Baking Powder Biscuits

This recipe comes from my 7th grade Home and Career Skills (aka Home Ec) class.  This is the version I keep coming back to, it's tried and true and I've never had it go wrong.

2 cups sifted flour (I don't sift, just make sure the flour isn't packed)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
cut in finely: 1/4 cup shortening (I usually use butter)
Stir in to make a soft dough: 3/4 cup milk
Round up on lightly floured board.  Knead lightly about 30 seconds.  Roll out or pat out about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450* for 10-12 minutes.

Caroling Cookies

I found this recipe a number of years ago in a book called All Occasion Cookies (ISBN 1-57954-952-7). I used M&Ms for the candy bits. And as you can see, they look so festive. And even better, no matter the name of the cookies, switch out the color of the M&Ms and you can make these for any holiday - pastel for Easter, orange and black for Halloween, red and pink for Valentine's Day. And being a drop cookie, they're a lot less time consuming than cutouts (which I do love, but usually don't have time for).

Caroling Cookies

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 package (10 ounces) white chips

⅔ cup butter or margarine, softened

⅔ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package (10 ounces) holiday candy bits

Preheat the oven to 325*F.   Combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a bowl.  Melt 1 cup of the white chips.

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the melted chips.  Stir in the remaining chips and the candy bits.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very light brown.  Transfer to racks to cool.

Source: All occasion cookies.