Almond Wreath Cookies
Makes: 5 1/2 dozen wreaths

1/2 cup slivered or sliced blanched almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
17 candied green cherries
8 1/2 candied red cherries

1. In food processor fitted with chopping blade, process almonds and 1/4 cup
sugar until almonds are finely ground; set aside. Lightly grease 5 baking sheets or 2
baking sheets plus 3 sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper, if desired. (Because
the cookie dough has to be chilled after it's piped into wreaths, the more baking sheets
you have, the faster the cookies can be made. If you do not wish to use foil, just leave
dough in pastry bag and pipe onto the sheets once they have cooled after the first baking.)

2. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and remaining
1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla and almond extracts
until well mixed. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups flour, the
ground almond mixture, baking powder, and salt until mixed. Beat in enough of
remaining flour until soft dough forms.

3. Spoon about one-third of dough into large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch open
star tip. Pipe 1/2-inch-thick strip of dough onto baking sheets to form 2-inch-diameter
wreaths, about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate wreaths on baking sheets 15 minutes to firm
dough. (If using 2 sheets, pipe the rest of the dough onto foil and refrigerate on trays, if
possible. If you are unable to chill the second batch while the first batch is baking,
remember to cool the baking sheets thoroughly before placing the foil with the second set
of wreaths onto the sheets for chilling.)

4. Meanwhile, cut each green cherry into 8 wedge-shaped slices. Cut each whole
red cherry into halves and cut all the cherry halves into quarters to form squarelike cherry
pieces.

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Press a red-cherry piece onto each wreath where
the beginning and end of piped dough meet. Place 2 green-cherry slices on each side of red
cherry on each wreath.

6. Bake wreaths 8 to 10 minutes or until golden on top and lightly browned on
bottom. Cool cookies completely on wire rack. Store in airtight containers.

Nutrition information per cookie wreath--protein: 0.5 gram; fat: 3 grams;
carbohydrate: 6 grams; fiber: 0.1 gram; sodium: 13 milligrams; cholesterol: 11
milligrams; calories: 51.
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Candy Cane Holiday Dessert

2 cups water
14 red starlight mints
1 pkg. (8-serving size) or 2 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand
Raspberry Flavor Gelatin Dessert
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

BRING 2 cups water and mints to boil in small saucepan on medium heat, stirring
constantly until mints are dissolved. Stir mint mixture into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes
or until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Reserve 1 cup at room temperature.
Refrigerate remaining gelatin about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened (consistency of
unbeaten egg whites).

STIR 1 cup of the whipped topping into slightly thickened gelatin with wire whisk
until smooth. Pour into serving bowl. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until set but not
firm (should stick to finger when touched and should mound). Spoon reserved gelatin
evenly over creamy layer.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired. Store leftover dessert
in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (without garnish):
Calories 160
Fat 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 85mg
Carbohydrate 35g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Protein 2g

Fruit Bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup fruit preserves

Preparation
Stir dry ingredients together. Stir in oats 7 sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Pat 1/2
crumbs in 11 x 7 pan.
Spread with preserves, top with crumbs. Bake 375F for 35 minutes, cool. Makes 2 1/2
dozen.
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Coconut Chews

Preheat oven to 350 F. In food processor, mix together well:

1/2 cup vegan margarine, softened
1/4 cup almond pulp (see below)
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oatmeal

Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased baking pan, 13" x 9". Bake 12 to 15 minutes.

In food processor, mix together:

1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp egg replacer
2 Tbsp ground flax
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Then add and process briefly:

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Spread this mixture over the hot baked layer. Bake 20 minutes longer. Cool. Cut into
bars.

(Almond pulp - when making almond milk from blanched almonds, strain the milk through
a clean tea towel.
The resulting pulp can be frozen for future use in this or other recipes.)

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Square

1/2 cup vegan margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 tsp egg replacer in 2 Tbsp water (1 egg's worth)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix together margarine, sugar, vanilla and egg replacer. Beat until light