Can I just say I tried the Saltines toffee today and was amazed...YUM!

KAY:

Yes--the "confectionary coating" is sometimes known as "almond bark."

--Knox--

Christmas just isn't Christmas without these in our house. Kids just love them!
I always make these first, because they hog up the oven.

They are great keepers also, I keep them in metal cookie or popcorn tins with tight fitting lids.

Raspberry Meringue Kisses

3 egg whites
1/8 -teaspoon salt
3-1/2 tablespoons raspberry gelatin
3/4 cup sugar (use superfine for best results)
1 teaspoon vinegar (sets the color)
1 cup mini chocolate bits

Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Add raspberry gelatin and sugar gradually; beat until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Mix in vinegar; fold in chocolate bits.
Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets that have been covered with brown paper. (I use clean brown grocery bags that I cut to fit cookie sheets. I keep the printed side down). Bake at 250 degrees 25 minutes.. Turn oven off; leave cookies in oven 20 minutes longer.

Makes about 9 dozen.

A couple tips.
Instead of using a teaspoon, I use a very large pastry bag with no tip and pipe them. You can put them fairly close. They only need to dry out. They turn out great and are less messy. If you get excessive pointy tips, just use your finger that has been dipped in water to tame them down.

My favorite recipe at Christmastime is Cherry Chocolate Kisses. If you like chocolate covered cherries, you will enjoy these.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
tiny bit of red or pink food color (optional)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped
granulated white sugar (for rolling)
approx. 48 Hershey Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, powdered sugar, cherry liquid, almond extract, and food coloring. Blend well. Add flour and salt, mix well. Stir in cherries. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in white sugar. Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately top each cookie with a Hershey Kiss.

Just this past weekend I saw that Hersheys now has a cherry cordial flavored Hershey Kiss - I haven't tried those yet. I was thinking they might be good on these cookies. If anyone tries them let me know how they turn out.

Sweetcakes 2005 - I just read you post about the chocolate cherry cordial kisses- I'm going to try them this year. That made me wonder: how could one adapt this recipe for the new peppermint stick (red and white swirled with peppermint candy mixed in) kisses? I really want to try those, too. Ideas, anyone???? (oh - me too - GO BUCKS!!!!! ) PAT

Ritz crackers with peantbutter in between dipped into white chocolate. Eazy and yummy

I also make buckeye's every year. I use the semisweet choc chips and parafin. I can't make them anymore b'c ds has severe peanut allergy. I wonder if they would work with almond butter instead ?

I have seen many of my favorite recipes and lots of new ones I can't wait to try. I didn't see pecan pralines so I'll post them later. On my way out the door now.

save

I'm so glad you started this thread! Every year I try to add cookies to our faves, but recently it seems that I have even less and less time to make lots for us. But here's a couple that have always disappeared quickly off my cookie trays.:

Surprise Ball Cookies

These look awesome on a cookie platter when they've all been dipped in a variety of colored sugars/jimmies/sprinkles! Like a plate of little round, sparkly gems.....

Ingredients:
½ c.  sugar
½ c.  firmly packed brown sugar
1 c.  butter, softened
1 t.  vanilla
2  eggs
3 c.   flour
½ t.  baking soda
½ t.  cream of tartar
½ t.  salt
  solid chocolate balls (about 1/2" across works best)

Pan Preparation:
Preferred:  parchment lined
Alternately: ungreased

Directions:
Combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Stir in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; mix well.

Wrap in plastic; chill 2 hours for easier handling.

Shape about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball around a solid chocolate ball candy. Dip in colored sprinkles/sugars, place on cookie sheets.

Bake at 350° F. for 7-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute; remove to rack.

Makes about 6 dozen.




