Lilybird- I freeze them completely done. The cherries are fine- maybe not quite as "crunchy" as they would be cold and straight from the liquid in the jar, but I've never had them be anywhere near what I would consider mushy! We make them every year for Christmas and also did what seemed like a million for my sisters wedding, and no mushies! Biggest thing is just making sure they're plenty dry before trying to work with them- otherwise the chocolate drizzle slides right off and the filling/brownie get soggy!

Skillet Date Balls

1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 lb pitted, chopped dates
1 stick margarine
2 1/2 cups rice krispies
1 egg, beaten
1 small package flaked coconut

1. in a large skillet, over moderate heat, put dates, sugaar and margarine and heat until mixture is softened and sugar is melted.
2. remove from heat and cool slightly. add egg very slowly but stirring quickly. (if mixture is too hot, the egg will scramble)
3. return the pan to the stove and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. add rice krispies and stir until well coated.
5. roll* into balls about the size of a walnut and roll immediately into coconut.
6. place on wax paper to cool.

* coat hands with margarine before rolling into balls.

my mom started making these for christmas and i can't get enough of them! i just got this recipe for her today and can't wait to make them!!!

These are two of my favorite holiday recipes. The first would be considered a cookie I guess and when I take them to a fundraising function, I top them with a tiny chocolate rose instead of the nuts.

MINIATURE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE TARTS

Tart:
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Fudge Filling:
1 cup (6 oz.) milk chocolate chips
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
chopped peanuts or other topping
Be sure to measure the fudge filling accurately or the filling will be too stiff if you throw in those extra few chips!!!

In mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Mix well and chill for 1 hour or more. Divide into 48 equal portions and shape into balls. Place in lightly greased mini muffin pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately make "wells" in the center of each. I do this with my little tart making gadget that has the different sized knob on each end. Cool in pans for 5 minutes then carefully remove to wire racks. I find if you put your thumb in the tart and give it a little turn, it pops right out.

Fillling:
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in milk and vanilla and mix well. Fill a pastry bag and pipe each tart full of the chocolate filling. Top with chopped nuts or other decorations.

These will keep for a long time in the fridge. I also make the tart dough up weeks ahead of time and freeze it. Then thaw and bake when I am ready. These are very easy to work with and really creamy and delicious.

The next recipe is for a candy so I am thinking maybe I should start another thread for candy and gift giving items so I don't mess up this thread which is just for cookies.

I agree ..I want it all and you know by now I BEG !!!! And Im proud of it
lily your teasing us with these recipes, making us hunt for them
Thanks for sharing that last ones sounds delicious

As soon as I can (over the weekend) I will post some great cookie recipes. Everyone is so generous with recipes and ideas on CC, it will be great for me to contribute.

I should have made it a little more clear on making the tart part of the PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE MINI TARTS. When they come out of the oven and you press the tart maker into them right away (someone help me here what is that gadget called) you need to really press them out so that the shell is not much thicker than 1/8 thick all around. You should be able to drop one of those little foil candy papers inside. If you don't do this you won't get much chocolate filling in them. Oh well, I suppose you could always just eat it!!!!!!

Thanks Mel and Fiddle. Can't wait to get your recipes.

These are the ones that are on our cookie making list every year. They aren't anything overly special but they are our Chirstmas Cookies.

Bufflo Chip Cookies

1/2 cup Margarine, softened
1/2 cup Shortening
1 cups Brown Sugar
1 cups White Sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 cups Oatmeal
1/2 cup Coconut
3oz Chocolate Chips
1 cups Cornflakes, crushed

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix together margarine and shorting. Cream in brown and white sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift and add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Blend in oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips and cornflakes.

Drop spoonfuls on to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375* for 15-20 mins.

These are a great with milk.

Mint M&M Cookies

1 cup Shortening
1 cup Brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups (3/4lb pkg) Mint or Peppermint M&M's

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients gradually to creamed mixture â Mix well. Stir in ½ cups M&Mâs; reserve remaining candies for decorating. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased baking sheet. Decorate tops of cookies with remaining M&Mâs. Bake at 375*F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 6 dozen 2 ½ in cookies.

