It's time to moke Christmas cookies! December is here and that means it’s time to fire up the oven and start making Christmas cookies those delightful treats that everyone enjoys. Make sure you’re prepared with plates of cookies for family and friends who will surely visit during the holiday season. And don’t forget Santa likes cookies too! Make some simple drop cookies and then get a little more ad venturous and try something just a bit more difficult. A few colorful sprinkles or a bit of icing makes tasty cookies even harder to resist. COWBOY COOKIES 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup vegetable shortening 2 eggs 2 cups sifted flour Vz teaspoon salt Vi teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups oatmeal % cup chocolate chips Coconut, as much as desired 1 teaspoon vanilla Mix all ingredients together and drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Dough is very stiff. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F. Makes 8 dozen cookies. Luella Sensenig East Earl CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW COOKIES 2 cups cake flour Vi teaspoon each soda and salt Vz cup cocoa % cup shortening 1 cupsugar legg % cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Vfe cup black walnuts 36 large marshmallows, cut in half Bake at 350°F. for 8 minutes. Top with marshmallow halves. Bake 2 minutes more. Cool and frost with 2 cups confectioner’s sugar 5 tablespoons cocoa 3 tablespoons melted butter 4 tablespoons light cream Vz teaspoon vanilla Dash of salt Decorate with a bit of nut on top. Lydia Ana King Drumore FRUIT BALLS 1 pound graham crackers rolled fine 1 large bag miniature mar shmallows Vfe pound seedless raisins 2 cans flaked coconut 2 cups walnuts, chopped fine 1 pound dates, chopped fine Recipe Topics If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please share them with us. You can send your recipes to Sue Keene at Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 366, Lititz, PA 17543. December Home On The Range 1 medium jar maraschino cherries, cut fine 2 cans Eagle Brand Condensed milk Mix in order given in large bowl (dishpan). Form into balls, size of walnuts. Roll in coconut or ground nuts. No baking is required. Let stand a couple of hours before serving. Freezes very well. CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS % cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla % cup flour % teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 16-ounce package chocolate bits Vi cup chopped nuts Cream first two ingredients; blend in remaining ingredients. Bake at 350°F. for about V 2 hour in 8-inch square pan. LUNCHBOX COOKIES Ms cup butter or margarine x h cup vegetable shortening cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda Ms teaspoon salt 3 cups P and Q crispy rice cereal Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream shortening, beat in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add crispy rice. Drop by tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until browned. Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing. Crisp and crunchy. Mary Ella Oberholtzer New Holland BACHELOR BUTTONS % cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar legg Vz cup chopped nuts Vz cup candied cherries, cut up 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour Vz cup coconut 1 teaspoon soda Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Mix flour and soda and add alternately with other ingredients. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F. Fireside Treats Holiday Favorites Beverages Sara Jane Fulmer West Newton Betty Biehl Mertztown SOUR CREAM SOFTIES 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon baking soda yz teaspoon baking powder Vz cup margarine 1% cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream % cup cinnamon and sugar mix ture, optional Cream margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Drop onto greased sheet four inches apart. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake at 400°F. about 12 minutes or until lightly golden around edges. Watch carefully. Sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar mixture after removing from oven. I often omit the cin namon-sugar mixture on some of them and frost them with colored icing when they’re cool. Then I sprinkle with with coconut or colored sugar, etc. ORANGE COOKIES 1 cup shortening 1% cups sugar 2 eggs ZVi to 4 cups flour Vfe teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk Nancy Kramer Newmans town Juice and grated rind of one orange Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add rind and juice of orange. Sift flour, adding soda and baking powder and salt. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour milk to creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet two inches apart. Bake at 375°F. for about 12 minutes. Makes 6 dozen cookies. Spread with frosting while still warm. Set out a plate (or sleigh) full of tasty cookies for Santa or holiday guests. This sleigh is loaded with Peppermint Chocolate Cookies and Cheesecake Cookies. Norma Burkholder Ephrata Mrs. Daniel Weaver Boiling Springs CHEESECAKE COOKIES CRUST: y* cup (M: stick) butter cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour cup chopped pecans V 4 cup currant jelly FILLING: 18-ounce package cream cheese 1 4 cup sugar legg 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice l/ z teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350°F. For crust, Featured Recipe This week’s featured recipe comes from the American Dairy Association, which urges homemakers to use real butter when preparing your Christmas cookies and other goodies. Butter gives cookies long-lasting freshness, tenderness and flavor that comes only from the real product. The Dairy Council is also offering a free leaflet that includes 13 recipes for “Best Ever Butter Cookies.” To receive your pamphlet write to “Best Ever Butter Cookies,” 472 South Salina Street, Syracuse, New York, 13202, and include a self-addressed, stamped business envelope. The recipe below comes from the council’s pamphlet. Candy Cane and Wreath Cookies 1V« cups butter 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup confectioner’s sugar Red and green food color 1 egg 1 egg white 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Red or green decorating V 2 teaspoon almond extract sugar 3% cups all-purpose flour Cinnamon candies Cream butter in large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and flavorings. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mix ture. Set aside half of dough. Divide the other half in two parts. Tint one part light green and the other light red with food color. Keep dough chilled for ease in handling. Preheat oven to 350°F. For candy canes, roll with hands 1 teaspoonful of white dough and one of red into strips about 4 inches long. Place strips side by side and twist together lightly. Carefully put on unbuttered baking sheets and curve the top down to form a handle. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with red sugar. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. For wreaths, roll 1 teaspoonful of white dough and one of green. After twisting them together form into circle on the baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with green sugar. Use cinnamon candies for garnish and bake the same as the candy canes. cream butter in small mixing bowl. Add sugar and flour. Blend until mixture resembles commeal. Stir in pecans. Reserve 1 cup of mixture for topping. Press remainder onto bottom of 8-inch square baking pan. Bake IS minutes. Cool. Spread jelly over crust. For filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in small mixing bowl. Beat in egg and milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Turn into pan; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack; cut into bars or squares. (Turn to Page B 8)