I usually start making cookie dough now and then freeze it until a few days before I bake when I remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw. I wrap each dough in wax paper, then place it in a zip lock freezer bag. You can place more than one in a bag and label each dough. I've kept them frozen for several months before baking them and they turned out fine. I don't recommend that for special occasions, but for your own use they should be fine. I included a note in the recipe that I don't put in the freezer; they might be OK, we just haven't tried it with that particular cookie. Basically, butter-based cookie recipes do well in the freezer. Cranberry Lemon Cookies A wonderful cookie I discovered at Gail's Recipe Swap. It is now one of the "must have" cookies in our family at Christmas time. They freeze well, but you should thaw them before you frost them. * 1/2 C butter * 1/2 C sugar * 1/3 C brown sugar * 1/2 tsp. lemon zest * 1 egg * 2 tsp. vanilla * 1 C flour * 1 tsp. baking powder * 1/2 tsp. cinnamon * 1-1/2 C chopped pecans (I use walnuts) * 1-1/2 C chopped fresh cranberries Cream butter, sugars, and lemon zest. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before removing to cooling racks. Frost when cool. ICING: Whisk together 1 C confectioner's sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest. *********************************************** Walnut Acorn Cookies Hubby remembers his mom making these cookies when he was a kid in Ohio, and it remains as one of the "must have" Christmas cookies in his family. * 1 C melted butter * 3/4 C brown sugar, firmly packed * 1 C finely chopped walnuts (chop first, then measure 1 cup) * 1 tsp. vanilla * 2-3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour * 1/2 tsp. baking powder * 1 C (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, 3/4 C walnuts and vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and stir into butter mixture; blend well. [At this point, I let it cool then wrap it in waxed paper and then a freezer bag and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Let come to room temperature before forming into cookies.] Shape cookies by pressing dough firmly into a teaspoon (not a measuring spoon), slightly mounding the dough to form the shape of an acorn. Be sure the dough is firmly formed on the spoon. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 375F oven about 13 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool. Meanwhile, melt chocolate over warm water in double boiler. Dip large end of cookie in melted chocolate, then in remaining walnuts. Cool on wax paper. Store in air-tight containers. Makes 4-5 dozen cookies. **************************************************** Mexican Wedding Cakes A tender, buttery cookie rolled in powdered sugar. * 1 C softened butter * 1/4 C confectioner's (powdered) sugar * 1/8 tsp. salt * 2 tsp. vanilla * 2 C sifted flour * 1 C chopped pecans or toasted almonds Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, flour and nuts; blend well. Shape into roll, 1-1/2" in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill. Slice in 1/4" slices and shape. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, bake in 400F oven 6-8 minutes for slices, 8-10 minutes for balls. Roll in confectioner's sugar while still warm. ************************************************* Happy baking! :-) Jen

I made these last year - they're great! Thanks, Jenn! Cranberry Lemon Cookies -Jenn A wonderful cookie I discovered at Gail's Recipe Swap. They freeze well, but thaw them before adding icing. I posted this last year and got quite a few comments from people who said everyone loved them. * 1/2 C butter * 1/2 C sugar * 1/3 C brown sugar * 1/2 tsp. lemon zest * 1 egg * 2 tsp. vanilla * 1 C flour * 1 tsp. baking powder * 1/2 tsp. cinnamon * 1-1/2 C chopped pecans (I use walnuts) * 1-1/2 C chopped fresh cranberries Cream butter, sugars, and lemon zest. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before removing to cooling racks. Frost when cool. ICING: Whisk together 1 C confectioner's sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest.

I have posted this recipe many times but it is one of my favorite sugar cookies. You can omit the lemon juice and zest and replace it with 1 teaspoon vanilla. I can't remember where I got this recipe...it's been way too many years but, it does make a soft sugar cookie. I like to store them in the freezer and just pull out what I want. They thaw quickly and will stay soft and fresh: 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter softened or Crisco Zest of one lemon 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 eggs 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tarter Granulated sugar to roll dough in In large bowl, combine sugar, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Stir in combined remaining ingredients; blend well. Chill 1 hour. Heat oven to 325°. Grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar and place on greased cookie sheets (I like to line sheets with Parchment instead). Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden edges. (Cookies will be soft in center.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet onto racks lined with brown paper bag to cool completely. Marilyn

This is a dessert rather than a cookie recipe but it's full of fruit and fiber. It's originally a low sugar diet recipe but you can use real sugar and butter in place of the substitutes that I used, although it's healthier in the original version. It's really good! PLUM CRUMBLE 750 grams (1 1/3 lbs) plums, halved 1 TBS sugar substitute 1 TBS cornflour 1/2 teasp ground ginger 1/2 teasp ground cinnamon TOPPING: 2/3 cup (75 grams) or (3 oz) jumbo porridge oats (not instant or quick cook oats) 1/2 cup (60 grams) or (2.5 oz) wholemeal flour * 8 TBS sugar substitute 1/4 cup (30 grams) or (1 oz) chopped almonds or pecans 4 1/2 TBS (60 grams) or (2.5 oz) soft margarine, non-hydrogenated** 1 teasp grated orange zest 1/2 teasp ground cinnamon 1/4 teasp ground cardamom 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 2. Put the plums in a bowl with the sugar substitute, cornflour, ginger and cinnamon, mix together and arrange evenly in a deep 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate 3. Topping: - Combine the oats, flour, sugar substitute, almonds, margarine, orange zest, cinnamon and cardamon in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the ingredients together until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. 4. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the fruit mixture and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit mixture is bubbling. Source: Adapted from Rick Gallop's GI Diet Green Light Cookbook My Comments: *whole wheat flour including the bran. ** although I never otherwise use margarine, I understand that some of the modern light and non-hydrogenated margarines are ok on this diet and better for you than butter. I am using wholegrain spelt flour at the moment for baking  it contains the bran. This was another surprisingly delicious, easy dessert! I used 6 large, dark purple plums, each one about the size of a small egg. When halved they sat cut side upwards in rows in a casserole dish. I used Becel margarine, thinking it was a good diet choice but afterwards noticed  printed in German in very small letters - that it was not recommended for use in baking. Oh well IÂll just find another brand for next time. of a no-fat no-sugar fruit yoghurt over top. SharonCb