Hellooooo Friends....Eileen's posting about her baking sparked an idea....I thought it would be fun if we shared some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes with our BT family....I was also trying to think if there was a way we could actually send each other some cookies....like a "pick a name, send some cookies" thing....let me know what you think of that? But in the meantime, let me be the first to share a recipe from my Scottish grandmother...a delicious cookie that people love or hate and has been a tradition in my Mom's family for generations....

Shortbread

4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 sticks (unsalted) sweet butter (softened)
1 pinch salt
1 egg

Cream butter and sugar and then add egg. Add salt to flour and sift. Slowly work flour into butter/sugar mixture. Kneed. Shape into pan. Use fork to score edges and poke small holes all over surface. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Cut while still warm into small rectangles or squares. Cool in pan.

Get in car
Drive to Stop N Shop
Walk to Cookies and crap
Grab Cookies.
Walk to check out
Pay
Walk back to car
Open cookies start eating.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1.5 CUPS SIFTED ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
.5 tsp. SODA
1 tsp. SALT
.25 tsp. CINNAMON
1.5 CUPS QUICK-COOK OATS
1 EGG SLIGHTLY BEATEN
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR – FIRMLY PACKED
.5 CUP OIL
.5 CUP MILK
1 tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT
1 CUP SEEDLESS RAISINS

MIX FLOUR, SODA, SALT & CINNAMON. STIR IN OATS.
COMBINE OTHER INGREDIENTS IN SEPARATE BOWL.
ADD TO FLOUR MIXTURE & MIX THROUGHLY.

DROP BY TABLE SPOON FULL
375 DEGREES / 15-18 MINUTES

That's a BIG package of cookies!!

Thanks Linda, I love oatmeal cookies and have been looking for a new recipe to try!

I want the Baklava recipe, Eileen!

I'm not really into sweets, but Larry is. But I do make these at Christmas, they're called "Martha Washingtons':

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1 can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 cups flaked coconut
* 1 stick butter or margarine, melted (4 ounces)
* 3 cups chopped pecans
* Dipping Chocolate (below), melted

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together, shape into balls, then chill until hard. Dip chilled balls in dipping chocolate and let cool.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Dipping Chocolate
Use melted chocolate almond bark or purchased dipping chocolate, or the mixture below

* 1 cake paraffin wax
* 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Melt wax and milk chocolate chips together in double boiler. Dip candy in mixture then cool.

Personally, I stick a toothpick in them to make them easier to eat.

Here's a pic of the finished product, with a whole pecan stuck on top. YUM!

Kathy,.......... nope can't say it. Nevermind.

Jerry, that one is all yours. Oh yeah buddy, YA FORGOTS THA MILK!!!

Yeah, OK, they're christmas balls, not exactly cookies.

But they're GOOD. Just don't eat more than...two. lol

Baklava
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo
dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. One can add a little lemon zest to this. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Pfeffernusse

4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups honey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup powdered/icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp water

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, spices and set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt honey and butter. Cool to lukewarm, then beat in the eggs; gradually stir in flour mixture. Refridgerate dough for 1/2 hour.

After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350F. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake 15 min. Cool completely on wire racks.

Mix together powdered sugar, vanilla and up to full quantity of water as needed to form a thin glaze. Using small tongs or a slotted spoon, dip the cookies in the glase and place on wire rack to dry.

*I used white pepper not black pepper.

Thanks Kathy and Eileen!!

I am with Jerry. Go to Super Fresh, walk down aisle 4, grab a bag of Chips Ahoy, come home, open bag, eat half of them, put the rest on a tray, act like I made them.