Author: Amy Diaz

Dozens of cookies to share and enjoy­

Cookies are the best.

They are a great dessert, a great snack, a satisfying breakfast or mid-morning munchies solution. They are great at parties and great shared after a party while you relax. You can never have too many cookies in your life or too many cookie recipes — particularly fun new recipes with personal, historical and family stories attached.

In that vein, I reached out to ask for recipes — from food types, yes, but also from museums, hospitals, politicians, churches, cultural organizations, basically anybody I thought might have a good cookie recipe and a tasty story to go with it. Here are about four dozen recipes from our — yours and mine — neighbors, swapping cookies (and a few bars, drops and other cookie-ish items) and frequently the tales of how these sweet treats became a part of their baking routine.

Let’s kick things off by going way back in American cookie history, to when the item appeared as a “cookey” in a 1796 cookbook.

Another Christmas Cookey

From Sarah Sycz Jaworski, program manager at American Independence Museum in Exeter, who writes: “We do not have any recipes directly related to our museum but the below recipe would probably have been made or at least known in the family that lived here. The first Christmas cookie recipe printed in America was in Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery. The cookbook was first printed in Hartford in 1796. Cookies of the time were usually called jumbles or biscuits. The word ‘cookie’ is said to be a Dutch word and came from the Dutch in New York, and the second printing of the book was in Albany.”

Amelia’s Christmas Cookey Recipe

To three pounds of flour, sprinkle a teacup of fine powdered coriander seed, rub in one pound of butter, and one and a half pound of sugar, dissolve one teaspoonful of pearlash in a tea cup of milk, knead all well together, roll three-quarters of an inch thick, and cut or stamp into shape or size you please. Bake slowly 15 or 20 minutes; tho’ hard and dry at first, if put into an earthen pot, and dry cellar, or damp room, they will be finer, softer and better when 6 months old.

Modern adaptation from Amanda Moniz, the Assistant Director of the National History Center of the American Historical Association, as it appeared in the Historical Cooking Project Blog, July 2014 (provided by the American Independence Museum)

• 1 pound (about 3¾ cups) all-purpose flour
  pinch of salt
• 1½ Tablespoons ground coriander (or more)
• 6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• ½ pound (1 cup) sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup whole milk (more as needed)

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, salt and ground coriander in a food processor. Pulse a couple times.
Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Combine baking powder and milk.Add to the dough mixture and stir, adding more milk if it seems too dry. Press the dough together into two balls.
Put each ball on plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill for a couple hours.

Roll the dough to the thinness you want (about ⅛ inch is good) and cut out in any shape you want.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets about halfway through baking, until lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Acıbadem Kurabiyesi, Turkish Almond Cookies

From the Turkish Cultural Center New Hampshire. The cookies are “a beloved treat often served during special occasions like weddings, religious holidays, or family gatherings in Turkey. These delicately sweet, almond-flavored cookies symbolize warmth and hospitality in Turkish culture, making them a delightful addition to festive celebrations,” according to a description in the email from the center.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• whole almonds for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolk and almond extract, mixing until well-combined.

Gradually add the flour and ground almonds to the mixture, stirring until a dough forms.

Take small portions of the dough and roll them into balls, then flatten them slightly with your palm. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart.

Press a whole almond into the center of each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Agnès Boucher’s Date Squares

From Nathalie Boucher Hirte, office manager at the Franco-American Centre, host of Franco Foods on YouTube and a native of Quebec, who wrote: “Funny enough, growing up in Quebec, cookies were not the big thing on the table, it was more sweets (like sucre à la crème and fudge) and cakes. A family and Quebec favorite treat growing up was date squares, but that’s not a cookie.”

• 2 cups chopped dates
• ½ cup corn syrup (I used light)
• ½ cup hot water
• ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oatmeal
• ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter
• lemon juice (to taste)
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare square pan: Cover bottom and sides with butter.

Date filling: Combine chopped dates, corn syrup, hot water, lemon juice and vanilla in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower temperature and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Base and topping: In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar. Add the oatmeal, mix well. Cut or rub in the butter until well combined.

Putting it together: Put half of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan. Press well to make the base. Spread the date filling. Cover with the remaining oatmeal mixture and press gently. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Candy Cane Cookies

From Jan Warren, who describes herself as the baker in the office at Deerfield Family Dentistry. She says she’s been making these cookies for about 40 years. She wrote that she had just made a batch of the cookies: “It makes more than the 4 1/2 dozen that it says it does. I used the peppermint flavoring instead of almond. When you put the 2 colors together, roll them as you would when rolling them into 4 inch logs, they stick together better when twisting them.”

