How about a cookie recipe exchange?<P>This could be helpful to the men who feel that they might enjoy baking cookies with their children. <P>I don't know whether we should do that on this bb or is one of you smart people should start us a link. Speak up!!<P>

Hey girlfriend,<P>Great idea. I asked for recipes on my thread but forgot to go back and check it. (sigh)<P>I think we should just make a thread called Holiday Recipe exchange and that way we can share cookies as well as possibly appetizers or other fun things. (I can picture all these gentlmen with aprons on already) .<P>Thats my vote and I'm stickin to it <BR>Dana<BR>

Bring on the recipes! I'll dig out a few... <P>One of the most fun things I ever did at Christmas time was to build a gingerbread house with my niece & nephew (now X's too ). We cheated a little and bought a kit with prebaked gingerbread, but we bought all different candy & stuff and made it a "custom job"... I think my XMIL still has it, and puts it out every year.<P>I think I'd like to see some pictures of the guys in aprons. <P>B

Apron on? How about a portable fire extinguisher on a key chain? <P>Sunday night i cooked marinated chicken wings on the gas grille, and asked the X how long to cook them. she said 30 minutes, well after 10 minutes, I told the kids that the<BR>native american indians used to charcoal chicken wings to use as writing instruments.<BR> <P>they didn't buy it, and we found a few pieces of chicken that were edible.<P>

Ok.... I'll post the first recipe....<P>Christmas Wreaths....<P>Ingredients:<BR>1/2 c unsalted butter<BR>3 c large marshmallows<BR>1 1/2 teaspoons green liquid food coloring<BR>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<BR>4 c cornflakes <BR>2 tablespoons (approx 1 oz) cinnamon redhots candies<P>You will need:<BR>Flat counter or cookie sheet lined with wax paper sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray or lightly greased or buttered.<BR>2 small spoons sprayed or buttered/greased.<P>Spray a medium saucepan with nonstick veg spary or lightly grease with veg shortning.<P>Melt the butter over low heat... add marshmallows and melt over low heat sturring constantly until smooth (about 6 minutes). Remove pan from heat and wisk in food coloring & vanilla until well blended. <BR>Stir in cornflakes to coat them well.<P>Keep the mixture warm by placing the saucepan in a large pot or skillet filled with 1 inch of very hot tap water.... replace the water as it cools.<P>Working quickly so the mixture does not haren, use the 2 spoons or lightly greased fingers to drop small (1 heaping tablespoon) mounds of the cornflake mixture onto the wax paper. With lightly greased fingers, quickly form cornflake mounds inot wreaths with holes in the center.<P>Immediately (while wreaths are still warm & stickly) decorate with red-hots. (you can "glue" them on later with icing that dries hard if you want to).<P>After cooled, you can string with nylon string or gold ribbons and use as tree ornaments (My thought was shoestring licorice).<P>Store: in airtight container<BR>Keeps: for eating ~ about 1 month; as ornaments ~ indefinitely.<P>These are cute and easy to make... only problem is potentially green fingers!

I used to have a bunch. My favorite used to be these cookies I made with my grandma who passed away years ago. They were made with cocoa, lots of sugar, peanut butter, and oatmeal (plus some other stuff I forgot). They didn't even require baking. Just had to cook it on the stove, then spoon it onto some waxed paper. If anyone knows the recipe I'm talking about, please post it.<P>I used to have a nice cookbook with cookie recipes, but found I kept going back to the tried and true over and over...Ok, so I'm boring All my favorite recipes are listed on the package.<P><BR>Sugar cookies:<BR>Look at the recipe on the sugar bag<P>chocolate chip cookies:<BR>Tollhouse bag<P>Oatmeal cookies:<BR>Under the lid on the oatmeal box.<P>Fudge:<BR>On the marshmallow creme container.

NOW WE'RE COOKING!!<P>See, I had a feeling some of the men with children might want to do cookies but might not have recipes. And I know that the best recipes come from other people. I have some I really love and will bring them in.<P>Thanks, everyone!!

Here is one that I like... it takes a while to make, but the story that came with the recipe was good.... A women and her daughter went to the dept. store and had the cookies. She asked about the recipe, and the waitress said she could buy it for two fifty. When she got her credit card statment, it was $250 not $2.50. They wouldn't refund her money, so she sent it out via email. <P>Enjoy these cookies!<P> NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)<BR> 2 cups butter<BR> 4 cups flour<BR> 2 tsp. soda<BR> 2 cups sugar<BR> 5 cups blended oatmeal ***<BR> 24 oz. chocolate chips<BR> 2 cups brown sugar<BR> 1 tsp. salt<BR> 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)<BR> 4 eggs<BR> 2 tsp. baking powder<BR> 2 tsp. vanilla<BR> 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)<P> ***Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.<BR> * Cream the butter and both sugars.<BR> * Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt,<BR> baking powder, and soda.<BR> * Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts.<BR> Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.<BR> * Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.<P> Makes 112 cookies. <P>Great for bake sales, school parties etc...<P><BR>

lol TS, I'll dig some out and post tomorrow.

BEST EVER BUTTER COOKIES<P>These crisp, tender, buttery cut-out cookies can be decorated to capture the spirit of the holiday season. (I used to make these with my mom and now with my own girls).<P>Preparation time: 60 minutes <BR>Baking time: 6 minutes <BR>Chilling time: 120 minutes <BR>Cooling time: 15 minutes <P>Cookie Ingredients:<P> 1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened <BR> 1 cup sugar <BR> 1 egg <BR> 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour <BR> 2 tablespoons orange juice <BR> 1 tablespoon vanilla <BR> 1 teaspoon baking powder <BR>Frosting Ingredients:<P> 3 cups powdered sugar <BR> 1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened <BR> 1 teaspoon vanilla <BR> 1 to 2 tablespoons milk <P>Instructions:<P><BR>Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and egg in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Add flour, orange juice, vanilla and baking powder. Reduce speed to low; beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).<P>Divide dough into thirds; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (2 to 3 hours). <P>Heat oven to 400°. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-third at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.<P>Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Tint frosting with food color, if desired. Frost and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Hi DanaB,<BR>thanks for the butter cookie recipe. I've had the urge to try out an antique cookie press I found at a flea market. So far, I've only used it for frosting. It is one of those gadgets that have the different tips for frosting, and about 100 different plates for making different cookie shapes.

WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING<P>TS post gave me a painful reminder. OK maybe I'm not as smart as I could be but last year on Xmas Eve, I was making 200 hors deurves (sp?), and I went to clean one of the tips to the decorator tip (like those on cookie press). My hands were warm and I poked my finger in to push thru some dough. My finger got stuck and the more I pushed the farther and tighter it got. My ex was out shopping for my xmas gift, which I gave back since he left the next day.<P>The ambulance came and couldnt' get it off and I almost lost my finger. They had to use NAIL CLIPPERS from my bathroom to get it off. It was very painful and really bad.<P>I know it sounds funny now, but at the time I was scared to death and embarrassed too. They still talk about me at the fire station because of that. <P>So antique cookie pressers, or decorator tips that go on the bags for decorating, DON"T clean them by hand (or finger) OUCH. <P>Good luck.<BR>Dana<BR>

FOR TS<P>EGGNOG GLAZED SPRITZ COOKIES<P>Buttery spritz with a dash of nutmeg, brushed with a sweet rum glaze.<P>Preparation time: 45 minutes <BR>Baking time: 6 minutes <BR>Yield: 4 dozen<P>Cookies Ingredients:<P> 1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened <BR> 2/3 cup sugar <BR> 1 egg <BR> 1 tablespoon vanilla <BR> 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour <BR> 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg <BR>Glaze Ingredients:<P> 1 cup powdered sugar <BR> 1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted <BR> 1/4 teaspoon rum extract <BR> 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water <BR> Multi-colored decorator candies, if desired <P>Instructions:<P><BR>Heat oven to 375°. Combine 1 cup butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add flour and nutmeg. Beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).<P>Fit cookie press with template; fill with dough. Press dough 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.<P>Stir together powdered sugar, 1/4 cup butter, rum extract and enough hot water for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. While still warm brush top of warm cookies with glaze; sprinkle with candies, if desired.

danaB,<BR>Ouch!! That sounds almost as bad as the time I stubbed my toe as a kid. Did it pretty bad and I didn't want to show my mom. Well, she figured it out when she saw the bloody sock in the laundry. It had healed over a little but was a little infected (dirt and everything...yuck!). She had to go after it with a scrub brush and had to cut the nail down to the quick. Talk about painful!!<P>Ok. Warning heeded!! <P>You ever watch "The Christmas Story" where the kid gets his tongue stuck on a light pole? Yow. Don't do that either.

Watch out for those Red Rider BB guns...they'll put yer eye out!! LOL

Ok - I love cookies. Lots of recipes. Here we go. Office is closed. <P>*********FRUIT PIZZA - not Christmassy but good<P>1 roll sugar cookie dough<P>Roll this out on cookie sheet and bake as directed. Then cool.<P>1/2 cup sugar<BR>8 oz. cream cheese<BR>1/2 tsp. vanilla<P>Mix the above ingredients and spread on baked and cooled cookie sheet. Arrange fruit of your choice (strawberries, bananas, blueberries, kiwi, mandarin orang segments, whatever) on spread.<P>1/2 cup sugar<BR>1/8 tsp salt<BR>1/4 grated lemon peel<BR>1 T. cornstarch<BR>1/2 c. lemon juice<P>Combine these five ingredients in saucepan and boil one minute or until thick: Cool. Pour over fruit.<P><BR>*******Blonde Brownies <BR>2 C. sifted flour<BR>1/4 tsp. soda<BR>1/2 tsp. salt<BR>2 sticks margarine`<BR>2 eggs, beaten<BR>6 oz. pkg semisweet chocolate chips<BR>1 tsp. baking powder<BR>1 c. chopped pecans<BR>2 tsp. vanilla<BR>1 T. water<BR>1 box light brown sugar<P>sift dry ingredients and add nuts. Melt margarine and add brown sugar. Mix eggs, vanilla, and water into margarine mixture. Add to flour mixture. Mixture will be stiff. Spread dough in greased 9x13" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes<P>********Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (I never liked Toll House Cookies as much after I tasted these)<P>1 C. brown sugar<BR>2 eggs<BR>2 tsp. soda<BR>1 stick butter <BR>2-1/2 c. flour<BR>1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional<BR>1 c. sugar<BR>2 tsp. vanilla<BR>1/4 tsp. salt<BR>cooking oil<BR>2 c. oats (quick oats)<BR>12 oz. chocolate chips<P>In bowl, with spoon, mix sugars amd eggs - beat well. Add vanilla, soda and salt. In cup, melt butter and add enough cooking oil to make 1 cup. Add to sugar mixture. Add flour. Mix well. Stir in oats, nuts, and chips. Dough will be very stiff. Form into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes.<P>

You guys are great! What a lovely idea (Now why should be be sitting around here talking about sad stuff when we could be talking about cookies!!)<P>All my recipes are in Japan, sorry, I can't share. But I have to make treats for Bible study tommorrow and I was gonna ask if anymore had some good recipes because I don't have mine. You read my mind--my printer will be buzzin shortly!<P>PS--WilliamJ--I thought you were a gourmet cook, bud--where's your contribtion!!