Oatmeal Date Sandwich Cookies

This date cookie recipe is one of my Mom's and it is my absolute favorite. I noticed the other day that my container is nearly empty.  I keep them in the freezer and eat them while they are still slightly frozen.  You can't store them on the counter, they will get very soft and mushy. These are easy because they are just a roll in your palm cookie.

Oatmeal Date Sandwich Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup coconut

1. Cream together the butter and sugars.
2. Add the eggs and combine well.
3. Add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Chill in the refrigerator an hour.  (make the date filling while the dough  chills)
5. Roll into small balls and flatten with a glass by about half the thickness.
6. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Date Filling

1. Buy a 1 pound package of dates. .the kind that is a rectangular block.  They will be found by the raisins in the grocery store.
2. Chop them up and put them in a small saucepan.
3. Add  1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer.
4. Stir occasionally and simmer until the consistency of thick jam.
5. Let cool.

To sandwich the cookies put a small spoonful of date filling on the underside of one cookie and sandwich with the underside of another cookie.  Freeze in a container.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy, moist...and almost healthy with the addition of oatmeal...these cookies have been a family favorite for decades.  When my grandson comes to visit...we bake cookies...and these are usually his pick!

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

1. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add flour, oatmeal, soda and salt and mix until well blended.
4. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts).
5. Drop dough in large mounds (ice-scream scoop works great) onto greased cookie sheet.
6. Flatten mounds slightly.
7. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

White Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies

This is a good cookie jar and lunch box cookie. It also works well for a gift giving idea. Using a clear glass container or jar, layer the dry ingredients along with the craisins and chocolate chips. Tie the recipe onto the jar with a ribbon and you have a sweet little gift ready to deliver to a friend. All they have to supply is the butter, eggs and vanilla, then add the jar of ingredients and bake themselves fresh cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup craisins
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

1. Mix together butter, brown sugar and eggs until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix.
3. Using 2 spoons place medium size mound onto cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 350 for 10-12. Allow to rest on pan for 1 minute and then remove to cooling racks.

Yields approximately 2 dozen cookies. This recipe can easily be doubled. Cookies freeze well.

Toffee Almond Sandies

This is an easy, large recipe that can be cut in half but, left complete, it is a great one for a cookie exchange or to be packaged up as gifts. These cookies have a bit of a biscotti texture, with the special addition of toffee bits and almonds.

Ingredients

1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c icing (confectioners) sugar
1 c oil
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
3 ½ cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
2 cups chopped almonds
1 pkg. (6 oz) English toffee bits

additional sugar and whole almonds

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add oil, eggs and extracts. Mix well.
2. Combine dry ingredients then gradually add to creamed mixture.
3. Stir in chopped almonds and toffee bits.
4. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and press a whole almond in the center of each cookie. Bake for 12 min in 350 F oven, till slightly golden. Yield: 11 - 12 doz.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

I owe Judy credit for this recipe.  I wanted to make her Jello Sugar Cookies and had the butter and sugar mixed together before I realized I did not have 2 packages of jelly powder.

What I did have was one package of Lemon Pie Filling Mix  so I used that and these cookies have received rave reviews from guests.

• 3- 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup softened butter (use the real thing)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 package Lemon Pie Filling Mix (the kind that needs sugar added)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Mix together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the Lemon Pie Filling Mix.
4. Add the egg and Vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
6. Chill the dough one hour at least.
7. Roll the dough out on a pastry mat using a bit of flour to sprinkle on the counter.
8. Using a pastry wheel with a scalloped edge. .measure and mark your dough at equal intervals and then cut the dough into squares or rectangles. 
9. Sprinkle. .colored sugar or sprinkles over the dough and carefully place the cookie rectangles on a cookie sheet that is parchment paper lined.
10. Bake 8 - 10 mintues or until golden browned.
11. Remove to wire racks and drizzle with a simple sugar icing.  Let dry and then store in a airtight container in the freezer.

These cookies will make a perfect little stack to wrap in cellophane to give as hostess gifts.

