cookie recipes

Keith Ecker’s
Nutty Lemon Crescents
My mother has been making these lemon crescent cookies since I was a child. All it takes is the
slightest smell of these confections, and I know it’s the holidays.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Crescents
Crescents
One package dry yeast
5 cups of flour
Sprinkle yeast into flour and cut in shortening as for pie
dough.
1 pound margarine
Mix in egg yolks and sour cream. Mix well.
3 egg yolks
Hand-shape into 60 individual balls and refrigerate overnight.
One half-pint sour cream
Filling
Filling
1 pound ground nuts
Blend nuts, sugar and lemon rind together to make filling.
3 egg whites, beaten
Sprinkle granulated sugar thickly on board or surface,
1 teaspoon per ball.
1 cup sugar
Roll out each individual ball.
Rind of one lemon
Fill to one side and roll up jellyroll fashion.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 20–25 minutes at
350 degrees.
Terry M. Isner’s
Pecan Bar Recipe
The pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts and this is why I love pecan bars so much. They’re
like bite-sized pecan pies. We make them in big cooking sheets so we have lots to share. They
freeze well.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Line a 9×13
pan with foil; grease.
⅓ cup white sugar
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, ⅓ cup sugar and salt.
Cut in ⅔ cup of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the prepared pan and press
in firmly. Bake for 20 minutes.
¼ tsp. salt
⅔ cup butter
Filling
3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups whole pecans, toasted &
tossed with 1 tbsp. butter
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl,
mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1 cup total brown & white
sugars, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the crust as
soon as it comes out of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or
until set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before
slicing into bars.
Note: After the bars have cooled on a rack for about 3 hours,
put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to make cutting much
easier.
Carlos Arcos’s
Pecan Sandies
My mother made these cookies for every Christmas holiday since before I was born. Although
she can no longer bake, my siblings and I continue to make these cookies every year for our
children, extended family and friends.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1 cup butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Beat butter for 30 seconds; add granulated sugar and beat
until fluffy. Add vanilla and 2 teaspoons water; beat well. Stir
in flour and pecans.
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
¼ cup powdered sugar
Shape into 1-inch balls or 1 ½ x ½-inch fingers. Place on an
ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Gently shake a
few cookies at a time in a bag with powered sugar.
Makes 36.
Susan Holmes’s
Lemon Snowflake Cookies
I love making these cookies because they remind me of Christmas spent in Ohio with our family.
Now we live 600 miles away and don’t spend Christmas together, so this gives us a taste of
home and lets us feel a little closer.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Cookies
1 cup butter
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Cream butter. Mix confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, flour and
lemon rind, and gradually beat into butter. Chill 1 hour.
¾ cup cornstarch
1½ cup flour
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 cup very finely chopped nuts
Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Red & green food coloring
Shape into 1” dough balls and drop into chopped nuts.
Flatten with bottom of drinking glass dipped in flour. Put
nut-side up on greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, cool
completely and frost.
Frosting
Mix confectioners’ sugar, butter and lemon juice. Divide
mixture in half and add food coloring to the desired shade
and frost.
Kathy O’Brien’s
Anginettes (Italian Citrus Cookies)
If a wrapped tray of anginettes comes through your door, it’s a sure sign of a party. This recipe
started with my grandmother and was passed to my mom and now to me. These festive little
cookies are even better when they are accompanied by a nice strong cup of Italian coffee. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
Cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4 eggs
Cream butter. Mix in eggs one at a time and then add the
rest of wet ingredients. Slowly add in dry ingredients until a
dough forms.
1 cup sugar
1 cup frozen orange juice
concentrate
1 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
6 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
6 tsp. baking powder
Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. of milk
1 tbsp. of butter
Sprinkles/dragees
Roll into little balls. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool
completely.
Frosting
Cream butter. Add sugar and milk. Mix until medium
consistency. Drizzle over cookies. Add sprinkles.
