101 best-loved holiday cookies

Sunset, Dec, 1998 by Elaine Johnson

Sweet goodies - buttery cutouts, brownies, delicate lace cookies, biscotti, perfect chocolate chip, and more - make up this keepsake collection

It's time for the annual holiday cookie-baking spree. And as a final salute to our Centennial, here is a cookie to commemorate each year - plus one for good luck. We hope you will find this mini-cookbook a treasured resource well into the next millennium.

To bring together these very special cookie recipes, we checked our records to see which ones had been requested most by Sunset's readers through the years. We also combed through thousands in our archives to find those we considered most memorable, some reflecting the ethnic evolution of the West, some just the best of their kind.

But this compendium isn't merely a recapitulation of old times. Curious dissimilarities among procedures popped up when we put favorite recipes side by side. So we tested extensively to determine which processes, ingredient combinations, techniques, and baking temperatures really work best for each cookie. The recipes also reflect advances in technology, such as nonstick baking sheets, nonstick pan liners, and silicone baking pads.

To make this Centennial collection easy to use and quick to peruse, we've divided the recipes into 10 basic types, from cutouts to brownies. For most of the with a master recipe, then add details from the individual recipes that follow. A few cookies don't quite fit any mold are presented as separate recipes.

So dig in. Here are hand-held delights for gifts, for your own parties, for nibbling with a cup of coffee, for lunch boxes, for the freezer, and for enjoyable baking for years to come.

1 Favorite Cutout Cookies

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

Follow directions for Cutout Cookies Master Recipe (above). In step 1, beat 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine (at room temperature) with 1/2 cup granulated sugar; then beat in 2 large egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In step 2, use 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.

Divide dough (step 3). Roll 1/8 inch thick (step 4). Cut (step 5) and put on baking sheets (step 6). Bake (step 7) until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool (step 8). Leave plain, or decorate with icing (right). If desired, sprinkle cutouts with colored sugar or candy decors. Serve, or store up to 3 days. MAKES: 45 (2 3/4-in.-wide rounds).

Per cookie: 74 cal., 54% (40 cal.) from fat; 0.9 g protein; 4.4 g fat (2.6 g sat.); 7.8 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 42 mg sodium; 20 mg chol.

Icing

PREP AND DRYING TIME: About 1 3/4 hours

For spreading. In a bowl, stir 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup water until smooth. To tint, stir in food coloring, a few drops at a time. Icing should spread evenly, and after a second, settle to make a smooth surface. If too thick, mix in a few drops of water; if too thin, stir in powdered sugar, a little at a time. Spread icing onto cool cookies with a metal spatula. Let stand until icing is firm, about 1 1/2 hours. MAKES: ABOUT 1 cup, enough to coat 1 recipe's worth of 1/8-inch-thick Favorite Cutout Cookies (left). Per teaspoon: 29 cal., 0% (0 cal.) from fat; 0 g protein; 0 g fat; 7.5 g carbo (0 g fiber); 0.1 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

For piping. In a bowl, stir 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons water until smooth. To tint, stir in food coloring, a few drops at a time. Icing needs to be stiff enough to hold a line when piped through a pastry bag fitted with an 1/8-inch tip. If too thick, add a little water; if too thin, add a little powdered sugar. Or spoon icing into a heavy 1-quart plastic food bag, seal, and squeeze icing into a corner. Snip a very small opening at corner of bag and squeeze icing out. Let stand until icing is firm, about 5 minutes. MAKES: About 3/4 cup, enough to decorate 1 recipe's worth of 1/8-inch-thick Favorite Cutout Cookies (far left).

Per teaspoon: 26 cal., 0% (0 cal.) from fat; 0 g protein; 0 g fat; 6.6 g carbo (0 g fiber); 0.1 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

2 Apricot Sandwich Cookies

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 2 hours

Prepare dough for Favorite Cutout Cookies (far left). Following Cutout Cookies Master Recipe (above), divide dough (step 3). Roll 1/8 inch thick (step 4). Cut (step 5) into 1 1/4-inch-wide rounds, plain or fluted. Cut a 3/4-inch round from center of half the cookies. Put on pans (step 6) and bake (step 7) until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool (step 8). Then spread solid cookies with apricot jam (about 1 1/4 cups total) and top each with a ring cookie. Sift about 3 tablespoons powdered sugar over cookies. Serve, or store airtight up to 2 days. MAKES: 70 sandwich cookies.

Per cookie: 63 cal., 40% (25 cal.) from fat; 0.6 g protein; 2.8 g fat (1.7 g sat.); 9 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 29 mg sodium; 13 mg chol.

3 Chocolate Streaks

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

Make (in any shape desired), bake, and cool Favorite Cutout Cookies (page 114). Cover baking sheets with waxed paper and arrange cookies in a single layer on top.

In a small pan over low heat, combine 1 ounce finely chopped semisweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Stir frequently until chocolate is smooth and melted.