Sweet Recipes for Your Holiday Cookie Swap

By Julie Senger

If you are getting together with a group of your friends, neighbors, fellow churchgoers, or co-workers to do a fun cookie swap this month, Canton Family Life magazine has put together a variety of cookie recipe options to suit everyones taste buds. Below, youll find a filled, shortbread-like cookie recipe, a no-bake truffle recipe, a spicy cookie bar recipe, a citrusy-frosted cookie recipe, a nutty/chocolaty cookie recipe, a fruity cookie recipe, and a healthy cookie recipe. So, choose your favorite; gather your ingredients; and before you know it, your kitchen will be filled with the aroma of something sweet and delicious!

Maammool Cookies

(makes approx. 12-15 cookies)

Cookie Ingredients
-1 box of cream of wheat (2 Ibs.)
-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- lb. butter, melted
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1 cup whole milk
- cup powdered sugar
-Decorative cookie mold(s)

Filling Ingredients
-1 lb. walnuts, ground
-1-1 cups granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 tablespoon rosewater (optional)

Procedure
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
-Combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and rosewater (optional), and set aside.
-With an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream of wheat until it is a fine, smooth consistency.
-Add vanilla to the butter and cream of wheat mixture.
-Knead flour and milk into the butter and cream of wheat until a shortcake-like dough consistency is formed.
-Form egg-shaped cookies; perforate one end enough to allow for 1 tablespoon of filling.
-Close the perforated end by moistening.
-Press each cookie into a mold, and then remove from the mold.
-Lay the cookies inch apart on a cookie sheet.
-Bake 25-30 minutes, or until cookies are light brown. Do not overbake. These cookies should be almost a toasted-almond
-Once removed from the oven, sprinkle powdered sugar on each cookie while still hot.

Oreo Cookie Truffles

(makes about 48 truffles)

Ingredients
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
-40 Oreo cookies (choose your favorite flavor), finely crushed, divided
-4 pkgs. (4 oz. each) BAKERS semi-sweet chocolate (or other flavor of your choice), broken into pieces, melted
-Extra toppings of your choice to use as garnish (mint Oreos sprinkled with crushed peppermint, chopped pistachios or chopped -peanuts atop truffles made with the new peanut butter flavor, etc.)

Procedure
-Mix the cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until blended.
-Shape into 48, 1 balls, and freeze for 10 minutes.
-Dip the balls in the melted chocolate, and place them in a single layer in a shallow, waxed-paper-lined pan.
-Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs or other toppings of your choice.
-Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

(makes 9-12 bars)

Cookie Bar Ingredients
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/4 cup packed brown sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 large egg, room temperature
-1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons cornstarch
-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
-1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping Ingredients
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 tablespoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Procedure
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Line a 9x9 square baking pan with parchment paper.
-In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugars until evenly combined and no sugar lumps remain.
-Ensure that the butter isnt still hot, then stir in the egg and vanilla until combined.
-Carefully stir in the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar and salt until no flour lumps remain.
-Spoon/spread the mixture into your prepared pan.
-In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients.
-Sprinkle the topping mixture over the cookie batter until its evenly distributed and completely covers the batter.
-Bake for 22-25 minutes or until you can start to see the sides of the bars just starting to pull away from the edges.
-Allow to cool before removing from the pan, and cut into 9 or 12 bars.

Lemon-Frosted Snowflake Cookies

(makes 4 dozen)

Ingredients
-1 1/4 cups softened butter, divided
-2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, divided
-3/4 cup cornstarch
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Procedure
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
-Grease a cookie sheet, and set aside.
-Cream 1 cup butter and cup sugar until pale yellow.
-Combine cornstarch and flour, and beat into butter and sugar mixture.
-Shape the dough into 48 small balls, and flatten with the floured bottom of a glass.
-Sprinkle nuts on the flattened cookies, and pat firmly.
-Place cookies 2 apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan after 7 minutes.
-Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a plate.
-Melt the remaining cup of butter, and combine with 2 cups of confectioners sugar and lemon juice. If frosting is too runny, allow it to sit; if it is too thick, add lemon juice.
-Frost cookies, and enjoy!

Skinny Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

(makes 12-15 cookies)

Ingredients
-1 cup quick oats
-3/4 cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
-Scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 large egg
-1/2 cup honey
-About to cup dried cranberries

Procedure
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-Pull out 2 medium bowls, one for dry ingredients, one for wet.
-In one bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
-Melt the butter in the other bowl. Let it cool slightly.
-Whisk the vanilla, then the egg, then the honey into the melted butter.
-Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined (dont overmix).
-Add the dried cranberries into the dough.
-Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or freeze for about 15 minutes.
-Use your hands to shape the dough into about 15 cookies.
-Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 2 apart.
-Bake for about 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have just started to brown around the edges.
-Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack or plate.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes 2-3 dozen, depending on how large you make them)

Ingredients
-1 cup creamy peanut butter
-1 large egg
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Procedure
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Mix peanut butter, egg, and sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl until well combined. The batter will be thick.
-Add the chocolate chips, and stir until evenly distributed.
-Scoop out tablespoon-sized cookies, and drop them on a cookie sheet. Be sure to leave a few inches between the cookies, as they will expand while baking.
-Bake until cookies are lightly browned.
-Remove the cookies from the oven; transfer them to a cookie plate; allow them to cool; and then enjoy!

Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies

(makes about 4 dozen)

Ingredients
-1 1/2 cups butter, softened
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-8 oz. cream cheese
-2 large eggs
-2 tablespoons lemon juice
-1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 cup apricot preserves
-Confectioners sugar for garnish (optional)

Procedure
-In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until smooth.
-Beat in the eggs one at a time.
-Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
-Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, and stir it into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Cover, and chill until firm (about 1 hour).
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and place them 2 apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
-Using your finger, make an indention in the center of each ball, and fill with teaspoon of apricot preserves.
-Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden.
-Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
-Sprinkle with confectioners sugar (optional).