. Wtih thumb, make indentation in center of
each cookie.
Bake at 325F for 15 to 18 minutes or until firm to touch. Immediately
remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Fill each indentation
with 1/2 teaspoon preserves. In small saucepan over low heat, melt
chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp. butter stirring until smooth. Drizzle
1/2 tsp. glaze over each cookie. 4 dozen cookies.


MINT SNOWBALLS

8 DOZEN

Oven Temp:350F

Ingredients:
3 CUPS FLOUR
1/2 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA
1 TBSP. BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP. SALT
1 14 OZ. CAN SWEETENED, CONDENSED MILK
3/4 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED
2 EGGS
1 TBSP. VANILLA EXTRACT
1 10 OZ. PKG MINT CHOCOLATE CHIPS
POWDERED SUGAR

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking
powder and salt. In large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed,
beat sweetened condensed milk, butter, eggs and vanilla until well
blended. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in chips. Shape dough
into 1 inch balls; roll in confectioner's sugar. Bake 8 to 10
minutes. Immediately remove from baking sheets; roll again in
confectioner's sugar. Cool cookies. Cover tightly and store at room
temperature.


GINGER COOKIES

10 dozen

Oven Temp:350F

Ingredients:
2 CUPS SUGAR
1 1/2 CUPS BUTTER, SOFTENED
1/2 CUP MOLASSES
2 EGGS
4 1/2 CUPS FLOUR
3 TSP. BAKING SODA
1/2 TSP. SALT
2 TSP. CINNAMON
1 TSP. CLOVES
1 TSP. GINGER
1/2 TSP. NUTMEG
SUGAR

Instructions:
In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, molasses and eggs until light
and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.
Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg;
mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12
minutes or until set. Cookies will puff up and flatten during baking.
Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Damn you guys ...... this is like food porn! I'm getting the urge to bake.
(By the way, if you do a lot of cookie baking, investing in a few silpat baking mats is well worth it.)

CASHEW COOKIES
7 Dozen

Oven Temp:350F

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. BUTTER
2 C. BROWN SUGAR
1 C. WHITE SUGAR
3 EGGS
1 1/2 TSP. VANILLA
6 C. FLOUR
2 1/4 TSP. BAKING POWDER
2 1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA
3/4 TSP. SALT
1 1/2 TSP. CINNAMON
3/4 TSP. NUTMEG
1 C. SOUR CREAM
2 1/2 C. CASHEWS, COARSELY CHOPPED

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugars; add eggs and vanilla. Stir together dry
ingredients and add to butter mixture. Stir in sour cream thoroughly
and then cashews. Bake at 350F for 13 minutes and frost while warm
with browned butter frosting.

BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING
Brown 1/2 c. butter. Beat butter, 1 1/4 pounds powdered sugar, 2 tsp.
vanilla and enough milk to make good spreading consistency.

Thank you so much Jessie, I may have to try those, I LOVE ROLOS

I usually make baklava, cream cheese cookies, shortbread w/wo chocolate mini chips or shaved, pecan cookies, brownies with mint cream and chocolate icing, banana bread with toasted pecans and then some sweet bread that I make into sticky buns and mini danish.

I'm reposting this recipe here because it was a big favorite for my customers when I made cookie trays for the holidays years ago. It might look complicated but is very easy, the chilled dough is rolled out in heavy coating of powdered sugar that builds as you roll out each pattie so rolling is very, very easy but always add more powdered sugar as you roll each pattie out to activate the yeast. I probably made 2,000 to 3,000 of these a week for my trays and individual orders for them.

I found this recipe about 30+ years ago, It was the "Blue Ribbon" winner at our State Fair. If you make these you will understand why they won, a major favorite at our house on hoildays

1 pkg. dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
1/2 pint sour cream
3 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla
1 # soft margerine (4 sticks)
5 cups flour

"Filling"...mix together...

1/2 # ground walnuts
1/2 # ground pecans
1 stick margerine (melted)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 t. vanilla

.Directions..........

Mix 1st. 5 ingredients, add flour,when well mixed, divide dough into 7 parts, make round patties, wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours., or up to 2 days.
Roll each pattie on ""generously covered"" board of powdered sugar,(important step, as this activates the yeast), roll each pattie into a circle about 12-14 wide and about 1/8 inch thick. cut across and down into 4ths, then 8ths, then 16ths. as you would a pie into wedges.( I use a pastry wheel cutter but you can use knife )
On the outer edge of each wedge put about 1/2 to 3/4 t. of filling,roll each up to center (small nut roll), put each on lined or non-stick baking sheet and bake @ 375* for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
Cool, dust with powdered sugar

makes 112 very flaky,and delicious little nut rolls

Wow!
Look at all of these recipes!

I cant decide what i want to make!!!

i am making fudge today.

buttermilk and eggnog

(((((((INKY!!!)))))))) I have been missing you! Hope things slow down for you some so you can spend some time with us. Happy Holidays!

I have my old standbys that I make every year, but I love adding new things to the "cookie platter." Last year the grandkids and I made Shirley's Little Nut Rolls, and they were a smash! Here's one of the new ones I''m trying this year.

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops
When you need an intense chocolate experience in cookie form, this is the recipe for you.

Yield: about 2 dozen large cookies

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 T. buttermilk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. natural cocoa powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
11 oz. (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chunks
1 c. dried cherries (optional)

Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)

Put the butter and the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Stir the light brown and granulated sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and dried cherries, if using.

Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets--a small ice cream scoop is ideal for this. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.

Here's another new one that I think sounds good. Of course, I love lemon pie! I'll let you know how they turn out.

Lemon Filled Cookies
Love these at Christmas. They also freeze well, so they’re easy to pull from the freezer for a fresh cookie plate. A cookie recipe I turn to when I don't have many ingredients around. I always seem to have the ingredients for these little pie-type cookies!

Base
1 2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. softened butter
1 t. vanilla

Combine ingredients; chill awhile. Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). With fingers, make an imprint in the center of each cookie, as deep as you can with still cookie on the bottom and as wide as you can, leaving a little "well" in the cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.

Filling
3 T. lemon juice
1 beaten egg
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. butter

In medium saucepan, combine ingredients, and cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Cool a bit. Then top each cookie with filling. Sprinkle finished cookies with powdered sugar before serving. Makes 36 cookies. Sometimes I add lemon zest or lemon extract to the base to make them even more lemony. These freeze well.

I made these years ago and just found the recipe again and made them for Thanksgiving.

Cheesecake Christmas Bars

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix together and reserve 3/4 cup for topping and press remaining evenly into the bottom of a 8x8 pan ( I doubled this recipe in full and used a 9x13 pan )
Bake 15 minutes in 350 degree oven....cool

Filling...
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softend)
1 egg
2 T milk
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. vanilla

Mix well..

Before putting the filling over the cooled baked bottom spread with 1/3 cup red current jelly or raspberry preserves. Pour filling over, sprinkle top with reserved topping mixture and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until set.

I usually make these the day before serving them and cut into 1 1/2" squares or 1"x 1 1/2" bars and plate before serving