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup softened butter
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red food coloring
• ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. Mix powdered sugar, butter, shortening, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Divide dough into halves. Tint one half with food color. For each candy cane, shape 1 teaspoon dough from each part into 4-inch rope. For smooth, even strips, roll back and forth on lightly floured board. Place one red and one white strip side by side, press together lightly and twist. Complete cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Curve top down to form handle of cane. Bake until set and very light brown, about 9 minutes. Mix crushed candy and granulated sugar, immediately sprinkle over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet. Makes 4 dozen.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

“Between votes in Washington and traveling across New Hampshire, I don’t get to bake as often as I’d like. When I do, I usually rely on the recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips as a guide. However, one of my staffers brought in the following recipe that is quickly becoming an office favorite. These cookies have a great pumpkin flavor, perfect for the fall and winter months (and it’s also New Hampshire’s state fruit!).” — U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, in an email from staff. The recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com).

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• ¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree (with moisture squeezed out)
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for the tops

Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in ½ semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Remove dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop about 1½ Tablespoons of dough for each cookie and roll into balls. Arrange on cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, slightly flatten the tops.

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until the edges appear set. Press a few chocolate chips into the top of the cookies (which will look very soft in the center). Let cool for at least 10 minutes on the pan.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brian Csaky, Director of Culinary Operations at Saint Anselm College, wrote this is “our chocolate chip cookie recipe that we use in Davison Hall. During lunch last year, we had a table set up for the students to try [two] kinds of cookie and they got to vote on their favorite. This recipe ended up being the winner between the two.”

• ⅜ pound brown sugar
• ⅓ pound sugar
• ½ pound unsalted butter
• 2 ounces eggs
• ¼ ounce vanilla extract
• ⅔ pound all-purpose flour
• ¼ ounce iodized salt
• ⅛ ounce baking soda
• 10 ounces chocolate chips

Cream sugars and butter. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop in scoops onto baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Chruściki (Angel Wings or Bow Ties)

Karen Sobiechowski at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manchester said in an email she spoke to her bakers before sending along recipes, the first of which she describes this way: “Chrusciki are often referred to as angel wings (because of the powdered sugar) or bow ties (because of the shape). When the dough is rolled very thin, the cookies are light and crisp. Some recipes call for a small amount of alcohol (such as vodka, whiskey, or rum) in the dough to keep it from absorbing too much oil during the frying.”

• 6 egg yolks
• 3 Tablespoons orange zest
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• oil for deep frying
• powdered sugar to dust

Beat egg yolks with a fork. Add orange zest, salt and sour cream. Add 2½ cups of the flour and powdered sugar to egg mixture. Combine. Add the last ½ cup of flour, working by hand to form a soft dough.

On a floured board, roll out the dough a quarter at a time. Roll thin. Cut dough in small rectangles and cut a slit in the center. Put one end through to make a bow. Fry in hot oil, only until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar.

Crisp Oatmeal Cookies

“The following recipe is a Belisle family favorite. My mother makes it for our annual family Christmas get-together. It is a tradition that is asked for every year. My mom modified it slightly. She has been making these cookies since I was a little kid (almost 60 years). The original recipe was submitted by Jean Engborg and was in a handwritten cookbook from Cape Porpoise, Maine.” — Ann Hamilton, a food safety specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension

• 1 cup shortening
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda mixed in ¼ cup boiling water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 3 cups rolled oats (either quick or regular)
• raisins

Oven temperature 375°F. Makes about 5½ dozen 2½-inch cookies.

Cream the shortening with the sugars. Dissolve the baking soda in boiling water and add to the sugar mixture. Add vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoon on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork and bake about 10 minutes or until a golden color. Put on wire rack to cool. Add a raisin, if desired, in the center of the cookies before cooking. These cookies are crisp and crunchy. NOTE: Needs watching — can burn quickly.

Crystalized Ginger Shortbread

From Charlene Nichols, director of sales at Hippo, who writes that she adapted this recipe from themom100.com by Katie Workman, doubling it and adding about a teaspoon of ground ginger to up the overall gingerness.

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the counter
• 1½ cup finely chopped crystalized ginger

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in the salt, then the flour, then the vanilla and ground ginger. Lastly, beat in the crystallized ginger. The dough will appear crumbly but hold together when you pinch it.

Press the dough into a large cookie sheet, scoring into 64 2-inch squares. Place pan in freezer for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least an hour, until it firms up slightly.

Bake for about 40 minutes until very slightly colored, with edges just a bit browned. Put the pan on a wire rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Then flip the shortbread to remove from the pan, turn right side up and cool completely on the rack.

Place the shortbread on a cutting board and using a large sharp knife cut into squares following the lines you’ve scored in the dough.

Danish Dapples

“Danish dapples … comes from the Girl Scout Cookbook [pictured] which was published by the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1971. We have a copy of this book in the Max I. Silber Scouting Library. We chose this Danish recipe to reflect the interest that the Girl Scouts have had in World Scouting over the years.”— Doug Aykroyd, Curator of the Lee Scouting Museum in Manchester

• ¾ cup shortening
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 2 cups peeled, chopped apples
• ½ cup coarsely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
• 1 Tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon milk
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream shortening and sugar together; add oats, and beat well. Beat in eggs. Sift flour together with salt, soda and spices; add to sugar-shortening-egg mixture and mix well. Stir in apples and nuts.

Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned. Use last four ingredients for frosting, as follows: Melt butter and heat 1 teaspoon of milk with it. Pour into small mixing bowl with powdered sugar and vanilla; mix until smooth. Spread over tops of cookies. Let cool until frosting sets before serving or storing.

Eldress Bertha Lindsay’s Lemon Verbena Cookies

From Eldress Bertha Lindsay’s Seasoned With Grace: My Generation of Shaker Cooking (1988) and provided by the Canterbury Shaker Village.

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons crushed lemon verbena leaves, or substitute ½ teaspoon lemon extract

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. In a separate small bow, mix milk, lemon juice, oil and egg. Add lemon verbena or lemon extract to the liquid. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until well-mixed.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Finikia (Assumption’s Recipe)

From the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester Ladies Philoptochos Society, which writes: “Finikia are considered the most popular Greek Christmas cookie. In some regions of Greece, they are also known as melomakarona. These delicious, moist, honey-drenched cookies can be made with a date or walnut center filling, or left plain in the center. All varieties are topped with crushed walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. … The Ladies Philoptochos Society of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church make and bake hundreds of finikia annually for their food fests, spring and fall bake sales, and Greekfest.”

Dough:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted (sweet) butter – at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice – at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks – at room temperature
• 1 ounce Metaxa or brandy
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 to 8 cups of flour

Center-filling (optional):

• 10 ounces date paste or 20 pureed pitted dates
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Syrup:

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup honey

Cookie coating:

• 1½ cups finely chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Dough

In mixer, beat butter, oil and sugar together very well. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, into the mixture while the mixer is working. Gradually add orange juice and Metaxa (or brandy) and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir. Start by adding half the flour mixture and keep incorporating the remainder of the flour, a little at a time, until you have a smooth dough that is neither too soft nor too hard. Take dough out of bowl and knead until dough forms a ball.

Center-filling (optional)

In small saucepan, mix together dates, granulated sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and vanilla extract. On lowest setting, cook until warm. Set aside.

Syrup

In a large pot, combine granulated sugar and water and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes. Add honey and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Cookie Coating

In a separate bowl, mix together walnuts, cinnamon and granulated sugar.

Shaping and baking:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll and shape dough into small oval balls about 1½ to 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Using your fingers, press one side of the ball flat like a small pancake. If making center-filled finikia, add 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of cookies.

Fold dough over and pinch ends of oval cookies together. Place fold-side down on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until golden in color. Do not overbake; otherwise syrup won’t be absorbed into each cookie. Set cookies aside to cool. Once cooled, transfer cookies to a large casserole dish.

Prepare syrup. Once the syrup is boiled and hot, pour over the cooled cookies making sure all cookies are completely covered in syrup. With a wooden spoon, turn the cookies over a few times ensuring the tops and bottoms are fully covered in syrup. Turn cookies in syrup a full 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove honey-drenched cookies and place in individual paper baking cups. Sprinkle the walnut mixture over the finikia.

Should yield roughly 60 pieces.

Finikia (St. Philip’s recipe)

Vivian Karafotias of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church in Nashua also sent along a recipe for finikia, one of three recipes she sent that come from the cookbook the church sells at its annual festival in May. She writes: “The cookie is oval-shaped with walnuts on top and dipped in syrup. This cookie originated from Smyrni, Asia Minor.”

• 1 cup margarine
• 2 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup sugar
• 8 ounces orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1½ ounces whiskey
• ⅓ teaspoon ground clove
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 to 8 cups of flour

Beat margarine, add oil and beat well. Add sugar, juice, rind, whiskey, ground clove and baking powder. Add flour slowly, using only as much as needed to form soft cookie dough. Form into slightly flattened egg-shaped cookies. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Dip cookies in hot syrup for a few minutes. Remove and sprinkle with nut mixture.

Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup honey
• 1 lemon, quartered

Place all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Nut mixture

• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts mixed with 3 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Flourless Ooey-Gooey Double Chocolate Cookies

“Makes 16 cookies. I seldom use Dutch process cocoa; natural cacao works great.” — from Roxanne Macaig, Hippo account executive.

• 5 ounces excellent-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• ½ stick + 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• ¾ cup superfine or granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup cocoa or cacao powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (or preference milk or white chocolate)
• ¼ to ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat to 350°F.

In a heat-proof bowl (either in the microwave or on the stove over a pot of simmering water), melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool down to lukewarm.

Using either a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer fitted with the double beaters, whisk sugar and eggs together until pale, very fluffy and about tripled in volume. About 5 minutes on a high speed until the “ribbon stage.”

Pour the lukewarm chocolate mixture into the whisked egg mixture, and whisk until just combined. Stir in vanilla and salt. SIFT in the cocoa powder and salt, and whisk until you get a smooth, glossy batter — it will be pretty runny. Add the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) and small diced walnuts if desired, mixing throughout the batter.

