Holiday Cookie Collection

Double Chocolate Glazed Wafers Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. For cookies, place 1/2 cup walnuts and the cocoa in work bowl of food processor or blender. Process until nuts are finely chopped; set aside. Cream butter and sugars in small mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and nut mixture; mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on unbuttered cookie sheets. Flatten to about 1 1/2-inch diameter using a flat bottom glass dipped in granulated sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges of cookie are firm but center is still soft when lightly pressed. Cool on cookie sheets 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely.

For glaze, place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds. Remove from microwave just before chocolate is completely melted. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until melted. Stir in corn syrup and vanilla. Spread small amount of glaze on each cookie. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup walnuts. Refrigerate cookies 30 minutes or allow glaze to set at room temperature overnight. Store in cool place in airtight metal containers up to 3 weeks. Freeze up to 6 months.

Cream butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue beating until blended. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, lemon juice and peels. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture; blend well. Chill dough. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in egg white, then in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on buttered cookie sheets. Press a candied cherry half onto top of each cookie. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely.

The Best Butter Cookies Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture; mix well. Divide dough in fourths. Roll out one-fourth of dough at a time on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Keep remaining dough refrigerated. Cut into desired shapes with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on unbuttered cookie sheets. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate as desired. Store in cool place in airtight metal containers up to 1 month. Freeze up to 3 months.

Cream butter and salt together; add sugar and stir briskly. Stir in cream or milk and beat well. Add additional sugar or milk if necessary for spreading consistency.

Sifting Confectioners' Sugar
* * If you don't have a sifter, remove lumps from powdered sugar by putting it in a wire sieve or strainer. Working over a bowl or sheet of waxed paper, push the sugar through the sieve with the back of a large spoon.* *

Softening Butter
When a recipe calls for softened butter, the butter should be soft enough to blend smoothly with other ingredients.

Room Temperature Softening:
* *Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or until softened. To speed up this process, cut the butter into pieces first.* *
Quick Softening:
* *Cut butter into small pieces and beat with an electric mixer.* *
Microwave:
* *Microwave one stick (unwrapped) at a time, on the lowest power setting, checking after 15 to 20 seconds. If the butter is inadvertently melted, save it for another use, as melted butter is not suitable for baking purposes unless specified.* *