Not baking this year, but my favorite cookie is rugelach. It has a buttery yeast dough that is rolled out and cut into wedges. A filling made with walnuts, sugar and egg whites is dropped onto each wedge which is rolled into a small croissant shape and baked. They are light in texture but rich in flavor. Another favorite is oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries instead of raisins.

Good timing! I finally got some of my baking done today.

I made shortbread, ting-a-lings (melted chocolate chips with rice krispies, coconut, peanuts and raisins/cranberries) and a gluten free shortbread made with almond flour. I've tried gluten free cookies before as my future DIL is Celiac but they were always an epic fail but these ones turned out really well. I'm thrilled with how they taste and look.

Tomorrow I'll use the same base but add orange zest and chopped almonds. And I'm making mocha balls. The only thing that isn't gluten free is my own shortbread.

I will probably do my orange cranberry oatmeal cookies and something else, probably my sesame thumbprints. Bon Appetit has an interesting cookie on the cover - a chocolate dipped mint cookie, but that might be too ambitious at this point.

Kipferle are the only just a Christmas cookies I make; and I love them dearly. Baked many batches today.

Chocolate chip and persimmon - made the dough for both, divided into cookie sized pieces and froze the dough. When I need cookies, I will bake a few at a time and serve them warm out of the oven. Neighbor coming over for lunch on Friday; she'll be the first to benefit, unless hubby counts. The way he's been going, it's a good thing I'm baking just a few at a time!

I won't be baking cookies till the so and grandsons are expected--otherwise, I would eat too many. I plan to try a few new cookies as well as son's favorite, Spritz. Grandson loves maraschino cherries, and I found a recipe using them. Also plan to try Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies for our Texas grandsons and to see if we prefer them to Ranger cookies.

I don't have plans to bake cookies, but if I should, I will probably bake the white chocolate macadamia cookies that I have in a container in my fridge. I bought from Alyssa when her class was selling things this year. I have way too many other things to fix for Christmas.

Sue

I will make decorated sugar cookies and molasses chews. Waiting til the 21st when daughter will be in town so we can play together. She also wants to make fudge because she says she can’t get it to set up in west Texas. Truth?

Dawn, can you please share the chocolate chip and persimmon recipe? DH loves persimmons and I have wanted to try baking with them. Does the flavor come through?

In the freezer I have chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies ready to be baked. Baked, I have spritz, and pistachio raspberry thumbprints. Today I am going to make pecan bars, kipplin and chocolate caramel kiss thumbprints. I like all cookies and am happy to say I've used my will power and not eaten any. Not cookies, but also have coconut cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes in the freezer.

We started over Thanksgiving while the girls were home. Gingerbread and dipped pretzels. They will bring toffee and Mexican wedding cakes when they return for Christmas next weekend. Mean while I made date filled cookies, peanut butter cups, fudge, heart fudge sandwich cookies and black and white stars and finally pecan pie tarts. I skipped the caramel corn this year but did make the almond popcorn and two savory snack mixes oyster crackers and chex mix. The larger if FULL and I am going to have to start cleaning the house. I would rather be baking!!

Numerous names for these, but recipe the same. Christmas, we called them noels, Easter crescent cookies cause we shaped them like crescents, Mexican wedding cookies.

Cheese puffs mixture has been mixed, in refrigerator, and ready to bake early next week. Always a favorite. Best to let them "ripen" couple days after baking before serving. Also known as cheese straws, but mine are round.

Been lucky to have a friend bring me an assorted tray of cookies, her son always prepares at Christmas. I am a more than happy recipient as my baking days are almost over.

Chi, just to clarify, I meant that I had made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and a batch of persimmon cookies. I should have worded that better. But, I see no reason why a person couldn't add chocolate chips to the persimmon cookie dough.

I'd be happy to share the persimmon cookie recipe. I like these because they aren't super sweet which allows the flavors of persimmon and cinnamon to come thru. I'm going to be outside working most of the day (starting now), but I will post it later when I am back inside.

