Image from http://www.susanbranch.com/Once again, while wandering around through blogland, I came across a Cookie Exchange at Jessi's blog. The image I used above came as an email from Susan Branch's newsletter. In the email, if you clicked the recipe title within the cookie jar, the recipe popped up. Very cool. I'm including the Christmas Nut Cookie recipe from Christmas from the Heart of the Home, one of my very most favorite holiday books to look through and cook from. Her illustrations are just so charming and just right for the season.
1-1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. Crisco, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. finely chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, or pecans)
2 TBSP vanilla
4 c. unbleached, unsifted flour
powdered sugar to roll cookies in
Cream butter, Crisco & sugar together. Add other ingredients (not the powdered sugar). Be sure to work in all the flour. Roll into a large ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Before baking, allow the dough to sit at room temperature till just soft enough to handle--about 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll the dough into small walnut-sized balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet 1" apart. Turn oven down to 275 degrees; bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before rolling in the powdered sugar.
The recipe says it will make 9 dozen; I've never rolled that many out of one batch of dough, but you do get lots of cookies!