Spice Mice

Ingredients:
12 T. (1½ sticks)  butter, room temperature
½ c.    powdered sugar
½ c.    granulated sugar
1    egg
1½ t.    vanilla
2 c.    flour
½ t.    ground cardamom
½ t.    ground allspice
½ t.    ground cinnamon
1    egg, whisked with 2 T. water (glaze)
    dried currants (eyes)
    sliced almonds (ears)
    chow mein noodles (tails)

Pan Preparation:
Preferred:  parchment/silpat lined
Alternately: ungreased

Directions:
Cream butter until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugars, beating until well combined. Add egg, orange* and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add flour and spices just until incorporated. Wrap in plastic and chill, if desired. (*Original recipe says orange, but never listed it in ingredient list -- zest? Extract? I've used a little juice and zest combined with success.).

Roll scant tablespoons of dough into small ovals, setting about 2 apart on cookie sheets. Brush each lightly with egg wash.

For eyes, half a currant rolled into tiny balls can be pressed into the ovals. Two sliced almonds at slight angles make the ears, and a chow mein noodle makes a tail.

Bake at 350° F. 15-20 minutes or until lightly colored.


Thanks one and all for the delicious recipes ... I'll be making lots of goodies very soon!

Request:

Does anyone have a recipe for adrop anise cookie? They taste like springerle, but are much easier. They mix for quite a long time, get dropped onto cookie sheets and rest overnight. When they bake, there is a shiny "crust" on top, with an anise-flavored cookie underenath. Lots less work than a traditional springerle, but with the same flavor. I've lost my copy and don't know where else to turn. Can anyone help?? Thanks one and all!

Happy Baking,

Odessa

I have this recipe for an anise drop cookie but I have never made it so I can't verify if it's what you're looking for:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 t. anise extract

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the sugar and anise extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets. Drop the dough by spoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly colored. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

BAKING NOTE: for a more subtle flavor, use 2 t. of anise seeds for the anise extract.

ODESSA - This one sounds like it might be more like what you're looking for:

ANISE COOKIES

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 t. anise seeds
1/4 t. anise extract (optional)

Combine the flour and baking powder.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and light colored. Beat in the anise seeds and the optional anise extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick. Press down on the dough with a springerle rolling pin or mold to shape the cookies. Cut the cookies apart and place about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and let stand overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the cookies for 25 - 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Place the cookies in airtight containers and let age for at least one week before serving.

An easy favorite of mine are Butterfinger Cookies. I know the ingredients sound weird but it really does taste like a butterfinger.

Ingredients:

Cheez- It (Big)
peanut butter
chocolate bark

Just spread a little peanut butter on the cheeze it cracker and make into a sandwich with another cracker. Then dip in melted chocolate bark and put on foil to cool. I like to put a cookie sheet under them so I can move it around my kitchen easier.

Date Squares

Makes 9 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
1/4 teas. salt
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1/4 teas. ground cloves
2 sticks (1cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teas. baking soda dissolved in 1/4 C. hot
water
1 cup walnuts finely chopped
1 lb. dried pitted dates, finely chopped with an oiled knife (2cups)
2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan. Lined with foil, leaving a 2 inch over hang on opposite sides, and butter foil.

Whisk together flour, salt, and spices. Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at med. speed until pale and fluffy. about three min. if using a standing mixer. If using a hand held mixer about six min. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add baking soda mixture and mix until combined. Add flour mixture, nuts, and dates and mix until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan. Bake on middle until tester comes out clean. 50-60 min. Cool in pan for 15 min. on a rack. Carefully lift date mixture out of pan. Using foil. Cut into 1 inch squares. Toss warm squares into confectioners sugar, then cool on a rack. Sprinkle with more sugar before serving.

From Gourmet Dec. 2002

Hi,

I had an aunt that would take Ritz crackers and sandwich peanut butter in the middle, then dip them in chocolate. Really good.

This is my all-time FAVORITE recipe for cookies or candies! I don't know where it came from, but it has been in my family for years. I refused to even TASTE it for years because it had dates in it. But when I finally did, OH MY GOSH! It is SO GOOD! It doesn't taste like dates at all. I make these just about every year - just for us and sometimes for gifts for my nail clients.

DATE NUT BALLS

1 1/2 stick margarine or butter
1 C sugar
1/2 lb. dates, pitted, chopped
2 C Rice Krispies
1 C finely cut nuts
Powdered sugar


Over low fire, combine butter, sugar and dates. Cook 10 min. stirring constantly. Pour mixture into bowl over Rice Krispies and nuts. Mix and roll into small balls. After balls have been formed, roll in powdered sugar.

