Come...Grab A Cookie!

This season the cookie jar has been filled, emptied and filled again many times. I have had a great time making and sharing a bunch of holiday cookies.

Some were old favorite recipes -- you know -- the one that is frayed and ikky looking from so much use. (The page most ikky in my book is the Peanut Star Blossoms-my husband's favorite). There are many pages like this one in my Merry Cookie book - given to me by sister, Sherene, many, many Christmases ago. The pages of this book are well worn and marked up... after all there were several years in the '90s that I had a convection only oven and every recipe had it's own special temp&time notation.

I think you get the idea about the old recipes, but there's no one I know that doesn't like to try on a few new ones. This year I tried a few and was really happy with the results.

One of these was for Pecan Pie Cookies -- mmmm, a definite thumbs up!
Then in honor of my niece Tiffany, who sadly moved too far away from me this year to join in the baking, there was a great recipe for Cinnamon Sticks. -- this one turned out to be one of tray favs almost everywhere they were served. I had torn the recipe out from a 2005 Good Housekeeping magazine and can find it nowhere on line... so I've included it here. (btw - I love refrigerator cookies - for you can make the dough ahead of time and have fresh cookies all season long)

3 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C butter - softened
1 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C pecans - finely chopped

Line 9x5 loaf pan with plastic wrap.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars together; Add eggs
Then slowly add dry ingredients.
Lastly, stir in pecans.
Turn dough out into loaf pan, and pat down firmly.
Refrigerate dough for 4 hours -
Then for the magic ....
Invert dough onto cutting board, cut dough crosswise into 1/4" slices,
Then cut each slice into 1/4" sticks. Place them 1" apart on prepared cookie sheet & bake 12-13 minutes at 325 degrees

Lastly, was one made for the first time last year - Chocolate Expresso Sparklers -- these amazing little cookies melt in you mouth and are rich & yummy. (the ginger molasses ones out there were great, too)

Wishing you and yours a Wonder-Filled Holiday!
Enjoy....