Cherry Squares

I got this recipe more than 25 years ago from a sweet elderly neighbor and it has become a yearly must for our family . . . a favorite of one of our kids. The texture is somewhat like a butter tart and I cut the pieces quite small, so it' s like eating a little candy bar.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 c maraschino cherries


Method:

1. With pastry blender, cut butter into flour and brown sugar until well mixed. It will be moist and crumbly.
2. Press into ungreased 9x13 pan. (one that has a lid, makes it easy for storage later)
3. Bake at 350F for about 12 min.
4. In the meantime, beat eggs slightly, add combined sugar, flour and baking powder,
   then the rest of the ingredients.
5. Spread over baked layer.
6. Return to oven and bake for 20 - 25 min., until golden brown.

Icing:
2 c icing sugar
2 Tbsp soft butter or margarine
½ tsp vanilla
4 – 6 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

Beat together in small bowl to make a smooth spreadable frosting. Spread over cooled cake. Cut into 36 - 48 squares. I cut them up before freezing and then I can lift out what I need for a cookie platter.

Cover with lid or slip into plastic bag and freeze.

Hazelnut Rounds

This hazelnut shortbread cookie recipe is a souvenir of my high school cooking class...rather a long time ago.  I have made them off and on throughout the years and always think of Mrs. Pucher...my fabulous instructor with her European accent and her contagious enthusiasm.  I have no idea what ever became of her...but her cookies live on!  They are a great addition to cookie trays during the holiday season.

• 1 cup butter  (no substitutes)
• 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
• chocolate for drizzling, optional

1. Cream butter and sugar well.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Add flour and ground nuts and mix well incorporated.
4. Roll teaspoons of dough into small balls.
5. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
6. Flatten to 1" in diameter, using the flat bottom of a glass tumbler dipped in sugar.
7. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
8. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
9. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Pecan Raisin Tarts

Whether you call them butter tarts, raisin tarts or pecan tarts . . . doesn't really matter . . . the melt-in-your mouth taste always surprises me. You can make these quite easily if you use purchased frozen tart shells . . . using small ones can be a nice addition to a plate of assorted sweets. If you happen to have some time and patience you can make your own delicious, rustic looking shells . . . but it's not necessary.

Ingredients:

18 medium size unbaked tart shells

Filling:
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups corn syrup
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups broken pecans
1/2 cup raisins, plumped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. If using frozen tarts, set them out on a cookie sheet.
3. If using homemade pastry, roll out quite thin, cut with a tart cutter or extra large cookie cutter and line muffin tins.
4. Pour boiling water over raisins to rinse and plump them. Drain.
5. Combine all ingredients and fill tarts to about 3/4 full. The filling will rise a bit.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden, at 350 F. Cool in pan on a rack.
7. Ease out gently by running a knife around the edges. These freeze well.

Rice Krispies Treat on a Stick

With grandchildren coming and going I like to have fun little treats on hand, or to make with them. My granddaughter and I made these using a silicone brownie pop mold. To serve a group of children poke sticks into Styrofoam and pour mini coloured marshmallows all over the base to cover the Styrofoam. If you need to take a treat to your child's class this one works well as there is little mess. If you don't have a mold, just roll Rice Krispies into balls, dip into sprinkles and add the stick. Cool 'sticks up' on parchment paper.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 250 gram package regular marshmallows
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 6 cups Rice Krispies

Method:

1. In a large sauce pan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted.
2. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies.
3. Lightly spay mold with cooking spray.
4. Add candy sprinkles to the bottom of each cup.
5. Fill cups with warm Rice Krispies mixture.
6. Stick a sucker stick into the middle of each treat.
7. Place in fridge to chill. Remove from mold and store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe came to me all the way from Kansas. From the first bite I knew I would be asking for the recipe. Thanks to my sister in law Lynda's friend Cindy for sharing it with me.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 15oz can pure pumpkin
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Method:

1. Beat together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla.
2. Alternately add flours and pumpkin and beat well.
3. Add oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and beat until just blended.
4. Lastly mix in chocolate chips.
5. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake at 350º for 15-18 minutes.
6. Remove immediately to cooling rack.

Cookies freeze well.