Oreo Truffles

1 18 oz package of OREOS (or other chocolate sandwich cookies w/ white filling) finely crushed

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (I'm using light cream cheese)

1 lb of white baking chocolate, melted

In large mixing bowl, combine crushed cookies & cream cheese. Beat on low speed until well blended. Form 1 inch balls by hand and dip them in melted white chocolate. Place them on baking sheet covered w/ wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. To store, cover & refrigerate.

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Lava Drops

Preparation time: 1 hrs Baking time: 9 min

Yield: 32 cookies

1/2		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter
3		(1-ounce) squares gluten-free bittersweet baking chocolate
3/4		cup sugar
1		LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
1 3/4		cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)
1		teaspoon guar gum
1/2		teaspoon baking powder
1/2		teaspoon salt
32		dark chocolate kiss-shaped candies, unwrapped
1/2		cup sparkling sanding sugar or sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Place butter and bittersweet chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Cool 10 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and egg to cooled melted chocolate mixture; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour blend, guar gum, baking powder and salt. Continue beating until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press 1 chocolate candy into each ball; form dough around candy to completely cover.

Place 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl; roll balls in sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Serve warm.



*This recipe was developed using alternative flours and other products labeled as "gluten-free". To date, however, the FDA and USDA have yet to define the term "gluten-free". We recommend reading all ingredient labels on food products thoroughly for recipe success.

GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND: To make Flour Blend, combine 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Use appropriate amount for recipe; store remainder in container with tight-fitting lid.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Shape cookies; roll in sugar. Place in container with tight-fitting lid. Store at room temperature up to 2 hours or refrigerate until ready to bake.

REHEATING TIP: Place 2 cookies onto microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) until centers are melted (15 to 30 seconds). Do not over-heat.

Mrs. Fields Chocolate-Glazed Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread:
1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups flour

Chocolate glaze:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. light corn syrup

Makes: 4 doz

Preheat oven to 325.

Blend butter until smooth in large electric mixer at medium speed. Slowly blend in confectioner's sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly. Add flour and mix at low speed until well blended.

Divide dough into two roughly equal pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

On floured board using floured rolling pin, roll out disks to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 16-18 min. Don't let cookies brown. Transfer to cool flat surface

To prepare glaze:
Heat cream in small sauce pan until scalded:remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and corn syrup, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. With a small wire whisk or wooden spoon, gently mix until smooth being careful not to create bubbles. Dip whole or half of each cookie into glaze and transfer to a tray or cool cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator 10 min to set. ( sprinkle with coconut before refrigerating if desired)

Lemon Wreaths

Lemon Wreaths

Makes 6 dozen

For the cookies:

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt

2/3 granulated sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

7 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)

¼ cup plus two tablespoons white nonpareils, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350®. Make the cookies: Combine flour, baking powder , salt in a bowl. Pulse sugar and zest in a food processor until combined, about 2 minutes.

2. Beat sugar-zest mixture and butter in a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until combined.

3. Scoop 1 tablespoon dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 4-inch rope. Bring ends together, overlapping slightly, and press together to form a ring. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer rings to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake until pale golden on the bottoms and around the edges, about 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

4. Make the glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Dip the top side of each cookie into the glaze, letting excess drip off. Return cookies to wire racks, glaze side up, and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let dry completely.

Italian Almond Cookies

Italian Almond Bars (aka: Venetians), courtesy of Weight Watchers (2 pts per bar)

Prep: 30 min; Bake 10 min; Serves 72

Make Ahead: 2 months

2C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1C unsalted butter, softened

1C sugar

1 (7 oz) can almond paste

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

10 drops red food coloring

6 drops green food coloring

1/4 cup seedless red raspberry spreadable fruit

1/4 cup low sugar apricot preserves

6-8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

1: Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (9X13X1) baking sheets with nonstick spray. Line the pans with wax or parchment paper; lightly spray the paper with nonstick spray.

2: Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter, sugar and almond paste in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Decrease the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until blended.

