‘If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not over bake these cookies. The edges should be brown, but the rest of the cookie should be very light in color. Parchment paper makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it is not necessary. If you don’t use parchment, cool the cookies on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together in medium bowl.

3. Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and optional raisins.

5. Working with generous 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each ball.

6. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22-25 minutes. Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch from top to bottom. Slide cookies, on parchment, to cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before peeling cookie from parchment.

From America’s Test Kitchens.

1 pound Filo dough at room temperature. Leave in plastic wrap until ready to use to prevent sheets from cracking
3 pounds walnuts (2 pounds ground fine; 1 pound ground coarse)
2-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground fine
1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1/2 pound Crisco, melted (margarine doesn’t work as well)
1/2 pound margarine or butter, melted to coat sheets of Filo dough

Use a 17 x 12-1/2 inch cookie sheet. Brush bottom of cookie sheet with butter or margarine. Put 5 sheets son bottom, brushing each sheet with butter or margarine. Spread 3 cups of filling evenly over dough. Add 3 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet with butter or margarine. Repeat until all filling is used, then put remainder of filo dough on top, brushing each sheet with margarine or butter. Cut into shapes with a sharp knife. You can put a whole clove in the center of each piece if you wish.

Bring 1/2 pound Crisco to a high temperature (almost smoking) and pour over baklava. If you skip this step due to fat intake, baklava will not be as crispy.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour syrup on top.

Syrup:
3 cups granulated sugar
2-1/2 cups water
16 ounces honey
2 ounces fresh lemon juice

Mix the above and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool before pouring onto baklava.

From St. Mark’s Church cookbook.

Crisp Mixture
3 tablespoons diet margarine, chilled
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
6 large Granny Smith apples
2-1/2 tablespoons diet margarine
1 cup Marzetti Fat Free Caramel Apple Dip

Crisp Mixture: Cut 3 tablespoons margarine into oats, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until crumbly. Cut 1/3 top off of apples. Core out center using melon baller. Mix remaining apple pieces with crisp mixture. Spread remaining margarine inside apples. Fill apples with crisp mixture, pressing firmly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with Marzetti Caramel Apple Dip. Bake for 20 more minutes. Serves 6. May serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

5 cups flour
5 sticks butter
1 pint (2 cups) creamed cottage cheese
Canned apricot filling

Soften butter, add cottage cheese and flour. Mix with hands until it forms a soft ball of dough. Chill overnight. Roll out dough in a rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured pastry cloth and cut dough into 1-1/2 inch strips, then out the opposite way to form squares. To make pinwheels, begin by making four cuts in square of dough, from each corner toward the center, but leave a quarter-size circle in the center of the dough uncut. It will look like four triangles that are connected in the center. Put a dollop (1/2 teaspoon) of apricot filling into the center. Fold one corner of each triangle towards center and overlap points forming a pinwheel. Bake on greased cooking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and dough is dry. Remove from pans and sift with powdered sugar. Makes 3 dozen cookies. Freezes well.

From St. Mark’s Cookbook.

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 pound butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/2 pint sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix yeast in water and stir in 3 tablespoons of flour. Let stand for one hour. Beat eggs, sugar, butter and shortening until creamy. Add to yeast mixture. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add flour and make a soft dough, kneading by hand. Make into a large bowl and refrigerate overnight. Take a small portion of dough (keep the rest in the refrigerator) and roll out very thin on a powdered sugar pastry cloth. Cut into 2 inch squares. Put 1 teaspoon of apricot filling in center of square and pinch two opposite corners together. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Apricot Filling:
8 ounces dried apricots
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Wash apricots. Combine apricots and water; cook until soft, about 1/2 hour, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. Stir in sugar and cornstarch and cook for one minute. Cool. Use a teaspoonful of filling for each square. Makes 8 dozen. Freeze well.

From Saint Mark’s Church cookbook.

4 small or 2 large boxes red Jell-O
2-1/2 cups boiling water (do not add cold water)

Stir boiling water into gelatin. Dissolve completely. Pour mixture slowly into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Chill at least three hours. Jigglers will be firm after 1 hour, but may be difficult to remove from pan.

Cutting Jigglers: Dip bottom of pan in warm water 15 seconds to loosen gelatin. Cut shapes with heart shaped cookie cutters.

Melt: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 stick butter and 12 oz. chocolate chips.

Pour over 1 large box Crispex cereal. Mix well.

Put 1 pound of 10X sugar into a large paper grocery bag. Add cereal. Shake well to coat.

Add 1 pound of M&M's, 1 jar dry roasted peanuts and 1 box of raisins. Mix well.

Serves many! From my sister, Nancy Bradeen.

1 8 ounce package fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons skim milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Mix cream cheese with mixer until smooth. Add sour cream, mixing until blended. Mix in sugar, milk and extract. Refrigerate. Serve with assorted fresh fruit. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired. Makes 1-2/3 cups.