Simple Cookie Recipes Take Stress Out Of Holiday Baking

Whether you celebrate by decking the halls and wrapping presents or attending religious services and lighting candles, the holidays mean goodwill, busy days and special foods.

In spite of time constraints, homemade holiday cookies and candies remain an important element of the season. This year, remove some of the season’s stress by choosing recipes with reduced effort and short or flexible time requirements.

These treats offer quick, yet festive, alternatives.

Toasted Almond Truffles

Prepare these little sweets ahead and store, ready for use as needed throughout the season.

1/2 cup evaporated milk (unsweetened)

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups (11.5-ounce package) milk chocolate morsels

1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted

Combine evaporated milk and sugar in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.

Add chocolate morsels and almond extract; stir vigorously until morsels are melted and mixture is smooth. Chill for 30 to 40 minutes.

Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in chopped almonds. Chill until ready to serve. To store for an extended period, seal in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze.

Yield: 30 truffles.

Basic Holiday Raisin Cookie With Variations

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolk and salt. Mix in flour just until blended. Mix in raisins until evenly distributed.

On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12-inch log. Wrap securely and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week.

With a sharp knife, slice log into 1/3-inch pieces and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, until cookies are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool completely.

Decorate if desired with melted semisweet or white chocolate and top with colored sprinkles, raisins, nuts or candied fruit pieces. Allow to set before storing. Store each variation in a separate airtight container with sheets of wax paper between layers.

Ginger Variation: Substitute 1/3 cup packed brown sugar for the sugar, add 2 teaspoons ground ginger with the flour and 1/3 cup chopped candied ginger with the raisins.

Orange-Coconut Variation: Add finely grated peel of 1 orange with the egg yolk. Substitute golden raisins for regular raisins and add 1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut.

Pecan-Cinnamon Variation: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon with the flour and 1/3 cup chopped pecans with the raisins.

Chocolate Variation: Add 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with the flour.

Almond Variation: Add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract with the egg yolk and 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds with the raisins.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Treats

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

2 cups any combination of raisins, mixed diced dried fruit, coconut, miniature marshmallows, chopped peanuts, semisweet chocolate or peanut butter pieces, or miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces (holiday M&M’s)

Mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir in oats and remaining ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Store covered at room temperature.

Yield: About 4 dozen.

Coconut Macaroons With Variations

2-2/3 cups (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon almond extract

Candied cherries or whole almonds, optional

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased and floured cookie sheets. If desired, press 1 whole candied cherry or whole natural almond into center of each cookie.

Bake 20 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: About 3 dozen.

Chocolate Macaroons: Prepare and bake as above. Melt and stir in 2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate just before dropping onto cookie sheets.

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons: Prepare Coconut Macaroons as directed. Cool. Melt 8 squares semisweet baking chocolate as directed on package. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off. Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate on wax paper-lined tray 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.

Citrus Coconut Macaroons: Prepare Coconut Macaroons as directed. Stir in 2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange peel with almond extract.

White Chocolate Coconut Macaroons: Prepare Coconut Macaroons as directed. Chop and stir in 3 squares premium white baking chocolate just before dropping onto cookie sheets.

Lemon Glazed Ginger Mince Bars

1 (14.5-ounce package) gingerbread mix

1-1/3 cups (half of a 27-ounce jar) regular, or brandy and rum, ready-to-use mincemeat

2 tablespoons water

1 egg

1 cup chopped nuts

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, combine gingerbread mix, mincemeat, water, egg and nuts; mix well. Pour into greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice; mix well. Drizzle over bars. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Note: If desired, substitute a 9-ounce package of condensed mincemeat for the ready-to-use mincemeat. Reconstitute as package directs using 1 cup of water. Omit the 2 tablespoons water from recipe.

Chewy Chocolate No-Bakes

1 cup (6-ounce package) semisweet chocolate pieces

1/3 cup butter or margarine

16 large marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1 cup any combination of raisins, mixed dried fruit (diced), coconut, miniature marshmallows or chopped nuts

Place chocolate pieces, butter and marshmallows in large saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Heat and stir over low heat, or in microwave on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

Remove from heat or microwave; cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving. Store, tightly covered in refrigerator.

Yield: About 3 dozen.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

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Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified family and consumer scientist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. As many letters as possible will be answered in the newspaper; sorry, no individual replies.

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