Chill the batter in the fridge for 8 minutes, until slightly thickened. It will still be fairly loose, but it will mostly hold its shape when you scoop onto the cookie sheet.

Scoop onto a cookie sheet using a 2-Tablespoon ice cream or cookie scoop; leave about 1½ inches between for them to spread.

Bake, one baking sheet at a time, at 350ºF (180ºC) for 8 to 9 minutes or until slightly puffed up. The center should be a little underbaked so they’ll be gooey and delicious when cooled. They will have a glossy, cracked crust and be puffed up mounds, but they will settle when cooled.

Directly out of the oven, while they’re still hot, you can use a glass (larger than the cookie diameter) to bump the overflow edges to a perfectly round shape.

Ginger Cookies

From Mrs. Thomas Chalmers in The Bazaar Cook Book compiled by The Ladies in the First Congregational Church in Manchester, published in 1901, according to Kristy Ellsworth, Director of Education at the Manchester Historic Association’s Millyard Museum.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 dessertspoonful each of ginger, vinegar and soda

Mix with 6 cups of flour and enough more to roll out. Bake ¼ inch thick.

Gingerbread Cookies

“This holiday cookie recipe is pure comfort. The aroma of ginger meeting cinnamon on the baking sheet is irresistible. Sometimes the icing and decoration toppings don’t make it to each cookie as I have sampled a bare cookie or two beforehand.” — Marilyn Mills, dietitian at Elliot Health System.

• 3 cups all-purpose, unbleached or try white wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger (for more ginger flavor squeeze another teaspoon of refrigerated ginger paste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread cookie shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown.

Cool on baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container for up to five days.

Hearty Energy Cookies

“Katie Welch, Senior Director of Member Experience for the YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown, shares her Hearty Energy Cookie recipe — one that her mom started cooking for her when she was in high school and both were active runners craving a more nutritious cookie yet still gooey and chocolatey! Katie now makes these hearty energy cookies to share at the Y with coworkers, members, and friends.” — Jamie Demetry, VP of marketing and communications at the Granite YMCA.

• ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter
• 1⅓ cups dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix butter, sugar and peanut butter until creamed. Add eggs, one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Finally, add the buttermilk. The batter will be sticky, but handle-able. Roll out golf-ball sized balls, and slightly flatten onto your cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges just turn golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Hermits

From Mary Whitcher’s Shaker House-Keeper (1882) and provided by the Canterbury Shaker Village.

Mix one cup of raisins, stoned and chopped; a cup of butter, two cups of sugar, a teaspoon each of cinnamon and clove, half a teaspoon of soda dissolved in a little milk; one teaspoon nutmeg, three eggs, and enough flour to roll out. Roll the dough to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, and cut it with a round tin. Bake the cakes about 12 minutes, in a rather quick oven (375°F).

Homemade Nutter Butters

From a dietitian at the Elliot, sent by Dawn Fernald, System Vice President of Marketing and Communications at SolutionHealth.

• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla, then fold in the almond flour and baking powder. Roll dough into ½-teaspoon-size balls and place them side by side on parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Once dough is all divided out, use fork and press down gently on each ball, then rotate 90 degrees and repeat.

Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. Once fully cooled (10 to 15 minutes), stir together ¼ cup peanut butter with 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, then stuff two cookies and press together.

Inside-Out Chocolate Chip Cookies

“The recipe for the Boy Scout cookie comes from a recipe book produced by Troop 177 in Hampton, New Hampshire. This book was produced in 2006 as a fundraising project. Members of the troop sought out recipes from family and friends… The recipe for Inside-Out Chocolate Chip Cookies came from the dessert section. It was submitted by a Star Scout in the troop, Joey Silveria.” — Doug Aykroyd, Curator of the Lee Scouting Museum in Manchester

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup butter (softened)
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups flour
• ½ cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ vanilla milk chips
• 1 cup nuts (chopped)

Heat oven to 350°F.

Mix sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in vanilla milk chips and chopped nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool one minute before moving to wire rack.

Kate Smith’s Grape-Nut Chocolate Drops

“My grandmother Pauline, on my Mum’s side, was first-generation French Canadian. Her mother, Imelda Lemoine, passed away when Pauline was 19. Pauline married my grandfather when she was 23 and was mother to seven children and a prodigious cook. These chocolates were made every year at Christmas and were originally found by Imelda from Kate Smith’s radio show. She sent away and received a promotional recipe card. My mother made them at Christmas and some of my earliest memories are stirring the bowl and licking the chocolate off the spoon when we were done scooping them out. Don’t fear the strange ingredients. They are delicious and best eaten within a week if they even last that long. (Also known in our family as Grape-Nut Clusters)” — Jessica Traynor, Auburn, New Hampshire

• 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup Grape-Nuts

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in the condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Stir in Grape-Nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax or parchment paper. Cool on counter. Makes about 5 dozen.

Kolaczki

Karen Sobiechowski at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manchester describes kolaczki this way: “Kolaczki consist of a rich pastry filled with fruit preserves or jam. I like to use Solo filling. Using a variety of fillings (apricot, prune, cherry, etc.) makes for a nice presentation. The same cookie is enjoyed with a slightly different name in the various Eastern European countries.”

