<p>abasket – I’m trying to envision the home where those brownies could possibly stick around until Christmas, because that certainly wouldn’t be the case at our house!</p>
<p>Went out this afternoon and bought all the makings for several kinds of cookies/treats for Christmas, so they’re on the shelf and ready to use…but I’ll probably wait about ten days just to minimize the damage.</p>
<p>I will cut and freeze them as soon as they are cool. Ok, just one taste. 
I too bought some supplies today so when I find some spare time, I can whip a batch out. I do better doing them one at a time rather than a whole day of cookie baking!</p>
<p>In our house it’s not so much, “Can the cookies/brownies last until Christmas” but “Can the cookies/brownies last until they cool down.”</p>
<p>Another kudos for the caramel nut brownies - when they cooled and I cut them up , they cut very nicely. They are quite rich so I cut them in very small pieces - I think I got somewhere around 3 dozen pieces out of one batch. (Most of my family would rather have 3 small cookies rather than 1 big one). </p>
<p>I like making “bar cookies” over regular ones sometimes. Just seems like a quicker option and I DEFINITELY like quicker! The other bar cookie I always make is Lemon Bars - and I fully admit, I made them because I like to eat them!!</p>
<p>VAMom2015 - I saw the mincemeat in the old box with the recipe at King’s today in the baking section. We really like mincemeat, too!</p>
<p>Yesterday’s Wapo had recipes for 25 cookies, including a mincemeat variation. Most of the cookies were old favorites with “different” spices and flavorings in them.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine a mincemeat cookie.</p>
<p>^^^Ohh, mincemeat cookies!!! Love them. Or as we always called them micemeat cookies. My mom’s had an oatmeal brownsugar crust on top and bottom with a nice layer of mincemeat in the middle.</p>
<p>arabrab
this is the chocolate spritz recipe I’ve used for years. They are pretty fudgy. I usually double the recipe because they go fast around our house!</p>
<p>2c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter
1c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted</p>
<p>350 degree oven, preheated</p>
<p>Mix flour and salt. Cream butter in mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Blend in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients gradually and mix well. Use cookie press to form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 9 minutes, until they look set.</p>
<p>Well, I didn’t read all the pages, but our favorites are spritz, roll-out decorated sugar cookies (using recipe from my grandmother), and peanut butter balls that I dole out to 6 people at 2/day because they are so good and we want them to last. I grew up with Russian teacakes, thumbprint with raspberry preserves filling, and almond bars. I can remember my mother making batches of dough and baking for weeks. I carry on the tradition of decorating sugar cookies with my own kids the weekend before Christmas.</p>
<p>EZ - NO Bake - Attractive Looking!!</p>
<p>Fruit Loop Candy!</p>
<p>Ingredients</p>
<p>2 c. skinny stick style pretzels
2 c. Cocktail Peanuts
2 c. Fruit Loops
1 3/4 lb. White Chocolate chips</p>
<p>Preparation</p>
<p>Melt white chocolate chips over water in double boiler .</p>
<p>Add remaining ingredients and stir til all is covered in melted choc. </p>
<p>Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper…let set</p>
<p>Store in air tight container!</p>
<p>(After adding fruit loops, nuts, and pretzels, if the mixture looks like it needs a bit more “stuff”…throw in a bit more fruit loops, nuts and/or pretzels.)</p>
<p>Thanks, NY Dancemom!</p>
<p>zoosermom,</p>
<p>consider this a gentle reminder for the chocolate malt cookie recipe…</p>
<p>abasket, did you use parchment paper in the pan when making caramel nut brownies, makes a huge difference when cutting them. Glad to hear you like them, we also cut them in small sizes.
Could you share that Lemon bar recipe you like to make?</p>
<p>this is another staple No-Bake we make…it’s nice to have some “No-bake” cookies being made while the oven is being used for baking other recipes…</p>
<p>Missouri Cookies</p>
<p>2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. butter or real margarine (don’t use any of those “heart smart” or similar versions)
1/2 c. milk
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal (uncooked)</p>
<p>Mix sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and salt in a saucepan. </p>
<p>Bring to a rolling boil and continue cooking for 1 - 2 minutes. </p>
<p>Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oatmeal. </p>
<p>Mix well, drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper. Let cool and set. Store air tight.</p>
<p>these are sooo good…and some like them better if served cold from fridge…but not necessary.</p>
<p>The WSJ (!!!) has recipes today for three versions of cookies made in Springerle molds – each sounds like a very adult recipe. The cookies look gorgeous, but I don’t have molds like that. I may try them in a future year. Recipes include:
<p>Yes, I definitely used parchment paper when baking the brownies - I baked them in the evening and didn’t cut them until I came home from work the next day (I covered them with foil in the morning). Simply lifted the parchment/brownies out of the pan and the parchment peeled down easily from the side - they cut perfectly!</p>
<p>For the lemon bars, this is the BASE recipe I use, but (IMPORTANT!!!) due the adjustments as “GOURMETMOMMY” notes in the first review under the recipe - her changes make the recipe MUCH MUCH better!!!</p>
<p>[Bake</a> Sale Lemon Bars Recipe - Allrecipes.com](<a href=“http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bake-sale-lemon-bars/detail.aspx]Bake”>http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bake-sale-lemon-bars/detail.aspx)</p>
<p>The adjustment makes the bars more tart and less sweet. Winner. :)</p>
<p>Our family has been making this recipe for many decades. :)</p>
<p>These freeze very well in air tight containers.</p>
<p>The cream cheese and the orange zest/rind make the difference (we think)</p>
<p>Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies</p>
<p>1 cup shortening (Crisco)
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened (not low fat version)
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk (large egg)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel/zest (not pith!) Some people use lemon; I like the orange.</p>
<p>Desired food coloring, decorator candies and colored sugar, optional</p>
<p>Directions</p>
<p>With a mixer, cream the shortening, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. </p>
<p>Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. </p>
<p>Combine the flour, salt and cinnamon; </p>
<p>Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Do not overmix!</p>
<p>Stir in orange peel. </p>
<p>Add food coloring if desired. </p>
<p>Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 1 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. </p>
<p>Decorate if desired. </p>
<p>Bake at 350° for 9-12 minutes or until set (do not brown). </p>
<p>Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 9 dozen.</p>
<p>(some people bake these at 325 degrees…so it depends on your oven. )</p>
<p>Oh goodie, I have a springerle mold but I have never made cookies…the WSJ ones look yummy.</p>
<p>Momofthreeboys – would you report back on the WSJ recipes if you make any of them?</p>
<p>I agree, the cookies in the WSJ are gorgeous. Links are included to purchase the molds.</p>