Christmas Cookie Favorites

Our family does some extra baking during the holiday season. Not like my mother, who was baker-extraordinaire at Christmas, however. I learned early on that if I baked, I ate. Even if I hid the cookies, bars, etc., I still knew where they were. And no one in the family would know if I'd eaten a whole batch of cookies if they didn't even know those cookies existed.

My daughter, Faith, baked for a couple days in order to take baked goods as gifts to friends and co-workers. She tried some new recipes. My baking, on the other hand, will be our family's traditional stand-bys.

Below are the recipes that we always make:


Plantation Bars
1 pkg. almond bark (24 oz.)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup salted peanuts, crushed
5 cups cereal (Rice Krispies or Cheerios)
(or skip the peanuts and use 6 cups cereal)
Melt the almond bark. Add peanut butter and mix well. Stir in cereal. Spread in a buttered pan or drop by teaspoonful on waxed paper.



Magic Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped nuts (opt.)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
Layer the ingredients in the above order. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.



Gingerbread Boys
2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons ginger
3 teaspoons cloves
1 cup flour for rolling
Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Roll on lightly floured surface. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 - 12 minutes. Bake smaller cookies for briefer times. Decorate if desired.



On Top of the Stove Cookies
Boil together for 1 minute:
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk.
Remove from head and add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups quick oats.
Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Let me know if you try any of our family recipes.