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Monogramed Butter Buttons and Cookie Dough Bites, two out of three favorites.

Each year I make three different treats that have become so well-loved that I don't dare miss making them. The first two are really candy, although one of them may well be considered a bar cookie or near brownie. The third is a cookie; a cut out type. I don't make the same recipe each year, but we must have cut-out cookies for Christmas. This year it's a very simple butter cookie decorated with Royal Icing.

Cookie Dough Bites

I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookie dough. These are the perfect treat for dough lovers made without eggs and bite sized.

1 cup salted butter-softened
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
6 ounces miniature chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well--use your hands to  get it together the best. Roll into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. . Dip in  chocolate or drizzle with chocolate or eat as is--equally delicious no matter what! Let stand at  room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving
Store in the refrigerator.

Nanaimo Bars

These are only known to my family as Grandma's Chocolate Squares. My paternal grandmother made these and my mother took to making them for Christmas. I don't recall a Christmas without them. However, when my older brother discovered that they weren't Grandma's creation, but instead a winning recipe from Nanaimo, B.C., well, we may have been disillusioned, but we weren't all too sad, after all, we still have the recipe!

These are layered and luscious--so rich that I only make one pan--although, you know the kids would like a pan each.

First Layer:

1/2 C Butter
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
5 T cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C coconut
1/2 C chopped walnuts 

Second Layer:

1/2 C butter, softened
3 T milk
2 T instant vanilla pudding
2 C powdered sugar

Third Layer:
 
1  6 oz. Pkg. choc. Chips

First layer: Mix butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa, & vanilla
over hot water until it resembles custard. Add the
crumbs, coconut & walnuts. Press into a 9 X 9-inch
square pan. Cool.

Second Layer: Cream butter, milk, & pudding together,
then blend in powdered sugar. Spread over the first
layer & let stand for 15 minutes.

Third Layer: Melt chocolate & spread over the second
layer. Cut into squares.

Yield: 36 1-1/2-inch squares

Butter Buttons

This year's cutout is decorated with a big "C" that does double-duty; it's both our family monogram and stands for "Christmas".

1 cup salted butter-softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour (depending on the humidity that day)

Cream butter and sugar well. Add vanilla and flour to make a pliable dough. Roll out thin-1/8"- and cut with a small round cutter - 1 1/2" in diameter.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees F until very lightly browned on the bottom--about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool and frost with Royal Icing.