Share the joy with Christmas cookies
Add a day care, nursing home or shelter to your list

Buttery Sugar Cookies are fun to cut into festive shapes and decorate for sharing with friends and family. (Photos from The Martha White Kitchens)

Baking Christmas cookies is all about sharing. Sharing time in the kitchen with your children and sharing your creations with family and friends.

Why not spread a little more cheer by sharing cookies with other folks who would appreciate some attention and goodies, says Martha White® baking expert, Linda Carman. "Taking treats to an elderly friend, a nursing home or day care center will be a holiday experience the whole family will enjoy and one that might become a holiday tradition."

Make a plan

Get the kids involved in the planning, baking and giving so everyone feels like they have made a contribution to your holiday cookie project.

Select recipients. In addition to family members, think about those in your community in need of some holiday cheer. Day care centers, nursing homes, a charity or organization where a visit and a treat would be appreciated are all options. Make sure it is okay to visit or bring food before you go.

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are a breeze to stir up and will make a special gift packed in a decorative jar.

Pick out recipes that will be fun to make and easy to carry. Drop cookies, bar cookies, and even cut-out cookies are all good choices. Avoid anything too gooey or delicate. Keep in mind the age and expertise of the bakers; don't choose recipes that are too complicated.

Decide on packaging or containers. Plastic bags, tins and waxed paper lined boxes can all be decorated with stickers or tied with a ribbon for an inexpensive presentation.

Plan a day for baking. Make sure you have all the ingredients, get in the kitchen and have fun.

Plan your delivery time. If you can't devote several hours to baking and distributing the same day, most cookies will be fine for delivery within a day or two or may be frozen for several weeks.

Moist and chewy bar cookies, Fabulous Scotchies are a wonderful choice for holiday entertaining or giving.

Cookie exchange for charity

Another good Christmas project for young people or adults is to plan something similar to a cookie exchange. Everyone brings a big batch of one of their favorite cookies. But rather than exchanging and taking the cookies home, you and your friends can pack up nice assortments and take them to a charitable organization. Of course, while you are packing and visiting you will all want to sample the cookies, so bring copies of the recipes for everyone.

Cookie recipes to share

If you are going to bake with young folks, cutout cookies are always fun. This Buttery Sugar Cookie recipe is a great one to add to your file. It is a delicious, easy-to-handle dough that you will use often for all those seasonal cut outs. Remember the secret to the delicious flavor of these cookies is real butter and good vanilla.

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies feature a delicious combination of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips and are unbelievably simple because you start with a chocolate chip muffin mix. Chocolate Cherry Walnut Cookies are distinctive and delicious.

Bar cookies, like Fabulous Scotchies, are always a good choice when time is short because one pan can be cut into lots of bars and they are good travelers. This classic combination of butter, brown sugar and pecans is sure to be a favorite of those on your gift list.

Buttery Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour

In large bowl, combine sugar and butter; beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. On lightly flour surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with round or shaped cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets. Cool 10 minutes or until completely cooled. Decorate as desired. (About 6 dozen cookies)

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 (7.4 oz.) pkg. Martha
White® Chocolate Chip Muffin
Mix
2 Tbsps. firmly packed light
brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. water
1/2 cup white chocolate
chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine muffin mix and brown sugar; stir until blended. Add butter and water; stir until well blended. Add white chocolate chips and walnuts. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. (18 cookies)

Chocolate Cherry Walnut Cookies: Prepare as directed above except, substitute 1/2 cup dried chopped cherries for white chocolate chips.

Fabulous Scotchies

2 1/2 cups Martha White®
All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups firmly packed
brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsps. vanilla
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add flour mixture, brown sugar, pecans, vanilla and eggs; mix well. Spread batter in greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and edges look slightly crisp. (Bars will rise slightly in center, then go back down.) Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled. Cut into bars. (Makes 24 bars)