Cookies Cookies Cookies

Here are three excellent cookie recipes, all very different. What would the holidays be without sweet offerings?

Brandy Ball Cookies

3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts are on special this week)
1/2 cup brandy (doesn't need to be the finest Cognac, either)
3 tablespoons white corn syrup
Crush vanilla wafers and mix with powdered sugar.
Add corn syrup and brandy. Mix thoroughly then add chopped nuts.
Roll into small balls. Store in an airtight container for a week or longer.

Old Time Sugar Cookies

/2 cup Crisco (get the new one without trans fats)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/2 t. cinnamon or nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 T orange juice
1 T. lemon juice
2 cups sifted four
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Blend Crisco, salt, lemon rind and cinnamon. Add sugar gradually and cream well.
Add eggs and orange and lemon juice and mix.
Sift flour with baking powder and soda. Add to creamed mixture blending well.
Chill dough in refrigerator. Chill cookie sheets to keep cookies from spreading.
Roll thin and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake in a moderate oven from 350 to 375 degrees F. for ten minutes.
Watch carefully and don't get too brown.
Don't roll out too much dough at a time.
Makes about 8 dozen.


Chocolate Chunk cookies with Pecans,
Dried Apricots & Tart Cherries

2 1/2 cups floor
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
9 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup quartered dried apricots
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each, and beat in flour mixture until just combined.

Chop chocolate into 1/2 inch pieces and stir into batter w/ apricots, cherries and pecans. Working in batches, drop dough by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway thru baking.
About 12 minutes total baking time, or until golden.
Cool cookies on baking sheets on racks for 5 minutes and transfer with a spatula to racks to cool.

Cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature 5 days. Makes about 34 cookies.