3: Divide the dough into thirds (about 1 1/2 cups each); transfer each third into a medium bowl. Tint one batch of dough pink with the red food coloring and another batch green with the green food coloring. Leave the remaining dough untinted. Scrape each batch of dough into a baking sheet, spreading the dough in each pan evenly. Put 2 pans on the upper oven rack and the remaining pan on the lower rack. Bake just until the edges turn golden, about 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

4: Invert the layers onto a work surface and remove the paper. Transfer the green layer to a cutting board and spread with the spreadable fruit. Top with the untinted layer and spread it with the apricot preserves. Top with the pink layer to form a stack. Cover the stack with plastic wrap and top with another cutting board or large heavy flat pan to weigh it down. Refrigerate overnight.

5: Remove the plastic wrap. Spread the melted chocolate over the top layer and let the stack stand until the chocolate sets. with a large sharp knife, cut lengthwise into 12 (3/4 in) strips and then crosswise in to 6 (2 in) strips, to make 72 bars in all. Pack the bars in freezer containers with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap between each layer. Cover and freeze up to 2 months. To serve, let stand in a single layer at room temperature until thawed, about 1 hour. ENJOY!!

Pecan Cookie

½ cup Earth Balance

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Gluten Free Vanilla

1 egg Beaten

1 ½ cup Gluten Free flour sifted

1 ½ Gluten Free baking powder

¼ tsp Sea Salt

½ cup Finely Chopped Pecans

At high speed, cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light. Stir in egg; blend well

Sift together GF flour, GF baking powder and sea salt; stir into creamed mix. Stir in nuts. Shape into 2 inch roll; wrap in wax paper and refridgerate until thoroughly chilled. Cut into 1/8 inch thick and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrease for about 8 to 10 min.

Cookies 2009

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Ingredients:

For top and bottom:

3 and 1/2 cups flour

2 cups quick oats

2 cups sugar

1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds

For the filling:

2 cups seedless raspberry jam

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup sliced blanched almonds

To assemble:

Prepare the crust: combine flour, oats, sugar, and 1/2 cup almonds in a mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Using two knives, a pastry blender, or food processor on pulse, blend butter into flour mixture until large crumbles form. Refrigerate one-third of the crumb mixture for the top of the bars.

Grease, line with parchment and grease again a sheet pan 12X17. Using the remaining two thirds of the crumbs, press mixture evenly into the greased and lined pan to form the bottom crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until just set.

Remove pan from oven and dollop 2 cups of jam over the surface, let sit for a few minutes to melt jam. Spread jam evenly over cookie base with a large spatula. Sprinkle chocolate chips over jam, then 1 cup sliced almonds over chocolate chips.

Add 1 cup almonds to reserved crumb mixture. Rub cold crumb mixture between your fingers to remove any large lumps. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over top of cookie bar; press gently to set.

Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until jam begins to bubble and chocolate has melted. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.

Makes 45 cookie squares.

GFCF Reindeer Antlers

Yield 4 dozen

2 and 1/4 cups almond flour

1 tbs. white rice flour

2 large egg whites

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups confectioners sugar, plus additional for rolling dough, sifted

3 ounces 70 percent chocolate, melted

Combine almond flour, rice flour, and cinnamon on a sheet of wax paper. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl just as they become foamy. Use a plastic spatula to gradually incorporate the confectioners sugar then the almond flour mixture, to form a pliable dough. Form into a compact log (about 2 inches wide) enclose tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, to make the dough much easier to handle.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sections. Dust a work surface lightly with confectioners sugar. Working with 1 section at a time, roll into a rope the diameter of your finger, about 12 inches long (if it comes apart, just piece it back together). Cut the rope in half and bend each piece into a shallow "C" shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cookies have risen and are a pale gold. (Do not overbake; the cookies should be chewy. They will firm up a bit as they cool.) Let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool upside down.

Spread the flat side of each cookie with the melted chocolate and let it set. Cut each curved cookie into three pieces.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Yields 7 dozen

1 cup butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

powdered sugar for rolling

Blend butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla.

Add flour and nuts. Mix thoroughly.

