Cookie Pizza

This would be a fun choice if you’re bringing dessert somewhere. Quick to make, cute to serve. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cup (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• optional for serving: ice cream, vanilla buttercream, sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease your 12-inch or larger pizza pan. (No smaller than 12 inches.)
2. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. With the mixer running on low, add the chocolate chips. Dough will be thick, soft, and sticky.
5. Transfer the cookie dough to the pizza pan and flatten out with your fingers until it’s around 3/4 inch thick. You do not want it to reach the edges of the pan; keep it thick and centered.
6. Bake for 20–24 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned on top. Do not over-bake.
7. Allow the cookie pizza to cool on the pan set on a cooling rack before garnishing/slicing. While the cookie pizza is still warm, I like to press a few chocolate chips into the top. This is optional and only for looks.
8. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
9. NOTES: Mini chips were a cute choice. Lots of butter, but worth it. Serve with a little ice cream. Holds its shape even when cut into small wedges.
10. Sally’s Baking Addiction. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-pizza/

Tourtiere

4 pounds ground pork butts 

1 ½ cups water 

1 medium onion, ground or finely chopped 

2 tsp salt 

1 to 2 tsp cinnamon, start low and adjust to taste 

1 to 1.5 tsp cloves, start low and adjust to taste 

1 cup bread crumbs 

Your favorite pie crust 

Put meat in large pot.  Break it up and add water. Mix in onions and salt. Adjust heat to keep meat cooking at a low boil; stir at intervals to keep from scorching.  Add more water if necessary. Cook with cover on for about 45 minutes, adding the spices halfway through. 

Near the end of cooking time, add the bread crumbs.  Adjust the amount of crumbs according to the amount of fat.  The mixture shouldn’t become too dry. 

This amount makes filling for 2 large pies or 9-11 small ones.   Fill uncooked pie crusts.  Top with either a second crust or mashed potatoes. May freeze at this point. 

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes 

Note: this is Grant’s great-great grandmother’s recipe 

Seven Layer Cookies

Easier than they look, and very festive!  

My few notes:

• Emily has an easy homemade almond paste recipe
• These would be great tea cakes (especially in theme colors)
• It's January 21 and I still have some in the freezer (an uncut slab) and they're still perfect.

Recipe and notes from Smitten Kitchen:

I have so many extra hints/notes on these, I’ve moved them to the bottom. Read on!

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (or more, if you cut them as small as I did)

Time: These take at least 11 hours from beginning to end, most of it inactive, but make sure you have a good 2 to 3 hour window

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 (8-ounce or 225-gram) can almond paste
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces, 285 grams, or 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 25 drops red food coloring
• 25 drops green food coloring
• 1 (12-ounce or 340-gram) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
• 7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.

Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook. They’ll look like they’re not done, but a tester does come out clean.)

Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with parchment or wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment or wax-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax or parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water. (Alternately, you can do what I did: melt the chocolate 3.5 ounces at a time just to make sure it doesn’t seize up between steps, though that shouldn’t be a problem if you only let it set for 15.)

Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Cut lengthwise into 4 strips (I cut them into more, because I wanted them 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, as I remember them). Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Do ahead: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer.

Three important notes:

I struggled with three things in this recipe (the first two were mistakes, and both came back to bite me in the tuchus) so you won’t have to:

1. Don’t stack cooled cakes: Once my first two cake layers were cool (and still on their parchment liners) and I needed to make room on the cooling rack for the third one, I went ahead and stacked them, their liners between them. DON’T DO THIS. Not because they crush each other (they won’t) or because they’ll stick (they don’t) but because that paper liner is greased on both sides from baking and the chocolate shell never quite stuck right to the pink cake because of the grease accidentally left on it. I can’t tell you how many cookies were rejected because their chocolate fell off. It is too sad to discuss.

