Another great Christmas cookie.  You can add a drop of green food coloring and decorate with cinnamon red hots.  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/2 a 3 oz pkg of cream cheese
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 c sifted flour
• 1 Tab vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. Cream butter and cream cheese together.
3. Add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly.
4. Add vanilla.
5. Gradually blend in flour,.
6. Fill cookie press with star tip.
7. Form cookies into 2 inch circles on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 8 -10 minutes.

Serves: 2 dozen-  WAIT! Nobody makes 2 dozen cookies!  Multiply by four – that is 1 lb of butter, 2 3 oz pkg cream cheese 1 c sugar, 4 c flour – duh!

Source:  Karen Eckardt at KOA 1990

Swedish tradition is to serve seven kinds of cookies on a tray for special occasions.  You will learn to pick seven less complicated cookies when you do this!  Bar cookies and ice box cookies for the win!

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz box butter or yellow cake
• 1/2 c butter, soft
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c reserved cake mix
• 12 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c dark corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 c+ pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan.
3. Reserve 2/3 c dry cake mix.
4. Mix remaining cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly.
5. Press into pan.
6. Bake until light brown – about 15 minutes.
7. Combine reserved cake mix, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and eggs.
8. Beat 1 – 2 minutes.
9. Pour over parochially baked crust.
10. Sprinkle with pecans.
11. Bake 30-35 minutes until filling is set.
12. Cool and cut into bars.

Serves:  Makes 3 dozen bars

Source:  Magazine add

This recipe is great for making with children.  It will not get tough with repeated rolling.  Wash your hands!

Ingredients:

• 1 c butter
• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 400°.
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Add egg and vanilla.
4. Mix flour, salt,  soda,  and cream of tartar.
5. Add to creamed butter.
6. Chill about 1 hour.
7. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters.
8. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.

Serves:  Depends on size of cookies and how much cookie dough gets eaten.

Source: Marge Rohde, Los Altos

It is not Christmas if pepparkakor are not on the cookie plate!  I LOVE Christmas baking!

Ingredients:

• 1 c dark corn syrup or light molasses
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tab sour cream
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 c flour and about 2 more cups of flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 400°.
2. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
3. Heat syrup to boiling .
4. Add sugars and butter.
5. Stir until disolved.
6. Add eggs and sour cream.
7. Transfer to large mixer bowl. (large bowl and stand mixer)
8. Beat well.
9. Sift dry ingredients.
10. Add to syrup mix.
11. Add enough additional flour so the dough does not flow.
12. Chill several hours until firm (overnight).
13. Cut on floured cookie cutter into hearts and stars.
14. Decorate hearts with candied cherries and stars with almonds.  (cut cherries/almonds to size appropriate to the cookie)
15. Bake until barely brown – about 8 minutes.

Serves:  10 – 12 dozen depending on cookie cutter size.

Source:  Winifred Kleerup

Everyone has this recipe, or one like it.  I put it on the blog so I could find it.Always a best seller!

Ingredients:

• 2 c flour
• 1 c butter
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tab lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Blend butter, flour, powdered sugar thoroughly.
3. Press evenly in a square 8×8 pan.
4. Bake 20 minutes.
5. Beat rest of ingredients together.
6. Pour over crust and bake 20 – 25 minutes more.
7. Cool.
8. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar (Use a small, fine strainer and a spoon.)

Serves:  Makes 12 ( double and make in a 9×13)

Source:  Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook