Cream until smooth:
¾ pound butter (3 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
Add and mix well:
2 egg yolks
Blend in one-half cup at a time:
3½ cups flour
Form into balls the size of walnuts and place closely on a lightly greased or parchment covered cookie sheet. Flatten in the center with thumb and fill center with:
Apricot preserves, red currant or other jelly of your choice. Do not fill (or mound) jelly above top of thumbprint or jelly might run over.
Bake at 350º for about 9 min. or until edges are lightly browned.
Optional: Drizzle cookies with icing:
Mix:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half-and-half or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put in a plastic zip bag and cut off just the tip of one corner to drizzle the icing on the cookies. Let icing set.
These cookies keep well up to eight weeks in an airtight container.
Recipe is from Carol Hockaday, with modifications from Edna and Theresa Steinbruegge.
SECOND PRIZE: GRETCHEN FARRELL’S BUCKEYE BLISS COOKIES
Makes approximately 36 cookies
For the cookies:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
For the garnish:
3/4 cups chopped peanuts
36 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped and frozen
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Unwrap and freeze all mini peanut butter cups for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate. Melt either in microwave or on a stove top until smooth and completely melted. Cool slightly. Combine sugar and butter (or shortening) in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until blended and crumbly. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add salt and vanilla. Reduce mixer to low speed. Add chocolate slowly. Mix until well blended. Stir in flour and baking soda with a spoon until blended completely.
Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll the balls in chopped peanuts. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately, after you take the cookies out of the oven, press a frozen mini peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Cool completely.
Melt the peanut butter chips and drizzle back and forth over the cookies using plastic bag with corner snipped off or an icing bag. Repeat with melted chocolate chips, drizzling in the opposite direction.
Recipe by Maria Baldwin of Mesa, Ariz., and adapted by “Richard in Cincy” from Gail’s recipe swap at epicurious.com.
THIRD PRIZE: LAURA HABER’S PECAN TARTS
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 3-ounce package of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 4-ounce stick of unsalted butter (room temperature)
Mix these 4 ingredients together (I have done this by hand or used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) and form into 24 balls. Press each one by hand into a tart pan.
Filling:
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans
Mix all together well and place 1 teaspoon into each of the crusts in the tart pan.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool 5 minutes before taking out of the pans.
Makes 2 dozen.
HONORABLE MENTION: SHEILA EARLEY'S MINT CHOCOLATE BARS
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup softened margarine
4 eggs
A ½ cups (16 ounces) Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
Mix in a large bowl until smooth, grease a 13- by 9-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched. The top may appear wet, but don’t overbake. Cool completely. Spread Mint Cream layer on cake layer (recipe below). Then spread Chocolate Topping over Mint Cream layer (recipe below).
Mint Cream:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup margarine
½ teaspoon mint extract
1 tablespoon water
3 drops green food coloring
Beat until smooth.
Chocolate Topping:
6 tablespoons margarine
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or mint chocolate chips.
Melt in microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minutes until smooth. Spread over mint cream layer and chill.
HONORABLE MENTION: LINDSEY POSEY'S MERRY MAPLE PIGGIES
Cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package bacon
Icing:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon maple flavoring
Prepare bacon according to package directions; cook until crispy. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar. Lightly beat eggs and add to mixture, then stir in vanilla and maple flavoring. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir into the batter. Pulse bacon in a food processor (or crumble). Add bacon to batter; stir until just combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Leave several inches between cookies as they will spread. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. While cookies are cooling, cream together cream cheese and butter. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and maple flavor. Spread on cooled cookies.
HONORABLE MENTION: ANN ELIZABETH STOFF'S PEANUT BUTTER BARS
1 cup melted butter
3 1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 ½ cup Skippy Peanut Butter
1 ½ cup Honey Maid Graham Cracker crumbs
12 ounces Nestle’ Tool House Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels
Combine melted butter and peanut butter, mixing well. Add graham cracker crumbs, mixing well and then add confectioner’s sugar. Press mixture into a Reynolds Non-stick Foil-lined 9-inch by 13-inch Baking Pan. Melt chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and spread over peanut butter mixture. Wait for about 2 to 3 hours after spreading chocolate on mixture, then cut into bars before chocolate cooks completely. Again, wait several hours before you lift foil from baking pan and recut bars, remove from foil and place in Ziploc freezer bags or plastic containers. You may freeze the bars over several months.
HONORABLE MENTION: JENNY WARNER'S CRANBERRY & ORANGE WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
21 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
1 ½ cups dried cranberries, chopped
1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cranberry juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
Water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or no-stick spray (i.e., Pam). In mixing bowl, beat softened butter until lightened. Add brown sugar and orange zest and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes longer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in the pecans, cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Drop dough onto the prepared pans by heaping teaspoons. Bake for 8-11 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets after 2 minutes and cool.
For the icing, in a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cranberry juice, vanilla and 2-3 teaspoons of water for a slightly runny icing. Using a spoon, drizzle icing back and forth over the cookies. Let stand until icing completely sets, about 1 hour.
HONORABLE MENTION: BRITT PLATT'S CHOCOLATE CARAMEL OAT BARS
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups quick oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 package (12-14 ounces) caramels
5 tablespoons milk
1 cup chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla and mix well. Set 1 cup of mixture aside. Press remaining mixture into a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Stir caramels and milk in a medium-size saucepan over low heat until caramels are melted. Cool slightly and pour over baked crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and top with remaining crumb mixture. Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool before cutting.
HONORABLE MENTION: JEAN SCHANEY'S EVERYTHING COOKIES
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 ½ granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 whole eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 box (14-ounces) oats and honey granola
½ cup quick oats
1 5-ounce bag cherry-flavored “craisins”
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and eggs. Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add in the granola and oats. Fold in the craisins, walnuts and raisins. With a cookie scoop, drop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake 12 to 14 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.
HONORABLE MENTION: JENNY WENTZEL'S ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Additional sugar for dipping
Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 teaspoons water
Green and red food coloring
Toasted sliced almonds, if desired
Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Mix in the almond extract. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mix. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Coat the bottom of a glass with nonstick cooking spray and dip in sugar. Flatten cookie balls. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 8 minutes or until edges turn light brown. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet before removing to wire cooling racks. In a small bowl, mix the confectioner’s sugar, almond extract and enough water to get to a glaze consistency. Tint with food coloring i9f desired. Drizzle over cookies and top with almonds, if desired.
HONORABLE MENTION: KAREN HUELSMAN'S EASY SOUR CREAM COOKIES
Sift and set aside:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Cream at medium speed until light and fluffy:
1 cup butter
1 ½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
Add to creamed mixture and beat at low speed until mixed:
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix creamed and dry ingredients together at low speed until thoroughly mixed. Makes balls approximately tablespoon-size, using a small ice cream scoop and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes.
Icing:
16 ounces powdered sugar
¼ cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. When cookies have cooled, add the icing.
HONORABLE MENTION: JOYCE MATLOCK'S PUMPKIN COOKIES
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing:
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons milk
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl cream together butter, egg and sugar. Then add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and mix together. Then add pumpkin and vanilla. Stir until all mixed together. Drop cookie dough by the teaspoon onto a well greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove and place on cookie rack to cool.
Icing:
In a small pan on medium heat, add butter, milk and brown sugar. Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Turn off and let it cool down for a few minutes. Then add powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir until mixed together. This will be thin at first but will thicken. Take the cooled cookies and dip top of cookie in icing right in the pan. Place cookie back on cookie ract until you have dipped the tops of all the cookies.