Kris Davis Hosted 1995

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup Oleo or Butter, softened
3 cups Peanut Butter
1 pkg Graham Cracker Crumbs
3-5 cups Confectioners Sugar
Melted chocolate chips for dipping


Mix the butter and peanut butter well. Add sugar and cracker crumbs. Knead well and chill 30 minutes. Roll into balls then dip into melted chocolate. Place them onto waxed paper. Makes approximately 75 balls.

Betty Jo Esty

Soft Chocolate Chippers

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 pkg chocolate chips (6oz)

Beat shortening til light. Add brown sugar, beat til fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with milk. Beat til smooth. Add chips and stir. Makes 3 dozen. Bake 8-10 minutes on greased cookie sheets at 375.

Suzanne Esty

Chocolate Covered Cherries

60 Maraschino Cherries w/stems
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
1/4 teaspoons Salt
2 cups Confectioners Sugar
1 1/2 lbs Candy-Making Milk Chocolate, cut up

Drain cherries. Combine butter, corn syrup, and salt. Stir in powdered sugar til smooth. Shape 1 teaspoon of sugar mixture around cherry. Place on waxed paper and chill. In a saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat. Hold cherry by stem and dip into chocolate. Spoon chocolate over cherry to coat if not covered. Place on waxed paper. Refrigerate for one to two weeks before serving. Makes 60 chocolate covered cherries.

Sue Esty

Russian Tea Cakes

Cream until fluffy:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

Blend in:
1 tsp. Vanilla

Gently stir in:
2 cups flour

Chill dough several hours. Pinch off and roll into balls. Baked 20 minutes at 325 . Roll in powdered sugar while warm to make a generous white coating. Cool completely on wire racks. Makes over 6 dozen.

Colleen

Mexican Wedding Cake

Cream together:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla (or sub rum or brandy flavor)

Sift together:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. Salt

Option:
add 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

Mix cream mixture and sifted mixture together. Stir in nuts. Chill. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake in 400 oven for 10-12 minutes. While warm, roll into confectioners sugar. Cool and roll in confectioners sugar again.

Carol Bush

Marshmallow Clouds

3 Cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1 Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips
8 oz miniature Marshmallows, frozen

Preheat oven to 400 , Keep the marshmallows in the freezer until you are ready to assemble the cookies just prior to baking, otherwise they will thaw too rapidly.
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside. Combine sugars in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend in butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until combined. Batter will be stiff. Gather 4-5 frozen marshmallows in the palm of your hand and cover them with a heaping tablespoonful of dough. Wrap the dough around the marshmallows, completely encasing them and forming a 2-inch diameter dough ball. Place balls on ungreased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool on pan 2 minutes, then transfer to a cool, flat surface. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Kris Davis

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

3 1/2 Cups unsifted flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 (14 oz) can EAGLE Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla or 2 teaspoons almond or lemon extract
Hard Candies, individually crushed

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. In large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, margarine, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Chill 2 hours. On floured surface, knead dough to form a smooth ball. Divide into thirds. On well-floured surface, foil out each portion to 1/8 inch thickness. Using 3 inch cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. Cut out holes for ?ined glass?? each cookie with small cutters or knife. Place on aluminum foil-lined baking sheets. Fill holes with crushed hard candies. (If planning to hang cookies, make hole in each cookie in dough near edge with straw.) Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until candy has melted. Cool 10 minutes; remove from foil. Makes about 8 dozen.


Sue Irwin

ORANGE CARAMEL SPRITZ COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1 (3-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. Grated orange peel
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
Assorted colored sugar

Preheat oven to 375 . In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy.

Jennifer Martinez

BUTTERSCOTCH HAYSTACKS

1 cup (or half bag) Nestles Butterscotch Flavor Morsels (12 oz)
1/2 cup Creamy Style Peanut Butter
1--(5 oz) can of Chow Mein Noodles

Melt butterscotch in medium saucepan, low heat. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Place Chow Mein Noodles in a large bowl. Stir in the peanut butter/butterscotch mixture. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto waxed paperlined cookie sheets. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 4 dozen.

Kristin Billington

CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES

1 Cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
3 Tablespoons colored sugar, if desired

In large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, salt, almond extract, vanilla and egg yoke. Blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours for easier handling.

Preheat oven to 375 . On lightly floured surface, rollout dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated) Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain or sprinkle colored sugar or, if desired, frost and decorate. Makes 6 dozen (2 inch) cookies.

Debbie Clark

CARAMEL PECAN WAFERS

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 . Grease large baking sheets.

Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in dark brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, and pecans.

Drop dough by teaspoonsfuls, 3 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Dip bottom of a drinking glass in granulated sugar; press down dough into 1/4-inch-thick circles, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake in preheated moderate oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges brown. Cool 1 minute before carefully removing from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen wafers.

Sherry Isenberg