Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies
(Wooden Spoon Cookie Book)

Cookies are pictured on the plate at the bottom left:


1 c. butter
½ c. (+ 3 Tbsp. sugar)
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
2 ½ c. flour
jam (I like raspberry or strawberry)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough. Roll into balls. Roll in reserved sugar (optional). Make a depression in each ball with finger. Fill with jam before, or after, baking. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Cookie Cutter Cookies

Cookie Cutter Cookies
(adapted from Cookies for Christmas by M. Robbin)

This is the recipe we use over and over and over again!

1 c. butter
1 ½ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt


Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Chill dough. Roll out on floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 5-6 dozen. (I roll my cookies thin.)

CandyCane Cookies

CandyCane Cookies
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)
1 cup butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1/2 cup peppermint candy canes, crushed

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract. Combine flour and salt; stir into the creamed butter mixture until well blended. Divide dough in half. Mix red food coloring into one half of dough. Chill.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease). Roll a small amount of each dough into a 2-inch long worm. Roll them together in a twisted rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. When cookies come out of oven, sprinkle with crushed up candycanes. Let cool.
Makes about 3 dozen.

NOTE: I like to make two batches -- one batch white and the other red. This makes enough cookies for us.

Gingerbread Muffins

Gingerbread Muffins
(cooksrecipes.com)

1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 c. oil
¼ c. molasses
½ c. sugar (I used 1/4 c.)

½ c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line muffin tin.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

In another bowl, beat egg, oil, molasses and sugar, mixing well. Pour mixture into flour mixture. Mix until just moistened adding the water and mixing until just blended.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins are done.

1 dozen.