Merry Note Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat.
• Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Add the flour, oats, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and mix together.
• Stir in the white chocolate chips and chocolate chips.
• Roll by hand into 24 medium-size balls or use a scoop, and place on a light-colored cookie sheet.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
• Melissa's Note: About the name. These cookies are the surefire way to get someone to fall in love with you -- or at the very least gain a serious addiction to cookies. By giving these cookies away, you may need to be prepared for a marriage proposal on the spot. I have been baking since I was a little one. I was the only girl in a house full of brothers (5 to be exact), so I quickly found my spot in the kitchen. My love affair with baking started with cookies and it is how I won dates in high school by delivering them every Sunday night to my "friends." Love would usually ensue. Now I find joy in baking them for my own 4 little ones and they are my ultimate taste testers in the quest for the perfect cookie. They say we got it years ago so it is about time to share it.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Let parchment come up over the sides of the pan to use as "handles" when unmolding after baking. In a mixer bowl, combine flour, butter, and brown sugar. Blend at low speed until incorporated and mixture is like sand, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in nuts. Reserve 1 cup of mixture for topping. With your fingers, press remaining mixture into pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until crust is set and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a rack while assembling the filling.
• In a clean mixer bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Blend until smooth, then add the remaining filling ingredients, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over baked crust. Sprinkle the reserve crust mixture over filling. Bake until top is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack, then use parchment "handles" to remove from pan in 1 piece. Cut into bars, squares or festive shapes with cookie cutter of your choice. Sprinkle with red and/or green sanding sugar, if desired.

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 375^. In a large saucepan heat mincemeat ,eggnog and milk to simmering, stirring frequently. Cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough will be soft and sticky.
• 2. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on wire rack or paper.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla, food coloring and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until firm enough to shape., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-1/2-in. balls; roll in confectioners' sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake until tops are cracked and edges are set, 12-15 minutes. Immediately press a gumdrop into each cookie. Cool cookies 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl.
• Add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Let the bowl sit on the counter while you do the next step.
• Melt the jam in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Once it's the consistency of syrup, mix it in with the butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs, baking soda, and salt, stirring after each addition.
• Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Overnight is even better.).
• When your ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position.
• Roll the chilled dough into small walnut-sized balls with your hands.
• Put 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it.
• Place them on a greased standard-sized cookie sheet, 12 cookies per sheet.
• Flatten the dough balls with a greased spatula.
• Make a small indentation with your thumb or index finger in the center of each cookie. Fill the indentation with about 1/8 teaspoon of jam.
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Let them cool for minutes on the cookie sheet, and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Steps:

• The day before: chop dates into small pieces and put in a glass bowl. Add rum. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 8 hours, or overnight, to absorb the rum. You can leave this step out if you want but I find it makes the dates more delicious and the cookies have more flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dice candied cherries and pineapple into small pieces and place in a very large bowl; I use the top of my cake carrier. Add pecans, followed by dates. Add 1 cup flour. Toss well to coat all of the pieces and break them up so they are not sticking together.
• Whisk baking soda into the milk and let it dissolve.
• Mix shortening into the fruit. Add remaining flour, sugar, eggs, orange juice, nutmeg, salt, and milk-baking soda mixture. Mix together with your hands just until you no longer see the flour. Try not to overmix. The batter will be very dense.
• Use a small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons to drop the cookies onto the prepared pans, about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire cooling racks.