Apricot Foldovers Springerle Fatigmann Cathedral Windows Judy's Nut Ball Cookies Half Ways Yeast Crisps Italian Flag Cookies

Rosettes Molasses Crinkles Finnish Chestnut Fingers Pepperkakor Pfeffernuesse Creme de Menthe Squares Lemon Macaroons Cream Cheese Dainties

Lace Almond Cookies (Tuiles) Spritz Brown Sugar Spritz Lebkuchen Spice Spritz Eggnog Spritz Mint Kiss Spritz Pina Colada Spritz Chocolate Chip Spritz

Cream the margarine and cheese, then blend in the flour and water. Chill the dough for 4 to 5 hours. Preheat the oven to 370F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the preserves and sugar until the mixture boils and is smooth. Set aside. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 inch square, cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Put 1 teaspoon of the preserves in the center of each square, fold over and seal the edges. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Beat the eggs with an electric mixer for 10 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients along with the lemon zest and a 1/2 teaspoon of the anise seeds to the egg mixture. Mix well. Cover tightly and chill 4-5 hours. Divide the dough into fourths. Roll 1/4" thick, dust lightly with flour and press with springerle mold. Cut the individual cookies apart with a cutter wheel. Place them on a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel and let stand to dry overnight. Grease baking sheets and sprinkle them with anise seeds. Brush the excess flour from the cookies, place them on the sheets and bake at 250F for 25 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Makes 35 to 40 cookies.

Note: Springerle boards are special wooden molds used to stamp designs into the cookies. They can also come in the form of a roller. These items can be found in specialty food stores or in gift shops specializing in German keepsakes. If you cannot find a springerle board, just cut the cookies in squares or cut them with cookie cutters, or use the other popular cookie stamps that are available.

Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar and cream, beat well. Blend in cardamom or brandy. Add flour and mix well to make a smooth dough. Roll out to 1/16" thickness. Cut in strips about 1 1/2" wide. Cut diagonally at 4" intervals. Make 2" slit crosswise in centre and slip one end through slit, to make a "bow". Deep fry in hot deep fat (350F) until delicately browned, about 1 1/2 min. Drain on paper towels. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Heat margarine and chocolate chips in the top pan of a double boiler over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Put marshmallows and nuts in a large bowl; stir in chocolate. Tear five 9-inch sheets of waxed paper and sprinkle each generously with coconut. Divide dough into fifths and place each fifth on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll tightly into 2-inch diameter logs and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, unwrap from waxed paper and cut into 1/2" slices.

Stir together pecans, butter, sugar and vanilla, mix well. Sift flour and salt, stir into nut mixture. Chill. Roll into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball 3 times in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F until set but not brown.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix shortening, sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, egg yolks, baking soda, vanilla, flour, salt, and peanut butter until it forms a stiff dough. Pat into the bottom of a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Spread chocolate chips over the dough. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add 1 cup of brown sugar and beat well. Spread over the chips. Bake 20 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Mix together yeast, warm water, margarine, salt and flour. Chill for 1 hour. Form 1 inch diameter balls and roll them in sugar. Place them in a shallow pan and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out each ball as thin as paper, then cut in half crosswise. Let rest 30 seconds and bake in a 350 F oven until golden brown.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Blend in dissolved yeast. Gradually stir in flour. Chill dough for about 2 hours. Shape into 3/4" balls. Dip one side in red sugar, the other in green sugar, leaving a clear stripe down the center. Place on buttered cookie sheets. Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from immediately to wire racks to cool. Can be frozen.

Combine eggs, sugar, and salt; beat well. Add remaining ingredients; beat until smooth. Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375 F) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter to 1/4 inch from top of iron, then immediately into hot oil. Fry rosette until golden, 10 to 30 seconds. Lift out; tip upside down to drain. With fork, push rosette off iron onto rack placed over paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette. If you have two rosette irons, reheat one while using the other. Stir batter from time to time as you will get some oil in it. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioner's sugar. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and 1/4 cup sugar; add egg yolk. Beat till light and fluffy. Beat in puree and vanilla. Stir together flour, salt, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture. Using scant tablespoon dough for each cookie, roll into 2 1/2 inch fingers. Dip one side of each finger in egg white , then in sugar. Place sugar side up an greased cookie sheet and bake until slightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Melt chocolate chips in double boiler over low heat. Dip one end of each cookie in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set.

