Santa's favorite cookies!

I remember once every year, my mother turned into a baking machine.  Goodies were whipped up, flour was everywhere, children were put into cookie assembly lines, and hundreds of cookies started pouring out of our kitchen, and into the homes of friends, neighbors, and our own mouths.  I remember ding-dong ditching friends and family, leaving only the cookies behind.  I remember taking them to neighbors who insisted on pinching at least one Carr child's cheeks in gratitude.  And I remember, every year, carefully setting a few cookies aside for Santa.  He loved them so much, sometimes he'd even leave us a note full of thanks (as well as a living room full of presents)!

So here's another Carr family tradition to pass on to my kids: the Carr Family Christmas Cookies.

Peanut Blossoms.

Peanut Blossoms

1/2 cup shortening                                                            ½ cup peanut butter

½ cup brown sugar                                                          ½ cup sugar

1 egg                                                                                       1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda                                                              ½ tsp salt

1 ¾ cups flour                                                    Chocolate Kisses

Combine sugars, egg, vanilla, shortening and peanut butter. Add baking soda, salt and flour. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. Roll in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and press candy kiss into center of each and return to oven for 2 minutes.

Gingerbread Men.

Scovil Bakery Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

¾ cup oil

½ cup hot water

Combine these ingredients (rinse molasses out of measuring cup with the hot water. Add 2 eggs.

Mix in the following ingredients:

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 heaping tsp ginger

6-7 cups flour

(use more flour if needed)

Refrigerate dough. Roll out and cut with cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Peppermint Candy Canes--these ones were my favorite growing up!

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

1 cup sugar                                                                          3 ½ cups flour

1 cup butter, softened                                      1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup milk                                                                          ¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                             2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract                    2 Tbls finely crushed peppermint

1 egg                                                                                       candy

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into halves. Add ½ teaspoon red food coloring to 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. For each candy cane shape 1 teaspoon dough from each half into 4 inch roll by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and 1 white rope side by side; press lightly together and twist.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. Bake until set, 9-12 minutes. Immediately from cookie sheet. Mix the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and peppermint candy. Immediately sprinkle over baked cookies.