4 well beaten eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chopped dates

Beat eggs until light. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add nuts and dates. Mix well. Pour onto jelly roll tin lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cut into bars while hot. Remove from waxed paper and sprinkle with 10X sugar. From Mary Albert.

2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 medium-size egg whites
1-1/4 cups dark raisins

Combine the sugar, cocoa powder and salt, then add the unbeaten egg whites and mix until everything is well incorporated into a stiff dough. Add the raisins. Let the mix stand for about 10 minutes; if it is too soft, add a little more sugar. Drop the mix by spoonful onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Bake in a preheated 375 oven about 22-25 minutes.

2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
10 X sugar for sprinkling

Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream butter well. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Gradually stir n flour mixture until well blended. Chill dough 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle. Shape into 18 balls, using about 1/4 cup of dough for each. Place 4 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet; flatten to 3-1/2 inches in diameter. Bake on middle rack in preheated 350 oven 15 minutes or until medium firm to touch. Cool on sheet until firm. To decorate, place paper lace doily on cookie and dust with 10X sugar (or put a cookie cutter shape on top and dust with sugar). Store tightly covered with waxed paper between layers. These are the best chocolate cookies ever. My friend, Sue Robinson, makes these every Christmas for us and we all love them.

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature, plus additional for the baking sheet
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1 cup (about 3 slices) dried sweetened pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 450. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugars until smooth about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add the egg and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and the oatmeal and mix just until incorporated. Using a spoon, add the pineapple and cranberries and stir to combine. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for about 13 minutes or until dark golden, reversing the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom after 7 minutes. Set the sheets aside to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cook completely.

Per cookie: 109 calories; 1 gm protein; 17 gm carbohydrates; 4 gm fat; 18 mg cholesterol; 3 gm saturated fat; 53 mg sodium; 1 gm dietary fiber. From The Washington Post, September 27, 2000, in an article about food for shipping.

2 7-oz. packages flaked coconut
1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Candied fruit or nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine coconut, Eagle Brand and extracts. Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto generously greased baking sheets. Garnish with fruit or nuts, if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets (they will stick if allowed to cool on baking sheets). Store loosely covered at room temperature.

4 egg whites
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

In large bowl, beat egg whites with the salt until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture is smooth and shiny. In another bowl, toss together the coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, almonds, flour and lemon peel. Fold gently into meringue mixture. Spoon into muffin tins which have been lined with paper liners. Fill each of 12 cups about 3/4 full. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown and crusty on top. Makes 12 cupcakes. From The Arlington Journal newspaper.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 packet spice mixture (1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. allspice; 1/4 tsp. cloves; and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg).

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, molasses and vanilla extract to butter and sugar and beat until well mixed. Add dry ingredients a little at a time until well blended. Wrap dough and chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour and cut out moose cookies. Put cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes until almost firm. Remove cookies and cool on wire racks. Cool completely before icing.

Icing:
1 cup 10 X sugar
1 egg white
few drops water
paste food coloring
Mix ingredients until smooth and reach desired consistency. Add color a tiny bit at a time until you have the color you like. Spread on cooled cookies or pipe designs on with a pastry bag.

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray, set aside. In medium saucepan melt butter, stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 9 minutes or until cookies spread thin and are deep brown (cookies will still be soft.) Cool 2 minutes on sheets. Working quickly with spatula, remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely. Sprinkle with 10 X sugar if desired. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

1 11-1/2 oz. package chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 14 oz. package Kraft caramels
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons water
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Melt chocolate chips and shortening over hot water. Stir until chips melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Pour half of the melted chocolate into an 8″ foil-lined square pan; spread evenly. Refrigerate until firm (about 15 minutes). Return remaining chocolate mixture to low heat. In another pan combine over boiling water the caramels, butter and water. Stir until caramels melt and mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts until well blended. Pour into the chocolate lined pan. Spread evenly. Refrigerate until tacky, about 15 minutes. Top with remaining melted chocolate; spread evenly over caramel filling. Return to refrigerator and chill until firm (about 1 hour). Cut into 1 x 2″ rectangles and refrigerate. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen candies.

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup finely cut uncooked prunes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small package walnuts

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Add chocolate, prunes, nuts and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add slowly. Mix well. Spread mixture in well-greased 9 x 9 x 1 pan. Bake at 325 for about 35 minutes. When cold, frost with Brown Sugar frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting:
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter

Boil sugar and milk until syrup forms a soft ball in cold water. Add butter. Cook until lukewarm. Beat until thick and creamy. Spread evenly over chocolate fantasies. Cut into bars.