Volume 9, Issue 106 - November 28, 2005

Hello Recipe Club Member,

Here it is! Pam Nelson's Famous Cookie Platter Recipes week! She will share all 15 of the recipes she uses to make her annual Christmas Cookie Platters. The platters really are a sight to behold and an even greater treat to taste.

You may decide not to make cookie platters yourself, but you should at least make a few of these recipes so you can leave that old Santa Claus a treat by the tree.

Pam began baking all these cookies a week ago. She freezes them and we will be putting the platters together next week. It's a challenge for me each year. Right before the holidays I have to find ways to create space in the freezers so she has room and it is the time of year I really like to stock up on goodies like duck, quail, venison. ham, turkey and prime rib. I lose that battle each year!

The most rewarding part of an endeavor like this is the look on the faces of the recipients of these tasty gifts. The faces always light up just like the tree in the corner of the room. Let your sweet tooth go crazy this week and bake some cookies.

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Santa's Whiskers

Dave always flees the kitchen when I start pulling out the ingredients for this recipe. He sees absolutely no value to candied cherries whatsoever. I have to admit that I am not particularly fond of them either but they work well in this recipe. Must be because they are chopped up, plus they just look Christmasy.

Makes 5 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped red and green candied cherries
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup flaked coconut

Preparation:

In mixer bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar, blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, candied cherries and nuts.

Form into 2 rolls, each 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Roll in coconut. Wrap and chill several hours or overnight. Slice 1/4 inch thick, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until edges are golden.

Source: Mrs. Karen Naes

Vanilla.com Wholesale and retail boutique selling premium vanilla products. Your Source For All Things Vanilla!

Spritz

These always take me back to my childhood when my Mom and I would spend a Saturday prior to Christmas making these cookies together. We would divide up the dough into three portions and color two of the portions with red and green. We would use the cookie disks to make Christmas trees and wreaths and flowers that we hoped would pass for poinsettias. Any other disks that struck us as being particularly Christmasy, too. These have always been my favorite!

Makes approximately 12 dozen

Ingredients:

1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cup flour

Preparation:

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat egg into butter mixture. Add vanilla. Sift salt and baking powder with flour and work into the mix.

Put dough into cookie press and force through onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes until done but not brown on top.

Gingersnaps

Makes approximately 5 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation:

Cream shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg till fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture.

Form into small balls. Roll in granulated sugar, place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.