Mix together sugars and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 20 large cookies.

Tip: Set out margarine a little before hand to soften. It makes mixing easier.

Snowball Cookies ~ submitted by Karen R. of Franklin, Idaho~

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large mixer bowl, combine flour, nuts, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 3 to 4 minutes. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until very lightly browned remove immediately. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cool. (Important: Use Cake Flour for very flaky light cookies. It’s sold in a box.) Makes about 3 dozen.

Skillet Cookies ~ submitted by Dave S. from Franklin, Idaho

Place eggs, butter and dates in a large skillet. Cook on low heat until mixture thickens like pudding, stirring constantly. It will pull away from sides of pan. Add nuts and vanilla. Stir in Rice Crispies. Cool until you can handle it with your hands. Roll into balls and powdered sugar.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Cream sugar, butter and salt together. Add eggs and mix well. Add other ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and milk, and mix well. Add flour until dough is soft, not stiff. Chill. Roll dough out to about 1/4 thick and use favorite cookie cutters. Place gently on greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Frosting:

Mix powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl with a mixer at low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Gradually beat in milk (enough to make frosting smooth and spreadable). If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk. If too thin, beat in more powdered sugar. Add food coloring to get desired color.

Pralines

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts on baking sheet and toast in oven, stirring constantly until very lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Buttermilk, Baking Soda and Salt. Stir over low heat with a long handled wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. Cut butter into small pieces. Add Butter to pan. Stir until butter is completely melted. Increase heat to medium. Place a warm candy thermometer in pan and cook without stirring until it reaches 236 degrees F, the soft ball stage.

Remove from heat. Quickly stir in the toasted walnuts and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes opaque, almost 1 minute. Drop by tablespoonfuls on wax paper, forming 2 inch patties. Completely cool about 30 minutes. Store in airtight container. Makes 1-1/2 lbs, 24 patties

Oreo Cookies

Filling

Mix cake mixes with eggs and oil until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Don't over bake or they will be too hard. After cookies have cooled, mix the filling ingredients: cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Frost one half of the cookies, using the other half to make an oreo.