Southeast Missourian and She The Magazine 2007 Holiday Best winners

Judges:

Susan McClanahan

Ilene Davis

Ruth Dockins

Tom Harte

Chris Harris

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First place winner (Photos by Aaron Eisenhauer)

FIRST PLACE WINNER

Chocolate Chip Cornmeal Cookies

~by Angie Holtzhouser and Ellie Potter of Scott City

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 large egg

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup white self-rising cornmeal

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries or diced walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy, beat in the light corn syrup, egg, vanilla and milk. Whisk flour and cornmeal together, then add to the egg mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries or diced walnuts. Scoop the dough by tablespoons onto a parchment or tin foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven. If on parchment paper, transfer cookies to cooling rack with spatula. If on tin foil, remove foil from cook sheet (do not remove cookies) to counter top. When cookies are cool, peel from foil.

Yield: 22-24 cookies

Second place winner

SECOND PLACE WINNER

Raspberry Thumbprints

~by MaryAnn Cruise of Cape Girardeau

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com

3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup ground pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 jar (12 oz.) seedless raspberry jam

Beat butter, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add pecans and flour, blend on low speed of mixer, just until combined, dough will be crumbly, but moist. Gather dough together with your hands to form a ball, divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375. Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick foil. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Then roll ball in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet, press a deep indentation into center of dough, large enough to hold a 1/2 teaspoon of jam, fill indentation with jam, repeat to form 36 cookies.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cool on racks 5 minutes, use spatula to transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

THIRD PLACE WINNERS

Chocolate-Iced Buttersweets

~by Carol Bierschwal of Cape Girardeau

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup coconut

Frosting:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup butter, salt and 2 teaspoons vanilla until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups flour to powdered sugar-butter mix; mix well. Using teaspoonful of dough, shape dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With thumb or spoon, make imprint in center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes or until bottom edges are light golden brown. To make deeper imprint in cookie, press again immediately after removal from over. Remove from cookie sheets immediately. Cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir in nuts and coconuts. Fill imprint in each warm cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon filling.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips with water and 2 tablespoons butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, blend until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Yields: 5 dozen cookies

Apricot Crescents

~by Beverly Wink of Jackson

1 cup butter (no substitutes)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup apricot preserves

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

sugar

In a bowl, cut butter and flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg yolk and sour cream, add to flour mixture, mix well. Chill several hours or overnight. Divide dough into fourths. On a sugared surface roll each portion into a 10-inch circle. Turn dough over to sugar top side. Combine preserves, coconut, and pecans, spread over circles. Cut each circle into 12 wedges and roll each wedge into crescent shape, starting with the wide end. Sprinkle with sugar. Place points down 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove immediately to wire rack to cool.

Yields: 4 dozen cookies

Molasses Logs

~by Victoria Scherer of Jackson

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream together like pie crust. Add 1 1/2 cups molasses and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Chill. Shape into small logs about the size of little fingers. Roll in chopped nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Magic Window Cookies

~by Carolyn Pickens of Jackson

3/4 cup shortening (part butter or margarine, softened)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

2 1/2 cups Gold Medal Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

About 6 packages Super Flavor Lifesavers candy (use Wild Cherry, Tangerine, Fancy Fruits, Five Flavors, Cryst-o-mint or Butter Rum for best colors)

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover. Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into desired shapes, using cutters of two sizes to obtain cutouts, or design your own patterns. Place cookies on aluminum foil-covered baking sheet.

For larger cookies, transfer to baking sheet before cutting out designs. Place whole Lifesavers candy in cutouts. Small cutouts may require that the Lifesavers candy be broken into smaller pieces (place between paper towels and tap lightly).

Fill cutouts until candy is just level with dough. If cookies are to be hung as ornaments, make a hole in each 1/4 inch from top with end of plastic straw before baking.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are very light brown and Lifesavers candy is melted. If candy has not spread within cutout design, immediately spread with metal spatula. Cool completely on baking sheet. Gently remove cookies.

Yields: about 6 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Chocolate in a Cloud

~by Marcia Schlueter of Cape Girardeau

2 egg whites (room temperature)

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup miniature chocolate chip morsels

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at high speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (about 2 to 4 minutes). Stir in chocolate morsels, pecans and vanilla.

Drop meringue mixture by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes or until dry and a light golden color. Cool completely on cookie sheets. Carefully peel cookies from foil.

Yield: 4 dozen

Ebony and Ivory Bars

~by Christine Breite of Cape Girardeau

Prepare first layer

Combine the following ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg (slightly beaten)

5 tablespoons cocoa

boil over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Then add:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup coconut

put into 9-by-13 inch pan. Pat down and cool.

Prepare second layer

combine the following ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding

2 cups powdered sugar

spread over the bottom layer

Prepare top layer

melt the following together in small sauce pan:

6 oz. package chocolate chips

4 tablespoons butter

pour over second layer