RecipesApricot Tea Cookies It just wouldn’t be Christmas without these dainty melt-in-your-mouth apricot cookies on my platter! Filled with fruit and drizzled with frosty glaze, they couldn’t be more delectable. —Judith McVickers, Pittsburg, Kansas
RecipesValentine Cookie Bouquet “I always try to do something special with my fair entries. This cookie bouquet was a blue-ribbon winner,” says Marlene Gates, Sun City, Arizona. “It is a great gift for a loved one or makes a nice Valentine’s Day centerpiece.”
RecipesValentine Brownies In Austin, Texas, Susan Ohlendorf found a fun way to show her loved ones how much she cares. She prepares brownies from a mix, cuts a heart shape out of each one and fills the center with homemade frosting. “Our grandson loves to eat the little heart-shaped brownies that are left over,” she notes.
RecipesCowboy Cookie Mix Since half the fun of cookies is baking them, I give this merry-making mix as a gift. The ingredients look so pretty in a jar…and the cookies smell terrific coming out of the oven!
RecipesLemon Sponge Pudding You’ll want to pucker up and kiss the cook once you try this comforting pudding bursting with fresh lemon flavor! “It’s wonderful served warm,” confides Evelyn Kating of Pryor, Oklahoma,” and impossible not to scrape the bowl!”
RecipesBanana-Pecan Sheet Cake A dear friend of mine gave me this recipe, and I make it often, especially for potlucks. Sometimes I make it ahead, freeze the cake and then frost it before the party. —Merrill Powers, Spearville, Kansas
RecipesEasy Cherry Cobbler A warm and welcome ending to any meal, this easy cobbler sent in by Sherry Craw of Mattoon, Illinois tastes as soothing as it sounds. The almond extract gives ti an extra flavor boost.
RecipesHomemade Chewy Granola Bars “Our children are now grown and gone, but they always look forward to eating these chocolaty treats when they come back home to visit,” relates Lavone Edgar from Nampa, Idaho. Her recipe makes a dozen wholesome bars-enough for the two of you to enjoy and share.
RecipesCobbler Mix Give cherries a golden, crunchy cobbler crust with this versatile mix. “For a quick gift, put a batch of it-along with a can of pie filling and serving directions-in a decorated bag,” suggests Joyce Huber of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
RecipesCreepy Spiders Cake mix gives these chocolate sandwich cookies a head start. You can even have kids help assemble the “spiders!”—Nella Parker, Hersey, Michigan
RecipesHalloween Mini-Cakes Pumpkin and ghost cookie cutters make it a snap to shape these cute little cakes. A simple icing gives the sweet treats their spook-tacular look. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
RecipesBiscuit Blueberry Cobbler “All nine varieties of blueberries we grow taste yummy in this easy cobbler,” says Diane Cain, a fruit farmer from Hixton, Wisconsin. “Cut a juicy piece and celebrate summer!”
RecipesTombstone Treats My brother loves Rice Krispies squares, and my mom loves sugar cookies. I came up with a cute treat they’d both like.
RecipesMakeover Pineapple Nut Cake This moist, chunky Makeover Pineapple Nut Cake from our Test Kitchen has even more tangy, tropical flavor than the original from Alice Hofmann, Sussex, Wisconsin. Now she can enjoy it even more often!
RecipesRed Star Cookies These super stars are plenty sweet and sturdy, making them great for shipping. Slip decorated cookies in stacks of three inside plastic storage bags then rest stacks in disposable plastic containers. Put containers in a cardboard box, then add crumpled newspaper so everything is tightly packed. Seal it with a kiss—or a card. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen