English Toffee Bars

1 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
chocolate chips
chopped nuts

Mix well; spread thinly into a 9 x 13 x 1" pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven; sprinkle with 1 c. chocolate chips. Let set for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Cut while still warm into small 1 x 1-1/2" pieces.

Snickerdoodles

1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt

Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Stir together dry ingredients and add to shortening mixture. Roll dough into balls (about 1 T. each) and roll in a mixture of 1 1/2 T. sugar and 1/2 T. cinnamon. Cook at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

Chocolate Mint Meringues

3 egg whites
3/4 t. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa
Chocolate Mint Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 300°.  Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg whites and vanilla in large bowl on high speed of mixer until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Sift about half of cocoa over egg whites; gently fold just until combined. Repeat with remaining cocoa. 
3. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with large star tip; pipe 1-inch diameter stars onto prepared cookie sheet. 
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until dry. Cool slightly; peel paper from cookies. Cook completely on wire rack. Line tray or cookie sheet with wax paper. Prepare Chocolate Mint Glaze. Dip half of each cookie into glaze; place on prepared tray until set (refrigerate, if desired). Store, covered, in refrigerator. 6 dozen 1-inch cookies. 

Chocolate Mint Glaze

Place 1 c. Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips or Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 4 t. shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at Medium (50%) 1 minute or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Stir in 4 to 6 drops mint extract. Use immediately. 

The Chewy Oatmeal Cookie

3/4 c. butter-flavored Crisco
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 c. quick oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. raisins
1 c. nuts (optional)

Cream first five ingredients well.  Mix dry ingredients together. Stir into sugar/Crisco and mix until combined. Add 1 c. raisins and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoon 2" apart on cookie sheet.  Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 9 minutes. Cool 2 minutes, then remove to foil on counter top. Yield 3 dozen cookies

Peanut Butter Fingers

1 1/2 cubes butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3/4 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. rolled oats

Mix all but flour and oats. Mix well, then add flour and oats and mix well. Spread in greased cookie sheet. Bake 325° for 10-15 minutes, until slightly brown. Whip 2/3 c. peanut butter, spread on top when it's cool. Cool completely, then make chocolate frosting for top. 

Frosting:

3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. oil
2 t. vanilla

Carmelita Bars

The best bar cookie I have ever had!

2 c. flour
2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
1 c. butter, melted
1 jar Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel topping (no substitutes!)
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, soda and buter.  Grease 9 x 13 pan.  Put 2/3 of the oat mixture in the pan. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over top, then caramel topping, then sprinkle on remaining oat mixture. Continue baking for 17 more minutes.

Pumpkin Cookies

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. non-fat plain yogurt
2 T. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. raisins
2 c. sifted cake flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in raisins. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, soda, salt, and spices. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until blended.

Drop the batter, about 1 1/2 inches apart by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. let cookies cool on wire rack. makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. vanilla
1 c. raisins
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. sifted cake flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce, egg white, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in raisins. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together oats, cake flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until blended.

Drop the dough, about 1 1/2 inches apart, by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cookies cool on wire rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

No Name Cookies

1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. butterscotch pudding (Not Instant)
1-1/2 c. canned milk
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
4-1/2 to 5 c. flour

Put yeast in water, let stand. Mix pudding with milk; when it thickens take off heat and add butter. Cool till lukewarm; blend in eggs and yeast. Add flour till spongy. Cover and let rise 2 hours. Divide into 3 and roll out into 15" rounds. Cut 12 wedges (I use a pizza cutter). Place 1 t. filling on wide end and roll up, making sure point is down on cookie sheet.  Let rise 1 hour. Bake 10 MIN., NO LONGER!

FILLING:
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 T. flour
Cook till sugar is dissolved

FROSTING:
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. canned milk
2 T. butter

Combine in pan and bring to boil. Take off heat and blend in 1 c. powdered sugar.