Does anyone have a really good peanut brittle or microwave peanut brittle recipe?

Can't find the recipes I was looking for since my little ones got in and re-arranged them for me. I do make a lot of dipped pretzels and chocolate dipped oreo cookies. I also make the flavored chocolate dipped plastic spoons as a present topper or just to hand out. (the ones you stir into your hot chocolate or coffee to add flavor) I think I might have a peanut brittle recipe saved to a word file somewhere, I'll look for it but I have not tried it yet though.

I made my first turn of peanut brittle for the year last night. Give me just a second.

This is from The complete Wilton book of candy.

Favorite Peanut brittle
This is a blonde peanut brittle.

2 cups white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter
1teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dry roasted salted peanuts


I spray a 11x15 jelly roll pan with non-stick spray. Combine sugar, syrup and hot water in a heavy sauce pan,on high heat. Stir constantly, and wash down the sides of the pan as needed. Cook to 300 degrees and remove from heat.
Add in butter, baking soda, and nuts. Mix well and turn out into 11x15. Flatten with back of wooden spoon.

Cool about 10 min or so then I pick up the pan and drop it on the counter. The peanut brittle will break into 1000 pieces.

Does anyone have a recipe called I think:

church windows? it had marshmellows and melted chocolate that you melt all togther and roll using wax paper into a log. Chill and then cut?

I think it might have also had coconut in it.

It's an old recipe as they made them when I was a kid but I just can't find the recipe. It might have also been called stained glass windows but I the recipe I found for those used hard candies melted so I don't think that is it.

Thanks,

These cookies are perfect for cutting into shapes for any holiday. They are crispy on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. They won't break even if you make oversized cookies. They are very tasty and not overly sweet, so the sweet icing adds just the right touch. People who don't like sugar cookies like these. Don't attempt this recipe unless you have corn syrup!

Best! Make These! Cut-Out Cookies
by SwampWitch

3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, large
1 Tablespoon corn syrup, light
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt, and in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in egg, vanilla, and corn syrup. Add half the flour mixture, mix briefly, then the other half. STOP when the flour is just mixed in.

If you have parchment paper, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces, and refrigerate one-half hour. Remove top paper, cut shapes, remove extra dough, and leave cookies on parchment to bake.

If you don't have parchment paper, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for one to two hours. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick between waxed paper. Cut out shapes and transfer to cookie sheet. (Do not grease.)

Preheat 375 F degrees oven for one-half hour. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.


Cookie Frosting (forms a light crust, not great for stacking, but very yummy)

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (also called icing sugar or powdered sugar)
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 Tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except milk at low speed until it reaches spreading consistency. Add a little sugar, or a little milk if necessary, until texture is soft but firm.


Decorating Icing (dries smooth and hard)

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (also called icing sugar or powdered sugar)
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 Tablespoon corn syrup, light
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract OR 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine all ingredients and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add a little more water if needed. Continue beating until icing is of right consistency for piping.

Have fun! These cookies always turns out great.

Bump!

I know this is supposed to be a cookie exchange but..........

Here is a candy recipe that I have made for years. I won a cookie/candy category cooking contest with this recipe. Unfortunately, I didn't win the grand prize. It tastes like a Heath candy bar. You can't tell the coconut is in the recipe.

Coconut Buttercrunch

1 c butter (do not substitute margarine)
¾ c sugar
1 1/3 c coconut (chopped)
6 oz pkg milk chocolate chips

Cook butter, sugar and coconut over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light brown(soft ball stage). Pour into 9 X 11 buttered pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over candy mixture. Spread chips, when melted, over candy. Cool. Break or cut into pieces.

Oh NO! I just hit the last page for this thread!!!!!

OK, while we're on the subject of cookies, does anyone have a recipe that would produce cookies similar to the peach or raspberry galettes sold by Harry & David? My MIL loves them & they are a little expensive considering we don't have a H&D nearby.

Thanks!