Ingredients:

• 1 ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup low fat sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee granules
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Directions:

1. Beat brown sugar and oil in medium bowl with electric mixer. Mix in sour cream, egg and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, cocoa, espresso, baking soda, salt, pepper in another bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture, mix well. Refrigerate dough until firm 3-4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour powdered sugar into shallow bowl. Set aside. Cut dough into 1-inch pieces, roll into balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar.
5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets 10 to 12 minutes or until tops of cookies are firm to the touch. Do not overbake. Cool on wire racks.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• ⅔ cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp red food coloring

Makes 32 cookies.

Directions:

1. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl using electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts. Mix flour and baking powder. Stir into butter mixture.
2. Divide dough in half. Tint one half with red food coloring. Wrap each half and refrigerate at least 2 hours. 
3. Divide each half into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a 5-inch rope. Twist 1 red and 1 white rope together and bend one end to form candy cane shape. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 350*F for 8-10 minutes or until just set and lightly golden. Remove from sheet and cool on wire racks.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup English or almond toffee bits

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl.
3. Beat with mixer or stir with spoon until creamy.
4. Add flower baking powder and baking soda.
5. Stir in toffee bits.
6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Flatten each ball with bottom of a glass to 1 ½ inch circles.  If glass sticks, dip glass in sugar.
7. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just lightly browned.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter or margarine (or butter flavored shortening)
• 2 cups of sugar
• ½ cup of cocoa powder
• ½ cup of milk
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 3 cups of oats
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine butter/margarine, sugar, cocoa, milk in pan on stovetop and bring to a boil for 2-3 mins.
2. Remove from heat and add rest of the ingredients.
3. Use spoon to drop onto waxed paper then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Once cooled, they don’t need to be refrigerated.

Ingredients:

•  ¾ cups all-purpose flour
•  2 tsp baking soda
•  1 tsp cinnamon
•  1 tsp ground cloves
•  1 tsp ground ginger
•  1 tsp ground cardamom
•  1 cup butter
•  1 cup white sugar
•  ½ cup brown sugar, packed
•  1 egg, beaten 
•  2 tbsp dark corn syrup

Directions:

1. Sift the flour together with the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat the butter together with the white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and corn syrup until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap tightly each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
4. Using 1 portion at a time, work on a floured surface and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered tins.