Roll dough into 1 inch ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. While cookies are hot, roll in sugar. Allow cookies to cool.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 and 1/8 cups (2 cups plus 2 tbs) unsifted bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

12 tbs. unsalted butter (1 and 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I recommend Ghirardelli Semi-sweet chips)

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (I recommend Ghirardelli Milk chocolate chips)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I recommend Ghirardelli White chocolate chips)

Parchment paper

Heat over to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper-and-lower-middle positions.

Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl, set aside.

Mix sugars, then add butter and blend thoroughly. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

Form scant 1/4 cup dough into a ball. Holding the dough ball use fingertips of both hands and pull ball into two equal parts. Rotate halves ninety degrees so the jagged surfaces are directed up. Join the halves, again forming a single cookie. The jagged surface should form the top of the cookie. Do not smooth the dough's uneven surface. Place formed dough onto two parchment paper lined 16X14 inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet.

Bake 15-18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes), reversing cookie sheet's position half way through the baking. Bake cookies until they are golden brown, and the outer edges start to harden but the centers are still soft and puffy. Be careful not to over bake. Cool cookies on the cookie sheets.

Tips:

- Use very highly quality chocolate

- If the dough is very soft and hard to work with - refrigerate for 10-20 minutes. This dough may be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.

GF Toll House Cookies

1 cup shortening (dairy free if you want to make GFCF)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 well beaten eggs

2/3 cups rice flour

2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. xantham gum

6 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat to 350.

Combine shortening, eggs, vanilla, sugars.

Combine flours, baking soda, salt, and xantham gum.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheet and 10-12 until browned.

Mocha Chocolate Chips

Makes 4 dozen

2 cups flour

2 to 3 tbs. instant coffee powder (I found I liked it to be 4-5)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks (8oz.) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 pound chocolate (bittersweet, milk, white or combination), cut into larger than chocolate chip size chunks

1/2 pound plump, moist apricots, coarsely chopped (optional)

Whisk the flour, coffee powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl to blend; set aside.

Put butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the butter lightens in color. Add the granulated sugar and beat for about 30 seconds, just to blend. Add the brown sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. The mixture should be light and fluffy; if necessary, beat 1 more minute. Add the vanilla and beat until blended. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Remove the bowl from mixer and clean the paddle and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the chocolate chunks and apricots and stir them with the spatula to distribute evenly.

Chilling dough - wrap the dough in plastic and chill for several hours, or overnight, to firm.

When you are ready to bake, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two heavy-duty baking sheets with parchment paper. If you do not have very heavy baking sheets, double up the pans. Heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie, drop the dough onto the lined sheets, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each mound of dough so that the cookies have room to spread. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking period until the center is just baked- they'll still be soft to the touch. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

You can wrap the cookies in plastic bags or in tins, the cookies will keep at room temperature for two days. They can be frozen for up to a month and should be thawed at room temperature.

Mrs. Fields Cookies

Cream together

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups butter

Add

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

In separate bowl mix together

4 cups flour

5 cups oatmeal powder (put small amounts of oatmeal in a blender and blend until you get 5 cups of powder)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients together and add

24 ounce bag chocolate chips

8 oz. plain Hershey bar (grated)

3 cups chopped nuts (any kind)

Place golf ball size cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Makes approximately 112 cookies.

Note - Only bake for 6 minutes - they may not seem done but they are - they bake as they cool.

Potato Chip Cookies

Makes 42 to 48 cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 and 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup coarsely crushed potato chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, crushed potato chips and vanilla, mixing well. Drop rounded tablespoons, spaced about 2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets. The cookies will spread slightly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are barely browned. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Sprinkle confectioners sugar through a sieve and coat the cooled cookies evenly to the desired level of sweetness.

Buttery Pecan Cookies

1 cup butter at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla - mix until smooth. Add the flour and nuts and continue mixing until the dough looks like moist pebbles. Then with hands form the dough into a mass and then shape it into a log - about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for about 3 hours or until firm. Then line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Unwrap dough and place on a cutting board and cut the log into slice 1/4 inch thick and place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet.

Walnut cookies

Yields 7-8 dozen

2 cups brown sugar

2 sticks margarine or butter

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 eggs

3 and 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Cream sugar, margarine or butter, and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and nuts.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix.

Mold into logs and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut into cookies and place on cookie sheet.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for 12 minutes.

St. Louis Chewy Gooey Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 package butter recipe yellow cake mix (2 layer size)

1-2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the dry cake mix. Chill, covered for 30 minutes.

Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of confectioners sugar and roll into balls. Arrange on cookie sheets lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Yields 3 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll into balls and squash down with fork.

Bake for 12 minutes and let cool completely.

Peppermint Snowballs

Gluten Free/Casein Free

3 cups powdered sugar - divided

1 and 1/4 cup butter substitute (softened)

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

3 cups gluten free flour mix

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup finely crushed peppermint candy - divided

granulated sugar - as needed

2-3 tbs. almond milk

1 tsp. baking powder

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar, butter or margarine, peppermint extract, vanilla and egg. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (2-3 minutes). Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat, scraping bowl often until well blended (1-2 minutes). By hand, stir in 1/2 cup candy.

Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool completely

To Glaze Cookies:

In a small mixer bowl combine 1 and 1/2 powdered sugar and enough milk for desired glazing consistency. Drizzle cooled cookies with glaze. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining peppermint candy.

Enjoy!

Payday Cookies - Tastes like a candy bar

1 box yellow cake mix

1 egg

3/4 cup butter, divided

3 cups miniature marshmallows

2/3 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

12 oz. peanut butter chips

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

2 cups salted peanuts

Combine cake mix, egg and 1/2 cup of the butter in a bowl. Pour batter into an ungreased 9X13-inch ovenproof baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. While layer is hot, sprinkle marshmallows on top.

Melt corn syrup, the remaining 1/4 cup butter, vanilla and peanut butter chips is a saucepan, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add cereal and peanuts. Mix well. Spread over top. Cool before slicing.

Yield 32

*Substitute 6 oz. of peanut butter chips with 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips for a different taste.

Chocolate Toffee Crunch

2 bags milk chocolate chips

1 and 1/2 bags Heath toffee chips

1/2 bag chopped pecans plus more finely chopped to sprinkle on top

Butter to grease cookie sheet

Grease cookie sheet with butter. Melt chocolate on stovetop using a double broiler. Once melted, take off the heat and mix in toffee chips and pecans until well blended. Spread onto the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle finely chopped pecans on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Once hardened, break or cut into pieces.

Coconut Macaroon Lace Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp. salt

1 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 cups shredded coconut

1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper or foil. Spray waxed paper or foil with vegetable cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat egg whites with salt until frothy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in coconut, flour, vanilla, and almond extract.

Drop 1 tbs. of batter, 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.

Bake macaroons until just brown, about 20 minutes per batch. Cool completely on cookie rack.

You can freeze up to 3 months.

Iced Cranberry-White Chocolate Drop Cookies

35-40 Cookies

1 and 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly salted

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 and 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

1 large egg

2 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups (6 oz.) coarsely chopped pecans

1 and 1/2 cups (about 7 oz.) chopped dried sweetened cranberries

1 and 1/4 cups (7.5 oz.) white chocolate morsels

1/2 cup chopped cranberries

For the icing:

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tbs. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

2 to 4 teaspoons warm water

Center a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease several large baking sheets, or coat with nonstick spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter several minutes, until lightened. Add the brown sugar and orange zest. Beat for about 2 minutes, until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 1 and 1/2 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Using either a spatula or the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in increments, until smoothly incorporated. Add the pecans, dried cranberries, white chocolate morsels and chopped cranberries, stirring until evenly distributed.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons, spaced about 2 and 1/2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly tinged with brown all over and just firm when pressed in the center; rotate the sheet from the front to back halfway through the baking. Cool the cookies on the sheet for about 3 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack set over sheets of waxed paper (the cookies will still be very tendor). Cool completely.

For the icing: in a medium bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with enough water to yield a slightly runny icing. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a a fine tip, or use a spoon to immediately drizzle the icing in very fine lines over the cookies until they are lightly decorated. Let them stand until the icing sets, at least 1 hour.