Ingredient Title Chef Category

Cookies, Cookies Everywhere

Whether your loved ones are off in the desert carrying a flag, or off living in some far flung state of the union, the thing that makes Christmas is cookies from home.

Here a few recipes that travel well and don't taste at all like anything you buy in a package. You will have to keep some for in-house quality checks and to send over the fence, of course. That is part of the holiday fun, isn't it?

Mincemeat-Oatmeal Drop Cookies

Phyllis Hart of Rolla, N.D., made these every Christmas for 40 years.

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or l/2 teaspoon rum extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 package (9-oz.) mincemeat
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together butter and sugar; then beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Combine water with oatmeal and mincemeat; stir in. Sift together the remaining ingredients and stir in. Drop by rounded teaspoons, 2-inches apart, bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Orange juice is a nice addition to these melt-in-the-mouth favorites.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; beat in egg. Sift in the flour mixture adding alternately with orange juice and blending well to make a stiff dough. Chill until firm enough to handle. Roll dough, a teaspoonful at a time, into balls; place, 3-inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet; flatten, crisscross fashion with a fork. Bake 12 minutes, or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen.

Date-Filled Cookies

This recipe is an old favorite from Ruth Broughton of Powers Lake, N.D. The filling oozes out a bit and looks appetizing. The filling helps keep them fresh.

Filling:
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Dough:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup shortening or butter
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt, or less
All-purpose flour to make a soft dough
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine dates, sugar and water in a saucepan and cook until dates are very soft and lose their shape, stirring often. Meanwhile, Cream brown sugar and shortening together; beat in eggs. Stir together the 1/4 cup hot water, baking soda and salt, until dissolved. Add to butter mixture and then gradually stir in flour to make a soft dough. Chill. Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking sheets. Pat out rounds of dough about 1/4-inch thick. Place a dollop of date filling on top and then a smaller dollop of cookie dough on that. Bake until lightly browned. Makes "a bunch."

Orange-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jamie Sue Swanson of Jordan, M.N., loves these chocolate chips with a twist.

1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest from 1 orange
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 pound (4 sticks) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 1/2 cups orange-flavored chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter baking sheets. Sift first 4 ingredients into bowl and stir in zest with a fork. Cream the 2 sugars and butter together; beat in eggs and flavoring. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake until edges are golden. Make any size.

Fudge Sandwiches

Use your rice-krispie bar recipe and sandwich two halves together with a quick and easy fudge.

1 recipe rice-krispie bars
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon water

Combine morsels, sugar, butter and water in saucepan and heat over very low heat or simmering hot water until morsels melt and you can stir into a smooth fudge. Cut cold rice-krispie bars into l l/2-inch squares and sandwich with the fudge filling.

Get the have-to-be mailed gifts on their way now!

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