Vivian Hood’s
Gingerbread Cookies
The sweet and spicy flavor of this gingerbread is a special treat we reserve for the holidays, and
these freshly baked cookies are impossible to resist!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
5 cups all purpose flour
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Sift together the flour, baking
soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Set aside.
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground ginger
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
Attach flat beater to electric mixer, and beat butter on medium-high speed
until fluffy, 4–6 minutes. Add both sugars and beat for 1 minute. Reduce
speed to low and add the molasses, beating until well combined, about 1
minute. Add the egg and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the
flour mixture in four portions and beat just until well combined. Stop the
mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2 sticks of unsalted butter
Place the dough onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a smooth
mound and divide into 2 equal portions. Shape each into a disk and wrap
separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
½ cup firmly packed light brown
sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment
paper.
½ cup granulated sugar
Remove 1 dough disk at a time from the refrigerator and let stand for 10
minutes. Roll out dough to an even thickness of about ¼ inch.
1½ tsp. salt
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
Dip the cookie cutter into flour just before using and cut out shapes.
Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking
sheets. Gather up scraps, reroll and cut out additional cookies. Refrigerate
cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
Bake the cookies until lightly browned on the bottom, 7–9 minutes for
small to medium-size cookies. Larger cutouts may require a few more
minutes. Transfer cookies to completely cool on a wire rack before
decorating as desired.
Randy Labuzinski’s
White Chocolate, Cranberry,
Macadamia Nut Cookie
“Cranny Mac”
Nothing can beat the rich, chewy goodness of a white chocolate, cranberry and macadamia nut
cookie. It offers the perfect combination of sugary sweetness, faintly tart bursts of flavor and
crunchy consistency in a cookie that’s not too hard, not too soft. And the pops of color from the
purply-red berries and white chocolate bits add cheer to any holiday dessert display.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1 tsp. baking soda
Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
¾ tsp. salt
Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and
vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat until blended. Add
the cranberries, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1½ cups dried cranberries
1½ cups white chocolate chips
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts
Scoop the dough with a small to medium-size ice cream
scoop (depending on what size you would like your cookies).
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed
paper.
For best results, freeze the scooped raw cookies in
the freezer for an hour before baking. Bake cookies for
approximately 20 minutes or until golden-brown.
Jennifer Faivre’s
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Some people call these cookies Russian Tea Cakes, but here in Colorado, we call them Mexican
Wedding Cookies. They are a favorite of ours and I personally love them because they are quick
and easy to make – something I really appreciate during the busy holiday season!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
2 sticks unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2½ cups flour
In an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in
remaining ingredients.
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (4 oz.) finely chopped
walnuts, almonds or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract
With lightly floured fingers, pinch off small lumps of dough
and roll into 1-inch balls. Set on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until tops are a pale goldenbrown.
½ tsp. almond extract
Let cookies cool about 5 minutes, then roll in confectioners’
sugar to coat well. Set on wax paper to cool.
2 cups, or as needed,
confectioners’ sugar for rolling and
storing cookies
Store in airtight container, layered with additional
confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy!
Michelle Samuels’s
Chanukah Jelly Donut Cupcakes
On Chanukah, it is traditional to eat foods fried with oil to commemorate the importance of oil
during the celebration of the Festival of Lights. If you are like me and try to stay away from deepfried foods, this Chanukah recipe will hit the spot. It recreates the traditional Chanukah sufganiyot
(jelly donuts) in a slightly healthier way, and the muffins are guaranteed to be a hit with children
and adults alike.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place 12 cupcake liners in
a muffin tray.
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup light buttermilk or regular
milk (almond, soy or coconut milk
can be substituted to make the
recipe dairy-free)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup jelly of your choice (Nutella
can be substituted if you prefer)
¼ cup powdered sugar
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder,
brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, buttermilk or milk,
and vanilla together. Make a well in the center of the flour
mixture and then add the egg mixture. Stir together until just
combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Fill each muffin cup half full with batter, reserving one cup of
the batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of jelly on top of each
batter-filled cup. Smooth the remaining batter over the jelly to
seal it in.
