I have never read or posted in this section of GW, but the link for Holiday Cookie Recipes appeared at the top of a page I do frequent, and the idea was just too tempting to bypass. Let me preface by saying that I am not the cook in our family. That distinction belongs to my husband, who missed his calling in life... he could have been a famous and well loved chef. So, he generally cooks, and I generally get clean-up duty. :-) Due to health issues we cook almost exclusively from scratch, pouring over product labels to ensure only pure, organic, natural, unprocessed and healthy ingredients are used. If we must, we order products and have them shipped. For example, if a recipe calls for vegetable oil, we would use cold pressed coconut oil instead. Sugars are kept to a minimum, are organic when used, or we substitute raw organic honey. Flour is unbleached and organic. I want to thank you all for sharing your recipes, several of which I've copied and plan to try this season. They all sound and/or look amazing, but my expertise extends as far as simple drop cookies, so that's where I usually concentrate my efforts. Decades ago, my Mother gifted me with a set of recipes from Mary Masters - My Great Recipes. Perhaps some of you have heard of them. My all-time favorite drop cookie recipes from the set are: Haymarket Chocolate Chip Cookies These are thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies that are often found in cookie shops. The edges are browned and crisp but the centers remain pale. * ½ cup soft butter or margarine (must be room temperature) * ½ cup sugar * 1 egg * 1 tsp vanilla extract * ½ cup sifted all-purpose flour * ¼ tsp salt * 1/3 cup chocolate chips * 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg and beat until creamy. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until a smooth batter forms. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Line cookie sheets with foil and grease lightly. Drop batter with a teaspoon, well apart on the baking sheets (they will spread out while baking) Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes until edges are golden and centers are set. They will be soft when hot so remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on racks. They will become crispy as they cool. Makes 24-30 cookies. (Rack placement depends on how your oven cooks... I place mine centered to avoid uneven browning on bottom or top, and I turn the cookie sheets halfway through to obtain even cooking.) Oatmeal Lace Cookies 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups quick cooking or rolled oats (not instant) 1 tbsp all purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, melt the butter and allow to cool slightly, for 2-3 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, egg and vanilla extract. Pour in the cooled, melted butter and whisk to combine. Add in oats, flour and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. Allow batter to stand for 5 minutes. Scoop 1 teaspoon sized balls of dough and place onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between cookies to allow room to spread. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Allow cookies to cool for 4-5 minutes on the baking sheet to give them time to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (I usually put both types of cookies in a container the moment they are cool to help retain a little chewiness in the centers, though the edges will be deliciously crispy. And again, ensure your oven racks are placed for even baking.) Tips: Not only do I allow the butter to come to room temperature before using, I also take the eggs out of the fridge at the same time. All ovens differ, so oven rack placement and turning the cookie sheets halfway through the bake help ensure an evenly baked cookie without burnt bottoms, or a partial sheet darker than the others. Enjoy!

I jesh made theesh. S'veddy veddy gud. Ashually, I think I started theshe lash year. Shtill waiting for the oven to be done. How long do cookiesh take at 71 deg? 352 daysh not enough. Meanwhile, Jose Curvo is goo-oo-ood friend waiting for the chrismass cookies with me. Will get back when ... darn, my glass is leaking! Need miracle cloth to round it up - hold on. Merry Navidad to all. Tip for all trying to remodel their fridge. Wine fridge more useful than oven, hot fire-thingy or fast-heater radiation noissy rotating plate doo-hicky. can't cook without good alcohol. And with good coold alcohol, cooking not neckessary.

I just tried this one a few weeks ago. Very easy to make. (Taken from Southern Plate website). Tiger Butter Print Ingredients 1 package ( 24 ounces) white almond bark ½ cup crunchy peanut butter 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (Milk chocolate will work fine too) Instructions Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Set aside In large mixing bowl, break up almond bark as best you can (or you can just toss the whole thing in). Place bowl in microwave for about one minute. Stir well. Microwave at 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until bark is melted and smooth. Stir in peanut butter until melted and well blended. Spread out onto waxed paper lined baking pan. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave at 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and melted. Drop dollops of chocolate onto peanut butter mixture in pan. Swirl with a knife. Place baking sheet in refrigerator until hardened or allow to harden completely at room temp. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

justwantapool-I make the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kisses. It's the only one I cheat on and use the Betty Crocker cookie mix for. I find the full size kisses too large for the cookies so last year I used the Brach's chocolate stars. I think they're just the right size and the star shape is pretty on the cookie as well. I noticed this year that Ghirardelli also makes a drop that they say is specifically for that type of cookie. They call them Thumbprint Drops. Miss lindsey-I make the raspberry thumbprints as well but this year, I got a fig orange jam to try in mine. I love figs in cookies so I thought I would give it a try.