• 1 envelope yeast
• 4 Tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
• 2¾ cups sifted flour
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ pound butter, softened
• Solo fruit filling (apricot, cherry, prune, etc.)
• powdered sugar

Dissolve yeast in sour cream; add a pinch of sugar. Add flour, egg yolk and butter; mix well. Divide dough into three parts. Roll out ⅛ inch thick. Cut into circles or squares. Fill center with ½ teaspoon fruit filling. On squares, bring corners to center of filling. Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Koulourakia Epirus (Assumption’s recipe)

From the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester Ladies Philoptochos Society, which writes: “This buttery-based, shiny egg glazed versatile cookie (crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside) is a staple in most Greek households. Koulourakia are made and enjoyed in times of happiness (holidays and celebrations), simply over a cup of coffee or tea, or offered in times of sorrow. The ingredients are delicious and native to the region of Northern Epirus.”

• 16 ounces (4 sticks) unsalted (sweet) butter – at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Crisco
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks – at room temperature
• 1 egg beaten for glaze
• 6 extra-large eggs – at room temperature
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice – at room temperature
• 1 orange rind grated
• ¼ cup vanilla
• ¼ cup baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 8 to 10 cups of flour

In mixer, cream butter and 1 Tablespoon Crisco very well. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One at a time, and slowly, add the egg yolks and eggs into the mixture while the mixer is working. Beat well.

Add ½ teaspoon baking soda to orange juice and then blend together with the mixture. Add ¼ cup vanilla and orange rind to mixture and continue beating with the mixer.

Mix 2 cups of flour with ¼ cup baking powder. Add to mixture and slowly blend together. Keep incorporating the remainder of the flour, a little at a time, to the mixture to make a soft dough. If the mixture is sticky, slowly keep incorporating more flour until the dough is pliable but not sticky.

Take dough out of mixer, place in bowl, cover with parchment paper or a clean towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll and shape koulourakia into desired shape and size and place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Brush with egg glaze. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until golden in color. Should yield roughly 120 pieces (depending on shape and size).

Koulourakia — Butter Cookies (St. Philip’s recipe)

From Vivian Karafotias of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church in Nashua: “Here is a traditional Greek butter cookie that is made during Christmas and Easter. They are traced back to Crete during the Minoan period. They are delicious. We sell them at our festival.”

• 1 pound butter, softened
• 1 cup oil
• 2½ cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon whiskey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• juice of ½ orange (approx. ⅓ cup)
• 2 teaspoons orange rind
• 8 large eggs
• 7 teaspoons baking powder
• approximately 4 pounds sifted flour

Glaze:

• beaten eggs
• sesame seeds

Cream butter. Add oil, sugar, whiskey, vanilla, orange juice and rind and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy. Sift the baking powder with 2 cups of flour and stir into dough. Transfer to large bowl and add flour, a little at a time, to form a soft dough. Using the hands to mix in the flour is the best method of forming the dough. Approximately 15 cups of sifted flour is needed, being careful to add just enough to form a soft workable dough that can be shaped. Using a small amount of dough, roll with hands into a rope about ½ inch in diameter. Form into circles or twists. The amount of dough to be used for each cookie can be measured by filling an ice cream scoop with dough and then dividing into quarters. Each quarter is the amount of dough needed to make the koulourakia the proper size.

Place cookies on greased cookie sheet or parchment-lined cookie pan. Mix sesame seeds with several beaten eggs and brush mixture on top of cookies to form a glaze. Bake in a 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Kourabiedes (St. Philip’s recipe)

From Vivian Karafotias of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church in Nashua, who says “This is a traditional butter … with powdered sugar on top. It originated in 7th century Persia. This cookie has European origins as well.”

• 1 pound sweet butter
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1½ ounces whiskey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ cup toasted chopped almonds
• 5 cups sifted flour
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Beat butter and the ½ cup sugar until creamy. Add egg yolk, whiskey and flavorings. Continuing to mix with electric beaters, slowly add half of the flour. Stir in the almonds and continue to beat another minute. Using hands, mix in remaining four. Knead dough a few minutes until soft and smooth. Pinch off small pieces and shape into crescents. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly. Sift confectioner’s sugar over cookies. Place individual cookies in paper baking cups that have also been sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Dough can be refrigerated overnight before shaping and baking cookies.

Kourambiethes (St. Nicholas’ recipe)

From St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester. Barbara George, parish president writes:” We bake these throughout the year however they are especially popular at Christmas time. This recipe is one that has been passed on by one of our members, Tina. It was her mother’s recipe so it’s been used for generations!”

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 shot glass of whiskey or brandy
• 1 egg yolk
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 4¼ cups flour
• 1 small can chopped walnuts finely ground into small bits

Combine butter and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until creamy. Add whiskey or brandy, add egg yolk, vanilla, flour and walnuts. Mix all ingredients well, then take a small amount, press to form a circle. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through.

When done, remove cookies and place on wax paper that has been dusted with confectioner’s sugar if using a sifter. More confectioner’s sugar may be added if desired when ready to serve.

LaBelle Winery Thumbprint Cookies

“This recipe is one Amy [winery owner Amy LaBelle] would make with her kids when they were young and still makes yearly as it’s a family tradition. Her kids loved to add the dollop of The Winemaker’s Kitchen Three Kings raspberry jam to each cookie!” — according to Michelle Thornton, marketing and business development director at LaBelle’s Winery. The Winemaker’s Kitchen are Amy’s culinary brand of products.

• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Winemaker’s Kitchen vanilla
• 2 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3½ cups unbleached flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 jar Winemaker’s Kitchen Three Kings Red Raspberry jam
• 1 jar Winemaker’s Kitchen Apricot Riesling jam

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla and blend in two eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt, then, with the mixer on slowest speed, begin to add dry mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough comes together in a loose ball. Dump onto a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill disk for at least 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1½-inch balls (if possible, weigh them to 1 ounce). Dip each ball in beaten egg and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper lining if possible. Press a light indentation into the top of each cookie with your finger or thumb and drip ¼ teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Lumberjack Cookies

A family recipe from Det. Adrienne Davenport of the Manchester Police Department.

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (separately)
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease cookie sheet.

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add molasses and eggs. Mix well.

Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into mixture a little at a time.

Pinch off a piece of dough and roll into a 1- to 1½-inch ball. Place dough balls on greased cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Using the ¼ cup of sugar, sprinkle a pinch of sugar onto the top of dough balls. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Macaroons

From Alyse Savage, account executive at The Hippo.

• 4 large egg whites
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional but delish)
• 4¾ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer with paddle, combine the egg whites, sugar and vanilla on medium high speed until foamy and most of the sugar is dissolved — at least 2 minutes.

Fold in the shredded coconut, making sure the coconut is evenly moistened.

Using a large cookie scoop, scoop 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the batter and drop onto the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Will look like little mounds. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. You can rotate the pan halfway through to ensure even baking.

They will stay in the refrigerator up to five days, or three days at room temperature. They freeze well too.

Have fun with this recipe! You can be creative, adding dark chocolate chips or melting them on top once cooled; you can press whole almonds into the top prior to cooking, and white chocolate and cranberry is delish too.

Mandelbrot (Jewish Biscotti)

Laurie Medrek, past president and former treasurer of Etz Hayim Synagogue in Derry, said: “Here’s one that I put in our interfaith cookbook that Etz Hayim Synagogue created with the Church of the Transfiguration next door a number of years ago. I actually stole this recipe from an old cookbook from another synagogue sisterhood. There’s another version I love by Tori Avey and used her recipe for doing a baking video for the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made either of these. Mandelbrot (or Mandel Bread) translated from Yiddish means almond bread, which was popular with Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jews). Sometimes I sub almond extract and mix in slivered almonds; then it’s more authentically ‘almond’ bread. It’s very similar to Italian biscotti and can be made with various mix-ins.”

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups (heaping) flour
• 1½ cup total: chocolate chips, raisins, maraschino cherries, coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder and flour and mix by hand. Add fruit, nuts, etc. Line cookie sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Divide dough into three portions and pat into oval shape. Bake 50 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice into 1-inch strips. Return to oven and toast on each side until lightly browned.

Oat Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

“These are from my sister Loony, who has been a great inspiration to me for many years … She is also, hands down, my favorite baker of muffins, Peanut Butter Pie (we sell), Chocolate Fudge Sauce (sold here), Chocolate Caramel Walnut Tortes and so many other delicious things.” — Steven Freeman, owner of Angela’s Pasta & Cheese

Use the Quaker oat cookie recipe (“Quaker’s Best Oatmeal Cookies” from quakeroats.com):

• 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) margarine or butter, softened
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)

Add:

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 small bag Ocean Spray dried cranberries.

Heat oven to 375°F.

In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; mix well.

Add oats; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. When cookies have completely cooled, drizzle with glaze. Store tightly covered.

Glaze: Place 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar into a bowl, add 1 Tablespoon half-and-half and whisk until smooth. Keep adding half-and-half until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla and stir well. Using a fork or a spoon, drizzle glaze over cookies. Let cookies sit until glaze is set.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites

From Beth Violette, a nutritionist at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, who wrote: “This sweet and simple recipe combines fiber-rich whole rolled oats, creamy nut butter and heart-healthy flaxseed rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A delicious hybrid between a cookie and a bar, these bites will satisfy your sweet tooth and any mid-afternoon hunger. (Recipe is taken from AICR American Institute for Cancer Research).”

