Bake Sale Goodies!

These iced lemon cookies have been seen flying off the tables at recent bake sales. No more waiting until the next bake sale to taste these delectable treats!

Cherylann's Iced Lemon Cookies
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup sofened butter

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond (or lemon) extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Combine powder sugar and butter, add egg and extracts. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough for 3 hours. Roll out to med/thin, about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut with round or other cookie cutter shapes. May be also cut in squares. Bake on parchment paper at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove and cool.

Lemon Frosting
½ cup softened butter
2 ½ cups powdered sugar (more or less as needed to achieve desired texture)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp salt

Combine butter and sugar, blending well with mixer. Slowly add the lemon juice. Add salt last, as you wish. Frost generously after cookies are cooled. Refrigerating the frosted cookies for about 15 minutes helps top set the icing; they can be refrigerated longer if you wish.
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Always in demand, these mixed nut bars have been a staple treat at Women's Club events for as long as anyone can remember, and now we've talked the baker into sharing her recipe with us!

Arlene's Mixed Nut Bars
adapted from a Taste of Home recipe

1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine, divided
1 can (11.5 ounces) mixed nuts
1 cup butterscotch chips
½ cup light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in ½ cup butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts. Melt butterscotch chips. Add corn syrup and remaining 2 tbsp butter; mix well. Pour over nuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool. Cut into 48 bars.
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Sometimes the simplest (and best quality!) ingredients makes the tastiest variation of a recipe, and this adaptation of an old time recipe just proves it.

Wendy's Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook recipe

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (the kind you have to stir)
1 egg
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream sugars, and butter in large mixing bowl, add peanut butter and egg, mixing thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the creamed mixture. (At this point, the dough may be covered and refrigerated if desired for convenience.) Heat oven to 375ºF. 
Shape dough into about 1 inch balls, 
placed about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork (dipped into sugar or water if need be). 
Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. 
Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet and finsih cooling on wire rack. Makes 3 dozen.