foster cookies: Holiday Basket Recipes

It has been recommended that the cookie baskets need some sort of "key" or a chart telling people what kind are in them. Well, this is the next best thing. This also provides you with a recipe for each kind of cookie if you want to make them yourselves :)

Dipped Cherry Cookies

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 C sugar

1 C butter (room temperature)

1/2 C chopped maraschino cherries (drained) --- get the ones without the stems

2/3 C white baking chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 t almond extract

1 package vanilla candy coating

In a large bowl cobine the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, white chocolate, and almond extract until you have a ball of dough.
Shape into balls (about 3/4 to 1 inch) and place onto parchment lined baking shets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in sugar and bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Melt the candy coating and dip the top 1/2 of each cookie into the candy coating. Place on waxed paper to cool.

(As a bonus, whatever is left with the candy coating you can use to dip pretzels -- delicious!)

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C butter flavored shortening

2 C sugar

1 egg

1 t rum extract

1/2 C evaporated milk

1/2 C French vanilla nondairy creamer

5 1/2 C flour

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

1/2 t nutmeg

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg and rum extract. Add the salt and baking soda and mix well. In a separate measuring cup mix together the evaporated milk and creamer. Add to the mixture alternately with the flour.
Combine the nutmeg with 1/3 C sugar. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the nutmeg mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped into the nutmeg/suguar mixture.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
For the icing combine 1 C powdered sugar with 5 to 6 teaspoons of creamer and spread onto cooled cookies

Marbled Chocolate Peanut Cookies
PEANUT BUTTER DOUGH
1 C butter
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C chopped peanuts

Cream peanut butter, butter and sugars.   Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.   Add baking soda and salt and mix well.    Mix in flour.    Stir in chopped peanuts.   Set this mixture aside.

CHOCOLATE DOUGH
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
3/4 C sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C baking cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 oz. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars and then beat in vanilla and eggs.   Mix in baking soda and salt.   Mix in cocoa and then flour.   Stir in chocolate chips.

In a very large bowl add 1/3 peanut butter dough and then 1/3 chocolate dough. Repeat this with the remaining dough layering the doughs in the bowl and then fold them gently together so that the dough is slightly marbled.   Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Butter Pecan Cookies

1 C butter softened

1 C brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 t vanilla extract

2 C flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt

1 egg white

2 C chopped pecans

2 T butter

1 C pecan halves

Cream butter and brown sugar. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Mix in baking powder and salt and then mix in flour. Refridgerate for an hour or two so that you can roll dough into balls.

In the meantime take 2 cups of chopped pecans with the 2 T butter and place in the oven at 325 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes (stir every 2 minutes or so). Set aside to cool. Beat egg white until foamy.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in toasted and chopped pecans pressing the pecans into the cookie dough balls. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dip a pecan half into egg white and press into the cookie dough ball. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 C butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 T water
2 C semisweet cholocate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 packages Andes mints

Microwave butter, brown sugar, water and chocolate chips until the butter and chocolate chips are completely melted. Cool for a few minutes.
Place chocolate mixutre into a mixing bowl and beat in eggs. Mix in baking soda and salt and then mix in the flour. Refridgerate the dough for a couple of hours until you can roll it into balls.
Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in size. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Break each mint into two pieces. As soon as your remove cookies from the oven place a mint piece on top of each cookie. Once mint begins to melt spread over the top of the cookie with a knife. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Cranberry Lemon Sandwich Cookies
COOKIES
1 C margarine, softened
1 C butter flavored shortening
1 C sugar
1 C powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
4 C flour
1 t cream of tartar

1 t lemon extract

1/2 t salt

1 C dried cranberries

Cream margarine, shortening, and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, cream of tartar and salt. Mix in flour. Stir in dried cranberries.
Refridgerate dough for a couple of hours or unti it is easy to handle.
Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto parchment lined paper. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in sugar and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Cool on wire racks

FILLING

2/3 C margarine

2 3/4 C powdered sugar

1/4 C milk

1 t lemon extract

Combine filling ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread on bottom half of cookies and top with the remaining cookies.

And for good measure and your entertainment, a few pictures from the cookie making ....