Find Recipes Instantly! (Type the Recipe name or any Ingredient) Holiday Stained-Glass Cookies From "Christmas Trees" Episode DIC-164 These stained-glass cookie ornaments are good enough to eat. Home craft expert Kathi Cardinalli explains how to decorate cookies to look like stained-glass works of art that can be hung on a Christmas tree. Materials: Sugar-cookie or gingerbread-cookie dough Plastic bag Clear lollipops or hard candies Hammer Rolling pin Waxed paper Flour Cookie cutters in pairs--large circle and small circle, large star and small star, large heart and small heart Spatula Cookie sheet Parchment paper Baker's cooking rack Ribbon or cording Place clear lollipops or hard candies inside a plastic bag. Break them into pieces by hitting the bag with a hammer. The pieces should be about 1/4" in size. Dust a piece of waxed paper with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the cookie dough to a thickness of 1/4." The dough will be easier to roll if it's well chilled. Press the large cookie-cutter shape into the dough. Center the small cookie-cutter shape inside the large one and press it into the dough Remove the dough that's been cut from the small cookie cutter. Remove the dough around the outside of the large cookie. This will leave a cookie with a hole in the center. Using a spatula, move the cookie to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Parchment paper prevents the candy from sticking to the cookie sheet. Candy will stick to a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with cooking spray Fill the center hole with hard candy chips. Don't fill the hole to the top. Poke a hole in the top of the cookie dough to leave room for a hanger. Bake according to the cookie-dough directions. Move the parchment paper to the cooking rack, and let the cookies cool. Tie a ribbon or cord through the hole, and hang the cookies on the Christmas tree. If you place them in front of Christmas-tree lights, they'll look even more like stained glass. Barney Bars Servings: 16 (Or 2 Choco-holics) 1 6oz pkg semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 Tb margarine 1 Tb water 1/4 ts vanilla 1/4 cup margarine 5 cups miniature marshmallows 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup light corn syrup 5 cups chocolate-flavoured rice cereal Butter 7 x 11 inch baking pan. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium class bowl. Microwave on High until chocolate melts, stirring once, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Place margarine in large glass bowl. Microwave on High until margarine melts, about 30 seconds. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Microwave on High until marshmallows puff, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Mix in peanut butter and corn syrup. Stir in cereal. Spread half of cereal mixture in prepared pan. Spoon chocolate filling over. Top with remaining cereal mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. Cut into bars to serve. Coffee Bars 1/4 cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1/2 cup hot coffee 1 1/2 cups sifted flour 1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 cinnamon 1/2 t. salt 1/4 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup raisins Cream together sugar & shortening. Add egg & beat well. Add coffee & mix together. Sift together dry ingredients & add to first mixture. Stir in nuts & raisins & spread in shallow pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Raspberry-Filled Star Cookies Makes about 2 1/4 dozen Use different-sized star cutters to make an especially pretty array of these delectable cookies. Or vary the jam--ginger or orange marmalade would be very appealing. 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour, sifted 1 cup seedless raspberry jam Sifted confectioner's sugar for sprinkling In bowl, with electric mixer, cream 2 sticks butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light. Add 1 teaspoon each of grated lemon zest and vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt. With mixer on low speed, add 2 cups flour, a little at a time, and blend just until mixture comes together into dough. Shape dough into disk, wrap disk in waxed paper, and chill at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand about 5 minutes to soften. Place dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper; with rolling pin, roll out 1/8 inch thick. With star-shaped cookie cutter, dipped in flour, cut out stars and place, 1 inch apart, on baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes, or until pale gold. With spatula, transfer stars to racks to cool. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup raspberry jam until melted; let cool slightly, and spread on half of stars. Top with remaining stars. Sift confectioner's sugar lightly over cookies. Store in layers separated by waxed paper in airtight containers. Pecan Snowballs Makes about 4 dozen You can also make these irresistible cookies with walnuts. Whether you decide on pecans or walnuts, toasting the nuts first for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree F. oven will bring out their flavor. Don't forget to stir every so often. Let cool and chop, then make the recipe as directed. 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup finely chopped pecans Sifted confectioner's sugar for dusting Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Onto a sheet of waxed paper, sift 2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and cinnamon, if using. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks butter. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 tablespoon vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Stir in 1cup pecans. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and arrange, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool. Generously dust with confectioner's sugar. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Snoopy Snacks 6 oz package chocolate chips .5 cup peanut butter 1 cup chopped nuts, coconut, raisins, chinese noodles, or cereal (Rice Krispies) Melt chocolate chips. Add peanut butter and add one of the fillers. Place by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate Can't Get Enough Caramel Cookies 1/2 cup margarine, melted 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking powder Directions 1 Melt butter or margarine over low heat. Remove from heat and mix with brown sugar and salt. Mix in oats and baking powder. 2 Press onto a greased 9 x 13 inch cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) until melted together and lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully! Cut while hot. Raspberry Thumbprints Makes about 3 1/2 dozen These popular holiday cookies are fun to make and wonderful to eat. They are also very good filled with apricot jam. 1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar plus additional for dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup seedless raspberry jam Into medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1/2 cup ground almonds. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat 2 sticks butter with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until just combined. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, gently roll dough into balls, about 1 inch in size, and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Make indentation in top of each cookie with your finger and spoon small amount of raspberry jam into each fingerprint. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pale golden. With metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. Before serving, sift confectioner's sugar over cookies. Store in layers separated by waxed paper in airtight containers. Easter Nest 3 tablespoon margarine 2 tablespoon peanut butter 3 cups marshmallows 3 cups chow mein noodles Easter M & M's Green tinted coconut (optional) In a large saucepan heat the margarine, peanut butter and marshmallows until melted. Add noodles and shape into little nests. Sprinkle tinted coconut in the bottom of the nest and add M & M's for eggs. Candy Bar Cookie Pops 24 flat wooden sticks with round ends 24 miniature Milky way or snicker bars 1 18 oz. package of refrigerated sugar cookies Preheat oven to 350. Insert a popsicle stick in the middle of each candy bar. Remove cookie dough from wrapper; cut into 24 even size slices. Roll each piece into a ball; flatten each ball slightly in hand. Place candy bar in the center of dough. Wrap around candy, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Remove from cookie sheet with spatula. Do not pick up from the stick for at least one hour. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. or until edges are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet and decorate as desired.