Christmas Cookie Swap

At this time of year, the start of the Christmas Season, many people start thinking about what cookies they will be sharing in Holiday Cookie Exchanges. Whether you are swapping cookies with family, neighbors or co-workers, it can be difficult to decide on just what types of cookies to make!

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

Brown-Edge Saucies

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspooon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2/teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned applesauce

1. Measure flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves into sifter; save for step 4.

2. Cream shortening until soft, add sugar, gradually creaming after each addition until well-blended.

3. Stir in egg and vanilla, beat until mixture is light and fluffy.

4. Sift and add dry ingredients alternately with applesauce, blending well after each addition.

5. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets--about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake in 350 degree oven 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around edge.

7. Loosen at once from cookie sheet by running spatula under each cookie. Cool on wire racks.

8. Store cookies in air-tight container to keep them soft.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Thumbprint Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• finely chopped nuts
• jelly or preserves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Separate egg, reserving egg white. Cream butter or margarine, sugar, and egg yolk. Add vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well. Shape dough into balls. Roll in egg white, then nuts. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint. Bake for another 8 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen.

Mocha Sugar Cookies

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (1.75- to 2-ounce) chocolate bar, coarsely grated

In mixing bowl, cream together shortening and brown and granulated sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Heat milk and stir in the instant coffee. Add to creamed mixture and mix in until well incorporated. Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and add to creamed mixture. Mix until well incorporated. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets well spaced apart. Press out cookie with bottom of lightly buttered glass dipped in sugar or press out with a fork. Sprinkle lightly with grated chocolate. Bake at 375 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing to wire racks.Cool completely before you store them.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• About 60 pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or butter them. On a piece of wax paper, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer, add the sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the flour mixture, mixing until smooth, then stir in the coconut, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Press a pecan half on top of each cookie. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 13 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Makes about 60 cookies.

Eggnog Cookies

• 2 and 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 and 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cups salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup eggnog
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300'. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside. Cream sugar and butter with electric mixer until forms a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined --do not over mix! Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets -- 1 "apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown - transfer to cool, flat surface immediately.

Rum Balls

• 1 (12oz) package vanilla wafers
• 1 (16oz) package pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs or 1/3 cup powder sugar

Process vanilla wafers in food processor until crumbs are fine. Transfer to a large bowl. Process pecans in food processor until finely chopped. Stir into vanilla wafer crumbs. Stir in honey, bourbon, and rum

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in 1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs or powdered sugar. Place in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator up to one week.

Yield about 6 dozen.