2. Be careful dividing your jam: I mindlessly divided the jam wrong/unevenly and ended up with too much between one layer and too little between another. Too little was no biggie, but where there was too much it oozed out and was particularly difficult to keep stacked when sawing through with a serrated knife. So, if you’re using a scale to make two six-ounce divisions of jam, remember that you’ve probably strained out a good ounce or so of jam solids, or in other words DUH. Your divided amounts will be less than six ounces each.

3. They’re easier to cut when frozen: Nevertheless, they tasted amazingly and I was all ready to do a victory lap around my wee kitchen counter, however, when I got to cutting them up and then it all went south. People, these were trying to cut. The problem lies within the differing textures of the layers — the top hard chocolate shell more benefits from a sharp serrated knife (a regular, even very sharp knife will crack the edges when you press down on it), the same serrated knife that gets gummed with jam and tries to pull the soft cake layers in between apart. It was exasperating. It didn’t go well. I packed up some for a party and stuffed the rest in the freezer, only to discover the next day that these cut fantastically when frozen. Seriously. Trust me. I have the gummy floor and gray hairs to prove it.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

From a professional baker in a Facebook group I'm in.  These were a big hit with Johnny.

• 1 lb of salted butter, softened

• 2 cups of white sugar

• 2 eggs

• Extract of your choosing (my standard for sales is vanilla almond ....1 tsp of almond and 1 tsp vanilla but for our family Christmas cutouts i use anise extract like my grandmother always did. Any extract will work)

• 6 cups ap flour (can be subbed cup for cup with either king arthur or Pillsbury gluten free ap flour just beware that the dough is much more fragile making it kinda a pita to work with)

Cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes, beat in eggs, beat in extract, add flour slowly mixing until it all comes together. Refrigerate to make it easier to work with (though in a pinch I don't and it works out fine ...add small amounts of flour if you need it immediately and can't work with it yet for looseness or stickiness ). Roll out, cut out, (at this point I freeze the cut shapes on the tray for 10 minutes to ensure perfect shape but you can absolutely skip that step) and bake at 350 for between 10 and 14 minutes (as soon as they start getting a small tinge of brown around the bottom edge they're done....the majority of the cookie should be pale).


Royal Icing:
Oh yes...you do 6 tbs of meringue powder to one regular size bag of powdered sugar and about 1 cup of lukewarm water -then beat using a hand or stand mixer for about 5 minutes on high. 

From there you can color it in batches and thin it with water or thicken with powdered sugar as desired

Citrus Sugar Gems

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lime zest
• coarse sugar for rolling cookies in

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Using a mixer, beat the butter and white sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue to beat for three more minutes.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and beat at medium speed for several minutes. Add zest and continue to beat for two more minutes.
4. Roll dough into 1½" balls. Coat with coarse sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for eight to ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool on cooling rack.

Denise's Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups butter (softened)               
2 cups white sugar                            
2 eggs                                                 
½  cup molasses                                                                     
4 cups flour
1  Tlbs. baking soda
1  tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1  tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves  

Preparation and Instructions:

Mix together all the wet ingredients, add all dry ingredients to that.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees roll dough into balls and roll in white sugar.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until tops are cracked.
Cool on wire racks.

Notes:
- I usually double the amount of spices and toss in a heaping spoonful of fresh ginger paste if I have it available.
- If you try to bake more than one pan at a time, they may not develop cracks in the top
- I also sprinkle a couple of drops of water on the top of each to help encourage cracking.

From Denise at Dad's office.

Bourbon, Bacon, Pecan Cookies

¾ cup butter-flavored Crisco

1-¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp bourbon
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1-¾ cups flour
1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

½ cup crumbled bacon( ¼ lb)

Heat 375
Combine Crisco, brown sugar, bourbon, and vanilla in bowl; beat in egg. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture. Stir in bacon and pecans.  Chill for ½ hour.

Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Better the second day.