Peanut Butter Cups (Reeseâs Cookies)

1 tube of Pre made Sugar Cookie Dough (slice & bake)
24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
  
Slice the cookie dough into 6 slices. Take those slices and cut them in 1/4ths. Roll the 1/4ths into balls. (You want a 1 in ball.) Place them in the mini cupcake pans that have been sprayed with the cooking spray. Follow the directions on the cookie dough for the time and temperature to bake. Bake until they are golden brown. Take them out of the oven and press the Reese's into them. (Makes about 24 cookies.)

Let these cool a little before you take them out of the pan. Run a small spoon around them then lift them up.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Peanut butter
1 Egg
2 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 3/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
48 Kisses
1/4 cup sugar

Cream the sugars, shortening, and peanut butter together. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Sift and add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Poll into a 1 inch ball, then roll ball in sugar. Bake at 375 for 10-12 mins. The cookies should be lightly browned and the cracked. Push kisses in to the center of each cookie after you take them out of the oven. Makes 48 cookies.

Let these cool on the cookie sheets a little before moving them. Place
them on a cookie rack in a single layer. The kisses will set again in a few hours then you can stack them in a container.

Spritz Cookies

1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
5 cups flour (may need less)
1 tsp orange juice
2 tsp orange rind

Cream sugar and butter until creamy. Add egg yolks, salt, baking powder, orange juice, orange rind, and flour.

Push through cookie press on to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375* until golden brown.

We usually add some red and green sprinkles to the tree and other shapes. On the wreath shapes we use cut up candy cherries in the middle. You can also use M&Mâs on the wreath shapes.

There are a few more but these are the only ones that I have recipes already saved on the computer for. I'll try to dig up the others soon.

OK, if we are also posting candy here, this recipe is more like candy. I think I got it off the website for Heath bars several years ago. They are hard to cut, but worth the effort.

Toffee Bits Triangles

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups (8-oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits, divided
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips OR 2 cups (12-oz.pkg.) HERSHEY'S MINI CHIPS Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Beat butter in large bowl on medium speed until creamy. Beat in brown sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until well mixed.

2. Stir in flour and 1 cup of the toffee bits. Press into ungreased jelly-roll pan, 15-1/2x10-1/2x1 inch.

3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes; spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over top. Cool completely. Cut into 3-inch squares; cut each square into 4 triangles. 60 triangles.

Peanut Butter Cups (Reeseâs Cookies)
TexasSugar I make these to! Have you ever tried them with the slice n bake choc chip cookie dough ? They are very good !

are these cookies??

chocolate whoopie pies

ingredients
Pies
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding

Filling
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup white shortening
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla

directions
To make the pies, prepare cake mix following the directions on the box, EXCEPT, use only 3/4 cup water, add one box of instant chocolate pudding and add an extra egg.

use a medium disher to place balls of batter onto parchment paper lined pans (or a greased pans) bake in a 350* oven for 13 minutes.

cool the pies on a wire rack while preparing the filling.

To make the filling, combine milk and flour into small pot and wisk continuously on medium heat until the mexture becomes thick. Remove from heat and let come to room temperature. Meanwhile, in your mixer, add sugar, shortening, butter and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy.

Add in the cooled milk/flour mixture and beat for a few more minutes until it becomes light, fluffy and well incorporated.

To fill, place the filling in a piping bag with only a coupler on the end. pipe a concentric ring of filling on the bottom of one pies and place another pie on top.

I dont know but I love chocolate whoopie pies ! I would say they are like a large cream filled cookie of sorts !

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients
pizza 'crust'
1 package refrigerated sugar dough

'sauce'
1 package (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar

toppings
sliced seasonal fresh fruit
berries
maraschino cherries

Directions
1. preheat oven to 350*F. spray a 10 inch cake pan (or pizza pan) with baking spray.
2. spread cookie dough evenly into pan.
3. bake cookie for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. meanwhile, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until fluffy.
5. gradually add sugars and beat until just combined.
6. allow cookie to cool completely and spread cream cheese mixture on top.
7. garnish with sliced fresh fruit, berries and maraschino cherries.

sure thing! i have a picture of it too, if you're interested.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=525623

Oh man, am I glad I came back to check... I wasn't getting updates. I hate that. I wonder how many threads I'm not getting updates on and people think I am avoiding them. That stinks.

Anyway, I've added all these awesome new recipes to the file!

