Our holiday treats contest yields some sweet superlatives How the cookies crumbled

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Gingerbread men. Pfeffernusse. Rum balls. Snickerdoodles. Is there any other time of year that is so declaratively about cookies? We make them. We eat them. And we also share them. The cookie exchange is as traditional as decorating the tree and writing holiday cards. When we asked you earlier this month to send your favorite holiday cookie recipes for a BDN cookie exchange, we were delighted (and hungry) as we read through them. Reporter Kristen Andresen and I each picked five recipes that appealed to our personal tastes. We baked them. We ate them. And now we’re sharing them with you. Our top picks are printed here, and you can find others – ones we did not test – at www.bangordailynews.com.

There’s a reason these recipes are favorites: They’re good, and they’re easy to follow. But remember that good preparation means easier success. Read the recipes carefully before you start and make sure all the ingredients are handy. And no matter how well prepped you are, still leave additional time. Cookies take forever to make. But not so forever that you want to overcook them. If the recipe says 10 minutes, do it. Cookies will continue to bake on the pans once they are out of the oven. For the richest taste, use real butter, expensive bourbon and exotic chocolate. Finally, take the time to breathe deeply – those aromas of clove, anise and ginger come but once a year. Merry cookies to you and your holiday eaters. – Alicia Anstead

Russian Tea Cakes

Makes about 4 dozen 1-inch cookies.

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cups finely chopped nuts (we used a mixture of walnuts and pecans, but one or the other would work)

Aout 1 cup confectioners sugar for rolling

Mix butter, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Mix together and stir in flour and salt. Mix in finely chopped nuts.

Chill dough. Press and roll into 1-inch balls (this will require a little bit of effort on your part, as the dough will be crumbly). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies do not spread. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until set, but not brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar. Cool. Roll in sugar again.

Cook’s note: The dough will be very crumbly. Don’t worry. Also, if your oven runs hot, you may need to take these out quite a bit earlier than the recipe specifies. This won’t affect the flavor of the finished product.

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

21/2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup margarine softened (I sometimes do 1/2 butter flavored Crisco and 1/2 butter)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans and walnuts

1 tablespoon sugar

1 9-ounce package Rolos candy

In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. In large bowl, beat margarine with both sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture and mix well.

In small bowl, mix pecans and walnuts with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Wrap 1 Rolo in 1 tablespoon of dough. Lightly flour your hands as dough will be sticky. Press one side of cookie ball into nut mixture. Place nut side up on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes at 375 degrees F. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Bourbon Truffles

Makes about 2 dozen.

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup finely crushed gingersnap cookies

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

3 tablespoons bourbon

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a heavy, medium-size saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from stove. Mix in crushed cookies, apricots and bourbon. Cover and chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

Line cookie sheet with foil. Drop truffle mixture by tablespoons onto foil, spacing apart. Freeze 15 minutes.

Roll each between palms into a small ball. Sift together cocoa and sugar in a shallow dish. Roll each truffle in cocoa mixture.

Cook’s note: These can be prepared up to a week ahead. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Cookies

1 cup butter -flavored Crisco

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

21/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup frosted flakes, crushed to make 1/2 cup

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup coconut (optional)

In large bowl, mix first five ingredients with mixer. Blend well. Add the remaining ingredients to mixture.

Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.

Eggnog Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup margarine and butter (mixed)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

21/2 cups flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix margarine and butter, salt, lemon rind, nutmeg, sugar, eggs and milk together well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.

When cookies are cool, frost with butter frosting (recipe follows) and sprinkle with a small amount of nutmeg. Top each cookie with a cherry half, if desired.

Butter Frosting

1/4 pound butter (not margarine)

1 pound sifted powder sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Milk

Nutmeg

Cherries

Over low heat, melt butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add enough milk to make the frosting spreadable (about a tablespoon at a time).

Cook’s note: Be sure to add the milk to the frosting mixture very, very slowly. Also, we halved the frosting recipe and it still made enough to frost all of our cookies.

Cream Cheese Dainties

Makes four dozen cookies.

1/2 cup butter

1 3-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely chopped

Red and green candied cherries

Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar and almondextract until light. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture, just until combined. Chill 1-2 hours. Then shape into balls, roll in cereal and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Top each with a cherry. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cook on rack.

Joe Froggers

2 cups molasses

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup rum

8 cups flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together molasses, shortening and sugar. Mix in water and rum. Combine flour, salt, ginger, cloves and soda, and blend into molasses mixture. This will create a stiff dough. Add 1 cup raisins, and form batter into balls that are a little larger than a golf ball. Roll in sugar and bake 10- 15 minutes until lightly browned. Makes a lot!

A Little Bit of Everything Cookie

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups Rice Krispies

1-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chooped or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls or roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Luscious Ginger Cookies

41/2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

4 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 mounded teaspoons crystallized ginger, finely minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in molasses. Stir in flour mixture. Then stir in crystallized ginger. Chill for 15 minutes. Drop by rounded tablespoons into a bowl of granulated sugar, coat 1 side only. Place on greased cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Cocoa Snowflakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat, add cocoa powder, blend well with a fork or a small whisk until smooth. Remove pan from heat, stir in sugar until combined. It will be dark brown at this point. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add vanilla extract, then eggs 1 at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon or hand mixer after each addition.

Add flour mixture and mix well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, refrigerate until chilled. The dough really should chill overnight, or the finished cookie won’t be as puffy, but two hours work in a pinch. The dough never gets really stiff, but it rolls and bakes best when thoroughly chilled.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grab a handful of dough, enough for a cookie sheet, leaving the rest in the fridge. Roll each hunk of dough into a 3/4-inch ball, then roll in powdered sugar. It is easier to roll the dough into balls if you coat your hands with powdered sugar. Place the sugar-coated balls onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 9 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute, then remove from pan. Store in an airtight container to maintain the soft and chewy texture of these cookies.