“Nothing beats a homemade cookie”

MENDON, Ill. — Heading into the holidays, Danette Rabe starts making her list and checking it twice. Family-favorite Frosted Drop Cookies and Red Velvet Crinkles always make the list of things to bake for family and friends.

Made with brown sugar, sour cream and pecans, the drop cookies “are only Christmastime cookies. (Growing up) my family only made these at Christmas,” Rabe said. “These take more time, but I think it’s worth it.



I like how they stay so soft.” The simple three-ingredient crinkle cookies are year-round favorites, with Rabe substituting the cake mix flavor to suit the season. Planning the cookie baking is key to the season because “nothing beats a homemade cookie,” the Mendon woman said.

“Particularly at Christmas time, I still do several varieties. Between nieces, nephews and everybody, I think they kind of count on it,” she said. “My girls love to help.

” Rabe, who works as the office administrator at LifePoint Church, keeps the oven busy year-round. “I love to bake, especially when I know it’s going somewhere so it doesn’t just sit at my house,” she said, but her husband Eric doesn’t miss out. “I make sure he gets a few.

” Spending time in the kitchen takes patience and creativity. “In my case, it was something my grandma and my mom passed down,” she said. “I saw what they were doing.

They both had big kitchens. They loved it.” What Rabe learned from both women, both “great bakers,” she passed down to her daughters, Shannon and Claire.

“My mom was more of a pie maker and cobbler maker than cookies,” Rabe said. “I primarily bake cookies, cakes some, but we are probably more cookie people. I’ve made pie.

They might taste good but might not look great.” Cookies remain her preference, even with the work involved. “It’s not a chore,” she said.

“You do need time — unless you make everything a bar cookie, which are not as good.” Whether cooking or baking, Rabe follows the recipes — for the most part. “It might be a couple of substitutions or additions.

That’s how my mom and grandma baked, and probably cooked, too,” she said. Rabe always baked the traditional swirled Coffee Cake with her mom. “We made those every year at Christmas time, a ridiculous amount, because people count on them for gifts,” she said.

“That was definitely a standard.” Cherry Torte’s a familiar recipe to many, and “when we make this, it’s dessert,” Rabe said. Yum Yum Coffee Cake calls for sour cream, which keeps the cake really moist.

Another favorite cookie, Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies, “wasn’t one that you would frost,” Rabe said. “I guess you could, but we never did.” Frosted Drop Cookies 2 eggs 1⁄2 cup shortening 1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream 2 1⁄2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup nuts Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar and vanilla.

Beat in eggs. Sift together dry ingredients. Add alternately with sour cream.

Add nuts. Drop teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frosting Heat and stir 5 tablespoons butter in a pan over low heat until golden brown. Remove from heat. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Add enough hot water to spread. Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies 1 cup butter 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sugar 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 1 teaspoon soda 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon salt Thoroughly cream oil, butter and both sugars. Add vanilla and eggs.

Sift dry ingredients; stir in and blend. Roll a teaspoon of dough into a ball. Roll ball in sugar.

Press down on a lightly greased cookie sheet with a glass tumbler dipped in sugar. Press dough with fork to make design. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Red Velvet Crinkles 1 red velvet cake mix 2 eggs 1⁄3 cup oil Powdered sugar for topping Combine cake mix, eggs and oil. Shape dough into balls. Roll in powdered sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cherry Torte 18 graham crackers 1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄3 cup oleo Crush crackers fine. Melt oleo.

Add sugar and crumbs. Make a crust in flat dish. 1 envelop Dream Whip 1 cup powdered sugar 1 (three-ounce) package cream cheese 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla Beat Dream Whip according to directions; use 3⁄4 cup milk.

Add sugar and cream cheese, and beat well. Pour on crust. Put in refrigerator until set.

Top with one can cherry pie filling. Chill at least three hours or overnight. Coffee Cake Combine 3⁄4 cup scalded milk and 1⁄2 cup sugar; let cool.

Add 1 package yeast in 1⁄4 cup water. Add 1 1⁄2 cups flour. Let rise 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Add 2 beaten eggs, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, 1 1⁄2 cups flour and 1⁄2 cup melted oleo. Place in bowl. Let rise until double.

Punch down, then make ropes of dough. Melt 1⁄2 cup oleo. Dip each piece of dough in oleo and roll in a mixture of 3⁄4 cup sugar, 1⁄4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 3⁄4 cup nuts, if desired.

Place dough in pie pans. Let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Top, if desired, with thin powdered sugar icing. Yum Yum Coffee Cake 1⁄2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients.

Put half of batter into a 9x13-inch baking dish. 1⁄2 cup brown sugar 1⁄2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Nuts (optional) Combine together, and sprinkle half over batter in baking dish. Add rest of batter to baking dish.

Top with remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes..