Almond Crescents
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup ground blanched almonds
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1 Mix together shortening, butter and almonds.
Sift in flour and salt. Add vanilla.
2 Chill dough until firm.
3 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
4 Roll dough with hands into 3 inch lengths, pencil thick.
Form into crescents on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until just slightly brown -- about 16 minutes. Cool on pan
5 While still slightly warm, carefully dip in a mixture of confectioner's suger and cinnamon.
These are extremely fragile cookies -- handle with care!
Makes 6 dozen
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2 Mix well the shortening and butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt and add to shortening mixture. Divide dough in half.
3 Blend red food coloring into one half.
Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch strips.
Place strips side by side and press lightly together and twist like a rope.
Curve top of rope down to look like the handle of a candy cane.
4 Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove while still warm.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crushed peppermint stick candy and 1/2 cup sugar (optional).
Makes 2 dozen
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon white sugar
48 chocolate covered caramel candies
Directions
1 Beat butter or margarine til creamy.
Gradually add sugars, beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour, baking soda and cocoa.
Gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in 1/2 cup nuts (optional).
2 Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
3 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4 Combine remaining 1/2 cup nuts with the 1 tablespoon sugar.
Divide the dough into 4 parts. Work with one part at a time leaving the rest in the fridge. Divide each part into 12 pieces.
Quickly press each piece of dough around a chocolate covered caramel (Rolo). Roll into ball. Dip one side into sugar.
5 Place sugar side up 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool one minute. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen
Coconut Bon Bons
Ingredients
2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 cup butter
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
9 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons shortening
Directions
1 In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar,
and the sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the coconut until everything is evenly distributed.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and refrigerate until set.
2 Melt chocolate and shortening over a double boiler,
stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when melted and stir to make sure the shortening is fully incorporated.
Use toothpicks to hold the balls while dipping in the chocolate. Set on wax paper to dry.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen
Crescents
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
1 If using butter it must be cold. Mix butter with flour untill it resembles fine crumbs.
Add white sugar, nuts, and salt. Mix well, adding ice water till you make stiff dough.
2 Add vanilla extract and knead lightly.
Roll out on floured board 1/4 inch thick.
3 Cut into crescent shapes using a whiskey glass coated with flour.
4 Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until bottoms are lightly browned.
While hot, roll in confectioner's sugar, (I usually use a brown bag or baggie bag to roll the cookies in with the powdered sugar).
Makes 4 dozen
Devil's Food Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup shortening
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 cups peanut butter chips
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2 In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla,
and shortening with 1/2 of the cake mix until light and fluffy. Stir in the remaining cake mix and the peanut butter chips.
3 Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an unprepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
Makes 5 dozen
Gilded Chocolate Shortbread
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
24-karat gold dust.
Directions:
1 In a large bowl using an electric mixer,
cream the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Beat in the cocoa, vanilla and salt, mix until smooth.
On low speed, gradually mix in the flour until fully incorporated. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
2 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Prepare a clean
dry work surface by dusting with the remaining confectioners' sugar.
3 Roll chilled dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes
with a knife or cookie cutters. Place cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Using a small stiff brush or flat pastry brush, lightly dust the tops
of the cookies with the 24-karat gold dust. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes,
or until firm. Be careful not to overbake; you cannot tell by looking
because of the dark color of the dough.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup unsulfured molasses
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Lightly grease baking sheets.
2 Combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon,
salt and baking soda. Stir in the melted butter or margarine, evaporated milk, molasses, vanilla and lemon extracts. Mix well.
3 Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly.
The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to fingers. Knead the dough for a smoother texture.
Add up to 1/2 cup more of flour, if necessary to prevent sticking. When the dough is smooth
roll it out to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut into cookies.
Place cookies on the prepared sheets.
4 Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes.
The cookies are done when they spring back when touched.
Makes 4 -5 dozen
Gram's Snow Balls
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon super fine white sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2 Mix together all ingredients except the confectioner's sugar.
Roll dough into small balls and place on cookie sheets.
3 Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
Roll in confectioner's sugar while cookies are still warm.
Makes 4 dozen
Pecan Tarts
Ingredients
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2 In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup margarine (NOT butter) and 1/2 cup sugar.
Stir in egg yolks, almond extract, and sifted flour.
3 Spray tiny muffin cups with non-stick spray. Press mixture evenly into tiny muffin cups.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
4 To make Filling: Bring to a boil 1/2 cup margarine, corn syrup, and confectioner's sugar.
Stir in chopped pecans.
5 Spoon into shells no more than 1/2 way. Top with pecan halves.
Bake in a 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 5 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen
Pistachio Cream Cheese Fingers
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 teaspoon shortening
Directions
1 In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla and egg; beat well.
2 Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. In a medium bowl,
combine flour, pudding mix, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture; mix well.
Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least one hour (for easier handling).
3 Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease cookie sheets. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into finger shapes, about 1 1/2 inches long.
Place cookies on prepared sheets.
Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very lightly browned on bottoms.
Cool completely on baking rack.
4 In small saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening,
stirring constantly until well blended. Drizzle a small amount of chocolate over each cookie.
Allow the chocolate to set before storing.
Makes 100 (approx.)
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