Even if I weren't eating some right now, I'd probably still recommend Annie's chewy molasses cookies. They qualify as ginger in a big way. And the big batch would help out I think!

well, here's a lemon contribution! These are really really good. I'm pretty sure I froze after iced.

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.
============================================================
NOTES:
* Though our oven tends to run hot, these cookies seem to take 13-14 minutes to bake. Check after 12 minutes and add an extra minute or two if needed; they should just be golden brown.
* Icing is best when made at least a day ahead of time. This gives the sugar time to absorb the milk, and lets the lemon zest impart a strong lemon flavor.
* The original recipe did not give the amount of vanilla, so I guessed at 2 tsp.

AND I must be on a cranberry kick - as this came to mind...I cut it into small pieces and allotted myself a little piece each day til it was gone - LOL. It froze beautifully.

I ate it more like bar cookies than pie. :-)

Crustless Cranberry Pie - Alexa
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Fresh Whole Cranberries
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cup Melted Butter
2 Eggs Beaten
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch pie pan....(I used Pam)
Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in cranberries and walnuts and toss to coat.
Stir in melted butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. Spread the batter into prepared pie pan.
Bake 40 minutes or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

I second Annie's Molasses Cookies. I'm just getting ready to whip up a batch now. They are yum-a-licious.

I will be trying those lemon cranberry cookies, for sure!

These pack and freeze extremely well.

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Touch of Lemon Sugar Cookies

Source: Pillsbury "Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies" 1980

2 c sugar
1 c butter, softened
1T grated lemon peel
¼ c lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3-1/4 c AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Sugar

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

In large bowl, combibe sugar, butter, lemon peel, lemon juice, vanilla and eggs. Cream until smooth. Lightly spoon floour into measuring cup and level off. Stir in flour, salt, soda and cream of tartar until well blended.

Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar and place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. (Cookies will be soft in center). Makes 4-5 dozen cookies

Linda

Well, I love the strong ginger-y molasses cookies, but many people don't. Of course I also love lemon and shortbread and biscotti, and, well, cookies in general. (grin)

Here's the molasses cookie recipe if you decide you want it. They're spicy and chewy and they make a LOT.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 cups of shortening (I use half and half with butter, but all butter makes them too crispy for my taste)
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup of dark molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Chopped crystalized ginger, optional, to taste. I used about half a cup, finely chopped and wish I'd have used more but I love ginger
Coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for rolling

Ccream the shortening and sugars. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well blended. Sift the flour (yeah right, I don't, LOL) and measure 4 1/2 cups into a separate bowl. Add the spices, salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. Turn the mixer to low or stir, and add the flour slowly until well mixed. Stir in the chopped ginger and chill the dough for at least an hour.

After the dough has chilled for an hour, roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and roll the balls in the coarse sugar to completely coat. Place the dough balls about an inch apart on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The cookies will puff up and crack. When the cookies are done the cracks should still look a little wet, but the outside should look dry. They'll "fall" a little as they cool, let them sit a couple of minutes on the sheet before you try to move them to cooling racks.

Hugs to you and Sara. Have a cookie for me!

Annie

How about cousin Willow's Glazed Apple Cookies.

Willow's Glazed Apple Cookies
*************************************

Cookies:

1/2 cup soft margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teasp cinnamon
1/2 teasp cloves
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teasp baking powder
1 teasp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 teasp salt
2 peeled and grated medium size Granny Smith apples
1 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup milk

Glaze:

1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 TBS soft butter
dash of vanilla
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
2 - 3 TBS cream
Stir well to make a very soft but not runny icing.

1) Cream margarine with sugar . Add egg and spices. Beat until well blended.

2) Add apples and milk.

3) Sift together the dry ingredients adding raisins (& nuts).

4) Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and stir well until blended.

5) Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.

6) Bake 13 - 14 minutes at 375F.

7) Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool approx 10 minutes then glaze while still a bit warm.

SharonCb

These are a little different....freeze well...
Don't remember who gave me the recipe......but I like it!
Cappuccino Crinkles
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1. In large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. (I combined them in a bowl prior) Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg whites and yogurt till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour.
2. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by a teaspoon (I used less) into sugar and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 8 to 10 min. till edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

And these are wonderful...but I don't particularly like to freeze frosted cookies....I think the frosting gets messed up packing them.
FRESH ORANGE COOKIES .Dixie Zegers

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 cup dairy sour cream
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. grated orange peel
FROSTING
1/4 cup melted margarine or butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
2 to 3 Tbsp. orange juice
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, cream sugar and margarine
until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon
flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, soda, baking powder, salt,
orange juice and orange peel; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto
ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 11 minutes or
until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets
immediately.
In small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients; beat until smooth.
Frost warm cookies. 6 dozen cookies

Linda C

Can I get the recipe for the Skor Shortbread Meltaways? Thanks!