Caramel Ribbon Brownies

24 light caramels or l bottle caramel topping
3/4 c. canned milk
1 package chocolate cake mix (2 layer)
6 T. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

In saucepan combine caramels and 2 T. milk. Cook over low heat until caramels are melted, stirring frequently. In a bowl combine remaining milk with cake mix, nuts and butter. Mix well.  Spread 1/2 the cake mixture in greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350°. Sprinkle chocolate morsels over hot cake. Drizzle caramel mixture on top. Drop remaining cake mixture by teaspoonful over all.  Bake at 350° for an additional 20 minutes. Cut into bars while warm. Cool in pan. Makes 36 bars.

Brownies (You won't find better!)

1 c. margarine
1-1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
1 c. nuts
2 heaping T. cocoa

Cream margarine and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Mix well. Bake in 9 x 13 pan, greased and floured, in 350° over for 20 minutes (or so).

Old-Fashioned Raisin Bars (Aunt Ruth Fowles' Recipe)

1/2 c. seedless raisins
1 c. water
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. nuts
1 t. soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
1-3/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
pinch cloves
chocolate chips

Combine raisins and water. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Stir in shortening; cool; stir in sugar and egg. Add sifted dry ingredients; beat. Pour on greased cookie sheet and bake at 370° for 20 minutes. Frost with vanilla frosting, cut into bars.

Cherry Delights

Mix 1 c. margarine and 1/2 c. sugar. Stir in 1/2 c. Karo light syrup. 2 egg yolks and 2-1/2 c. flour. Chill. Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip into slightly beaten egg whites, then 2 c. finely-chopped nuts. Place on a greased baking sheet. Press candied cherries into centers. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes. Makes  4 dozen cookies.

No-Bake Rocky Road Cookies

3 c. uncooked oats
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. cocoa
1 c. small marshmallows
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. canned milk
2 c. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla

Combine cocoa, butter, milk, and sugar. Bring to boil; boil 1 minute. Add vanilla and marshmallows and nuts. Pour over oats and stir. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper. Have oats in a big bowl for mixing.

Easy Filled Cookies

1 c. shortening
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. water
1 t. vanilla
3-1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
1/8 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 375°. Mix shortening, brown sugar, and eggs. Stir in water and vanilla. Sift together and stir in flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased baking sheet. Place 1/2 t. date or raisin filling on dough; cover with teaspoon of dough. (Don't try to cover completely; just drop on top.) Bake until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.

FILLING:
2 c. dates finely cut up (or 2 c. raisins, ground)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. nuts
Cook all but nuts slowly, stirring, until thickened. Add nuts; cool

Delectable Dates Drops

1 c. finely chopped pitted dates
1 c. water
1 egg
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. milk
1-1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4. t. baking soda
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Combine dates and water; bring to boiling. Simmer 5 minutes; cool. Set aside 2 T. date mixture for frosting. Beat in egg, sugar, butter or margarine and milk. Stir together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Cool. Frost with DATE FROSTING:

Beat together 3 T. softened butter
1-1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
reserved dates
Add enough milk to make spreadable

Chocolate Graham Fingers

MELT 1/2 c. butter in saucepan.
ADD:  1/2 c. brown sugar
            2 T. cocoa (or less)
            1 egg, slightly beaten
Stir well. Boil and simmer 1 minute.
ADD:  1 t. vanilla
            3/4 c. broken walnuts
            1/2 lb. roughly broken graham crackers
Press into 8 x 8 greased pan. Chill. Ice with colored frosting. These taste great!

Peanut Butter Fingers (I'm becoming world-famous for this one!)

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
1-1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 c. oats

Mix together and spread on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes. (Won't be solid yet.) Cool, spread with peanut butter. Frost with chocolate frosting. Cut in squares.

Peanut Blossom Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1-3/4 c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
36 candy kisses

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to above. Shape in 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Put candy kiss on each cookie and bake 1-2 minutes (until candy is soft and sticks to cookie).

Scotch Crunch Cookies

3/4 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. water
1 c. sifted flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
3 c. uncooked oats
2 rounded T. peanut butter

Beat shortening, sugar, egg, water and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add peanut butter and oats. Bake at 325° - 350° for 10-12 minutes.