Nothing says "Christmas" like a plate of Christmas cookies. Steve & I LOVE to bake, and here are some of our traditional cookies that we make every Christmas. We hope they'll become a tradition for you, too!

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
8 oz. cream cheese, soft
3/4 c. butter, soft
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. (or more) almond extract
1 c. slivered almonds, chopped fine
Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended. Add flour and soda; mix well. Add almond extract andchopped almonds to dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into balls and flatten slightly (or cut into whatever shape you want using cookie cutters ... stars, bells, crescents, etc.). Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CANDY CANE COOKIES
1 c. butter softened 1 c. powdered sugar 1 egg large 1 tsp. peppermint extract 2-1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Additional butter 1/2 tsp. food color red
Beat butter, powdered sugar, egg, and extract in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Divide dough in half. Place one half of the dough on wax paper. Lightly coat your hands with butter. Add food color to the dough on the wax paper and work it in with your hands until the dough is an even pink color. Preheat oven to 375°. Using 1 teaspoon of pink dough and 1 teaspoon of white dough, make two 4-inch long ropes by rolling the dough back and forth on a board. Place the 2 ropes side by side and lightly press them together. Twist the ropes together and bend the top down to form a candy cane. Make the cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes at 350° until very lightly browned. Cool cookies on wire racks. Makes about 48 cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
2 c. dark brown sugar
2 c. sugar
2 c. Crisco
4 extra large eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
4 T. milk
4 c flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2 (12 oz) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 c. old fashioned oatmeal
Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together until fluffy: the sugars, shortening, eggs, vanilla and milk.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well with a spoon.
Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cooking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES
1/2 c. Vegetable Oil
4 sq. unsweetened cholate (4 oz), melted
2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. powdered sugar
Mix oil, cholate and gran. sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well-mixed. Add vanilla.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into oil mixture.
Chill several hours or overnight to stiffen dough.
Heat oven to 350°. Drop by teaspoonful into powdered sugar. Roll in sugar; shape into little balls. Place about 2-inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes - should still be soft, do not overbake! Makes about 6 dozen.

CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Cream butter, gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffly. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Chill.
Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut with floured cookie cutters into desired Christmas shapes.
Bake on a cookie sheet in preheated 350° oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 4 dozen.

COCONUT CREAMS
Crust:
1 c. butter, soft
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crust ingredients and spread into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake 20 minutes.
Topping:
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 to 2 c. flaked coconut
Combine all topping ingredients, except coconut, with a mixer. Stir in coconut. Pour over baked crust. Bake another 30 minutes.
Sift powdered sugar over the cooled cookies after you have cut them into squares.

GOOEY BUTTER COOKIES
1 box butter cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese, soft
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, soft
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar
Beat together all ingredients, except powdered sugar, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Roll into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar and arrange 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes. SPrinkle with additional powdered sugar when cool. Makes 24.

ITALIAN PIZZELLES
(This recipe calls for a batter-like dough and is baked on a pizzelle iron. Powdered sugar adds an elegant touch. In the Italian version, vanilla is replaced by anise. Chocolate may also be used.)
3 eggs
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 T. anise seed or oil (or vanilla)
1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, and blend into the batter until smooth.
Heat the pizzelle iron, and brush with oil. Drop about one tablespoon of batter onto each circle on the iron. You may need to experiment with the amount of batter and baking time depending on the iron. Bake for 20 to 45 seconds, or until steam is no longer coming out of the iron. Carefully remove cookies from the iron. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
For chocolate pizzelles, add 1/4 cup cocoa sifted together with flour and baking powder, 1/4 cup more sugar and 1/4 teaspoon more baking powder. For the chocolate mixture, the iron must be well oiled to start and then brush on more as needed.

SPRITZ COOKIES
1-1/2 c. butter (3 sticks), softened
4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 egg
2 T. milk
Food coloring, colored sugar or chopped nuts (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy; add flavorings, egg, and milk; stir until well-mixed. If you wish to color the dough, add color now and mix well.
Sift or mix flour and baking powder together, then add to dough (this is more easily done in two or three parts). Mix with hands if necessary. Dough will be very stiff.
Push dough through cookie press into shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet. You can press decorationss into the cookies before baking. Bake for 6 minutes, no longer!

THUMBPRINT COOKIES
1-1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter
1/3 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten
2/3 c. chopped walnuts
Stir together flour and salt. Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until frothy. Add yolks and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating until well-combined. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in egg whites; then in chopped walnuts. Place 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down centers with thumb. Bake at 350° for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Fill centers with frosting.
Powdered Sugar Frosting
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Milk
In a mixing bowl, stir toegher powdered sugar and vanilla with enough milk to make a drizzling thickens. Fill the thumbprint indentations with frosting.

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