Boil sugar, syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Put the butter and spices in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the hot sugar mixture. Stir until butter has melted. Cool. Stir together baking soda and flour. Mix all ingredients toether to make a smooth dough. Cover and let stand overnight. Roll out one portion of the dough at a time, with a light touch. Cut out shapes from the dough with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on cold, greased cookie sheets. Bake the cookies at 400F for 5-8 minutes in the center of the oven. Check often, as they burn easily.

Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan; cook and stir until shortening and sugar melt. Cool. Stir in egg. Mix flour with soda and spices. Add to honey mixture; mix well. Form into balls using one level tablespoon of dough for each; place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375F about 10 minutes. Cool. If desired, sift powdered sugar over tops.

For bottom layer: In sauce pan combine 1/2 cup of the butter and the cocoa powder. Heat and stir until well blended. Remove from heat; add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, the egg and vanilla. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Press into bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2" baking pan.
For middle layer: Melt another 1/2 cup of the butter. In small bowl combine the melted butter and creme de menthe. At low speed of electric mixer beat in the remaining 3 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over the chocolate layer. Chill 1 hour.
For top layer: In small sauce pan combine the remaining 1/4 cup butter and chocolate pieces. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Spread over middle layer. Chill 1 to 2 hours. Cut into small squares. Store in refrigerator.

To make the lemon curd, in a saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, then simmer for 3 minutes, whisking. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the butter, one chunk at a time. To make the macaroons, preheat oven to 275F. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar, then beat the egg whites until firm. Gently but thoroughly fold the almond mixture into the egg whites. Line baking sheets with oiled parchment paper. Either pipe or spoon mixture into 1 1/2 inch mounds that are 2 inches apart on the parchment. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Turn off oven and let cookies dry with door ajar. To assemble, remove cookies from baking sheets and sandwich with lemon curd.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix well first 4 ingredients. Divide dough in half and chill 1 hour. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2 inch diameter round cookie cutter to cut 3 dozen bases. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Put 1/4 teaspoon preserves in center of each base and sprinkle with nuts. Use a 1 inch diameter round cookie cutter to cut out tops from remaining dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place a 1 inch top over the preserves on each 2 inch base. Bake 8-10 minutes. Store in sealed container.

LACE ALMOND COOKIES (TUILES)

4 T unsalted butter -- softened
2/3 c. sugar -- granulated
2 egg whites
4 T all purpose flour
1 c. almonds -- finely ground
1/4 t vanilla extract

Cream sugar and butter together. Whisk in egg whites and then remainder of ingredients. Grease well a sheet pan with Pam. Dollop about 1 ½ T. Of mixture onto pan. Spread thin in round shapes and place into a 375 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. Only bake 2 cookies at a time. When the cookies are light golden brown remove from oven and allow to sit for a few seconds. With a flat pastry spatula remove cookies from pan and allow to cool on waxed paper. For added effect, drape cookies over a rolling pin and allow to harden to the shape of the pin. Repeat until all dough is gone.

SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

BROWN SUGAR SPRITZ

1 cup butter flavored Crisco -- softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

for pineapple filling:
29 1/2 ounces crushed pineapple -- drained
1 cup sugar
red and green food coloring

Make pineapple filling. In a saucepan stir together pineapple and sugar, bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture is very thick, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring often. Divide fruit filling in half. Using a few drops of food coloring, tint half of the filling red and the other half green. Cool thoroughly. Preheat oven to 400F. Cream together butter and brown sugar; beat in egg and vanilla. Stir together flour and baking powder; add gradually to creamed mixture, mixing until smooth. Do not chill. Place half of the dough in the cookie press. Using the ribbon plate, press dough in ten 10-inch strips on ungreased cookie sheets. Using star plate and remaining dough, press lengthwise rows of dough on top of each strip, making a rim along both edges. Spoon red or green pineapple filling between rims on top of ribbon strips. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. While hot, cut strips into 1 1/4 inch diagonals. Cool. Makes 78.
Note: Or, omit filling and force all of the dough through cookie press on ungreased cookie sheet into desired shapes. Shake ground almonds with a few drops red or green food coloring in a screw-top jar; sprinkle over cookies. Bake at 400F for 8 minutes. Makes 60.

LEBKUCHEN SPICE SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.

EGGNOG SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter -- softened
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, butter, water, and rum extract until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.

MINT KISS SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
green food coloring
60 Hershey's Kisses

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, vanilla, and mint extract. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in green food coloring, adding just enough to acheive the desired color. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately after removing cookies from oven place one Hershey's kiss on each cookie.

PINA COLADA SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

CHOCOLATE CHIP SPRITZ

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup coarsly grated semi-sweet chocolate
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and coarsly grated semi-sweet chocolate. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If douch is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.