Holiday Cookie Extravaganza!

This is one massive bonus-filled post with six, count them, SIX cookie recipes that are fast and easy and so darn tempting you may not be able to wait 'til Christmas!

Cookies, as I have said before, are so versatile and wonderful.  The basics of any cookie recipe are flour, sugar and BUTTER!!!! So make sure you have plenty on hand before beginning this baking adventure.  I usually buy two five-pound sacks or each flour and sugar for the Christmas season.  And anywhere between eight and twelve sticks of butter, depending on how many varieties you make. 

A note on butter:* We LOVE butter in my house, it is the BEST for everything, rich, creamy, delectable.  But we can't always afford the real stuff, especially in the quantity that cookies call for, when butter is almost 3 dollars for 4 sticks.  I have a secret that saves dollars without sacrificing flavor.  Margarine or vegetable oil "spread" is MUCH cheaper than the real sweet cream.  I paid 99 cents for 4 sticks yesterday.  That's a savings of two dollars per package.  Now, don't get me wrong, using ALL spread or margarine won't give fantastic results, but using equal parts of butter and of spread will yield the same results (ex: 1 stick of butter, 1 stick spread = 1 cup).  I HAVE NOT FOUND A COOKIE RECIPE YET THAT THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR.  As for salted/unsalted butter:  Truly, i have baked with both interchangeable.  I don't see a whole lot of difference.  Our little IGA supermarket doesn't always have both, so i get what i can get.  Some people would call this baking heresy but, when you have to make do, you do!

So here are half a dozen recipes for holiday cookie fabulousness.  I make these for parties and gatherings, for Christmas morning and Christmas eve, and to munch when nobody is looking!!!!!!  ENJOY!   

(P.S. I have already posted my recipe for Oatmeal Cookies, those are one of the varieties i made, so technically, I guess there are only going to be 5 more in this blog post. oops!)