Add These Treats To The Goodies at Your Next Game-Watching or Tailgate Party: Maple Sugar Cookies!

Author: Linda Wilson
The next time your family and friends gather at your house to watch "the game" or you plan a tailgating party, add these delicious cookies to your list of foods.  Chips and dips, sandwiches, etc are great.  But surprise your guests with these wonderful cookies, too. These are cut-out cookies so why not go all out and cut them in the shapes of footballs, helmets, or fall leaves. Frost them in your team colors for lots of ooohs and aaahs from your family and friends.  What a way to dress up your serving table!  If you enjoy tailgate parties, these work wonderful for that, too.  You will be the hit of "Friday Night Lights" in your local hometown stadium parking lot when you pass these cookies among your family and friends. They will love you for it! These Maple Sugar cookies are good anytime of the year but they just seem to say, "Fall" and "Football."
MAPLE SUGAR COOKIES
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup solid shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple flavored pancake syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, and shortening. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs, syrup, and vanilla extract; beat well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to the creamed mixture with the mixer on low speed. Mix until well blended. Divide the dough into fourths. Note: If dough is too sticky, wrap each fourth in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.
Spread a tablespoon of flour on a large sheet of waxed paper. Place one of the fourths of dough on the floured waxed paper. Flatten dough slightly, turn over and cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with floured cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, 2-inches apart. Sprinkle with decors or bake plain to frost later.
Repeat process with remaining fourths.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5-9 minutes (larger cookies up to 9 minutes; small cookies for 5 minutes). Do NOT overbake. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost if desired.
Yield: 3 to 4 dozen, depending on size.
Enjoy!

Delicious Apricot Cookie Recipe: Angel Pillow Cookies!

Author: Linda Wilson
With our country in the deep freeze, children home from school, and a chill throughout the house, now is the time to bring out the flour, sugar, etc and bake up a batch of cookies.  Just the name Angel Pillow Cookies is enough to brighten your day.  Let the kids who are trapped inside help you bake and frost these delicious little gems.  The recipe calls for apricot jam but you can substitute whatever you have on hand.  After all, who wants to go out in the cold to buy apricot?  Not me!
ANGEL PILLOW COOKIES
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 pkg (3-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp milk
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Cream shortening, cream cheese, and milk in a medium mixing bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in the brown sugar and the preserves. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in nuts.Drop two level tablespoonfuls of dough into a mound for each cookie. Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute then removing to wire racks to cool. Cool completely then frost with the frosting recipe below.
FROSTING:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tbsp butter flavored shortening
flaked coconut, chopped
Combine the powdered sugar preserves and shortening in a small mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. Frost cooled cookies. Sprinkle with coconut.
Enjoy!