These are pretty amazing.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies (Smitten Kitchen)

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped*
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you're using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Loved making these as a teenager:

Crescent cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped Pecans
confectioners sugar

Directions:
in a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans.
Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2-1/2-in. logs and shape into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 325 for 20-22 minutes or until set and bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Yield: 6 dozen.

bump

These are really quick and easy to make...and so good.

BLACK WALNUT COOKIES

1/2 pound butter or margarine (melted)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup black walnuts (chopped)

Mix butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, baking soda, vanilla and salt; mix flour; add nuts.

Line loaf pan with wax paper. Pack dough tightly in pan. Refrigerate until ready to use (and until firm enough to slice). Cut loaf into 3 rows, length-wise. Slice very thin. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
32 Hershey's Chocolate Kisses, unwrapped
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
4. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
5. Shape into 32 1-inch balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey Kiss into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Those Black Walnut cookies remind me of a cookie that I have been looking for, for years. It was in a Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie magazine....probably in the 1990's. They were called Black Walnut Drops and were a meringue....almost like divinity, but a cookie instead. I guess I will have to go to ebay and search for every one of those magazines until I find the right one.

Glenda, I make the pistachio cranberry cookies also...roll mine in orange scented sugar. You are right, they are really quite delicious!

deborah, I don't know how many people I have told about the cookie. I think it's one of the best!

Called my friend and told her about using orange scented sugar. Thanks!

Who loves lace cookies? Me, me, me!

Lace cookies

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions
1.Heat oven to 375� F.
2.In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, sugars, corn syrup, and salt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and mix in the flour and almonds just until incorporated.
3.Drop level teaspoons of the batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 4 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4.Cool on the baking sheets until firm, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Ahh, Glenda, your lace cookies bring back memories of my mother's younger sister. She loved making them.

My father's nickname for me was Cookie because I liked them so much. This thread is so tempting!

Have not tried, but it'a a Mr Food recipe so it's probably good.

AllAmerican cookie
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
1/3 cup applesauce
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except cheese, and mix well. Gradually add cheese and stir until evenly blended.
   
4. Roll batter into balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased nonstick cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with a fork and sprinkle generously with sugar mixture. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden.
   
5. Remove from cookie sheets while still warm.

These are like the Mexican Wedding Cookies but Chocolate
:-)

~*~Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls~*~

1c.butter,softened
1 � c. powdered sugar
� c.unsweetened cocoa powder
1tsp.vanilla
2c. flour
1tsp.ground cinnamon
1c.toasted pecans,finely chopped

350�oven.Beat butter in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.Beat in � c. of powdered sugar, � c. cocoa powder & vanilla until combined.Beat in flour with mixer.Stir in � tsp. cinnamon & the nuts.

Shape dough into 1inch balls.Place balls 2inch. Apart on ungreased cookie sheet.Bake for 18 to 20 min.or until bottoms are lightly browned.Cool to wire rack.

Combine remaining � c. powdered sugar & remaining � c.unsweetened cocoa powder & � tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.Roll cooled cookies in the sugar mixture.Makes about 48.

~*~Graham Pralines~*~so good & easy!

1 sleeve graham crackers (I used cinnamon grahams)
� cup butter
� cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 t. salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray lightly with non-stick vegetable spray.
Break crackers and arrange on baking sheet; set aside.
Melt butter, margarine, brown sugar and salt together in a saucepan over low heat.
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Pour over crackers. I stirred them around a little bit to be sure they were all covered. And if you do... spread them back out quick before they all stick together!
Chop pecans. A ziplock bag and a meat tenderizer came in handy here! Sprinkle pecans over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool; break apart. Makes about 2 dozen.

I found the recipe for the Black Walnut Drop Cookies, so I am adding them to this thread. These are great at Christmas time...something a little different on the cookie plates, and they are so easy.

Black Walnut Drops

2 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. finely chopped black walnuts
2 tbsp. flour

In a small mixer bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Toss the black walnuts with flour; fold into egg whites.

Drop the meringue by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees until edges start to brown.

This is the ONLY chocolate chip cookie I make anymore. Not one person in my family wants another.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUDDING COOKIES

2 and 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. margarine, softened
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (4 serving size) pkg. vanilla INSTANT pudding
2 eggs
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix flour with baking soda. Combine margarine, sugars, vanilla and pudding; mix in large mixer bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes 7 dozen.

Oh my Glenda! I remember making those crescent cookies with my grandmother back in the sixty's! I even have the recipe just like yours...I haven't made those in years but they are delicious...I have got to make some this week just for the memories... so I am going to do a ditto on the best cookie ever...the cookie taste and memory goes to that recipe of my grandmother and yours...what a coincidence!! :)

I am sorry about your friend's cookie recipe, but the only thing I noticed is because they have dried cranberries and pistachos (not chopped up) they might not have enough moisture for those two ingredients. I have noticed on the food network, when nuts and dried fruits is used, the judges seem to prefer chopped fine, and moisture. Just my thoughts, am not being critical

I did ask her why the whole pistachio, and her logic was they add the festive color to the cookie.

And in other searches recipes had the whole pistachio.

Pistachio's definitely are not cheap!

Here's another using cookie mix and pistachios ARE chopped

Reynolds™ Parchment Paper
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 box (4-serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry-roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

STEP 1Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with Reynolds Parchment Paper; set aside.
In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, pudding mix and flour.
Stir in melted butter and eggs until soft dough forms
. Add pistachios and cranberries; mix well.
STEP 2Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheet.
Press with fingers to slightly flatten.
STEP 3Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Hi Glenda, I was anxious to try your cookie recipe after reading your post. Im a bit disappointed and thought maybe something was missing? I added an egg because there was nothing to bind all the flour. WIthout that egg, it doesnt become dough. Marie is right, they came out very dry. Im thinking maybe something was missing in your recipe? I'd love to try them again because I love the combination. It was more like a shortbread cookie. Is that how they are supposed to be? Im going to try the crescent cookies next but using almond extract instead of the vanilla. Seems you can only get almond crescent cookies at christmas time and I LOVE THEM! LOL

I've been making these since the 8th grade when I got the recipe from my friend, Jean Ann. The recipe makes a lot, but there were 8 kids in her family and 7 in mine :-)

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. butter or margarine
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2-½ c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, peanut buuter and butter together with a hand mixer. Add eggs and mix well. Mix flour, soda and salt together. Add to sugar mixture and beat well. Add vanilla and mix again. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. This makes a LOT of cookies, but they won’t last long!

linda117, I did a search and could not find one with egg in the dought.
Sorry yours was dry.

Pistachio Icebox cookie

Pistachio cranberry icebox cookies
MAKESABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES
ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN
START TO FINISH:2 1/2 HR

Gourmet magazine, DECEMBER 2006
It doesn’t get fancier or more Christmassy than these glittery-edged cookies sporting studs of red and green. But all that festivity comes in an easy slice-and-bake package, so you can always keep a log of dough in the fridge, ready to go when company unexpectedly comes calling.

This is just one of Gourmet’s Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008 [EDITED TO ADD: Sadly the link to this fabulous cookie collection is broken. I encourage you to go to the Gourmet website and retreive and print recipes you are interested in, before it goes away. Epicurious has many Gourmet recipe, thankfully, but the photos of the cookie recipes are fabulous and only available at Gourmet.com.]
Although we’ve retested the recipes, in the interest of authenticity we’ve left them unchanged: The instructions below are still exactly as they were originally printed.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (2 1/4 oz; not dyed red)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
parchment paper

MAKE DOUGH:
•
Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
•
Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES:
•
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
•
Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
•
Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
•
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.

COOKS’ NOTES:
Dough bars can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, 1 month (thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced).
Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

This post was edited by glenda_al on Mon, Mar 25, 13 at 12:22

Patti43, my graddaughter wants to make you Peanut Butter Cookies to take to school. She wants to know what she does after all of the dough is prepared in order to bake them. (My word is not good enough, she must have it from you.) Thanks for responding.

I just added the Pistachio Cranberry Cookies to the Candy & Cookie page

Candy & Cookies

Glenda's recipe makes what I would classify as a shortbread cookie. It is the butter that binds it together along with the egg. Classic shortbread is butter, sugar and flour. Newer recipes use powdered sugar rather than granulated which does make a difference in texture. Depending on the amount of moisture in the butter, it does vary by the brand, you may or may not want to add a little water. It makes a denser cookie but can be slightly offset by beating the butter until fluffy.

I will tout my favorite pistachio place, Eagle Ranch in New Mexico. The price for a pound of either salted or unsalted kernels is $17.95. For me the shipping is almost as much as a bag but they are so much better than the ones I have purchased elsewhere.