Goodie Exchange 2009

MINT COOKIES from Susan Hatch

1/2 pound chocolate...wafers, chips or candy bars (I used 2 bags of milk chocolate chips)

4-5 drops mint or peppermint flavoring

60 Ritz Crackers

Melt the chocolate in a small crock pot, add the flavoring and stir. Coat the back sides of each Ritz cracker, place on foil or parchment lined pans and place in frig til set. Remove from frig and coat the top sides and sides of the crackers, returning to pans and frig. Leave in until set firm.

5 dozen cookies.

Chewy Ginger Cookies from Molly Houx

From the Houx home

½ cup butter

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Tbs Molasses

1 Egg

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2+ tsp ground ginger—the fresher the better

½ tsp salt

Cream together butter, sugar, & molasses. Beat in egg. Mix together all dry ingredients and gradually incorporate into wet mixture. Roll into 2” wide log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate over night. Preheat oven to 375. Cut log(s) into ¼ inch slices and place on parchment-prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Rotate pans 180 degrees after 4 minutes. Makes two dozen cookies.

Cherry Chocolate Kisses

1 cup butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/8 t. salt

2 tsp maraschino cherry liquid

1/4 tsp almond extract

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

granulated sugar

48 milk chocolate kisses

1. in a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally.

2. beat in cherry liquid and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon stir in any remaining flour and also the cherries.

3. shape dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each to 1/2" thickness with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar.

4,. Bake at 325 degrees for about 14 minutes. Remove from oven. Press uinwarpped chocolate kiss into each cookie and transfer to wire rack and cool.

Swedish Tea Cakes (cookies)(makes about 5 doz)

1/2cup powdered sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 t. vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup finely chopped or ground walnuts or pecans

1/4 t. salt

powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, margarine and vanilla; blend well.

Stir in flour, almonds or walnuts and salt until dough hold together.

Shape into 1" balls. Place 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or til set, but not brown.

Immedicately remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly; roll in powdered sugar and cool completely. Roll again in powdered sugar