In a small saucepan, combine the following:

½ cup soft butter (1 cube)

¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2/3 cup blanched, finely diced almonds

2 tblsp cream

Cook slowly, stirring until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir vigorously for a few seconds. Spoon warmish to cold mixture onto prepared cookie sheet, making a 1 ½ - 2 inch round, bearing in mind that they spread widely. (Start with 6 per sheet.) Check after 4 minutes, as ovens vary. When toast-colored, quickly remove cookies with a thin spatula and "drape" over broom handle. (Don’t curl them around the handle because they can’t be removed.) They can be re-warmed in the oven if you work slowly.

2 cups sugar

4 cups flour

1 egg

2 tsp baking powder

1 tblsp ground cardamom

2 cups finely chopped almonds

(Optional: toast almonds then chop finely)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, flour, baking powder and cardamom. Work in the almonds. Shape the dough into rolls about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. With a sharp knife, cut into ¼ inch slices. Put onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

These cookies will keep for a long time in a sealed tin.

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp coconut flavoring

1 cup Bisquick

1 ½ cups potato flakes

Cream margarine and sugar. Add egg, coconut flavoring and Bisquick. Fold in potato flakes. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Place 2 inches apart on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before removing.

½ cup shortening

2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup buttermilk or sour milk

1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 6-ounce pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces

mocha frosting

Melt shortening and unsweetened chocolate together in a saucepan. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and buttermilk or sour milk.

Sift together dry ingredients and add to chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate pieces. Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool. Frost with mocha frosting. Top with walnut half, if desired.

Cream ¼ cup butter, 2 tablespoons cocoa (regular dry), 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder and a dash of salt. Beat in 2 ½ cups sifted confectioner’s sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and enough milk for spreading consistency.

¾ cup nuts

1/3 cup candied orange peel

1/3 cup candied lemon peel

3 cups sifted flour

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup honey

Gently fold in dry ingredients. Mix in nuts and candied peel. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes. Set pan on cooling rack. Meanwhile, blend together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tblsp water, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Spread over Lebkuchen and cut into squares.

½ cup shortening

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup milk

½ cup nuts

Confectioner's sugar

Thoroughly cream together shortening, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs, then chocolate. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, blending well. Stir in nuts. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Form 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

1 box Ritz Crackers

1 12 ounce jar peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

16 ounce package almond bark (or Candiquik)

(Almond bark comes in white/chocolate or butterscotch, use your favorite. green & red sugar crystals or sprinkles (optional decoration)

Melt almond bark in a double boiler. While the bark is melting, take crackers and peanut butter and make sandwiches (cracker/peanut butter/cracker). Line some cookie trays or sheet pans with wax paper. When the bark is completely melted, dip the cracker sandwiches into it, coating the entire sandwich. Tap off the excess bark, then place the coated sandwiches on the wax paper. You can add decorations to the cookies while the bark is still warm. (You can use green & red sugar, Christmas colored sprinkles or chopped nuts as decorations.) These cookies freeze well in case you want to get an early start on your holiday baking.

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

2 eggs

2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup apricot, raspberry or your favorite jam

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add extract and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Stir in flour, rolled oats, baking soda and cinnamon; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. With thumb, make an imprint in the center of each cookie. Fill each imprint with ½ teaspoon jam. Drop a scant teaspoon of dough over preserves on each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 4 ½ to 5 dozen cookies.

By Viola Zoodsma

Mix Together:

1 1/3 cups oatmeal

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup brown Sugar

1 cup margarine

1 tsp. soda

Pat 2/3 of the above mixture into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minuets. Mix the following ingredients together and boil 5-10 minutes or until thick. Stir often. Spread over the first mixture.

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 TBS. corn starch

2 cups raisins

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. vanilla

Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cut into two inch squares to serve.

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cloves

½ tsp. ginger

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

½ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup applesauce

Drop by rounded teaspoons – parchment paper is great for these. Bake in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Let set for a few minutes before removing from sheets.

Combine:

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

3 ounces softened cream cheese

1 ½ tbs. cream or milk

1 ½ tsp. grated orange rind

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cinnamon

When cool, frost bottom of one cookie and make sandwich with another cookie. Makes about four dozen cookies or two dozen sandwich cookie

1 lb. butter (1 stick)

½ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cups flour (sifted)

¾ cup red raspberry jelly

1 (8 oz) can almond paste

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

For the first layer, cream butter and brown sugar. Add salt and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Blend in flour until crumbly. Press into bottom of a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Spread jelly over first layer. For the second layer, break up almond paste and add sugar, vanilla and eggs. Beat with electric beater until smooth. Spread evenly over jelly layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Cool in pan. While baked layers are cooling, prepare third layer (frosting). Cream butter and powdered sugar, add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add chocolate. Beat until blended. Spread over baked layers. Sprinkle with almonds, pressing them into the surface of the frosting so they will adhere. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing into squares. Store covered. Can be frozen. Makes about 4 dozen.

4 eggs, well-beaten

18 gumdrops (cut fine)

1 cup nut meats

2 cups flour

2 ¼ cups brown sugar

Pour into 12 x 15-inch cake pan. Bake in a moderate oven. Cut into squares when done.

½ cup sour cream

1 tblsp boiling water

1 pkg dry yeast

½ cup softened butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 to 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Combine sour cream & water. Mix well. Stir yeast into sour cream mixture. Let stand 3 minutes. Stir until yeast is completely dissolved. Set aside. Place butter and ½ cup flour in small bowl. Add sour cream mixture and beat one minute at low speed with electric mixer. Add egg yolks and ¼ cup flour to the sour cream/butter mixture, beat at medium speed for one minute. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto board dusted with flour and knead 8-10 minutes. Divide into 3 equal-sized portions. Place each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

2 egg whites

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until stiff. Combine remaining ingredients and fold into stiffly beaten egg whites. On a board dusted with powdered sugar, roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 equal wedges. At wide end of wedge, place one teaspoon of filling. Roll each wedge from the wide end to the narrow end. "Bend" slightly in the middle to look like a croissant. Place each wedge, pointed side down, on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. While still on the wire racks, drizzle the cookies.

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

3 tbsp. water

Stir sugar and water together, forming a "drizzle" consistency. Add more water, if needed. Drizzle over tops of each cooled cookie.

Divide drizzle into three separate cups. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one, a few drops of green to the other, leaving one white. Drizzle each cookie with one color, then another, then the other. Allow drizzle to set (about one hour). Store in a cool, dry place.