FIRST ANNUAL CHRISTMAS COOKIE EXCHANGE

Our Staff's favorite Christmas baking recipes!!!

I've been making this for years. It's so easy and everyone loves it!

Ingredients

2 cups softened butter
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour

Directions

Mix together all ingredients except for 1/2 cup flour. Roll out in 1/2 cup flour. Use cookie cutter
to cut out. Bake at 300F for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.

Recipe from: Sue

Coconut & Jam Squares

My mum has been making these for us since I was a kid. They are my favorite Christmas item and I make sure mum always remembers to make some.

Ingredients

Pastry (home made or store bought)
Jam (strawberry or raspberry is best)
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 package shredded coconut

Directions

Roll out pastry onto greased cookie sheet or cut out and place into tart tins. Spread with a liberal
layer of jam. Mix margarine, sugar and coconut and spread over jam.
Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Recipe from: Sue

Magic Cookie Bars

Another family favorite and so very easy. Mum and I always like to lick the can of condensed milk after!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 13x9-inch baking pan, melt margarine in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Recipe from: Sue

Biscotti

One of our family favorites, great dipped in coffee or hot cocoa!!

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs
3 cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking powder
1 bottle lemon or anise extract
5 cups flour

Directions

Beat eggs with sugar, oil, and extract. Add baking powder to flour, add both to liquid mixture slowly, mixing
well. Grease a bread loaf pan, add mixture to greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 mins.
Let cool. Remove from loaf pans, cut cookies about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.

Recipe from: Maria

Pecan Tossies

Everyone calls these something different. They were always tossie cups to me, and always delicious!!

Ingredients

Crust:
3 oz. cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1 cup flour
Filling:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
chopped pecans

Directions

Mix crust ingredients together kneading dough by hand. Divide dough into small walnut size balls. Using mini muffin tins, press dough into each opening, forming a cup. Spread a pinch of chopped nuts in bottom of each cup. Mix together brown sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla, mixing till smooth. Add filling to cups being sure not to fill to the top. Spread more nuts on top of filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 mins. until golden on top.

Recipe from: Maria

Meltaways

These don't last long in my house, they go faster than the nut rolls!

Ingredients

1 8 oz. pkg. cottage cheese
1 cup (1/2 lb.) margarine
2 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1 egg yolk
2 tbs. water

Directions

Blend cottage cheese with margarine and flour. Divide dough into three parts. On lightly floured board, roll out to 1/8 inch thick, round as for pie crust. Brush with some of the melted butter, sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and 1/4 cup chopped nuts. Cut into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Begin at outer edge, roll up each piece tightly, then place point side down.
Beat egg yolk with water, brush on top of cookies. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins.
Makes 4 dozen.

Recipe from: Maria

No-Bake Chocolate Bon-Bons

These are alot like buckeyes, but not as big. You could end up eating too many very quickly!!

Ingredients

2 sticks margarine or butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 pkg. fine flaked coconut
1 12 oz. jar peanut butter(smooth)
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cake wax
1 lg. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions

Cream margarine or butter and powdered sugar.
Add coconut, peanut butter, nuts, graham cracker crumbs and vanilla. Roll into small balls.
Frosting:
Melt together cake wax and chocolate morsels over hot water in double boiler. Let sit over hot water while frosting cookies so it will not harden. Dip balls into frosting with fork, then set on waxed paper to dry. Yield: 5 dozen.

Recipe from: Maria