Bake the muffins for 18–20 minutes, or until the muffin tops
are a light golden-brown. Remove the tray from the oven and
let cool. Sprinkle tops of muffins with powdered sugar.
Servings: 12 muffins
Judi Orenstein’s
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
I always enjoy spending time with my family during the holidays, but do not like spending
too much time in the kitchen baking. With two ingredients, store-bought cookie dough and
unwrapped peanut butter cups, this quick and easy recipe helps me add a “homemade” touch to
our gatherings while keeping me out of the kitchen. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1 batch of your favorite chocolate
chip cookie dough (or pre-made
from the grocery store)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with
cooking spray.
1 bag mini peanut butter cups,
unwrapped (or Rolo candies)
Bake for about 7 minutes or until golden and puffy.
Fill each muffin cup ½ – ⅔ full with cookie dough.
Immediately put a peanut butter cup (or Rolo) in the center
of each cookie and press down. As the chocolate melts, take
a knife and smooth the melted chocolate around the cookie
edge. Yum!
Let cool 10 minutes in pans and then transfer to a cooling
rack (if there are any left!). You may have to use a paring knife
to loosen the edges.
Sue Remley’s
Orange Drop Cookies
Adding orange drop cookies to the family Christmas cookie list began when a relative suggested
baking something without chocolate. The suggestion initially baffled me, as I couldn’t understand
the need to bake a cookie without chocolate. Since the original effort, these have become a
family favorite.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Cookies
1½ cups packed brown sugar
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 cup butter or margarine
Cream brown sugar and butter or margarine; add eggs,
orange peel, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to
creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after
each addition. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for
10 to 12 minutes.
2 tsp. baking power
While cookies are warm frost with Orange Icing.
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
Icing
Combine grated orange peel, orange juice and butter warmed
to room temperature. Stir in sifted powdered sugar.
Icing
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
Makes 6 dozen cookies.
½ cup buttermilk
3 tbsp. orange juice
3 tbsp. butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
Melanie Trudeau’s
Noodle Cookies
When I was a young girl, my grandmother taught me how to make these cookies. They’ve
remained a favorite over the years – I think it’s the sweet/salty thing. And the fact that they’re
really easy to whip together.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1 12-oz. package of butterscotch
chips
In a double boiler, melt the butterscotch chips and peanut
butter. When fully melted, stir in the chow mein noodles and
marshmallows.
4 tbsp. peanut butter
1 5 oz. can of chow mein noodles
2 cups of miniature marshmallows
Use two spoons to scoop into chunks on a cookie sheet lined
with parchment paper. Refrigerate until cool. Store at room
temperature or in the refrigerator.
Be careful – these are addictive.
Alan E. Singles’s
Cocoa Thumbprints
I feel you can never go wrong with a chocolate treat, and this one gives you the creativity to add
your favorite topping for variety, with more chocolate candies, marshmallows, or small pieces of
fruit or candy.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with
parchment paper.
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus ½
cup for rolling
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process
cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Sprinkles, mini marshmallows, mini
candies or dried fruit, for filling
Whisk the flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, cocoa powder,
baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted
butter and eggs, and stir until combined. Cover and
refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Place the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining ½ cup
granulated sugar in 2 separate small bowls. Roll scant
tablespoons of dough into balls; roll in the granulated sugar
and then the confectioners’ sugar.
Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly
flatten each ball with your fingers and make a deep ½-inchwide indentation in the centers with your thumb. Place your
choice of filling in the indentation.
Bake the cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 10
minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, transfer to
racks to cool completely.
Bethany Early’s
Cherry Almond Cookies
An all-time homemade favorite that's savory, festive and (mostly) healthy!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1 cup butter, softened
Heat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, beat butter and
granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until
creamy. Add flour, almonds and almond extract, beating on a
lower speed until well blended. Stir in cherries.