Here's my addition for now. This is from my dh's grandmother who was accused of not giving out correct ingredient amounts to everyone in the family. So, when I asked her last year she got out her recipe box & wrote it down (so I couldn't accuse her). Needless to say, I'm the only one besides her (& now you guys) who makes the "right". Maybe it's b/c no one else in the family bakes/cooks & they don't know what to do. Smack my hand I'm mean

They aren't hard "gingerbread" cookies, but they are sooo good. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. I LOVE these! Give 'em a try Melvira!

Gingersnaps

1 1/2 C Shortening
2 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 C Molasses
4 C Flour (sometimes a little less--she uses Gold Medal)
2 tsp of each Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger

Cream shortening and sugar. Mix eggs & molasses. Add to shortening mix. Mix flour & spices & add to above mixture. Roll into 1" balls, roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min.

Oh Dandelion, I loooove you!! I will try them!! Mmmmmmmmm!!! File updated!

DELCIOUS IDEA! there are sooo many yummy ones on here.

This recipe was on the thread after the messed up area. Some folks seemed to really like it, so I thought I'd add it here.
I added thinly-sliced preserved papaya and red currents to the dough as part of the fruit measure. It didn't say to, but I chopped the dried fruit. (I put the orange zest in by eye, as there is no measurement for it in the recipe.) A half recipe made 50 cookies - YUMMY!
Coconut-Cranberry Chews makes 7-8 dozen cookies
1 1/2 cups (¾ lb.) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked dried coconut

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, beat 1½ cups butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in egg until well blended.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low speed until dough comes together. Mix in cranberries and coconut.

Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheets.

Bake at 350° F until edges just begin to brown, 11 to 15 minutes. If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely. (Originally from sunset magazine)

Here's a favorite in my family...they're pretty rich, kind of fudgy, but for some reason you still can't stop popping them in your mouth!

Mud Puddles
Cookies:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups chocolate chips (original recipe calls for milk but I prefer semi-sweet)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 tsp. milk

Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and chocolate chips in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Add condensed milk and stir until smooth. Add flour; mix well. Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into one inch balls. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6-8 minutes or until just set. Do not overbake (they will look like they are not done but they are and will set up more as they cool!). Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough milk for desired consistancy. Drizzle over cookies.

I have on different occasions added food coloring to the glaze and instead of just a drizzle have made simple shapes (green zig-zag shape for Christmas trees, red hearts or even a letter for a simple monogram).

Enjoy!

Thanks for the recipes !

File updated friends!!

I have some recipes from a pastry chef at school.

Danish Nut cookies

1lb sugar
1lb butter
1lb margarine
10oz eggwhites
8oz pastry flour
8oz bread flour
2lbs ground nuts

1) Beat sugar, butter, margarine, eggwhites lightly.
2) Add dry ingredients.

* he didnt give me baking directions , but i figure at 350 till it smells and looks done

I won these cookies at a school bake walk (like a cake walk, but all baked goods) and couldn't stop until I found the recipe. I love them. I add a wee bit more amaretto than they call for.... The original recipe also called for 1 cup of coconut and 1 cup of sliced almonds to be added at the same time as the chips. You can also use chocolate chips. Now if I could find a Kahlua cookie recipe, my life would truly be complete!


White Chocolate Amaretto Cookies


2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. amaretto liqueur
2 tsp. almond ext extract
2 cups white chocolate chips


Directions
Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder and salt ; stir with a whisk.
In a large mixing bowl on medium speed, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, amaretto, and extract.
Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, just until blended.
Stir in chips.
Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 â 12 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Let cookies set on sheet approx. 4 min. and put them on a wire rack.
Store in tight container up to 1 week or in the freezer 3 months.

OK, I've gotten so many good ideas from everyone, I feel like I better share, too! These are easy, but can be somewhat time consuming, so I usually only make them a couple of times a year. I'm in southern Indiana, and these are called "Amish Cookies" around here--but are somewhat similar to Lofthouse Cookies. They are soft, yummy iced cookies (my DH's favories):

Amish Sugar Cookies
  
Cream well:
3 cups sugar
2 cups Butter-Flavored Crisco

Add:
4 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
6 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well. Chill dough to make it easier to work with. Drop onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until done (do not over bake). Ice when cool.

Icing: (Or your favorite PS icing)
3/4 cup margarine/butter
2 lbs plus 1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Beat margarine until creamy. Add part of powdered sugar. Blend. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Slowly add rest of powdered sugar until desired consistency. Color as desired.

File updated... and several pounds gained!