Recipes from the Food Network Cookie Special!

Robin's Gingerbread Cookies
3 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 C dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
12 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 C unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
Soften butter. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices, then whisk together to mix evenly. In a mixing bowl cream together the brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the molasses and egg and beat until blended. On low speed gradually beat in the flour mixture until incorporated.
Scrape the dough onto a sheet of wax paper. and use the wrap to form dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap well and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Pre heat oven to 350.

Sprinkle work surface with a little bit of flour. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use gingerbread cutters.
Bake for 8-10 minutes for small cookies and 10-12 minutes for large.
Cool the cookies on a rack for one minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Now comes the fun part.... decorating! Use your imagination and let the kids help!

Royal Icing:
3 large egg whites
4 C powdered confectioners sugar.
Beat on high for 5-7 minutes.

Nancy Wert's Russian Torte
4 c. ground walnuts
1 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
2 jars Solo or Bakers apricot filling or you can make you own with dried apricots and soak for 1hr. then cover with water and boil until soft puree in cuisinart with sugar.
2 Sticks margarine cold
4 c. flour
1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 c. milk
4 egg yolks
4 eggs whites for top mix with 8 T. sugar

Mix the first three items and take out 1/2 C. for topping.
Combine yeast in warm water and set aside.
Sift flour. Add oleo cut into cubes and mix like pie dough, blend until it comes away from the bowl.
Add slightly beaten egg yolks, milk and yeast mixture. Place on floured board and knead slightly until smooth. Divide dough into 3 parts. Roll 1 part dough at a time to fit pan size 15 1/2” X 10 1/2” Let dough come up sides slightly. Dough may be patched since it is not seen. Spread large nut mixture.
Roll second sheet and place apricots over second dough layer. Roll 3rd dough and place on top rack. Prick dough with fork through all layers.
Bake at 350 Degrees for 35 min.
Beat egg whites until frothy add 1 T. of sugar at a time until stiff. Place on baked cookies and sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly brown. Cut into bars while warm then cool. These freeze well.

Paula's Kiwi Kristmas Kookies
Recipe concocted by Paula Searle and Diane Cousins,
Dec. 1998.
BAKE: Sugar Cookies
2 c. sugar
2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp milk
5 c flour
Mix all ingredients well and roll out. Bake for 5 minutes at 375. Let cool on racks and then ice.
ICING: Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (3oz) pkg of cream cheese
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c confectioners sugar
Blend cheese, milk and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth.
If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 tsp at a time.
TOPPING:
Kiwi fruit and cherries (green and red)
Slice fruit and drain/dry on paper towels at least 4 hours before you put on the cookies. After drying fruit, dip in glaze and then place kiwi slice first on top of cream cheese. Then place small dab of cream cheese on top of kiwi fruit and then add one green and one red sliced cherry on top.
GLAZE: Its coming!

Janet's Pineapple Filled Cookies

FILLING
6 TBS cornstarch
3 cups sugar
4 Tbs lemon juice
2 cans crushed pineapple
Mix together in saucepan above ingredients until thick.
Cook First until thick, let cool while making dough

Dough:
3 cups Sugar 1 1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups milk 4 eggs
11 cups flour 3 TBS baking powder
1 TBS vanilla

Mix all ingredients together into a dough. Roll out dough very thin onto a floured surface. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter.

Place one teaspoon of filling onto cut out cookie, place another cookie on top of filling and press ends together gently.

Bake in preheated 350 oven 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.

Depending on the size of the cookie cutter, this can make approximately 125 cookies. They can be refrigerated and are good cold as well as room temperature!

Anne's Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Jenny's Creme Dementhe Brownies
1 Pkg. Duncan Hines Brownie Mix (Family size)
Follow recipe for cake-like brownies (add nuts if desired)
Bake. while cooling brush with Creme Dementhe
Middle Layer
Mix:
2 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 stick butter melted
3 Tsp. Creme Dementhe
Spread on brownies, refrigerate
Icing:
Canned icing - milk chocolate

Debbie's Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 35 minutes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat as much of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour mixture. Stir in rolled oats, dried cranberries, and hazelnuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden. Cool cookies on a wire rake. Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Joyce's Oatmeal Cookies
1c.margarine 1 tsp.cinn.
1c.firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp.salt (opt.)
1/2 c.gran. sugar 3 c. Quaker Oats
(old fashion,uncooked.)
2 eggs 1c.raisins
1 tsp. van.
1/2c. all purpose flour
1 tsp.baking soda

Heat oven 350 F. Beat together marg. and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and van.;beat well.Add combined flour baking. soda, cinn. and salt, mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12
min. or until golden brown. Cool 1 min. on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Angela's Snowball Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsp cold water
4 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
Cream butter, shortening and sugar.
Mix in water and vanilla. Add flour.
Roll into small balls = 1 square inch.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
After cooling, roll in powdered sugar.