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup almond flour
• ¾ cup ground flaxseed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup mini unsweetened chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup natural almond butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine dry ingredients including chocolate chips in large bowl. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Drop dough into 24 even mounds on greased baking sheet. Lightly press down to flatten (cookies will not flatten much during cooking). Or pour batter into greased 9×13-inch baking pan.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are set in the center.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

From Nathalie Boucher Hirte, office manager at the Franco-American Centre, host of Franco Foods on YouTube and a native of Quebec, who said: “This might not be a Franco recipe, but one that my family enjoys. We make them every year. Cut them out in a bunch of fun shapes and decorate them on Christmas Eve. When my kids were younger, they would each decorate a special one for Santa that would be left on a special plate with a glass of milk in front of the fireplace.”

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt; beat until combined. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat until well-combined.

Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer (if you have a large stand mixer, you’re set!). Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Divide dough in half; cover and chill for several hours or overnight if necessary for easier handling (dough soft).

Roll dough on lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut with desired cutters. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (or with a silicone mat or parchment paper). Bake in a 375°F oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until the edges or firm and the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool completely before decorating. Makes about 96 cookies (depending on size of cutter).

Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe from 1922

As it appears on the blog Old School Pastry at oldschoolpastry.pastrysampler.com, as pointed out by Ginger Kozlowski, communications and public relations manager at the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. As Kozlowski explains, “back in the day, Girl Scouts had to bake their own cookies to sell, and the recipe is a basic sugar cookie, which looks easy and tasty!” (She also added a reminder that 2024 cookie season starts soon — Jan. 1 for sales Girls collecting orders.)

• 1 cup butter or butter substitute
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• additional sugar for sprinkling

Cream the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, then milk and flavoring, scraping the bottom well. Mix in the flour and baking powder. Roll out, cut, then bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Sprinkle with sugar as soon as they come out of the oven.

Original Toll House Cookies

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig sent the “well-used cookie recipe [pictured above] passed down from Mayor Craig’s grandmother, Beatrice Hopkins,” according to an email from staff.

Sift together 2¼ cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, set aside.

Blend 1 cup soft butter or shortening; ¾ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup brown sugar, packed; 1 teaspoon vanilla; ½ teaspoon water. Beat in 2 eggs.

Add flour mixture, mix well. Stir in 1 package of chocolate chips, 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts. Drop by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheet.

350-degree oven. Time: 10 minutes.

Pecan Crescent Cookies

“These cookies are easy and so tasty, I add them to Yankee swap gifts every year, It doesn’t matter what the actual gift is. One year I offered up a 10-inch frying pan filled with these cookies it went around and around until the person that got it took the cookies out of the pan and said that is all I want, and gave the pan to the person that really needed a pan.” — Tammie Boucher, Hippo ads coordinator

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• Confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour. stir in the pecans.

Shape rounded spoonfuls of dough into 2 1/2 inch logs and shape into crescents. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 325 for 20-22 minutes or until set and the bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners before serving.

Potato Chip Cookies

From Eldress Bertha Lindsay’s Seasoned With Grace: My Generation of Shaker Cooking (1988) and provided by the Canterbury Shaker Village.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs, well-beaten
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 cups crushed potato chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup dates or raisins
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream sugar and butter, add beaten eggs. Mix together all other ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

“My son found the recipe some time ago and asked me to make them for Christmas one year. Christmas equals cookies at our house. My husband will mutter and swear under his breath when he knows I’m making them. His willpower doesn’t extend to these cookies and he’ll eat every one he can get his hands on that my son hasn’t eaten first. It is a little intimidating for the rest of us. We like them, too.” — Cindy Berling, Auburn, New Hampshire

• 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Cinnamon-sugar coating:
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• dash allspice

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Blend in pumpkin puree, beat in egg, and then add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill the dough for an hour.

Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together to make the cream cheese filling. Chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices for the coating and set aside.

To make the cookies, take a tablespoon of the cookie dough, flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese in the center. Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place it on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together, sealing in the cream cheese, and roll into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar coating and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Repeat until the dough is gone and flatten the cookie dough balls with a heavy-bottomed glass or measuring cup. Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

A staff favorite from the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, courtesy Communications Director Neva Cole.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• ¾ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in ½ teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1½-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioner’s sugar, ¾ teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over cooled cookies.

Rogaliki (Sour Cream Horns)

Karen Sobiechowski at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manchester on rogaliki: “Rogaliki, cinnamon sugar and nut-filled crescents, are my go-to cookie for holidays and special occasions. They are tasty and simple to make.”

• ½ pound margarine
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups sifted flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg yolk

Cream margarine with a fork or pastry blender. Add sifted flour, one cup at a time. Add sour cream and egg yolk; mix well. Divide dough into three balls, place on floured wax paper and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Remove one piece at a time and roll as for pie crust.

Mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle ⅓ of mixture over dough. Cut dough into triangles. Roll to form crescents. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375°F for 20 minutes or till golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Repeat with remaining two sections of dough. Yield: approximately five dozen small cookies.

Shaker Giant Rosemary-Ginger Cookies

From the Canterbury Shaker Village.

• 2 cups flour
• ¾ cup butter, cut into several pieces
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons crumbled dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and clove together in a bowl.

