Almond Roca Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, soft
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup crushed toffee
1 cup coarsely ground almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix. (you might want to chill for about 15 minutes to firm up the dough)

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then cool on a rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or carefully in the microwave). Place cookies on a cookie sheet (on wax or parchment paper) and drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies. It will take a few minutes for the chocolate to set. Then enjoy with :coffee:

My favorites are M&M cookies, which we traditionally only make at Christmas time. Second favorite are the peanut blossoms. So I'll definitely be making those. My cookie press sucks, so I probably won't make butter cookies. On the other hand, my sugar cookie recipe rocks, so I'm in charge of those. The paper published a few recipes this year that think I'm going to try - including a new thumbprint variant. The ones I usually make are really annoying to make, but I feel compelled to make thumbprints for the holidays. No idea why.

Let me know when you're making them, so I can come over. (They are SOOO good when they're fresh out of the oil!)

One year I went TOTALLY overboard on cookies -- I think I made 5 or 6 kinds. The favorite from that year were chocolate mint press cookies, dusted with powdered sugar.

Yum! I fail completely at press cookies. All my cookies look like some weird mutants.

Make triangular sugar cookies, then use two blue, green or brown (or one green one brown if you're a Bowie fan) M&Ms for eyes, and a red one at the bottom of the triangle point for the red nose. Broken pretzels are good antlers. Super easy, and people go all lovey over them.

We made Russian Tea Cakes and lemon bars last night, and chocolate hazelnut cake cookies today.

I THINK the trick might be to use a specific press cookie recipe, or else one that doesn't 'puff' too much. Same thing happens to me when I use Pillsbury dough and cookie cutters with 'designs' in the middle (that you have to roll to EXACTLY the right depth) -- they always puff so much you can't tell what the shape is.

(If I was better at my baking chemistry, I'd tell you what ratio of ingredients puff more/less, but no such luck here)

Oh, and I always go for the most basic shapes - either the rings or trees!

Would someone be willing to share a buckeye recipe with me. Please! My friend from Ohio brought me some one year and they were divine!

I always make rum or bourbon balls, chocolate crinkles, Russian teacakes, fudge, sugar cookies, party mix(not a cookie but husbands family tradition), lemon bars, magic cookie bars and chocolate chip of course!

This year I'm making Pfeffernusse(pepper nut) cookies for my 86 year old neighbor. He is so excited, he hasn't had them since he was a child. I just hope I can do as good as he remembers, I haven't made them for many years but I'm willing to try!

It may be after Christmas, but it's never too late for cookies!

cirquelover, I've not tried this Buckeye recipe, but here's one from a postcard I received from Ohio--I've had it magneted to my fridge for a couple years now. I ought to try it; it sounds like the one I used to make.


Buckeye Candy

1 lb. bag confectioner's sugar
2/3 lb. jar creamy peanut butter
2 sticks soft butter
16 oz. bag of chocolate chips
1 T paraffin
1 wood toothpick

Blend together confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, and butter.
Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Freeze for about 5 minutes or until firm.
Melt chocolate and paraffin in double boiler. Insert toothpick in ball and partially dip into chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 4 dozen.


I made gingerbread sea creatures and chocolate Andes-chip cookies this holiday.