Kick off the Christmas season with these cookie recipes

Cookies have become a very important part of Christmas treats and meal planning. Just look at the magazine covers at the stores with the brightly decorated cookies. Page after page and book after book of cookies.

In thinking about Christmas gatherings and gifts to be given in the weeks ahead, I have pulled out my Christmas cookie file and found a few to share with you. All of these are cookie recipes I make, and we enjoy. Each family member has their own favorites, so you just have to make some for everyone.

Maybe one or more of these recipes will be enjoyed around your holiday meal or maybe even left for Santa.

Jelly Jewel Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 small jar seedless red raspberry jelly

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, add well beaten egg yolk, and stir in flour. Chill dough. Pinch off small pieces and roll into small balls, dip in slightly beaten egg white, then into chopped pecans. Bake in 360 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove; make an indentation or depression in center, then return to oven for 4 to 6 minutes. Cool, and then fill top indention with seedless red raspberry jelly. Makes 2 dozen 1 *½-inch diameter cookies.

Best-Ever Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder

Cream together shortening and sugar together until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add cream and mix well. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour sifted with baking powder and salt and mix well. Chill mixture about 30 minutes. Roll dough, small amounts at a time, on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer cut out cookies with a thin metal spatula onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, depending on size of cookie. Don't allow them to get brown at all. When they puff up and start to fall, take them out. Cool on racks and decorate as desired.

You can sprinkle colored sugar on these before they are baked and when they come out of the oven, they are done. You can also bake ahead and freeze these and when you need a platter of cookies, just pull them out, decorate them and you are finished.

You can decorate using colored butter cream frosting or with a powdered sugar glaze.

Caramel and Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Caramel bits give these cookies great flavor and chewy texture. Most all supermarkets carry them, and they're widely available online by searching for Kraft Caramel Bits. Take care to follow recipe directions when baking: caramel bits melt quickly.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 (11-ounce package) caramel baking bits
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• Coarse sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, the baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour. Stir in oats, caramel baking bits and pecans.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 1 *½ -inch mounds of dough 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake in a 350 oven for 11 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light brown. The centers will look undercooked. Cool on cookie sheets for 3 to 4 minutes or until cookies can be easily removed. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Yield: about 48 cookies.

Pecan Dream Bars

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Topping:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup Heath Bits O' Brickle Toffee Bits, or more, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan.

Stir together confectioners sugar and flour in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut cream cheese and butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Press mixture into prepared pan, distributing evenly. Pour nuts over mixture and press into dough. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

For topping, whip cream and granulated sugar together with a hand-held electric mixer until stiff; fold in almond toffee bits. Spread over cake. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

Skillet Cookies

• Coconut
• 1 stick butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 pound finely chopped dates
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups crispy rice cereal

Cook butter, sugar, egg yolks and dates together in a skillet over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool, add pecans, vanilla and cereal. Mix well; form into soft balls and immediately roll into coconut.

Pineapple Cookies

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 (8-3/4 ounce) can crushed pineapple, do not drain
• 3 *½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix shortening, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in pineapple. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Mix into nuts. Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2-inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched lightly.

To make these Pineapple Coconut cookies, make recipe as above, but omit nutmeg and add 1 cup flaked coconut.

To make Pineapple Raisin Cookies, make recipe as above, and add 1 cup raisins.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Shortbread

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits.

Using your hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, pressing down lightly on each one with a moistened palm. Bake until cookies are firm and just golden around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Do not overbake. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Additional coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies, divided
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons milk (optional)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels, melted (optional)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup crushed peppermint and 6 tablespoons sugar. Let cool 30 minutes. Add eggs to melted chocolate, 1 at a time, stirring well. Stir in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate morsels. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until firm enough to shape.

Shape dough into 1 *½ -inch balls; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked on top. Sprinkle coarsely crushed peppermints onto cookies; press candy lightly into cookies. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk together powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over cooled cookies, if desired. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Sprinkle cookies again with chopped peppermint, if desired. Let cookies stand until glaze and chocolate are firm.

Orange Balls

• 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, a 12-ounce box
• *½ stick butter, melted
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 cup very finely ground pecans

Mix all together well. Roll balls in powdered sugar. After the sugar has been absorbed, roll in powdered sugar again. Store in airtight container if they last long anough! Yield about 4 dozen.

Snowballs

• *¼ cup butter
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 5 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is very syrupy. Remove from heat. Add rice cereal; stir until well coated. With buttered fingers, shape into 24 balls about 2-inches in diameter. Roll in coconut. Let stand until cool. Yield: 24 Snowballs.

To store Snowballs in the freezer, wrap tightly or place in airtight container.

To make Peppermint Snowballs: Add 1/2 cup crushed hard peppermint candy with the cereal.

White House Cookies

• 1 cup real butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add oil, egg and vanilla; mix well. Mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir well or beat with electric mixer. Add crisp rice cereal, coconut, oats and pecans, stirring in by hand until well mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on slightly-greased cookie sheets, or parchment lined sheets, leaving some space between. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 11 minutes, until done but not dark brown, just barely light brown.

This is a large recipe and makes a large batch of cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving, and, until next time, happy cooking.