Ooh, Glenda, would you share your cheese puff recipe, please?

cheese puffs

READY IN: 25mins

YIELD: 6 dozen

UNITS: US

INGREDIENTS

• 2

  cups cheddar cheese, grated

• 1⁄2

  cup butter, softened

• 1⁄4

  teaspoon paprika

• 1

  cup sifted flour

• 1⁄8

  teaspoon salt

^^^^^^ 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper We like it with a little bit of a kick.

DIRECTIONs

• Soften cheese and work all ingredients together with hands, and roll into balls the size of marbles.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. I put mine on parchment paper.
• Makes 6 dozen.
• Note: These can be frozen for months.
• To freeze: place on cookie sheet, freeze then store in plastic bag.
• Bake when needed. Bake several days ahead of time to let them "ripen" before serving.

That sounds great, Dawn, thanks. Even better since DH isn't a huge chocolate fan.

Blfenton, would you please share your recipe for ting-a-lings? They sound so good! Thank you!

OOOOO, I wold like Chi's thumbprint cookies.

It all sounds so delicious! I am making chocolate peppermint biscotti, cinnamon biscotti, and white chocolate chip oatmeal cherry cookies today. Tomorrow is chocolate crinkles and magic bars with my teen nieces. Will also make some jam thumbprint cookies that are drizzled with almond flavored icing. Plan to use homemade raspberry jam in my cookies - so delicious with the almond extract in the icing drizzle.

glenda Snowball cookies is what we call them too!! I didn't learn their 'proper' name until adulthood and passed the same habit on to my own offspring!!

@phoggie, here you go

Ting-a-lings

1 cup chocolate chips (best quality you can buy)

1 cup corn flakes (to make them gluten free I use rice krispies)

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup peanuts

1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries

Melt the chocolate chips (I double the recipe and find a double boiler is easiest to use with that many) then add all the rest of the ingredients. mixing with a wide spatula. Amounts don't have to be exact.

Line a cookie sheet or rimmed pan with parchment paper and drop by spoonfuls. Put into fridge to harden and then put into containers.

They are messy to work with but oh so good. You can buy gluten free corn flakes but they are pricey.

I will be making a new one this year. It's "Italian Ribbon cookies" from the Taste of Home recipe.

Eld, here's the recipe from Ina Garten. It's fabulous and they taste even better the 2nd day. I do all raspberry personally.

Jam Thumbprints

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-1/4 inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/jam-thumbprint-cookies

Love gingersnap cookies. My favorite is from World Market. Nyakers gingersnap cookies So thin and crispy!

I must make Chubby Hubbies every year per SIL! This is Marlen's recipe and so good. Another from the KT is Marilyn's Pecan Meltaways, which is the best of this kind of cookie.

Here you go, Chi:

Persimmon Cookies

1 C sugar (or 1/2 C white sugar and 1/2 C brown sugar - my change as I like the flavor of brown sugar)

1 egg

1/2 C butter

1 C persimmon pulp (1 - 2 ripe persimmons)

1/2 tsp baking soda (mixed into persimmon pulp)

2 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add persimmon pulp (for pulp, remove tops of persimmons with knife. Cut in half length wise. Use spoon to scoop out flesh. Discard skin and any seeds. Process in blender or food processor. Add baking soda.)

In separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add nuts. Add to wet ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Drop cookie dough by tablespoon full on to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.

Dough may be frozen for future use.

Note: When I make persimmon pulp, I buy several persimmons and make enough pulp for several batches of cookies. It's kind of messy and I figure since I'm making it anyway, might as well make a bunch. I measure the pulp into cup size portions and freeze. Next time I want to make persimmon cookies, I have pulp in the freezer ready to go. No waiting for fall to make these delightful little morsels!

Enjoy!

I made pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies today.

I didn't have time to make cookies today. Picked up a tin of ginger snaps from World Market for a friend today. After reading Glenda's post, going back tomorrow to buy us a tin. They are beautifully packaged.

Glad you like the Pecan Meltaways, Phyllis. They are my favorite cookie. I made a double batch to take to the Rose Rustlers' meeting.