Hanson's Ginger Cookies

1 c. (2 sticks) butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. light molasses
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
51/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt

For frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 tbsp. milk

To make cookies: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, granulated sugar, molasses and vinegar and slowly bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature and whisk in eggs.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture until dough is smooth and satiny. Divide dough (it will be extremely soft) into 2 portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to several days.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature for a few minutes until it is pliable enough to roll. Roll dough out on a board (flour is not needed) and cut using favorite cookie cutters. Bake on lightly greased baking sheets for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes then remove cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make frosting: In bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk, adding more milk until frosting is consistency required. Frost completely cool cookies and serve.

NOTES:

• These roll well and make really good gingerbread men.
• My original recipe is a newspaper cut out from the Star Trib and calls for a cup of margarine rather than the butter called for in this version.  The butter would obviously taste better, but I've been making these for years with margarine.
• They make great tree ornaments and the cookies store really well.
• I have a note that a double batch makes 30 big gingerbread men. (I gave them as gifts one year.)
• Source

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam in a squeezable container

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Combine softened butter, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.

Bake 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine all glaze ingredients in bowl with whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

NOTES:

• Really outstanding cookie
• The squeezable jam isn't essential, but really does make everything easier.
• Source

Cut out Sugar Cookies

This recipe was everything it promised!

• It requires NO CHILLING!
• The dough can be frozen!
• The baked cookies can be frozen!
• The decorated cookies can be frozen!
• And more importantly, it's yummy.

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 c sugar 

2 sticks (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks

1 egg

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.

Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shapes on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

My Notes:  Seriously, this was the easiest to handle dough I've ever used!  If I could find a pie crust equivalent, I'd be set!

Source: Bake at 350

Update: one batch Mede 62 of these.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. 
• Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. 
• Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Notes

• The only real change I made was to add about 1/3 cup (or maybe a little more) of chopped ginger root left over from this recipe.  (Yes, it has been in my freezer since 11-10 and it's still delicious!)  Because of that, I reduced the powdered ginger to 1 tsp.
• Source

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

1 -1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, cut into chunks
1 & 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (see note below)
1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Hershey's Kisses

• Line cookie sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 350.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and extracts, beating until combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Gradually, add the flour mixture, beating on low just until combined.  The mixture will be very sticky.
• Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (or a spoon) to scoop generous teaspoons of dough and roll them in the powdered sugar.
• Bake for 12 minutes and meanwhile, unwrap the Kisses.
• Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss on top of each hot cookie.  Press firmly, so that it doesn't pop off.  Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 

NOTES: 

• The original recipe from Bake at 350 called for mint extract in the cookies and a regular Kiss on top.  I didn't have the extract and used the candy cane Kisses for a little extra visual festivity.  
• On the down side, it looks like the white chocolate has a lower melting point, because they immediately melted into puddles.  (Glad I pushed them down firmly as suggested so there was a well to contain all that melted chocolate.) On the up side, they're still cute, just not it the 3-D way I expected.
• This is a really delicious cookie!  Chewy and nice texture.
• The Kisses did eventually firm up.  I was doubtful at first so I put most of them out on the freezer to cool.  By the time we got back from N's concert, both the indoor and outdoor ones were firm.
• I made a double batch (half butter and half margarine, btw) and the yield was 8 dozen.
• I'd definitely makes these again.

Potato Chip Cookies

3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) flour
1 1/2 ounces potato chips, crushed fine (1/2 c)
1/4 c pecans, toasted and chopped fine
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbls butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, potato chips, pecans, and salt in bowl.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.  Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture in three additions.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and space 3 inches apart on baking sheets.  Flatten dough balls to 1/4 inch thickness with bottom of floured drinking glass.
3. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are just set and lightly browned on bottom, 10-13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.  Let cookies cool completely on sheets, about 15 minutes.  Serve.  Can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

NOTES:

• This recipe came from the June/July 2012 issue of Cook's Country.
• As expected, they paid way more attention to the details than I would.  For example, after testing a whole bunch of chips, they recommend Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat Potato Chips as the best.  I, on the other hand, used 2 small bags of Lays that have been languishing in my snack drawer forever.  I thought they worked fine.  Heck, there's already 1/2 cup of butter in 24 cookies!  That's more fat per serving than I put on my toast in the morning, so I don't think the chip choice is worth counting.  Also, my cookies held their shape and did not get excessively brown on the edges so I'd probably make the same choice again.
• I did not have pecans and sadly, will not until they're less than $8/lb.  I did have a few cashews though and they worked really well.  I think some kind of nut is an important addition to both flavor and texture in this cookie.
• These were a really good cookie and had that wonderful sweet/salty thing happening.  Yum!

Fantastic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
a double batch...

1 1/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
6 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and shortening and two sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add flour, 2 cups at a time. Add baking soda and salt with last 2 cups. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by large tablespoons (or ice cream scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cookies will seem underdone when first removed, but will set as they cool!

NOTE:  Quite possibly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever made.  Seriously.
Source.http://www.shortstopblog.com/2008/12/christmas-cookie-12-moms-chocolate-chip.html
It also worked well as a deep dish option.

Soul Cakes

Traditional All Souls Day food. These cookies aren't over-sweet and stay moist for days!

1 cup butter

3 3/4 c. sifted flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp allspice

2 eggs

2 tsp cider vinegar

4-6 tbsp milk

(optional) powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut butter into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives
3. Blend in the sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice; beat eggs, vinegar, and milk together.
4. Mix with the flour mixture until a stiff dough is formed.
5. Knead thoroughly and roll out to 1/4" thick
6. Cut into 3-inch rounds (I used a glass instead of a cookie/biscuit cutter) and place on greased baking sheets. Prick with a fork (in the shape of a cross, if you're doing this for a feast) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. (Optional) Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar while still warm.

Snickerdoodles

(From my recipe box)

1/2 c butter

1/2 c shortening

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

• Mix butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs.
• Blend in flour, cr. of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape into balls.
• Mix 2 tbls sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon together and roll the balls in this.
• Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Fresh cookies

It worked! Last time I made cookie dough I immediately put half of it in the freezer and only baked a reasonable number of cookies for three people. I just pulled it out (maybe 4-6 weeks later) and it baked up just like new.

Not only are we not tempted to overeat, but we get fresh cookies twice with only one mess.

(And if anyone knows of a good product to clean aluminum pans, looks like I could use it.)

No-Roll Sugar Cookies

1 c sugar

1 c butter (or margarine, or combination)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

Cream sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add everything else, mixing well after each addition.

Form into walnut-sized balls. Place on greased cookie sheet (or parchment) and flatten each with the bottom of a sugared glass.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: about 3 dozen

These are the Valentine cookies I bake when I don't have time for cut-out cookies.

Source: "Life Saver" Cookbook (Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers series)

Nog Logs

Cream together:
1 c butter/margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum flavoring

Add and mix:
3/4 c sugar
1 egg

Sift together and add:
1/4 tsp salt
3 c flour
1 tsp nutmeg
Frosting:
1/3 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cream
2 tsp rum
2 c powdered sugar

Shape into rolls, 1/2" diameter.
Cut into 3" lengths.
Ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12-15 min.

Cool.
Frost (best to use cake
decorating tube).

Sprinkle with nutmeg.

SOURCE: Dawn Pfitzer

Pizzelle

6 eggs

3 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c margarine, melted (do not substitute oil)

4 tsp baking powder

2 tbls anise extract (1 fl oz bottle)

Beat eggs, add sugar gradually. Beat until smooth.

Add cooled margarine and anise.

Sift flour and baking powder. Blend into egg mixture until smooth. Dough will be sticky enough to be dropped by spoon.

Bake in pizzelle maker. Makes approximately 60. "Can use vanilla instead of anise, but I've never tried it."

SOURCE: Jan Antinozzi (who was also gracious enough to lend her pizzelle iron)