2 sticks butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Cream butter and cheese. Add flour and other ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Put Rice Krispies in last. Make into marble-size balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.

Bake at 325 degrees F. 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note: These freeze well.

Blend butter and cheese well. Add flour and salt. Make pastry into four balls, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Press a small amount of dough into cups of ungreased muffin pan with your fingers.

Fill each cup about half full with filling.

Bake at 350 degrees until brown. Makes 4 dozen nut cups.

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar plus additional sugar for topping
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and mix well.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended. Add sugar, oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into egg mixture until well blended. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes or longer.

Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonsful 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Mist the bottom of a 3-inch flat-bottom glass with water and dip glass in additional sugar. Press the top of each cookie lightly with the glass to flatten, misting the glass with water and dipping in sugar before pressing each cookie.

Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers or freeze for future use.

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar (divided)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely-crushed peppermint candies (about 18)
48 maraschino cherries, or liquor-flavored maraschino cherries with stems, drained
Coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With electric mixer and in large mixing bowl. Beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in peppermint extract, vanilla and egg. Beat in as much of the flour as you can; stir in remaining flour and candies.

Place remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Press each ball into the bottom and on sides of a 1 3/4-inch muffin cup.

Place cherry, stem side up, in each cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is browned. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Carefully transfer to rack to cool completely. Makes 48 tassies.

1 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon soda in 4 to 5 tablespoons hot water
2 cups brown sugar

Combine first 6 ingredients. Drop by teaspoon and roll in brown sugar.

Bake in 350-degree oven for approximately 8 minutes or until puffy.

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, cream of tartar and baking soda. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time and mix. Drop 1 teaspoon balls on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten to 1/4-inch thick with glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees F. approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2/3 cup cherry-flavored craisins (dried cranberries)
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake for 9 minutes or until set. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Yield: 30 cookies ( 80 calories each)

1/2 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
24 miniature Snickers candy bars
Red and green colored sugar

In a small bowl, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. Shape 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough around each candy bar. Roll in colored sugar.

Place two inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Yield: 2 dozen

21⁄4 cups sugar, divided
3⁄4 cup whole milk
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup water
9 ounces pecan halves, toasted ( 21⁄4 cups)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dark rum
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Bring 11⁄2 cups sugar, milk and salt to a boil in a small
saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from
heat (mixture may look separated).

Bring water and remaining 3⁄4 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until sugar begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Swirl pan, then cook until caramel turns amber, about 2 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat. Carefully stir in milk mixture (liquid may bubble up), then pecans. Place pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until caramel registers 242
degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla, and rum. Continue stirring until caramel cools and becomes very thick and difficult to stir, about 10 minutes. Drop small mounds of caramel onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat and let cool.

Place melted chocolate in a medium bowl. Using an offset spatula, dip bottom of each pecan cluster into chocolate, leaving top partially undipped. Place dipped pecan clusters on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand until chocolate is set. Pecan clusters will keep covered for up to 5 days.

4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 1/4 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon espresso granules
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk. Combine oil and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat; cook until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Add espresso granules to pan; stir until blended. Remove from heat. Pour chocolate mixture into a large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, syrup and vanilla. Add egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring gently just until combined. Cover; chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dredge balls in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar; place balls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and almost set. Cool cookies on pan 2 minutes or until set; remove from pan. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Note: Lightly coat your hands with flour to make rolling the dough into balls easier. The dough freezes well. Freeze the dough after step 2, thaw in the refrigerator, then proceed with step 3. The powdered sugar coating gives these cookies an appealing cracked finish.