I've been invited to a gathering of ladies and we're each to bring 6 dozen home made Christmas Cookies. The contest part is the presentation and of course the best tasting cookie.

I've never made cookies from scratch, EVER. I need ideas and recipes, then again, I'm sure all LBT members would probably enjoy sharing and trying the recipes. Would love any suggestions for an unusual presentation as well.

Come on ladies, I know this is a natural for most of you, but for me, it's a challenge.

Anyone ever heard of a praline Christmas cookie?

Hi Pat,

Aghhh! I've been asked to bake Cookies for the holidays as well. Not sure how I'm going to do this successfully without eating them all! Here is my tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe. Everyone seems to love them so that can't be that bad!

2 cups butter

2 tsp. soda

5 cups blended oatmeal**

2 cups brown sugar

1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

24 oz. chocolate chips

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)** measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Enjoy!

I make three different types of christmas Cookies every year, The only year I didn't make them in the last 8 years was the year I was on oxygen. I just didnt feel safe cooking while attached to an oxygen tank.

The first is a lavender sugar cookie, the second are starlight peppermint weaths, and the final are my speicalties, black pepper cookies.

I also make hot candied chipolte pecans. (they are amazing on vanilla ice cream.)

I make a wonderful thumb print cookie, its everyone's favorite

Here's some sites for Cookies.... read em and drool.

http://www.allhomemadecookies.com/

http://wpfj.org/cookies/

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/

http://cookie.betterrecipes.com/

And HungryMonster.com has so many...check it out.... just do a search for Cookies.... use the drop down arrow and poof over 800 cookie recipies

http://www.hungrymonster.com/recipe/recipe-searching.cfm

Hey, Pat! I've got some good recipes for you, and they are not hard, either. When I get home tonight, I'll get the recipes out and post them here. One is a rich, chewy chocolate cookie, one is a drop cookie that is butterscotch and chowmein noodles and peanuts...I'll look for my others. I love baking! I have an old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe from my great-grandmother, that makes the softer type cookie, but can still be rolled and cut with cookie cutters.

I"ll check ya when I get home. Cindy

Here is a famous New Mexico Christmas cookie... Cant have Christmas without them.. Very Very Fatty.. hehehe

BISCOCHITOS

• 3/4 cups sugar
  
  
• 8 ounces vegetable shortening or lard
  
  
• 1 egg
  
  
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla
  
  
• 1 teaspoon anise seed
  
  
• 3 cups flour
  
  
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• Cinnamon Sugar:
  
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
  
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  
  

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

To make the cinnamon sugar, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and anise seed, and continue beating until the mixture is creamy.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, a little at a time, and beat to mix well after each addition. Continue until all the flour has been incorporated and a stiff, smooth dough. Do not refrigerate as the dough needs to be warm to hold together.

To roll out the Cookies, place a ball of dough about 3 or 4-inches in diameter on a lightly floured surface. Roll out using a very light stroke with a rolling pin. The dough should resemble pie pastry more than cookie dough.

Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into the desired shape. Dust with the cinnamon sugar and place on a lightly oiled baking pan.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, remove, and cool the cookies on a rack.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen, depending on the shape

Ohhh, I want the recipie for the lavender sugar cookies, Can I have it please?????? ~Mandy

SNICKERDOODLES

1 c Butter or margarine

3/4 c + 1 Tbs Sugar

1 3/4 c Flour; all-purpose

2 ts Cinnamon

1/2 ts Salt; (optional)3/4 c Brown sugar; packed

2 eggs

2 c Uncooked oats

1 ts Baking soda

Heat oven to 375f.

Grease cookie sheet.

In large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs; mix well.

In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, 1 t cinnamon, soda and salt.

Add to sugar mixture; mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.

In small bowl, combine remaining 1 T sugar and 1 t cinnamon;

sprinkle lightly over each cookie.

Bake 8-10 minutes.

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet;

remove to wire cooling rack.

RASBERRY GEM Cookies

1 1/2 c All purpose flour

1 c Margarine or butter, -softened

1/2 c Dairy sour cream

1/3 c Raspberry spreadable fruit 3 tb Sugar

2/3 c Semisweet chocolate pieces

1 tb Shortening

1/4 c Finely chopped almonds

Stir together flour, margarine or butter, and sour cream in a large mixing bowl, until thoroughly combined.

Divide dough in half.

Cover and chill for 3 hours.

Roll each half of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.

Using a 1-3/4 to 2 inch round cookie cutter cut dough.

Spread about 1/4 tsp. raspberry fruit on top of half of the cookies.

Top with remaining cookies.

Stir together sugar and 1 Tbsp. Water. Brush over cookies.

Place cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake in a 350 oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till done.

Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan melt chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat till melted, stirring constantly.

Dip one side of each of the cookies into melted chocolate.

Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with almonds.

Cool until set. Makes about 72.

Yup, I'll get it to you. It's at home, and I'm still in Idaho, but I'm going home tonight! (so it will be a couple of days )

Here's my recipe for Decorated Christmas cookies:

2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Decorator frosting (recipe follows)

candy/sugar/sprinkle decorations

1. Sift flour, baking powder & salt onto wax paper or into a bowl. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

2. Beat together butter & sugar in a seperate bowl until light & fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla & almond extract. Gradually stir in flour mixture to make a stiff dough (I use my hands after it starts to come together). If mixture is too dry, mix in 1 to 2 TBLS. milk. Shape into a ball & refrigerate until chilled (about 30 minutes).

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. Divide dough into thirds. Roll out, one third ata a time, on a floured surface to a 3/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters in the shape of your choice. Place Cookies on prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from cookie sheets to wire racks to cool.

6. After cooled, frost & decorate how you want.

Decorator icing

1 egg white

1 1/4 cups sifted 10x powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl & beat with an electric mixer at high speed until mixture forms stiff peaks. Tint whatever color you desire with food coloring. I use seperate little bowls for different colors. This icing will harden once you ice your cookies.

If you use Christmas tree cookie cutters you can decorate the trees & then stack them on a serving plate using a little decorator icing to hold them in place & stack in the shape of a Christmas tree. You can cut out 1 cookie in the shape of a star & use decorator icing to secure it to the top of the stacked cookies. I've seen it done & it is really pretty! I make these cookies every Christmas & send them to work with my husband. I end up making them a couple of times cause the guys get upset if they don't all get to take some home. Happy Holidays!

Ok gals, I'm making my shopping list for my trial cookie bake. Top of the list, a rolling pin,a cookie sheet, and tons of ingredients. Shortning, does that mean like lard, Crisco in a can?

Shortning, does that mean like lard, Crisco in a can?

Pat,

Im sitting here laughing at you... cause Im in the same boat! I am definatly not Betty Crocker.

Although I am anxious to know if shortning/lard/crisco are all the same thing.

Yes they are all the same thing. Crisco also comes in butter flavor, I think it is better in cookies. I am not betty crocker either but I bake a mean cookie~Mandy

Well, they are all for the same purpose... Lard is animal fat. Shortening is usually vegetable fat.

:]

Anyone got a good recipe for cookie frosting??? The kind that isn't hard as a rock or a glaze but isn't all over the place? A nice thin frosting that will harden only a little. Anyone???

A diabetic safe frosting would be terrific as most people I work with are diabetics. But for ME, I want the whole juicy recipe.