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups ground almonds
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup maraschino cherries,
drained and chopped
Powdered sugar
Shape dough into one-inch balls. Place balls of dough one
inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove
from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool 2 minutes. Roll
cookies in powdered sugar; return to cooling racks.
*For extra flavor, add a dollop of vanilla frosting to each
cookie once cool. Simple frosting can be made by combining
1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk and 1
teaspoon of vanilla. Stir until smooth.
Stephanie Holtzman’s
Ghirardelli Chocolate Chunk Cookies
There is something about the delicious smell of chocolate chip cookies that inspired me to
learn how to make one good cookie recipe, and this is it. I often double the recipe and freeze
the extras.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
½ pound unsalted butter at room
temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room
temperature
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and two sugars until
light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time,
and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and
add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only
until combined. Fold in the chocolate.
1 tsp. kosher salt
Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment
paper, using a 1-¾ inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a
rounded tablespoon. (Note: If you use the scoop, don’t fill it
all the way. Use the equivalent of a rounded tablespoon, even
though the scoop is large). Dampen your hands and flatten
the dough slightly.
1¼ pounds semi-sweet chocolate
chunks (not chips. I buy dark
Ghirardelli bars and break them up)
Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies may seem
underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on
the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Melinda Wheeler’s
Craisin Oaties
I keep these on hand year-round to refuel after a great day working in the barn and riding
my horses. It is a delicious treat of oatmeal, chocolate and craisins – a must-have at any
holiday gathering.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
¾ cup butter, softened
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
Beat together the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl
until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.
2 large eggs
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 5 oz. package Craisins (dried
cranberries)
⅔ cup white or semi-sweet
chocolate chips
In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time,
mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and
chocolate chips.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto a lined (with
either parchment paper or waxed paper) cookie sheet. Bake
for 10–12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden-brown.
Deborah Schwartz’s
Molasses Sugar Cookies
A long-time family favorite. The pieces of cut-up ginger add to the terrific flavor. They’ve been
shipped off to kids at college as part of exam survival packages and they freeze amazingly well.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
¾ cup butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 tsp. baking soda
Cream butter and sugar well. Add molasses and egg, and
beat well (use hand mixer).
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. cloves
¼ cup dark molasses
⅓ tsp. ginger (And ¼ tsp. fresh
diced sm. Ginger, or just use ½ tsp.
ginger)
Add flour, soda, salt and spices (sift the ginger, cinnamon and
cloves together before adding to mixture). Mix thoroughly.
Chill one hour or more in refrigerator.
Form into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar and place 2
inches apart on a well-greased cookie sheet.
1 egg
Bake for 8–10 minutes.
2 cup sifted flour
Makes 5 dozen. Cookies freeze well.
1 tsp. cinnamon
Note: Ginger root can be kept in the freezer and shaved off
with an apple peeler as needed.
¼ tsp. salt
Joi Scardo’s
Cranberry Biscotti
My husband’s family is from Italy and they love nothing more than biscotti with the many cups of
strong coffee they consume a day. This recipe is an American holiday twist on an Italian favorite.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1 cup sugar
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
1½ tsp. baking powder
Whisk together eggs, egg whites and vanilla in a separate
bowl. Add to dry ingredients.
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups fresh or frozen
cranberries, coarsely chopped
¾ cup sliced almonds
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix just until
moist. Add cranberries and almonds; mix thoroughly.
On a floured surface, divide batter in half and pat each half
into a log 14 inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet lined with
parchment paper and bake 30 minutes or until warm.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Cut biscotti into ½ inch slices. Stand upright on the cookie
sheet and back for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and
store loosely covered.
Lisa Altman’s
Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie
With this recipe for classic chocolate chip cookies, you can never go wrong. A traditional favorite.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll
pan.
1 tsp. salt
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract
in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in
morsels and nuts. Spread into prepared pan.
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestlé Toll
House Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan
on wire rack. Cut into bars.