Favorite Christmas Ball Cookies

OK - I'll say it. I LOVE Christmas cookies!

And, of all the Christmas cookies out there, I have a special fondness for Ball Cookies.

They come in such a variety of flavors and colors that you can combine them to make beautiful Christmas cookie bowls, gift baskets and boxes. Not to mention, they're an absolute taste treat.

Try one of these fantabulous recipes today!

Makes about 72 cookies

Ingredients:

Unsweetened Chocolage - 4 (1-ounce) squares

All-Purpose Flour - 4 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 2 cups

Baking Soda - 2 tsp

Eggs - 2 Large

Vegetable Shortening - 1 1/4 cups

Light Corn Syrup - 1/3 cup

Peppermint Extract - 2 tsp

Water - 2 1/2 Tbsp

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Additional sugar for rolling

Directions:

In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate squares

Set chocolate squares aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk together baking soda, flour and salt in a small bowl

Using an electric mixer set at medium, cream the shortening

Add 2 cups sugar to the creamed shortening and continue to mix until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, chocolate, water, extracts and corn syrup to the creamed mixture and blend well.

Stir in flour mixture gently, until just blended.

Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar

Place cookies on greased baking sheets, approximately 2 inches apart

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

Allow to rest and cool for a few minutes on baking sheet

Move cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling

Makes about 60 cookies

Ingredients:

Vanilla wafers, finely crushed - 3 cups or approximately 75 cookies

Powdered sugar - 2 cups

Cocoa - 1/4 cup

Finely chopped pecans - 1 cup (May substitute walnuts if desired)

Light corn syrup - 1/4 cup

Bourbon - 1/2 cup

Powdered sugar (May substitute granulated sugar if desired)

Directions:

Mix crushed wafers, pecans, cocoa and powdered sugar

Stir in corn syrup and bourbon.

Shape mixture small balls - approximately 1 inch in diameter.

Roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Refrigerate in tightly covered container several days before serving.

Makes about 48 cookies

Ingredients:

Granulated suagr - 1 cup

Butter, softened - 3/4 cup

Unsulfured molasses - 1/4 cup

Egg - 1 large

Ground ginger - 1 tsp

All-purpose flour - 2-1/2 cups

Ground cloves - 1 tsp

Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Extra granulated sugar as desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat together 1 cup sugar and butter until creamy.

Add molasses and egg, beating until well-combined

Add remaining ingredients and mix well

Roll dough into balls approximately 1-inch in diameter

Roll cookies in extra granulated sugar, to taste.

Place cookie balls on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 5 - 7 minutes, until bottom of cookies are just turning brown.

Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then place on wire racks until completely cooled

Makes 20 - 25 cookies

Ingredients:

Flour - 1.5 cups

Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup

Margarine - 1/2 cup

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Chocolate chips - 20 to 25, plus another full cup

Maraschino cherries - 20 to 25

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream margarine and sugar well

Add salt, flour and margarine and mix well

Take each maraschino cherry and stuff with a chocolate chip

Place each stuffed cherry into the center of 1 teaspoon cookie dough

Bake cookies on ungreased baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool completely on baking rack

In the top of a double boiler, or in the microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips

Dip cookie tops in melted chocolate

Makes about 400 cookies (yes, 400! Halve or quarter the recipe as needed)

Ingredients:

Peanut butter - 2 lbs.

Powdered sugar - 3 lbs

Butter - 1 pound

Semi-sweet chocolate chips - two 12-ounce packages

Paraffin wax - 1/2 of one bar (gives cookies a "glossy" finish!)

Waxed paper for baking sheets

Toothpicks - for dipping cookies

Directions:

Cream butter and peanut butter and butter together well

Add sugar a little at a time, mixing well

Roll mixture into 1-inch balls, inserting a toothpick into each one

Melt paraffin and chocolate in the top of a double boiler.

Dip each cookie into the chocolate, leaving small portion of cookie ball uncoated

Let cookies cool completely on waxed paper.

Store in a cool place.

Ingredients:

Powdered sugar - 1 cup

Butter, softened - 1 cup

Flaked, sweetened coconut - 3/4 cup

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Maraschino cherries, chopped & drained - 1/2 cup

Quick cooking oats - 2 cups

Finely ground nuts sufficient to roll cookie balls in

Directions:

Beat together butter, vanilla, sugar, coconut and cherries

Mix in the rolled oats

Refrigerate mixture for approximately 3 hours

Shape cookie dough into 1" balls

Roll cookies in chopped nuts

Refrigerate in an airtight container until time to eat!

Makes about 132 cookies

Ingredients:

Soft butter - 1-1/4 cup

Shortening - 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 2

Almond Oil - 3/8 teaspoon OR Almond Extract - 2 to 3 tsp

Finely ground blanched almonds - 1 cup

Sifted Flour - 3-1/2 cups

Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Cream butter, granulated sugar, and shortening

Add eggs to the mixture and beat well - until light

Add flour and mix thoroughly

Mix in almond oil and ground almonds.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Form dough into small balls - about 1-1/4" and place on ungreased baking sheets about 2" apart.

Slightly "flatten" top of each ball - the bottom of a glass works well for this .

Bake until set - but not brown - about 14-16 minutes, and remove from oven

Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies while they're still warm

Allow cookies to cool completely, then remove from cookie sheet

Roll cookies in additional confectioners' sugar until thoroughly covered and "snowy"

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Vanilla Wafers - 1 9-ounce box

Confectioner's sugar - 2 1/4 cups

Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/4 cup

Orange juice concentrate - 1/3 cup

Light corn syrup - 1/4 cup

Pecan pieces - 1 1/2 cups

Directions:

Combine 2 cups of confectioner's sugar, vanilla wafters, orange juice concentrate, corn syrup and cocoa powder in a food processor

Pulse until all the cookies are ground to crumbs and the mixture is completely blended

Add pecan pieces and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.

Move mixture to a medium bowl

Form dough into balls, approximately 1" in diameter

Coat each cookie with additional confectioner's sugar

Cookies store well in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to a month!

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

additional powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Stir in flour and cornstarch, then chocolate and pecans.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on wire racks.

Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup shortening

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dates

1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained

1-1/2 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes cereal

15 maraschino cherries, quartered, drained

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease cookies sheets. In large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, milk, vanilla, and eggs; beat well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans, dates, and 1/3 cup chopped cherries; mix well.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for easier handling.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into cereal; thoroughly coat.

Form into balls; place 2-inches apart on greased cookie sheets.

Press maraschino cherry piece into top of each ball.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown.