Cookies Etc

Donna's Pralines

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups chopped or halved pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, baking soda, salt, and milk in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan.  Add butter and pecans; continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until candy reaches 234 F (soft ball stage).  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Cool slightly, and beat until mixture begins to thicken.  Drop quickly by spoonfuls onto buttered wax paper, and allow to cool completely before serving.

Minty Melts

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp peppermint flavoring
• 6 oz. chocolate chips
• Green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Beat together egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff.  Gradually add sugar while continueing to beat.  Add vanilla, peppermint, and green food coloring (to desired shade of green).  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop mixture by small spoonfulls on a slightly greased baking sheet.  Place cookies in oven, and then turn oven off.  Leave for five hours minimum, or overnight.

Maggie's Favorite Cranberry Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  In an electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy, and then mix in egg, milk, and lemon juice.  Add the flour mixture by parts until well blended.  Fold in cranberries and walnuts, and drop by spoonfuls about an inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until firm and golden, and cool on wire racks.  Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

Toffee Cookies

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 bars of Hershey's chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Melt together the butter, brown sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla; spread into a cookie sheet, and bake at 325 F for 25 minutes until golden brown.  As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle Hershey bars over top and smooth with a spatula as they melt.  Sprinkle with walnuts, and chill.  Cut or break into pieces to serve.

Holly Cookies

• 1 stick butter
• 30 large marshmallows
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp green food coloring
• 1 bag Red Hots candy
• 4 cups corn flakes
• pinch of salt

Melt together the butter and marshmallows, and add the vanilla and food coloring.  Stir well, and add corn flakes.  Combine until corn flakes are well covered.  Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper, and put 3 red hots to resemble holly berries.  Let dry for a few hours or days.  Makes about 25, spoon size depending.

Seven Layer Cookies

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 6 oz chocolate chips
• 6 oz butterscotch chips
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup English walnuts
• 14 oz can condensed milk

Spread melted butter across the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Without stirring, add in order the cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, walnuts, and milk.  Bake at 325 F for 25 to 30 minutes, and cut into bars to serve.

Ginger Sugar Cookies

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup softened Crisco
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• Cinnamon sugar, for rolling cookies

Sift flour together with baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt, and set aside.  In an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and Crisco until light and fluffy.  Add flour mixture by parts, and combine well.  Refrigerate this dough for an hour.  Pinch off bits of chilled dough to make approximately 1 1/4 inch balls, and roll them in cinnamon sugar.  Place 2 1/2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets, and bake at 375 F for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Oatmeal Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup quick-cook rolled oats
• 6 oz chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream together Crisco and both sugars until fluffy.  Beat in egg, and then water.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, and add by parts to the creamed mixture, blending well.  Fold in rolled oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes, and cool on wire rack.  Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies

• 1 stick soft butter
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 2 cups crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups rice Krispies
• 8 oz Hershey's chocolate bar
• 6 oz chocolate chips
• 1/2 bar baker's parrafin wax

Melt together butter, powdered sugar, and peanut butter, and stir in Rice Krispies until well combined.  Form into balls, and set aside.  In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate bar, chocolate chips, and wax.  Dip the balls completely in the mixture, and cool on wax paper.  Freezes well.

"Chewies"

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 box light brown sugar
• 3 beaten eggs
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecan pieces

Melt butter and sugar together over medium heat, and allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes, but not completely.  Add to mixture the eggs, flour, and vanilla, and mix very well (2 minutes in a blender on medium).  Fold in pecans, and pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 12 oz chocolate chips
• 4 oz grated or chopped milk chocolate bar
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional, any type)

Cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy, and mix well in the eggs and vanilla.  In a blender or food processor, pulverize oatmeal to a fine powder.  Fluff together oatmeal powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and add by parts to the butter and sugar mix.  Fold in chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bar, and optional nuts.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet; bake at 375 F for 6 to 8 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Great-Grandma Hazel's Cream Cheese Cookies

Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Mix in well the eggs and vanilla, and add flour by parts until well combined.  Chill until firm, roll out to 1/4 inch thick, and use fancy cookie cutters to create shapes.  Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes until light brown (do not grease pan).  Watch closely, these burn easily.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• food coloring, optional
• sprinkles
• shredded coconut
• small colorful candies

Cream well together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to create frosting.  Color frosting if wished.  Spread on cookies and decorate with candy, coconut, and sprinkles to taste.

Aunt Theresa's Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 5 cups instant oatmeal, pulverized to powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 32 oz chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped nuts (optional, any kind)

Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, and mix in eggs and vanilla.  Sift together flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; add by parts to the sugar mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips and optional nuts.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 F for 6 to 8 minutes.