CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES: Rolled Butter Cookies . . . Peanut Butter Blossoms . . . Holiday Eggnog Cookies . . . Date Nut Balls

Rolled Butter Cookies

3 cups flour

2 level teaspoons cream of tartar

1 level teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and butter like pie dough, by hand.

In a smaller bowl, beat eggs and then add sugar and vanilla and mix. Combine with dough and mix.

Refrigerate dough overnight (covered with wax paper). In the morning, roll out dough on a floured surface and cut out cookies. Place cookies about ½ to 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes or until done.

Let cool, then frost and decorate.

Yield: 10 to 12 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup white sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 unbeaten egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour with the rest of dry ingredients.

Next, cream shortening, peanut butter and sugars; cream well; add egg, vanilla and beat well; add dry ingredients.

Shape round balls and roll in sugar. Place balls on greased pan and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and top cookies with a chocolate candy kiss, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around the edges. Return to oven and bake for 2 to 5 minutes longer.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies.

Holiday Eggnog Cookies

2¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1¼ cups white sugar

¾ cups salted butter, softened

½ cup eggnog

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside.

Cream sugar and butter with electric mixer until grainy paste is formed. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth.

Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined — do not overmix. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately.

Date Nut Balls

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1½ cups sugar

2 cups finely chopped dates

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

4 cups crispy rice cereal

Sweetened shredded coconut (about 3 cups)

In medium pan, melt butter and sugar. Add dates and cook until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs into milk and stir into hot mixture with salt. Return to heat and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Cool completely then stir in cereal, mixing until well-coated. Shape into 1-inch balls then roll in coconut.

Yield: 6 to 7 dozen cookies.

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