Cherry Cookies

My Mom was and advid baker. We always seemed to have something freshly baked at our house. I don't remember ever having something store bought except for the occasional donut. Mom was blessed with four daughters so when all her girls had families of their own around Christmas time us four girls and my mom would have a Christmas cookie party. It was great we tried to schedule it when our husbands could watch the kids to make things a little easier. Bringing all our ingrediants together from each household we would start baking early in the morning until dinner time. I loved that we all got to scour our cookbooks to pick the kind of cookie we each wanted to bake. Their was always the old standbys we made every year. But each year we would all contribute one we wanted to try.

Exhausted by the end of the day we had a kitchen full of cookies with at least 18 to 20 kinds and seven or eight dozen of each.

These are very fond memories for me and I hope some day I can follow this same tradition with my three girls.

If anyone would like to tell me about your family traditons or memories that made one of your holidays special, please contact me. Sharing traditions helps to make memories and lets other families know how they can make their holidays special.

2 1/4 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
3/4 CUP MARGARINE OR BUTTER
1 CUP SUGAR
2 EGGS
2 TABLESPOONS MILK
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 CUP NUTS (ANY VARIETY)
1 CUP FINELY CHOPPED DATES
1/3 CUP FINELY CHOPPED MARASHINO CHERRIES
2 2/3 CUPS CORN FLAKES CRUSHED
15 CHERRIES CUT INTO QUARTERS

SIFT TOGETHER DRY INGREDIENTS AND SET ASIDE. IN LARGE MIXING BOWL CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. ADD EGGS, BEAT IN MILK SLOWLY ALONG WITH VANILLA. SLOWLY ADD DRY INGREDIENTS. STIR IN NUTS, DATES AND 1/3 CUP CHOPPED CHERRIES.

SHAPE INTO BALLS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A WALNUT. ROLL IN THE CRUSHED CORN FLAKES. PLACE ON A GREASED COOKIE SHEET ABOUT 2 INCHES APART AND TOP WITH A CHERRY QUARTER.

BAKE AT 375 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED. REMOVE COOKIES TO WIRE RACK TO COOL.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 5 DOZEN