Cookies - part two

Making Christmas cookies as gifts is a tradition in my family. My mom would sit us down around the table with bowls of different colored frosting and let us have at it. The more frosting, cinnamon drops and sprinkles; the better! And, of course, if one broke while you were frosting it, you got to eat it! It's a wonder that any got packed into tins.

I like to bake cookies for the people we have befriended at the farmer's market, friends, co-workers and my tennis coach, Evan.

Rather than decorated cookies, I like to focus on different flavor profiles - lemony, spicy, chocolate, peppermint, and nuts. I undertook an ambitious plan of five different varieties this year:

• Chocolate Candy Cane Buttons - Combining chocolate and peppermint - classic! I added a half teaspoon of peppermint flavor to the icing.
• Lemony Butter Cookies - Lemon and butter. How could you go wrong? I added the lemon zest to the icing and sprinkled sugar sparkles on the cookies. I would also use my finger to make an impression, not a fork. This would make a reservoir for the icing.
• Dorothy Smith's Molasses Cookies - OK, her name was Dorothy and they are a molasses spice cookie. An old fashioned treat.
• Pecan Bars - Caramelized nuts with a touch of orange zest on a shortbread crust. Watch it closely so they don't burn.
• Classic Shortbread Cookies - Butter, sugar, flour and salt. That's it. A little tricky, need to keep the dough workable with out the butter softening too much.

One of the reasons I chose the first three recipes was I could make the dough ahead and refrigerate until baking day. The last two are favorites for a long time.

Ready to chill.

Tools I like from a restaurant store - sheet pans, grid cooling racks and pre-cut parchment paper.

The melon baller is handy for scooping consistent sized portions. No longer a uni-tasker.

Molasses cookies ready to bake.

Molasses cookies done.

Chocolate buttons baked.

Chocolate peppermint buttons done.

Lemon cookies ready to bake.

Lemony butter cookies done.

Making the base for the pecan squares.

Pecan squares done. (Note, I use paper clips to keep the parchment paper sling from curling.)

David's grandmother's cookie cutter.

Shortbread done.

A sample box.

I hope you try one or a number of these recipes! Happy Holidays.