Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Preparation:

Mix well, roll out to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into shapes. Or, roll into small balls then roll in finely chopped nuts or sugar; place on cookie lightly greased cookie sheets and flatten with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 300° F. for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Icing: Blend 2 cups sifted powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk or half and half. Stir until smooth and add more milk or half-and-half if necessary. If color is desired, spoon portions of icing into small bowls and stir drops of food coloring in until desired colors are achieved.

Christmas Peppermint Cookies

Christmas Peppermint Cookies


1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Beat in bowl the margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Blend in egg. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture. Stir in oatmeal and peppermint candy and mix well.

Roll in 1" balls and bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely and glaze.

GLAZE
1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 Tbs. milk
1 drop food color (opt.)
3 Tbs. crushed peppermint candy

Combine powdered sugar, milk and food color and mix well. Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle on candy.

FANCY CHRISTMAS COOKIES

FANCY CHRISTMAS COOKIES

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, add and mix well. Wrap in waxed paper and chill. Roll out small amount of dough at a time on lightly floured board. Cut into shapes with fancy cutters. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Glaze before putting in oven with egg whites and sprinkles.

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Almond Christmas Cutups:
Same as Fancy Christmas Cookies except use brown sugar and cake flour and 1 cup of crushed almonds.

Danish Christmas Cookies

Danish Christmas Cookies

1 cup plain flour
just under 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 large egg, separated
1-3/4 teaspoons cinnamon or ground cardamom
pinch of salt
blanched almonds to decorate

Pre-heat oven to 300 F (150 C). Put aside the egg white, 1 ounce of  the sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or cardamom for glazing. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the yolk of the egg, the sugar, salt and spice. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon and then knead until smooth. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookie shapes with your favorite cookie cutter. Mix the egg white with 1 level tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of spice and brush over the cookies. Put one blanched almond in the centre of each cookie. Bake until light brown.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (18-ounce) container uncooked regular oats
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and next 3 ingredients, beating until blended.

Gradually add flour and oats, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in cranberries, raisins, orange rind, and walnuts. Shape dough by 1/3 cupfuls into 1/2-inch-thick rounds on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Spice 'n' Nut Thumbprints

Spice 'n' Nut Thumbprints

3/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 sticks softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground pecans or almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup jam, such as strawberry raspberry or peach

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar in lg mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add 1/2 of flour; mix well. Add remaining flour, nuts and cinnamon, cardamom; mix well.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 1" apart on unbuttered cookie sheets. Lightly press center of each ball with thumb, or the handle of a wooden spoon, leaving cup-like indention.

Fill each indention w/ about 1/4 ts jam. Bake 18 minutes. or until lightly browned around edges. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

Christmas Stars

Christmas Stars

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and beat into butter/egg mixture. Chill.
Heat oven to 350. Roll out onto floured board and cut with star-shaped cookie cutter. Bake 10 minutes or until edges are barely brown. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

-Women's Circle Home Cooking's Christmas Snacks, 1986

Linzer Cookies Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

Linzer Cookies Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
Show: Sweet Dreams
Episode: Orient Express

3/4 cups butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely ground hazelnuts or almonds
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 ounces raspberry jam
Powdered sugar

Cream butter with paddle attachment. Add sugar and continue creaming.
Add the egg, lemon, and vanilla and mix. Add nuts and mix. Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl and add to mixer and blend. Form into disks, wrap and chill. Roll out dough with floured rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured surface. Cut out disks, fluted if desired, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Cut out the centers of half the disks with a cutter in the shape of your choice.

Re-roll scraps and repeat. Chill cut out dough. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 12 minutes or until edges turn golden then cool on a wire rack. Heat the jam and spread the solid disks with a layer of the hot jam. Glue on the lids pressing down lightly.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then fill the holes with more jam. Let set slightly before serving.

Marvelous Chocolate Mint Cookies

Marvelous Chocolate Mint Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1 large egg
36 pieces Andes chocolate mints (about 1/2 pound), unwrapped

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Melt butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate, cover pan with lid, and let stand off heat until chocolate melts, about 4 minutes. Stir until smooth, transfer chocolate to bowl of electric mixer, and let cool, about 10 minutes. 3. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg into cooled chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

4. Roll 2 teaspoons dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are just set, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheets halfway through baking time. Remove from oven, top each hot cookie with 1 mint, and allow chocolate to soften, about 1 minute. Using knife, spread softened mint over top of cookie and transfer to rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries
The dough is somewhat sticky; chilling it briefly makes handling easier.

2/3 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place nuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once. Combine macadamia butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg; beat well.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined (mixture will be very thick). Stir in chopped cranberries. Chill 10 minutes.

Divide chilled dough into 30 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Place 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl. Lightly press each ball into sugar; place each ball, sugar side up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Gently press the top of each cookie with a fork. Dip the fork in water; gently press the top of each cookie again to form a crisscross pattern. Place 15 cookies on each of 2 baking sheets.

Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, at 375° for 9 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pan; cool on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.

