Jan Hagel cookies are a traditional Dutch holiday sweet. They are very thin, light and flaky.

Makes about 50

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
8 ounces sliced almonds

Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Beat together butter, sugar and egg yolk with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and cinnamon. Separate dough into 3 portions and spead thinly over 3 small baking sheets (or 2 larger ones). Beat egg white and water in a small bowl until frothy. Spread over dough. Arrange the almonds in a mosaic pattern on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and slice into diamond shapes while hot.

Note: Alternate spellings/names: Hollanders, Janhagels, Janhagel Cookies, Dutch Almond Cookies

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Grease a 9 x 9-inch cake pan. Spread the chopped walnuts evenly in the bottom of the pan. Over high heat, melt together sugar and butter in medium size saucepan until boiling. Lower heat to medium. Boil over medium heat for 7 minutes. Pour into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot mixture. Place a cookie sheet over the pan to retain the heat and melt the chocolate chips. Cut into squares while hot, then refrigerate until hard. Break into pieces.

1 bag (8oz) Hershey’s Kisses
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
additional granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375F. Remove candy wrappers.
In large bowl, beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended. Add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the additional granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place kiss on
top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 24

1 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried candied fruit, chopped fine
1 egg white
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
6 to 12 glacé cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, cream the Crisco and brown sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract. Gradually blend in the flour. Fold in the almonds and candied fruit. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into pencil-thin ropes. Form the ropes into wreaths on an ungreased cookie sheet, pinching the ends together. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white and corn syrup until smooth. Brush the rings with the mixture and place a glacé cerry half on each ring at the point where the ends meet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden.

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
5 red glacé cherries, halved
5 green glacé cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually stir in flour. Form dough into 20 1-inch diameter balls. Dip in lightly beaten egg whites, then roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press down center of each with thumb to make a thumbprint. Place a cherry half in each indentation. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring OR 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix butter sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly. Add flour and salt, Mix well. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap; chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 4 inch strips; place on baking sheet. Curve top down to form handle or cane. Bake 9 minutes. While still warm, remove from pan and sprinkle with candy and sugar mixture.

Dough may be divided in half and colored with 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring if desired. Roll each color into strips, place side by side, press together lightly and twist like a rope.

Makes about 108

1 pound red candied cherries, halved
3 ounces green candied cherries, halved
1 pound candied pineapple, cut in pieces
1/2 pound pitted dates, chopped
1/2 pound golden raisins
1 pound pecan pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging fruits and nuts
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup peach brandy

In 7-quart mixing bowl, dredge cherries, pineapple, dates, raisins and pecans with 1/4 cup flour. In a separate bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs; mix well. Sift together 2 cups flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix. Add milk and peach brandy; mix well. Add batter to dredged fruits and nuts; mix until fruits and nuts are incorporated. Mixture will be very stiff. This dough is more fruit than batter. Drop dough by tablespoons onto well-greased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 275-degree oven 18 to 20 minutes, or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly.

Variation: This recipe makes wonderful mini fruitcakes using the mini muffin cups and baking pans. Use one tablespoon batter in each greased mini cup (a vegetable spray works better than solid shortening); decorate with a cherry half. Bake in a preheated 275-degree oven 18 to 20 minutes.

Tester’s notes: A perfect recipe for holiday gift-giving or for mailing. These cookies are more like mini fruitcakes - full of color, with lots of cherries and dried fruits. Doris Bryant, Arnold.

Note: Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12/3/90

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (about 4 ounces)

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend, then set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Cover dough and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F. Form dough into balls, using 1/4 cup dough for each. Place on greased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten with hand to 3-1/2-inch rounds. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around edges and firm in center. Transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

1 cup margarine, softened
1 egg white, lightly whipped
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon blue food coloring

In a mixing bowl, combine margarine, egg white, and vanilla extract. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients just until moistened. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Tint 1 portion with red food coloring and another portion with blue food coloring. Mix throughly to get a uniform color. Untinted dough represents white. Form each portion into bars of equal length and about 1 inch thick. Wrap each bar in waxed paper. Refrigerate until easy to handle. Remove waxed paper and stack bars on top of each other in the desired color arrangement. Wrap entire bars in waxed paper again and chill until firm. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut bars into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool for about 1 minute, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Originally appeared in Women’s Circle Magazine

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons crushed aniseed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon Kirsch
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat well after each addition. It is essential to beat for a long time (about 15 min. with an electric beater at medium speed). Stir in the aniseed, the lemon rind and the Kirsch. Add the flour to make a stiff dough and knead well. Cut the dough into four pieces. Roll out each piece into 1-inch strips. Cut the strips into 3-inch lengths.
Nick each strip 3 times to the depth of 1/2 inch.
Bend the strips slightly into a U-shape, keeping the nicked side on the outside. Place on buttered and floured cookie sheets. Let them stand overnight at room temperature to dry out. Preheat oven to 300 F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a very pale yellow.