❤️Arlene’s Last Christmas Cookie Episode ❤️

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs, until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 4-1/2 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

Variations:

• Using the same amount of vegetable oil and eggs, you can try these fun variations:

  – Lemon cake mix, 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest, white chocolate chips, chopped walnuts.

  – Yellow cake mix, 1 tsp. almond extract, white chocolate chips, chopped almonds.

  – Chocolate cake mix, peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts or walnuts.

  – Yellow cake mix, chocolate chunks, caramel bits, chopped pecans.

  – Butter pecan cake mix, Heath Bar bits, chopped pecans.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, 1 cup white sugar, and powdered sugar until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in remaining white sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and place pecan halve on top. Press lightly.
• Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Makes 8 dozen cookies. Enjoy!
• Optional: If desired you may stir chopped pecans into dough before baking, instead putting of halves on top of each cookie.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
• In a bowl of mixer, cream butter on medium speed, adding sugar gradually. Add vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture gradually, stopping frequently to push down from sides of bowl. When flour mixture is thoroughly combined, mix in chips.
• Drop dough by scant spoonful onto baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart, flattening slightly with back of spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to brown. Allow to cool completely on cooling rack. Makes 3 dozen. Enjoy!

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Press a marshmallow half, cut side down, onto each cookie; bake 2 minutes longer. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a small bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt until smooth. Add enough milk to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cookies. Makes 3 dozen. Enjoy!

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the cups of miniature muffin tins. In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. With hands, knead in almond paste and cherries.
• Divide dough into 48 pieces. Shape each piece into ball; place in muffin cup. With thumb, make indentation in center of each ball.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cookie to loosen; cool 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from muffin cups; place on cooling rack to cool.
• Spoon 1 /2 teaspoon preserves into each cooled cup. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 48 cookies. Enjoy!