Yield: 30 servings (serving size: 1 cookie)

Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Shortbread Cookie Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, blending well. Transfer to a jar or put mix in a small bag, then seal, tie with a decorative bow, fasten and put in a large mug or pretty bowl with instructions attached. On a small card or decorative paper, write these instructions:

Shortbread Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened 1 package Shortbread Cookie Mix

Preheat the oven to 300°. Using fingers, gently knead the butter into the shortbread mix until well blended. Press the shortbread mixture firmly into an 8-inch pie plate. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until pale in color, but not browned. Cut into wedges while still warm. Makes 16 buttery cookie wedges.

Amish Christmas Cookies

Amish Christmas Cookies

1/2 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. light molasses
1 egg, beaten
4 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in molasses and eggs.

Sift dry ingredients together and stir into molasses−egg mixture. Roll out dough on lightly floured board and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Amish

Walnut Horn Cookies

Walnut Horn Cookies

1 cup plus 1 tsp butter, softened & divided
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 cups flour
4 cups ground walnuts
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat in 1 cup of the butter and the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour. Beat until the mixture forms a ball. Divided the dough into four portions. Roll each into a 12 inch circle. Melt the remaining butter. In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, 3/4 cup sugar, milk, vanilla, salt, and the melted butter. Spread over the circles. Cut each into 12 wedges. Roll up the wedges, starting from the wide ends. Place point side down on the greased baking sheets. Curve the ends to form crescents. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Place the remaining sugar in a small shallow bowl. Roll the warm cookies in the sugar. Makes 4 dozen

Melissa
Recipe Source: Taste Of Home - Loretta Stokes

Walnut-Rum Wafers

Walnut-Rum Wafers

Makes about 4 dozen

2 1/4 cups walnut pieces (7 ounces), toasted
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons dark rum
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in the lower and middle positions. Finely chop 1 1/2 cups walnut pieces.

Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and rum. Stir in flour and salt, scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in chopped walnuts.

Drop dough (about 2 teaspoons per cookie) onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake for 4 minutes; remove from oven, and top with remaining 3/4 cup walnut pieces. Rotate sheets, and return to oven.. Bake until golden brown around edges, 8 minutes more. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Helpful Hint-Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Veronica

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From: Cookie_Recipes@yahoogroups.com

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar, or Sugar Twin brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
2/3 cup soft margarine
2 eggs or 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 nutmeg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350*.

In a large mixing bowl, beat brown sugar or substitute, apple juice concentrate, and margarine until creamy. 

Add eggs and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg together.

Add it to the creamed mixture, and blend. Fold in flour, oats, and raisins.

Drop by spoonfuls on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 12 min.

 36 servings 1 cookie each

Quick Ghost Cookies Recipe

Quick Ghost Cookies Recipe

Field editor Denise Smith of Lusk, Wyoming spruces up store-bought cookies for the holiday. "These are a real hit with 'goblins' of all ages," she comments.
* 18 Servings
* Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients
* 1 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped
* 1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies
* Miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

* In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring occasionally. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely. Place on waxed paper.

* Brush ends with a pastry brush dipped in coating where fingers touched cookies. While coating is still warm, place two chips on each cookie for eyes. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: about 3 dozen.

Quick Ghost Cookies published in Taste of Home October/November 1996, p12
Beth Layman :)

Iced Halloween Cookies Recipe

Iced Halloween Cookies Recipe


Prep time: 15 min plus decorating time
Baking time: 12-15 min

Ingredients:

875 ml (3 1/2 cups) flour
200 ml (3/4 cup) softened butter
200 ml (3/4 cup) sugar
200 ml (3/4 cup) molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of salt

For the Icing:
icing sugar
water
food coloring
candies (optional)

Method: Butter the cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger and salt.

Cream the butter. Add the sugar, eggs, one at a time, and the molasses.  Gradually blend in the dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition.  Form the dough into balls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
Place them on cookie sheets and flatten with a glass. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Halloween Version: Round cookies can be used to make faces or jack o'lanterns. You can also use a cookie cutter if you prefer to make ghost cookies or other shapes.

Ghost:  Combine icing sugar with a little water; spread over the baked cooled cookie. Make eyes with icing colored red, green or black. You could also use a little piece of licorice.

Pumpkin- Add some orange food coloring to your icing sugar-water icing. Transfer to a piping bag and draw the features. You could also stick little orange candies into the icing to make prominent eyes. Add a line of green icing to make the stem.

Witch's Hat:  Add some black food coloring to your icing sugar-water icing. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip with gold icing to decorate the hat, or choose mini candies. For the ribbon, use a contrasting color and a thin piping tip or a strip of licorice.

Lime and Black Pepper Cookies

These look very unusual, but worth a try.

Lime and Black Pepper Cookies


½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 cups (8.5 ounces) flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lime zest (about 5 limes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioner' s sugar, for dusting the finished cookies
Black pepper, to garnish (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla and egg, and beat over low speed just to incorporate.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, lime zest, baking powder, pepper and salt, breaking up any lumps.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough log and slice crosswise into cookies one-fourth inch thick. Place the cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake until a light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the cookies and cool on a rack. Dust the cooled cookies lightly with confectioner' s sugar (and black pepper, if using).

Each of 48 cookies: 54 calories; 1 gram protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 10 mg. cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 29 mg. sodium.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Servings:36

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy.

Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin or pie filling
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together in bowl. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to bowl. Mix. Drop by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.