Last week, for the inaugural Suffolk News-Herald Newsroom Virtual Cookie Exchange, the folks who write and design this newspaper each day shared favorite cookie recipes from their own files or from those of their families.

For some of us, gathering those recipes made for a happy jaunt along Memory Lane. At least one of us, though, found a startling cookie revelation (and who knew such a thing could happen?) around one of the bends.

All of us, though, have been eagerly awaiting what is arguably the best half of the cookie exchange — getting a stack of new recipes to try from our readers.

A few stalwart SNH readers responded this week with one or more of their favorite cookie-exchange recipes, and in the spirit of the season, we’re sharing the best ones. Enjoy!

Have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season.

Katherine’s Cookies

(From Peggy Parker, Eclipse)

Ingredients

2 sticks margarine or butter

2 cups sugar

1 small can evaporated milk

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For icing

1 or 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions


1. Butter a 9×13-inch pan

2. In sauce pan, combined two sticks of margarine or butter, two cups sugar and one small can of evaporated milk. Bring to boil and cook one minute.

3. Remove from heat and add one cup of coconut, one cup of chopped nuts and one cup of graham cracker crumbs.

4. Stir together and spread over a layer of graham crackers. Add one more layer of graham crackers.

Icing

1. Melt three tablespoons of margarine or butter and add one to two cups of confectioner’s sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla.

2. Spread on top of crackers.

3. Refrigerate several hours.

4. Remove and cut into squares.

No need to refrigerate after initial refrigeration.

Peanut butter cookies

(From Jeanne Banks)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. Beat butter and sugar and add peanut butter.

2. Mix in egg and vanilla. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt.

3. Shape teaspoons of dough into balls. Flatten with a fork.

4. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

7-Layer Cookie Bars

(From Jeanne Banks)

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1-1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup coconut

1 cup nuts

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Use a 13×9-inch pan and melt butter in the oven.

3. Add graham crackers evenly and top with remaining ingredients in the order listed.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes.

5. Cool and cut into 1-1/2-inch squares.

Brownies

(From Jeanne Banks)

Ingredients

1 stick butter or margarine (soft)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa

Directions

1. Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

2. Add flour and cocoa.

3. Optional – add one cup of chocolate chips and/or one cup of nuts.

4. Use a greased, square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Snowball Cookies

(From Linda Bundy)

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups chopped pecans

2 cups flour

4 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Cream butter. Add sugar and remaining ingredients.

2. Roll into small balls.

3. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

4. Roll into powdered sugar when hot and again when cold.

Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

(From Linda Bundy)

Ingredients

1 pkg. Duncan Hines spice cake mix

4 egg whites

1 cup quick cooking oats (not instant or old fashioned)

½ cup oil

½ cup raisins

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.

2. Combine cake mix, egg whites, oats, raisins and oil in large bowl. Mix on low speed until blended.

3. Drop from rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for seven to nine minutes. Cool for one minute on baking sheet.

5. Remove to cooling rack.