Holiday Cookie and Gift Exchange 2006

December 11, 2006
Hosted by Judy

Everyone took 3-6 dozen cookies with copies of the recipe to share with everyone. Everyone also wrapped a paperback book for the gift exchange.

Recipes from Holiday Cookie Exchange

Chocolate & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 stick butter or oleo
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick oats
Combine sugar, mild, cocoa powder and butter/oleo in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Drop spoonful of mixture onto wax paper and let cool.
Notes: Spooning the mixture out works best if you let it stiffen a little bit in the bowl first (you don't want it really runny, but rather a thin version of oatmeal). To make peanut butter flavored cookies, omit the cocoa powder and substitute the vanilla with almond extract.
Makes approx. 2 dozen cookies.

Santa's Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. plus 1/4 c. sugar, divided
3/4 c. dark corn syrup
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. Hershey's cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-2/3 c. (10 oz. pkg.) white chocolate chips
Toffee Bits
Maraschino cherry halves
Best butter & 1/2 c. sugar in large bowl until well blended, add corn syrup, egg & vanilla, blending well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Cover dough & place in refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
Stir remaining sugar & cinnamon together into small bowl. Form dough into 1 inch balls; place balls on cookie sheet. Using thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie.
Bake 6-8 minutes. If necessary, use tip of spoon and press indentation in center. Place 1 tsp. of white chips in each indentation. Top with toffee bits and cherry halves.

Jubilee Jumbles
shared by Lori
1/2 c. Crisco
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
package choc. chips
1 c. Carnation milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Mix shortening, sugars, eggs. Stir in milk. Sift flour, soda, salt and stir in. Blend choc. chips in. Chill 1 hour. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
Frosting: 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 c. 10x sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk, 1/2 tsp. vanilla (or use canned frosting!)

Date & Christmas Cookies
shared by Pat S.
1 stick butter
2 c. chopped dates
1 egg
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
4x sugar
Combine butter an dates in heavy pan. Add well beaten egg and brown sugar. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla; stir constantly until blended. Have Rice Krispies and nuts in bowl; pour cooked contents over them. Mix well and form into small balls and roll in 4x sugar. Makes about 4 dozen.

Melting Moments
shared by Pat D.
1/2 lb. butter softened at room temperature
5-1/2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
3/4 c. cornstarch
1 c. flour
Mix these ingredients, then roll into balls the size of marbles. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes on floured, not greased, baking sheet. Cool on waxed paper.
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 - 2 Tbsp. orange juice
Food Coloring (optional)
Combine these ingredients to a spreadable texture. Spread over the cooled cookies.

Jam Thumbprints
shared by Kelly
2/3 c. butter
1/3 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat above ingredients together, then add 1 1/2 c. flour and roll into balls. Place 2 slightly beaten egg whites in bowl. Place 1 c. finely chopped walnuts in another bowl. Dip balls into beaten egg whites and then into chopped nuts; place onto cookie sheet and press with thumb. When cooled, add Smuckers 100% All Fruit Strawberry Jam.

Italian Anise Cookies
shared by Carol W.
Beat: 3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. anise extract
Add: 2-3/4 c. flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Mix above ingredients until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on greased on non-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until light golden color. Cool.
Glaze: Mix following ingredients until smooth: 1 c. 10x sugar, 4-5 tsp. milk, 1 tsp. anise extract.
Dip cookies into glaze and sprinkle with non-pareils.

Krispies
shared by Stacy
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. salted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. crispy rice cereal
1-1/2 c. (8 oz.) crispy rice chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 300. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, and soda. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside. In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, rice cereal and chocolate chunks. Blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 22-24 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.
Yield: 3 dozen

Apricot Nectar Cookies
shared by Judy
2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 c. salted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/4 c. apricot nectar
1/2 c. apricot preserves
3/4 c. dried apricots, chopped
Preheat oven to 300. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside. In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl. Then add egg, apricot nectar, and apricot preserves; beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture and apricots, and blend on low just until combined. Do not overmix. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown at bottom edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a cool flat surface with a spatula.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies
2-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. (16 oz.) chocolate kisses, unwrapped
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in bowl and set aside. Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars in separate bowl until light. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Blend in flour mixture.
Chop 1 c. chocolate kisses and stir into creamed mixture along with the nuts. Mix in remaining 1 c. whole kisses. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of mixture onto ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on wire rack. Cookies freeze well. Makes about 3 dozen 2 1/2 in. cookies.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 c. margarine or butter, softened
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 c. raisins
Heat oven to 350. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. About 4 dozen
For bar cookies, bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 13x9-in. metal baking pan.

Original BAKER'S Chocolate Chunk Cookies
shared by Carol M.
1-3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 c. chopped PLANTERS Walnuts
Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour, baking soda and salt until well blended; set aside. Beat margarine and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Stir in chopped chocolate and walnuts. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Variation: You can substitute 1/2 c. Splenda Baking Blend for 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 1/2 c. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for 1/2 c. brown sugar, and 1 pkg. BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks for 1 pkg. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped.