Ribbon Cookies (courtesy of grandparents.com)

This is a recipe for the winning Delicious Dessert Recipe Contest, and comes from the Grandparents.com site. There are lots of good recipes and ideas and info on the site, and it's worth a long peek...
I tried this recipe and can understand why it's a winner.  It's quick, easy and delicious. I'll try it with other preserves too. Try it yourself!

Here's what Donna said about her recipe:

"This cookie is light and buttery, with a burst of flavor from your favorite preserves. Just thinking about them makes me wish I had one right now! My children loved these cookies growing up, and they still look forward to my making them, even now as they have grown older. My girls and I will make a pot of tea and our special cookies and enjoy a quiet afternoon together. And when I mailed them to my son in Iraq, his favorite cookies were a welcome sight. They are so delicious and easy to make. The ribbon cookie is extra special to me because it brings back my own childhood memories. I'm so glad that I can share the recipe with others. Hopefully I can cheer someone's day in some way."

http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/food/recipes/article/recipe-ribbon-cookies.html
by Donna B., of Summerville, S.C.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 17 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon dried lemon rind, grated
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup raspberry or apricot preserves or jam
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg yolk, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon rind; mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to cream butter mixture; blend well.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch-diameter ropes along the length of the baking sheets. With your finger, press a long groove into the middle of each rope, being careful not to press all the way down to the baking sheet.

4. Bake 10 minutes.

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

PREP TIME 20 Min

COOK TIME 1 Hr 30 Min

READY IN 5 Hrs

SERVINGS Original recipe yield: 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 peppermint candy canes, crushed

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.Bake for 1 1/2 hours in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula. Store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months.

Cook: Judith

Cookies: Better than the Original Chocolate Chip

Choc and Walnut Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I am a vanilla snob...no artificial, go for the good stuff!)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips ( I like to use the chunky choc chips)
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Yield: about 2 dozen (I use a cookie dough baller, which is about the size of a large melon baller, and tend to get a few more)
PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
10 Min
READY IN
1 Hr

Cookies: Bar: Decadent Bar Cookies

OK, if you know me, you know that chocolate is not one of my favorite things, but mmmmmmm I do love these cookies! Oooey gooey delish!

Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix in melted butter until evenly distributed. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand. In a small bowl, mix the caramel topping with the remaining flour; drizzle evenly over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture evenly over the caramel layer and press down lightly.

Bake for 15 more minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. (No really, if you don't you have to eat the messed up ones. Wonder why I never have more than 6 cookies to serve...)

Yield: 1 - 9x13 inch pan
PREP TIME
25 Min
COOK TIME
25 Min
READY IN
50 Min
COMPLIMENTS
immediate!