Here are some excellent holiday cookies posted to rfc in the past. These are
some of my favorites! Many were posted in the same week! We don't have as
many grabable recipes these days I think.

Charliam

HELEN'S HASELNUSS HALBMONDE

Recipe by: Helen Peagram, rfc, 06DEC98

1 lb. butter
4 cups flour
1 lb. ground filberts
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
icing sugar


Mix all together. Form into small crescents. Bake for approximately 10
minutes at 300F. Should not brown. Dough may be frozen. To finish, cookies
may be dipped in icing sugar, or chocolate or as desired.

PEANUT BLOSSOM COOKIES

Posted by Mary F., rfc, 05DEC98

1/2 cup Land O Lakes sweet cream butter
1/3 cup peanut butter (smooth)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1.75 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

additional sugar
1 pkg of Hershey Kisses (you can eat the leftovers if the kids don't get to
them first)

Preheat oven to 375F. Peel the foil wrappers off the Hershey Kisses.

Cream the butter with the peanut butter. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar
to the creamed mixture. Then add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Blend in
the flour, baking soda and salt.

Make small balls of dough, roll each ball in sugar and bake for 2 minutes.
Take cookies out of oven and gently press a Hershey Kiss into each cookie,
return to oven and bake 2 more minutes.

MARY'S NOTES: Mom pulled this out of the newspaper years ago. It was an
award winning recipe then, and still is with almost every person I know.
Thank you to the person who invented these great cookies!


PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINTS

Source: Ranee Mueller, rfc, 06DEC98

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth honey-roasted peanut butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
Hershey's kisses


Cream butter, peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Combine flour, baking
soda, salt, and nuts. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Shape balls using 1
tsp. dough each. Place 1-inch apart on baking sheet. With thumb, make
indentation in center of each cookie. Fill with a kiss. Bake at 350F for
8-10 minutes, until lightly brown.


SIMPLY WALNUT COOKIES

Recipe from: Jennifer Stuart, rfr, 07DEC98

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. walnut extract
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar


Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Stir in flour. Add walnut extract and walnuts, stirring well. Chill 30
minutes. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until done. Roll warm cookies in powdered
sugar. Makes 2.5 dozen.


STRATFORD HALL GINGER COOKIES

Source: Karen Wheless, rfc, 06DEC98
Recipe from: Stratford Hall, Westmoreland, VA

3/4 lb. butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
sugar

Melt butter. Add molasses, sugar and eggs. Beat well. Sift the dry
ingredients together and add to the above mixture. Beat until it forms a
stiff dough. Refrigerate dough for several hours. Make into small balls and
roll in sugar. Bake at 350F until firm and brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: For large amounts, shape refrigerated dough in a roll about 1-inch
thick and cut into pieces 3/4-inch thick. Dip the cut side in sugar and bake
as above.