Carol 's Chocolate Crackles
Makes about 4 dozen
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate, blend with oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix. Chill dough several hours. Shape into small balls and roll in powder sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Nancy Wilkerson - No recipe. <--- She bought her cookies from an Italian Bakery. She did this because she told me she couldn't come to the party due to having out of town company. Her visitors left early --so at the last minute she decided to come and so she ran to the bakery! :) Good show Nancy, I'm glad you came!

Becky's Caramel and Chocolate Nut Bars

Crust:
2 C. flour
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter softened
1 C walnuts or pecan halves

Caramel Layer:
2/3 C. butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. In large mixer bowl combine all crust ingredients except nuts. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often (2-3 minutes).
press on bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan. Sprinkle nuts evenly over unbaked crust. In 1 quart saucepan combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 c brown sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil stirring constantly until candy thermometer reaches 242 degrees or small amount of mixture dropped into ice forms a firm ball (about 1 minute). Pour evenly over nuts and crust. bake for 18 -22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand 2-3 minutes. Swirl chips, leaving some whole for a marbled effect. Cool completely, cut into bars.

Becky's Frosted Pumpkin Bars
1 and 1/2 C sugar
1/4 C butter softened
1 16oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts
Frosting:
3 C. powdered sugar
1/3 C. butter softened
3 oz pkg cream cheese softened
Heat oven to 350. In large mix bowl combine sugar, butter, pumpkin and eggs. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. (1-2 minutes) Reduce speed to low, add flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well 1-2 minutes. Stir in walnuts by hand.
Pour into 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bar springs back lightly. Cool completely.
In small mixing bowl combine ll the frosting ingredients. Beat at medium speed, until light and fluffy (1-3 minutes) Frost and cut into bars.

Sandy's Almond Biscotti

3/4 cup whole natural almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread nuts on cookie sheet and bake 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool. Coarsely chop nuts; set aside. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, butter and vanilla until blended. (mixture will be crumbly.) Stir in nuts, knead
until smooth.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 13 inch log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake on cookie sheet 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on rack 10 minutes; do not turn oven off. With serrated knife, slice logs diagonally 1/2 inch thick. Arrange cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake 5 - 6 minutes per side, until golden. Cool on rack.

For chocolate topping: melt about 1/2 semisweet morsels in a ziploc bag in microwave. Cut the tip off the corner and drizzle on cookies.

I am a member of the United States Personal Chef Association. The name of my business is Sandy's Cookin' Personal Chef Service. I live in Adamstown MD. I work in the Frederick and Northern Montgomery Counties. I have lived in Maryland for 15 years. I have 3 son's who I test my recipes on almost daily. -Sandy Pingatore

Suzie's Basic Butter Cookies
1 cup butter 2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp soda
1 egg 1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla 1/4 salt
Cream butter, gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Shape dough or use cookie cutters as desired. Bake at 350 degrees on middle rack of oven until golden brown. I have found that the length of time depends on your oven. So please keep a watchful eye on the first batch to know how long the cookies take in your oven.
This recipe yields approximately 3 dozen cookies. Yum.
I wish I had a couple right now.

Jeannie's Raspberry Almond
Shortbread Thumbprints

2/3 C sugar
1 cup butter, softened
½ tsp. Almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp. Almond extract
2-3 tsp water

Heat oven to 350. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (1-2 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add flour. Continue beating until well mixed (I-2 minutes). Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about ¼ tsp jam. Bake 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.

In small bowl stir together powdered sugar and 1 ½ tsp almond extract. Gradually stir in enough water for a thin glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Makes 3 ½ dozen. Store in airtight containers up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. If cookies are spreading too much, chill dough 1 hour or stir in 1 –2 tablespoons of flour.

Jeannie's Cinnamon Christmas Cookies

½ cup soft butter or margarine
sugar
1 whole egg
2 cups unsifted cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 egg whites
½ tsp cinnamon
red and green sprinkles

Cream butter, 1 cup sugar and egg until light. Add sifted flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Chill overnight. Roll thin on lightly floured board and cut with star or other Christmas cutter. Beat egg whites slightly and brush on cookies. Mix cinnamon and 2 T sugar. Sprinkle on cookies and add a few colored sprinkles. Makes about 6 dozen. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 for 4-6 minutes, till edges are very slightly browned.

Diane's Apricot Jewels

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
3-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine
first 3 ingredients; blend well. Stir in remaining
ingredients until well blended. Drop by rounded
teaspoons, 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie
sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until
lightly browned. Immediately remove from cookie
sheet.

36 cookies

Diane's Bourbon Balls

(the ones Grandma used to make)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers (36 cookies)
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Melt chocolate pieces in top of a double boiler over
simmering water. Remove from heat. Blend in corn
syrup and bourbon; stir in sugar, vanilla wafers and
pecans until well combined.

Roll mixture, a rounded teaspoon at a time, into balls
between palm of hands. Roll balls in powdered sugars.
Chill several hours.