Here's a lemon one and a slightly different ginger one, both of whic I make at Christmas:

Vienna Whirls
5 oz butter
3 1/2 oz confectioner's sugar
2 oz cornstarch
4 tablespoons milk
grated rind of 1/2 a lemon
8 oz plain flour
chocolate

Cream the butter, confectioner's sugar and cornstarch until light and fluffy. Beat in the milk and lemon rind. Mix in flour, adding more milk if too thick to pipe. Pipe rings or S shapes onto greased trays and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. When cooled dip one half into melted chocolate and place on baking paper to set.
Note: I usually pipe the S shapes, the S is so tight it's almost like an 8.

Speculaas

3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tablesp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp aniseed
1/2 tsp ginger
8 oz butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 tablesp brandy
egg yolk for glazing

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream the butter with the brown sugar until very pale and fluffy. Stir in the brandy and dry ingredients. Knead dough well with another 1/4 cup flour. Dough should be fairly stiff to take impressions. Roll out about 5mm thick and stamp with molds. Brush with egg white and bake on a greased tray at 375F for 12 minutes.
You can also just cut these into shapes with cookie cutters, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with flaked almonds before baking.

Here you go Linnea !

Shortbread Meltaways -Rhonda

1 Cup butter softened
½ Cup icing sugar
2 Tsp vanilla
1 ¾ Cup purpose flour
½ Cup corn starch
¾ Tsp baking powder
¼ Tsp salt
1 Cup SKOR toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix flour corn starch, baking powder and salt. Stir half into the butter mixture. Stir in toffee bits. Stir in rest of the flour mixture.

Form into heaping tablespoon sized balls and put on the cookie sheets 2" apart.

Bake for around 15 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then remove to cooling racks.

Store for up to two weeks in airtight container.

These are a little like a gingersnap only not quite as gingery.

They freeze and would pack well. I undercook them a little because I like a little chewiness, otherwise they are crisp.

Char's Cinnamon Cookies

3/4 cup shortening (not butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
2 cups flour
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

sugar/cinnamon mixture to roll cookies in

Cream shorteing and sugar well. Beat in egg and honey. Add sifted dry ingedients. Mix well.

Make a ball of 1 tsp. Roll in sugar mixture.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 12-15 minutes at 375°

Leave quite a bit of space between cookies as they spread out flat and crackle on top. I sprinkle sugar on them as the come out of the oven and are still warm. I usually double the recipe because they stay fresh and crisp a long time.

glenda

Thanks for the recipe, Sharon! I was going to ask for that too. Is icing sugar the same as our confectioners' sugar? I forget....?

Teresa

Yes Teresa it's the same thing.

Thanks for all the recipes . Sara will be here shortly and I'll let her pick the ONE she wants to make. That should kill a few hours!

Thanks again!

I know I'm late but thought I post the recipe for the lemon cooler lori316 sent me in the cookie exchange we did a few years back. They are addictive!

You girls have a great baking day and take a few pics if you have time. I want to SEE Sharon baking....LOL! We need a updated pic of Ms. Sara too!!

Posted by lori316 (My Page) on Fri, Dec 15, 06 at 9:18

Lori's Lemon Coolers
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon water

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened lemonade mix

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
-Cream together sugars, shortening, egg, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
-Add the flour and baking powder. Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue mixing until dough forms a ball.
-Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls and flatten slightly onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
-Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light brown.
-As cookies bake, combine 1 cup powdered sugar with the lemonade drink mix in a large plastic bag and shake thoroughly to mix.
-When the cookies are removed from the oven and while they are still hot, add four or five at a time to the bag and mix until the cookies are well coated. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
(Makes about 4 dozen cookies)

NOTES:
*This recipe doubles easily - in fact I don't ever remember NOT doubling it!

*I use Crystal Lite Lemonade Mix.

*For an even more lemony flavor, sub some or all of the tablespoon of water for lemon juice. I used water in the cookies I sent out.

David