Basic Butter Cookie Dough

2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
7.5 cups all purpose flour
4 tea baking powder
1 tea salt
1/4 cup milk
1 TBL vanilla extract

Basic Cookie Dough - Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until mixture is blended. Stir in vanilla. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill. Proceed with cookie instructions of choice (see below). Yield: 4.5 lb.

Bake 350 10 minutes.

Pinwheels

1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe (see above)
1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, melted

Pinwheels - Divide Basic Butter Cookie Dough in half. Knead chocolate into 1 portion until well blended. Roll each portion into a 12- x 9-inch rectangle on wax paper. Invert chocolate dough onto plain dough; peel off wax paper. Press chocolate dough firmly onto plain dough with a rolling pin. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices; place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3.5 dozen.

Cherry Chocolates

1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe (see above)
36 milk chocolate stars (4.5 oz)
18 red candied cherries, cut in half

Cherry Chocolates - Press rounded teaspoonfuls of Basic Butter Cookie Dough around chocolate stars, pinching tops to form peaks. Place cherry halves on peaks.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until firm (cookies will be pale). Yield: 3 dozen

Almond Brickle Treats

1 (7.5 oz) pkg. almond brickle chips
1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe (see above)
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Almond Brickle Treats - Stir or knead almond brickle into Basic Butter Cookie Dough; press into a lightly greased 15-x10-x1 inch jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle chocolate morsels on top; cover with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes.

Spread melted morsels evenly over surface; sprinkle with pecans and press gently into chocolate. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 2- x 1-inch bars. Yield: 6 dozen

Peanut Butter Shortbread

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe (see previous message)
36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Peanut Butter Shortbread - Knead peanut butter into Basic Butter Cookie Dough until smooth and well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and place on lightly greased cookies sheets. Press thumb in center of each ball to make an indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3 dozen

Sugarplum Sticks

1 cup mixed chopped candied fruit
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe
Sifted powdered sugar

Sugarplum Sticks - Knead candied fruit and pecans into Basic Butter Cookie Dough until well blended. Shape dough into 2- x 1/2-inch logs, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; place on wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen

Easy Santa Cookies

1/4 Basic Butter Cookie Dough recipe (see above) Sugar
1 (4.25 oz) tube red decorating frosting
1 (4.25 oz) tube white decorating frosting
1/4 cup (1.5 oz) semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup red cinnamon candies
30 miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup flaked coconut

Santa - Shape Basic Butter Cookie Dough into 1-inch balls, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Dip a flat-bottomed glass into sugar, and flatten balls to 1/4-inch thickness.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spread red frosting on top portion of cookie to resemble hat; spread white frosting on lower portion of cookie to resemble beard. Attach 2 chocolate morsels and 1 cinnamon candy with a small amount of frosting to resemble eyes and nose. Gently press coconut into white frosting. Press marshmallow onto red frosting to resemble tassel on hat. Yield: 2.5 dozen

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These sweets cookie recipes are a collection of recipes that I have gathered over the years. If I can remember where I got the recipe from I will try and credit the source. Many origins of these sweets cookie recipes are unknown. Old time recipe.