Send Us Your Holiday Recipes This Christmas Season

Probably one of the best things shared is a good recipe, especially during the holiday season, where family recipes are passed down from generation to generation and become a staple of our year.

Woodridge Patch is looking to create an extensive collection of recipes from  residents. If you have one, feel free to share by leaving a comment below or emailing it to Editor Melissa Tussing at melissat@patch.com. 

Then, during the week leading up to Christmas, we'll post them for all to see! Your recipe could become the next big thing at someone else's family Christmas!

And if you don't have a recipe quite yet, here's what we've compiled so far. 

Cornflake Holly Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter 

35 large marshmallows 

3 cups cornflakes 

1 bottle cinnamon candies

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

green food coloring 

1 large saucepan 

2 tablespoons to stir marshmallows

1. Set out sheet of wax paper

2. Melt butter and marshmallows in large saucepan over medium heat. Add vanilla and green food coloring. Mix well and completely melt all the marshmallows. Add cornflakes and stir gently.

3. Drop tablespoons of the mixture on the wax paper. Dot each with 3 or 4 cinnamon candies. Work quickly when spooning onto waxed paper, as mixture hardens fast.

Note: Keep the marshmallow mixture on a low flame the entire time to make it easy to handle while placing on the wax paper. 

Makes  2-3 dozen.

Lemon Bon Bon Cookies

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 sifted all purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Mix butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add cornstarch and flour, mixing well. Refrigerate until easy to handle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls on nuts scattered on waxed paper. Flatten out with the bottom of a glass that is dipped into flour. Using a spatula, place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet with nut side up. Bake 15 mins. Cool and frost.

Bon Bon Frosting

Blend 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon butter and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Add two drops of red food coloring to frosting mixture. Then swirl on top of the cookie with a small spoon. If you want to have more than one color frosting, you can divide the frosting into thirds in small bowls and mix with other food coloring.

Let cookies set out until frosting is dry. Store in a tupperware container in a cool place. 

Makes 6 dozen.

Whirlaway Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup rolled oats

2 large containers of chocolate shots

1. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add flour to cream mixture. Mix thoroughly. Blend in oats. Dough should be quite stiff.

2. Divide dough in half. Place one half on a piece of wax paper. Roll dough into a 1 1/2 inch wide cylinder.  Do the same to the second half of dough. Once dough is rolled, move aside.

3. Sprinkle 2 1/2 cups of chocolate shots lengthwise on wax paper.  Roll each cylinder of dough over the shots until they are completely covered. Wrap each roll in wax paper and chill in refrigerator until firm - at least 2 hours.

4. Slice rolls in 3/8 inch slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cookies are done when they are golden brown.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 8oz. cream cheese (softened)

1 stick butter (softened)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box chocolate cake mix

confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

2. In a large bowl,  use mixer to cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in egg and then beat in vanilla. Add cake mix and blend in.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so you can roll the dough into balls.

4. Roll the chilled dough into teaspoon-sized balls and then roll in confectioners sugar. Flour hands if dough sticks.

5. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners sugar if desired.

Makes three dozen cookies