Cookies

3 sticks margarine
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 eggs
1 pound candied cherries
1 pound candied pineapple
2 qt chopped pecans

Cream together margarine and sugar. Add flour and spices and mix well. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add fruit and pecans and mix well. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Place pan of water on bottom rack of oven under cookies.

Makes 16 dozen cookies, or 1/2 the recipe for 8 dozen.

2 1/4 Cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding
2 eggs
1 12oz package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix flour with baking soda; set aside. Combine butter, the sugars, vanilla, and pudding in a large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chips and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 7 dozen.

1 cup butter (do not use margarine)
1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioner's or powdered sugar in the US)
1 and 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar; add flour and beat for 10 minutes. Drop from a small spoon onto a cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces, if you wish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen small cookies. This recipe doubles well.

1 1/2 c. chopped dates
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

Boil together in double boiler until thick. Put on Town House Crackers. Bake at 350 degrees oven for 5 minutes or so until set. Cool-frost.

Frosting:
3 oz. Cream cheese
1/2 c. butter or margarine melted
2 c. powdered sugar
Dash of vanilla

Beat and frost.

These freeze really well.

2 c. sugar
4 +c. flour
1 c. butter
3 eggs
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cr. of tartar
2 t. baking soda
3/4 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla or 3 t. lemon flavoring

Cut in butter to sugar and flour. Add the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate one hour. Roll out at least 1/4 in. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

I have to fight my kids off the unbaked cookie dough for Sand Tarts because it is delicious even without being baked. These cookies "run" a bit when they are baked and may actually run into each other. We enjoy the unusual shapes when we cut them apart after they are finished baking. If you want them to remain distinct round cookies, just add a few more tablespoons of flour to the recipe.

3/4 lb. butter (not margarine)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour

Cream sugar and butter, add 1 egg at a time then gradually add the flour and salt. Drop by rounded spoon and sprinkle with sugar sprinkles and bake 10-12 minutes at 350. This is a double batch, but may be doubled again (if your family is like ours!)

350 degrees 10-12 mins
1 c. oleo soft
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts finely

Chill dough a few hours.
Use large bag kisses.
Use about 1 t. of dough to wrap around each kiss.
Roll twice in powdered sugar while warm & then cold.

Here's a slight variation that is even easier because you start with pre-made cookie dough from the grocery store or your last school fundraiser :-)
My favorite recipe because it is the easiest cookie ever! Take the Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough (or any pre-made cookie dough such as chocolate chip cookies) and roll in 1" balls. Place in mini muffin pan (sprayed with Pam). Push a Hershey kiss in each. Bake about 10-12 minutes @ 350. The tricky thing is getting them out of the muffin pan without breaking them. I have also just baked them on a regular flat cookie sheet and they come out just fine with a slight bulge where the candy is, but that is the surprise element :-) They have to cool a bit. You can use any combination of dough and candy. I have used mini-Snickers, Rolo candies (chocolate covered caramel) and Hershey's kisses. Too easy to be true, and delicious! Merry Christmas!

Melt 1 stick margarine in a large skillet
Add these ingredients:
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 pkg. pitted dates cut into pieces
1 cup pecan pieces
1 egg beaten

Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring constantly until dates are melted (5-10 minutes)
Remove from heat, stir in 2 cups Rice Krispies while still warm, stirring throughly.
Dampen hands, form into small balls about 1/2 inch in diameter. Roll in angel flaked coconut. Place on waxed paper until cool.

1 box devils food cake mix....(or any flavor) = 48
1/2 of an 8 oz. tub Fat Free Cool Whip = 5
1/4 cup egg beaters = 1
Total Points = 56
Divide total by # of cookies made.
For example 56 cookies = 1 point each

Mix dough well. It will be very stiff. Roll into balls (you can make any size you want) then roll balls in your choice of powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, nuts, sprinkles, etc. (count the POINTS for the additions.)
DON'T FLATTEN THE BALLS. The cookies will flatten in the oven.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Cool. The powdered sugar cookies look elegant to drizzle a little melted chocolate...

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
1 large egg white(s)
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
24 piece caramel candies
24 pieces pecan halves

Instructions:
Combine flour and cocoa in a small bowl; set aside.
Beat together sugar, margarine, cream cheese, egg white, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl; add flour mixture and blend well.
Chill dough at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on baking sheets about 1 to 2 inches apart.
Press a caramel into each cookie and flatten; top each caramel with a pecan half.
Bake for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 1 cookie per serving.

1/2 lb (225 g) butter
1 cup (250 ml) sifted confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5 ml) almond extract
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) red food coloring
1/2 cup (125 ml) crushed peppermint candies mixed with
1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar

Mix together the butter, confectioner's sugar, egg, almond, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flour and salt. Divide the dough in half and blend the food coloring into one half. Using about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of each dough, roll out two cylinders about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Place them side by side and gently press them together. Twist them to form a candy cane pattern with the red and white doughs, and curve one end to form a candy cane shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for about 9 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle with the peppermint candy mixture and cool cookies on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

2 1/2 c. unsifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. margarine/butter (softened)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. rice krispies cereal
1 12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate bits (2 c.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, soda, and salt; set aside. Beat margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour misture. Stir in cereal and chocolate bits. Drop by level measuring tablespoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets. Makes about 6-7 dozen.

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill well. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out using a mixture of half flour and half powdered sugar on surface and rolling pin. Cut out and bake for 6-8 minutes. Frost and decorate as desired.