The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes

3/4 cup Golden Crisco or Butter-flavored Crisco (shortening)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Coloured decorations or icing

Preheat oven to 375?F.

Cream Crisco, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy. Cmbine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill 1 hour, if desired, for easy rolling.  Roll half of dough at a time. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll leftover pieces. Sprinkle with coloured decorations or leave plain to decorate when cool. Bake at 375?F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown. (Time will vary with cookie size.) Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack.

Easy Double-Decker Fudge

A 2-layer fudge with a bottom peanut butter layer and a top chocolate layer.

Makes about 60
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups marshmallow creme
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter an 8″ square pan and set aside. Put peanut butter chips in one medium bowl and chocolate chips into another. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and butter. Stir constantly until mixture boils and then continue to stir while boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour half of this mixture into the peanut butter chips, stirring both until chips are completely melted. Pour into prepared pan. Pour other half of milk mixture into the chocolate chips, stirring until chips are completely melted. Immediately spread over peanut butter layer. Cool and cut into squares.

Yuletide Cranberry Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

2 c Flour
1 c Sugar
1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1 ts Salt
1 c Cranberries, sliced in half
1 c Chopped nuts
Juice and grated rind of 2 oranges
2 T Shortening
1/2 c Boiling water
1 Egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cranberries and the nuts.
Combine the juice, rind, shortening, and water. Add the egg to the juice and blend into the cranberry mixture.
Pour into a buttered loaf pan, and bake 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out dry.

Makes about 30

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 370F
Beat together the margarine and cheese until creamy, then blend in the flour and water. Chill the dough for 4 to 5 hours. . In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the preserves and sugar until the mixture boils and is smooth. Set aside. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 inch square, cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Put a scant teaspoon of the preserves in the center of each square, fold over diagonally and seal the edges. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes.

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