Delicious Cookies!

I wanted to post these recipes much sooner but I haven't been able too. Better late than never, right?!

Kathy at Bermudaonion's Weblog and Julie at Booking Mama hosted a Virtual Cookie Swap for 12 Days and provided all of us with some wonderful cookie recipes. If you haven't seen the posts on their blogs, definitely check them out. They are also each hosting a Giveaway. In order to enter the giveaways on their blogs, Kathy & Julie have asked that entrants provide a tried and true cookie or candy recipe. I am posting my favorite of my grandmother's Christmas cookies and a delicious cookie bar recipe I have made numerous times! Enjoy!

My grandmother made these cookies every Christmas when I was younger. I looked forward to them every year when I was growing up! It has been a while since I made them but I will be for sure this year!

Butter Ball Cookies

1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups walnuts, ground fine**
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream together butter, sugar, salt & vanilla
Blend in flour & nuts
Roll into balls.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes
Remove from oven and while still warm, roll in powdered sugar.
Cool
Roll in powdered sugar again
Makes about 4 dozen cookies!

** Pecans can be substituted for walnuts. You can also add chocolate chips or butterscotch chips to the mixture.

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Chocolate Oat Bars

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

Filling:
1 (15 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl cream together (1 cup) butter & brown sugar
Beat in eggs & (2 tspns) vanilla
In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda & (1 tspn) salt
Stir in oats
Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture until well blended
Set aside
Put about 2/3 oat mixture into bottom of greased 10x15x1 pan
Set aside remaining oat mixture

In heavy saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, (2 tbspns) butter & (1.2 tspn) salt, stir until melted and smooth
Stir in vanilla & nuts

Spread filling mixture over oat crust in baking pan
Crumble remaining oat mixture over the top

Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes
Cool; Cut into squares