Do you need something insanely easy to represent your child’s heritage at school? My mother did once upon a time and I was sent to school with this super easy baked good. It didn’t do any good to protest that I really wanted something Cherokee. On the other hand, it did send me into a lifetime of loving the simplest dishes. No fussy towering chocolate thing for me…instead…give me a wedge of homely hot shortbread.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine (you can go with the full cup of either but  the 1/2  and 1/2 is good)
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275. Cream together butter, margarine and sugar. Add flour.  Run in a heavy duty mixer for 5-10 minuts or knead by hand.

Pat into pie plate. Prick with fork. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into pie-shaped wedges and cool on a wire rack.

Be sure to join in on the Cookie Exchange organized by Cyndy of the Walking Faithfully blog.

Lots of cool cookie recipes!

Here is a quick one from me:

Thumbprint Cookies

1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
2 c. flour
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter

Allow butter and cream cheese to soften slightly before beginning. Cream butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and flour. Chill for an hour or so. Roll into balls the size of walnuts. Make a thumb-print indentation in center of ball. Fill hole with a tiny bit of jelly, jam or preserves (we used baby food spoons in a couple of little custard cups with about 2 Tbsp. of jam in each cup). Bake at 375°F for 10 min.

These classic cookies always photograph well for cookbooks I think. My children always pick them out based on the picture. I did the same as a child. Fortunately, they are also pretty tasty in addition to their pretty appearance. Keep in mind the dough should be refrigerated for a few hours before baking, so mix them up first thing in the morning. Then go on to the rest of your cookie baking for the day. (or holiday decorating)

1/2    cup vegetable oil
4    ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2    cups granulated sugar
2    teaspoons vanilla
4    eggs
2    cups all-purpose flour
2    teaspoons baking powder
1/2    teaspoon salt
1/2    cup powdered sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. eat oven to 350ºF. Grease cookie sheet. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

These are quick. These are easy. Perfect for the young ones who want to help but don’t have egg cracking skills and get flour and sugar all over the house. But, they give that “real cooking” experience that your refrigerated dough or mix does not.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1 pkg (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Blend milk and peanut butter until smooth. Mix in crumbs and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Makes 4 doz cookies.

These are the cookies that were always so pretty in cookbooks…but I never had luck making them as a child. Every year, I would choose them as one of the Christmas Cookies to make…and every few years my mother would let me give it a try. The best advice I have: use a HEAVY cookie sheet and be patient, only baking 6-9 at a time. Also, make sure your cookie sheet has cooled before putting the next batch on.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 375. Blend flour and nuts. Bring corn syrup, shortening, and sugar to boil in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually stir in flour and nuts. Drop by level teaspoonsful about 3″ apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 5 to 6 minutes; remove from oven and ALLOW TO STAND 5 min BEFORE removing from baking sheet. Makes about 4 doz. cookies.

I love these things…very late 1940s and 50s.  They are festive and old timey. Best of all…they get better the longer they sit before you eat them. So, these are the ones to make early in the month for your Christmas and New Year’s parties.

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
11/2 cups broken pecans
2 cups candied cherries, halved
2 cups cut-up dates

Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs well. Stir in buttermilk. Blend dry ingredients, stir in. Stir in pecans, cherries, and dates. Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough about 2″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Place a pecan half on each cookie if desired. Bake 8 to 10 min, until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. Makes about 8 doz cookies.

 Gingerbread cookies are the holiday classic. I tend to substitute pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for the spices adding a bit more cinnamon.

3/4  c  Soft margarine

1/2  c  Brown sugar

2  ts  Ginger

1/2  t  Salt

1  t  Cinnamon

1/4  t  Ground cloves

1    Egg

3/4  c  Molasses

3  c  Flour

1  t  Baking soda

1/2  t  Baking powder

Mix all ingredients together well.  Refrigerate dough 2-4 hours or overnight.  Roll out cold dough for cookie shapes cut with cookie cutters. If dough is sticky, add flour. Bake at 325 F for 6-8 minutes.

These were a big hit for Christmas last year. One of my daughter’s picked it out as one of the cookies she wanted make. We weren’t too sure about them…but they turned out quite well. I think I would add maybe a bit more coffee and maybe a spoon of instant coffee to the glaze. But, they really are tasty and easy.

Coffee Bonbons

1 cup butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

Chocolate Glaze:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combine coffee and flour; stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Chill. Shape into 3/4-in. balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 18-20 inutes. For glaze, melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Stir in sugar alternately with milk; beat until smooth. Frost cookies while still warm. Yield: 5 dozen.

The classic, the favorite, the retro cookie that everyone loves:

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 400. (mod. hot). Mix shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and egg thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Blend flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt; stir in. Shape dough in 1 ” balls. Roll in mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar and cinnamon. Place 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 min. These cookies puff up at first, then flatten out. Makes 6 doz. cookies.

Note: If you use self-rising flour, omit cream of tartar, soda, and salt.

These cookies would be fab for Halloween, or a winter holiday party…but I could probably enjoy them year round! Another recipe from Mary Meade’s Magic Recipes for the Electric Blender

Orange Peel Cookies

(3 dozen)
Candied peel and sour cream give a flavor you’ll like.

Place in blender container
2 eggs
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup thick sour cream

Blend thoroughly, then add and run motor until finely chopped
1/4 cup candied orange peel

Sift together in mixing bowl
21/2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and mix. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cooky sheet, pressing a small piece of candied peel into top of each cookie. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until delicately browned.