Warm up the kitchen with Christmas cookies in the oven

Classic cookie bakers know that bake-and-freeze time is upon us. So, without further ado, dive into these delicious cookie recipes and delight your friends and family.

Festive Cherry/Oatmeal

White Chocolate Cookies

1 cup EACH butter and firm-packed brown sugar

¾ cup granulated cane sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon EACH baking soda and salt

2 cups uncooked regular oats

2 6-ounce packages white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped (or equal amount white chocolate chips)

1 cup dried cherries (or craisins)

Beat butter (or shortening) at medium speed w/electric mixer until fluffy, gradually adding sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well, then stir in oats, white chocolate and cherries. Scoop up 1 tablespoon rounds of dough and drop 2 inches apart on UNgreased cookie sheets, Bake 10 minutes or till lightly browned Cool 2 minutes on sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 5 dozen.

Pumpkin Cookies with

Ginger-Cream Frosting

2½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Set oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside. In mixer bowl, combine and mix the sugars, then add the butter and beat well. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. At low speed, blend in flour mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts just until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 20-24 minutes or till tester in center of cookie comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Scant ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 to 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons (or more) water

Beat cream cheese, butter and ginger together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and thin with water to proper spreading consistency. Spread frosting on each cookie

Choco-Coconut

Macaroons

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup granulated cane sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/3 cups (about) shredded coconut

Set oven at 325F. Lightly butter cookie sheets. Melt chocolate with butter over very low heat in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly till smooth; remove from heat. Blend in sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla; beat well. Stir in coconut. Drop from teaspoon onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 inches between. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 3 dozen.

Kahlua Chocolate

Nut Squares

1 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup real butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Kahlua

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR pecans

(Optional nut halves)

Butter a 7x11-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350F. Resift flour with the baking powder ad salt. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl ; beat in egg. Stir in 1/4 cup Kahlua, then flour mixture; blend well. Fold in chocolate pieces and nuts, mixing evenly. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven, cool in pan 15 minutes, then brush with the 1 Tbsp. Kahlua. When fully cooled, frost as desired and cut into bars. You may skip the frosting and serve as ice cream or whipped cream topped dessert.

Tip: Have fun choosing your icing: Chocolate is always good, but perhaps for Christmas you may choose white frosting colored red w/food color. Top with a walnut or pecan half.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

(About 4 dozen)

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup pure cane sugar

1&1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups unsifted flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup buttermilk

Set oven at 350F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Cream butter and granulated sugar together in large bowl. Blend in vanilla and egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and butter milk to creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoons full 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool. Frost if desired.*

Tip: Make any drop cookie into a “thumbprint” cookie, by pressing a depression in the center of the cookies (I use a thimble) before baking. After removing from the oven, you can place your chosen filler in the depressions while still warm. Chocolate kisses, candied cherries or other candied fruit – or a walnut or even a drop of jelly that best enhances the cookies are all possibilities.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

1/3 cup EACH olive oil, brown sugar, molasses

1 egg

1 cup white flour

½ teaspoon EACH baking powder, baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt (if desired)

¼ teaspoon EACH nutmeg and cinnamon

¼ cup dry milk*

1 cup peeled apples, grated

½ cup chopped dates

1¼ cups quick rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, molasses and egg.

In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and combine together. Add to the oil mixture. Stir in apples, raisins and oats and mix ingredients well. Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges; remove to a rack to cool.

*I never use the stuff and if you don’t either, just use milk or cream.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com. or by phone at 208-265-4688 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.