Combine butter and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add 1 cup of sugar, the egg, molasses and vanilla. Process until blended. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the butter mixture and pulse until the flour is blended and a stiff dough forms on the top of the blade.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Place remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl. Using lightly floured hands, form dough into 1½-inch-diameter balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes at 350°F.

Ski Bars

“Though not technically cookies, these chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispie bars have been a favorite in my family for decades. They are named after my mom’s family tradition of always whipping up a big batch of these to bring along on weekend ski trips. If you can resist the temptation to dig into them before reaching the ski lodge, Ski Bars pair excellently with a mug of hot cocoa and warming up between ski runs (or avoiding the slopes altogether). I’ve pulled the recipe from a family cookbook that my mom made for my sister on her first Christmas (so it’s written from her point of view).” — Berit Brown, events and marketing director at Intown Concord.

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 5 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Heat corn syrup and peanut butter together until smooth. Stir in Rice Krispies. Press into a buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. Spread on top of bars. Cool.

Swedish Brownies

“Here is a holiday recipe from the New Hampshire Historical Society. This is from one of our staff: ‘It was my grandmother’s recipe — it’s probably not the real name, but this is what we always called it in the family, because my grandmother was, well, Swedish.’” — William Dunlop, President of the New Hampshire Historical Society

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (olive oil works just fine)
• 4 teaspoons of almond extract
• 1½ cups flour
• dash of salt
• sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×13” pan.

With a mixer, combine eggs, oil and sugar; then add extract and beat well. Add flour and salt. Pour into the pan and sprinkle the top with sugar and sliced almonds. Bake for 35 minutes. That’s it — easy-peasy!

Umbrian Tozzetti

From Barbara George at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church — but this recipe is from her personal stash. She recently visited Italy and took a cooking class at a winery. “We made these cookies and when I saw how much chocolate was going in it was an amazing amount but they are delicious!”

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup olive oil
• a pinch of salt
• grated lemon zest as needed
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 80 grams chopped dark chocolate
• 80 grams chopped almonds (optional)
• flour as needed for the work surface

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.

Whisk together the vanilla extract, eggs and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry along with the chopped chocolate and the almonds (if you’re using them), and use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape into logs 2 inches wide. Place the logs of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 350°F or until the logs are golden brown and barely firm to the touch. Remove the logs from the oven. Cool for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut them into ¾-inch slices. Lay the slices flat and bake an additional 7 minutes.

Thumbprint Cookies

The recipe is from Chef Paul. “His grandmother used to make these cookies for his family gatherings. While serving overseas in the Army, they were always a care package favorite.” — Tiffany Sweatt, Culinary & Nutrition Programs Director at the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester.

• 1 large egg, separated
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
• ⅔ cup any flavor fruit jam

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease two cookie sheets and set aside.

Whisk egg white in a small bowl. Place chopped walnuts in another small bowl.

Cream butter, brown sugar, and egg yolk in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour, vanilla, and salt; mix until well combined.

Scoop dough into 1½-inch balls. Dip in egg white, then roll in walnuts until coated. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until slightly puffed, about 5 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven. Use your thumb to gently press an indent in the center of each cookie. Spoon jam into each thumbprint, filling it to the brim.

Return cookies to oven and bake until set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles

From Emily Vassar at the Office of the Mayor in Nashua, who had this to say about this recipe: “I took a poll here in the office, and Snickerdoodles were the winner! This particular recipe is my favorite: it results in the softest cookies every time!”

• ½ cup butter softened
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• ¾ cup sugar divided
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding & pie filling (3.5 ounces)
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening, ½ cup sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and dry pudding mix.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Roll the dough into ½-Tablespoon-sized balls. Toss the balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture until well-coated and then place the dough on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

White Chocolate Dipped Molasses Cookies

Witthaus family recipe from Michael Witthaus, Hippo’s music writer.

• ¾ cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• extra granulated sugar for rolling

Melt shortening in pan; let cool. Add sugar, molasses and egg, and beat well.

In separate bowl, sift remaining dry ingredients.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Refrigerate for one hour.

Roll dough into walnut-size balls, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes.

In double boiler, melt white chocolate chips, and let cool slightly. Dip half of each cookie in white chocolate, then set on parchment paper

Wine Cookies

Recipe is by infobabe on allrecipes.com, as recommended by Charlene Nichols, director of sales at Hippo, who writes:“I’ve been making [Italian wine cookies] for years, trying different recipes from Pinterest, trying desperately to match cookies that I’ve only ever had from a shop in Providence, Rhode Island, to no avail. However, these are good, not sweet, dry and subtle, kind of like a good dunking biscuit. Easy to make.”

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup dry red wine
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the wine and oil. Mix with a large fork and then with your hands.

Roll small pieces of dough between hands to make “logs,” then shape into circles. The circles should be no bigger than 2 inches in diameter. Roll cookies in extra sugar and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes or until slightly brown. After cookies cool they should be hard and crisp.