I like a cookie called Black Walnut Drops. The recipe came from one of those Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie magazines that come out every year just before Christmas. It is a meringue cookie, and I like it because it reminds me of divinity, which can be a little difficult here, due to our high humidity. Black walnuts can be a little hard to find, but found some at HEB and bought all they had, and put them in the freezer. Have made them once already and have enough black walnuts to make them 4 more times. I also like a brown sugar pecan meringue. Have a favorite chocolate cookie I plan to make called Mocha Chocolate cookies. They have a little bit of coffee in them, which accentuates the chocolate flavor. I also like whipped shortbread. I don't bake cookies as much as I used to, but for years I collected cookie recipes. They had to be exceptionally good to go in my permanent file.

Thanks Dawn!

So far today I made my raspberry macaroons and chocolate chip-oatmeal-pecan cookies. I have a lot more to do tomorrow!

hallngardenYou can't beat those gingersnaps. They had them on sale, this weekend for $7.50 a tin instead of the $15.00.

I think I probably should not have given in and opened this thread.......

Marilyn can you share the pecan meltaways?

This is a dangerous thread. but thank you for starting this Glenda.

Here's the pecan meltaways. Same as noels/ mexican wedding cookies/crescents

pecan meltaways

mexican wedding cookies

Always make these for Christmas

That isn't the recipe I use, Glenda. It calls for one cup of flour and 1 cup of corn starch. The recipe came from a cookie contest held by Mother Earth Magazine in the 1980's. The Mocha Chocolate cookies are another one that was a winner in the contest. The cookies were called Meltaways and I added pecans and called them Pecan Meltaways. I will see if I can post a link. I am not very good at that using my phone.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/christmas-cookie-recipe-zmaz87ndzgoe

The link worked, but here is the recipe. Just add a cup of chopped pecans.

I have also made the Cherry Walnut Bars listed there, and they are good also.

Meltaways Cookie Recipe

This buttery little cookie has a superb, melt-in-your mouth texture.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar

Sift flour and cornstarch together and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and gradually beat in sugar; beat well. Add salt and vanilla; beat well. Stir in sifted dry ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate 2 or 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape dough into small balls, place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 15-20 minutes. While cookies are still hot, roll them in powdered sugar. Roll again when cool.

This is the recipe for noel's from Alabama Power that I've used since 1990, You can tell it's been used lots.

Noels

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

1 c margarine

2 c flour

Cream together margarine and powdered sugar

add remaining ingredients mix well

shape into small balls and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

partially cool and roll balls in more powdered sugar

Marilyn a cup of cornstarch??? My snowball cookies have no cornstarch.

I wasn't planning to bake cookies this year...but I am invited to a Cookie Exchange party next week, so I will have to bake two kinds of cookies. I will make Pecan Puffs (they look like the powdered-sugar-covered cookies that Glenda posted), and will check over the recipes in this thread to find the second cookie. Thanks!

Arcy....yes. One cup of cornstarch. They look the same as regular snowballs but they are more delicate. When you take them off the cookie sheet, handle them carefully because they can crumble easily. The flavor improves on them after a couple of days...if they last that long.

I finished 9 different types of cookies this weekend. Still have a few more to go! I froze all the dough and will bake fresh on Wednesday for cookie baskets.

KT is blessed with great cooks. Thanks for all the recipes!

We've been making pfeffernüsse. The kids are making the traditional coin-sized rounds, but I'm getting lazy--I bake the logs without slicing them, and call the results 'reindeer tongues'. They fit very well in stockings.

I also made a double batch of Russian teacakes (same recipe as Glenda's pecan meltaways, but my cookbook calls them Russian teacakes, and so did my mother when I was child). They are my niece's favorite, but she had to cancel out on a visit planned for this past week-end. Guess who is eating the teacakes ... me. They are melt-in-your-mouth good, so I might have to make another batch, or two, before Christmas. ETA, I was also lazy with that recipe--I rolled out the dough 1 inch thick and used my pizza wheel to cut in 1 inch square pieces. After baking, I blasted them with my powdered sugar shaker, once while they were warm, and again after they cooled.

Been thinking about the old fashion teacakes that we had when I was a child. Found a recipe on food network for easy tea cake recipe. Knew ours were made with ingredients that we always in our farmhouse. Milk, sugar and fresh churned butter ,always in kitchen. Going to try this simple recipe.