chocolate thumbprints.

ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups pecans, toasted and ground fine (optional)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16

pieces and softened

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

2 tbsp. corn syrup

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. With electric mixer on low speed, combine flour, nuts, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter, and mix until crumbly and slightly wet, about 2 minutes. Add yolks, vanilla, and 2 tbsp. heavy cream and mix until dough forms cohesive mass.
2. Roll dough into 1-1/4 inch thick balls and place 1-1/2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Press indent into each cookie using thumb dipped into water. Bake 10 minutes, then remove cookies from oven and gently reshape indentation with bottom of rounded teaspoon measure. Switch and rotate baking sheets and continue to bake until just beginning to brown on edges, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, than transfer to wire rack and cool completely. 3. In saucepan over medium-low heat, combine chocolate, remaining cream, and corn syrup, stirring constantly until smooth; cool 1 hour. Fill indentation of each cookie with generous teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Let sit until firm, about 1 hour.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Crinkles.

[ingredients]:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2c. sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. powdered sugar

In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate. In a large bowl, blend together oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. In seperate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture gradually, mixing until well combined (the dough will be stiff). Chill overnight or until dough is firm enough to be rolled into balls.

Preheat oven to 350 degres. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and bake 10-13 minutes (if you want them soft and gooey). Let cool 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

sugar cookies.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cream of tarter

Mix all ingredients together. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use lightly greased baking sheet. Roll out dough and cut Bake for 5-7 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Decorating Icing:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

3/4 tsp. food coloring

1/2 tsp. mint extract (optional, could use vanilla)

1/4 c.-1/2 c. butter

Mix everything together, spread on cookies and sprinkle with added decorations before icing dries.

classic [whoopie] pies.

{ingredients}:

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Creamy filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in buttermilk, egg, and vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and cocoa powder. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.

2. Drop dough from a rounded measuring tablespoon 2 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet (Keep mounds of dough in nicely rounded shapes). Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

3. Spread the flat sides of half the cookies with a rounded tablespoon of Creamy Filling. Top with the remaining cookies, flat side down. Makes about 16 sandwich cookies.

Creamy Filling:

In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 c. milk and 1/4 c. all-purpose flour. Cook and serve over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; cool. In a large bowl, beat 3/4 c. softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 2 c. powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla. Beat cooled milk mixture, one large spoonful at a time, into butter mixture. Beat on high for 1 minute or until filling is smooth and fluffy.

{sweet} sandies.

{ingredients}:

1c. butter

1/3c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. water

2c. all-purpose flour

1c. chopped pecans

Multi-colored nonpareils or

1/4c. powdered sugar

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat til fluffy. Add vanilla and water. Beat well. Stir in flour and pecans. Shape into one inch balls or 1 1/2 x 1/2 inch fingers. Roll in nonpareils. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

-- optional: Gently shake a few cookies in a ziploc bag with powdered sugar after cooling instead of rolling in nonpareils before baking.

Makes 36.