Holiday Cookie Challenge

Through the years I watched my mother cook batch after batch of holiday cookies for various Christmas and cookie swap parties, but to tell the truth I've never made too many myself. In fact, although I love cookies, I can only claim two stellar recipes. One of which has been passed down by my mother. Those recipes will follow.

That's me - Cookie (and desert) Monster.

So, I've decided to initiate a Holiday Cookie Challenge. I plan on trying out several new and traditional cookie recipes and will report on the overall favorites. Warning - If you're coming to any of my Christmas parties, you'll probably be a guinea pig. I would love it if anyone has amazing recipes of their own that they would post them here or send them along! I love a good cookie. The fact is I have more experience cooking than I do baking, unless Betty Crocker cake from a box counts, which I hardly think it does. . .

Baking for cheaters, such as myself. Why can't my cake be as good as yours, Betty Crocker? Why??

In my mind baking requires quite a different set of skills than cooking does. In baking you have to be very precise and I think can turn awry more quickly. But in any case I'm excited to improve upon my baking skills and there is nothing quite like baking something from scratch (if it turns out well anyhow).  I will start off by providing you with two of my personal favorite cookie recipes.

My Chocolate Chip Cookies

COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE!!

Ingredients 
* 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
* ¾ cup granulated sugar
* ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
* 2 ¼ cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* 1 package (12 ounces) Semi-Sweet real chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Beat margarine, sugars, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chips and walnuts.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto un-greased cookie sheets.
5. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

My Mom's Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Buttery Goodness.

Ingredients
* ¼ c. shortening
* ¼ c. butter, softened
* ½ c. peanut butter
* ½ c. granulated sugar
* ½ c. brown sugar, packed
* 1 egg
* 1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
* ¾ tsp. baking soda
* ½ tsp. baking powder
* ¼ tsp. salt

Instructions
Mix first 6 ingredients thoroughly. Blend in remaining dry ingredients. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten in a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Makes about 4 dozen.