Candy Cane Cookies

By Nancy Eisenberger

This recipe came from a childhood friend of mine whose mother made these when I was around 10 years old.  I loved them so much I asked her for the recipe.  I’ve had this recipe for 40 years, and I’m so glad she gave it to me.  They have a light almond flavor, and can be sprinkled with peppermint or sugar to add some sweetness.  Not only are they festive looking, but they compliment all the chocolate and sweet Christmas treats!  Enjoy!

½ c butter, softened

½ c shortening

1 c confectioners sugar

1 egg

1 ½ t almond extract

1 t vanilla

2 ½ c flour

1 t salt

½ t red food coloring

Heat oven to 375.  Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, confectioner’s sugar, egg and flavorings.  Blend in flour & salt.  Divide dough in half.  Blend food coloring into one half.  Shape 1 t dough from each half into a 4 inch rope.  Place ropes side by side.  Press together lightly and twist.  Complete cookies one at a time.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Curve top of cookies down to form handle of cane.

Bake 9 minutes or until set and very light brown.  If you wish, mix ½ c crushed peppermint candy and ½ c granulated sugar.  Immediately sprinkle cookies with candy mixture.  Remove from baking sheet.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Roberta Behm- Stander

1 2/3 cups flour

¾ tsp  baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ Cup butter softened

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1/3 Cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

2 Cups White Chocolate Morsels

2 cups chopped macadamia nuts.

Preheat oven to : 350 degrees

BEAT:  butter , brown sugar & granulated sugar & vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy.  Beat in the egg.  Gradully beat in  the flour, baking powder & baking powder.  Stir in the white chocolate morsels  and nuts.

Drop by a lage Tablespoon onto a parchment papered cookie sheet or a greased cookie sheet.

BAKE:  for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes (Please do this –these are a light & delicate cookies and will break easily when hot—when cooled they are sturdier.)  Then remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes around 3 dozen cookies.

Snickers Surprise

Rosary Sorensen, Bellevue

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (softened)                                1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ tsp. salt                                                        1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar                                  1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs                                                              1 tsp. baking soda

3-1/2 cups flour                                               1 pkg. (13 oz.) Snicker Miniatures

1 pkg. (11 oz.) Dove Brand Milk or Dark Chocolate

Combine the butter, peanut butter and sugars using a mixer on medium to low speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then mix in flour, salt and baking soda. Cover and chill dough for 2-3 hours. Unwrap all Snickers Miniatures. Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 1 tablespoon pieces and flatten. Place a Snickers in the center of each piece of dough. Form the dough into a ball around each Snickers. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes. (Baking time and temperature may need to be adjusted if using more than 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie.) Let cookies cool on baking rack or wax paper. Spruce up by drizzling melted Dove chocolate over the top of each cookie.

Chez Nous” (Pizza)

Sunnye Tiedemann, Bellevue

Crust
1/4 cup butter, softened
14 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour

Topping
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup shredded coconut (divided)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour; knead until a soft dough forms.
Press dough into bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of a greased 12-inch pizza pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans evenly over crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over all evenly. Pour condensed milk evenly over all. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. While cookie is still warm, place chocolate chunks on top and sprinkle remaining coconut over all. Cool completely in pan before serving.

I found this in a book titled “Christmas Gifts in Good Taste,”  published by Leisure Arts in 1991. It’s been a regular for Christmas celebrations ever since and we’ve even used it for church suppers and Fourth of July picnics. Everyone loves pizza but most expect either traditional or fruit pizza, Our teenage grandchildren especially enjoy it and it makes an unusual and welcome gift for neighbors during the holidays.

All Gone Treats

Rose Blahnik, Bellevue

MELT : 1 pkg. almond bark

1 cup creamy peanut butter

POUR OVER : 2 cups miniature marshmallows

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

5 cups rice cripies

BLOP : spoonfuls onto wax paper…wait to dry, serve

You can add 1 cup holiday M & M’s

For a festive touch place spoonful into decorative mini muffin papers

This recipe came from a  lady I use to go to church with in Glenwood, Iowa

Rose’s Simple Swedish Almond Cookies

Rose Blahnik, Bellevue

MIX : 1 pkg. white cake mix

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/2 cup vegetable oil

ADD: 1 cup roasted sliced almonds

BAKE: 8 – 10 mins. @ 350 degrees

A self-created recipe..the only thing Swedish about it is ME !!!!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Sunnye Tiedemann, Bellevue

2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
5 cups sifted flour

Heat sugar, molasses and spices to boiling. Remove from heat and add soda (it will foam).  Pour this mixture over butter in heat-proof bowl. Mix in egg and flour — makes a really stiff dough. Turn on board and knead until smooth. Refrigerate 3 hours. Roll dough and cut into shapes.

Make paper patterns for walls, roof, etc.
Cut 2 rectangles 51/2 x 4 inches for front and back walls. Cut doors and windows as desired. To make shutters, cut the window squares in half.
Cut two 4 1/4 inch squares, tapered to a point 3-inches high for the end walls.
Cut two rectangles for roofs, 9 1/2 x 5 inches. I also add a chimney
– four 2-inch squares.  Place these on the rolled-out dough and cut out shapes.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheets — I crush lemon-flavored hard candies and place these in the empty holes where I’ve cut out windows.

Bake at 300 degrees until dried out and gently browned.

To assemble the house: Use melted sugar for glue. Just melt sugar in a skillet until it turns an amber color. Dribble the hot sugar along the edges of the pieces and fit them together. Hold  them in place a few minutes until sugar firms up. I let the completed houses stand overnight to cool and dry completely.

Frosting (i.e. snow)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
A few drops of lemon juice
Beat until light and fluffy.

Spread a thin coat of icing on a plate (for gifts I cut a piece of cardboard box and wrap it in foil). Place the house on the frosting and pile snow around the base of the house. Either pipe with a cake decorator or use a knife to put “snow” on the roof and wherever you think it looks best. Trim the house with candies — hard candies, jelly beans, gumdrops, anything colorful. Gumdrops can be shaped into bushes or just piled in colorful bunches. This is a fantasy house, so make it fun and pretty.

The house is completely edible and absolutely delicious, even after it has sat for several months! I know this looks long and complicated but once you try it you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to do. It’s always a little embarrassing to accept profuse compliments for something so simple.

Pumpkin Cookies

Norita Allen, Bellevue

This recipe was one of my mothers. She would use 3 girls help with them by adding some of the ingredients and stirring. They are very good even warm with a tall glass of mile. They have great flavor.

1/3 cup shortening

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix these ingredients together well.

Sift together 2 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Can add ½ cup chopped walnuts or raisins. Mix well. Drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 400° 12-15 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

RIBBON COOKIES

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