Christmas treats

Forget that it will be in the low 60s this weekend. It's time to soften your butter and crank up the oven.

The November issue of Taste of Home magazine is loaded with great holiday recipes, including its top-rated, most-baked holiday cookies from its website.

We're sharing four of those recipes here, but for dozens more, be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine.

Snowman Cookies

Wrap these chocolate-topped snowmen in colored tissue and place them inside holiday containers.

Like real snowmen, they disappear fast! - Betty Tabb, Mifflintown, Pennsylvania

Prep: 20 minutes, plus chilling

Bake: 20 minutes per batch, plus cooling

Makes: 48 servings

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Miniature semisweet chocolate chips, and green and red M&M's minis

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

2 to 4 teaspoons 2 percent milk

Red and/or green food coloring

Miniature milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Shape dough into 48 1-inch balls, 48 3/4-inch balls and 48 1/2-inch balls. On ungreased baking sheets, place one ball of each size, side by side, for each snowman.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven; cool on pans 2 minutes. Press on chocolate chips for eyes and M&M's for buttons. Carefully remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat powdered sugar, extract and enough milk to reach a piping consistency.

If two colors of frosting are desired, transfer half of the frosting to another bowl; tint with food coloring.

Cut a small hole in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; fill with frosting. Pipe scarves on snowmen. Use frosting to attach chocolate kisses for hats.

Nutritional Facts: 1 cookie equals 139 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Slice 'n' Bake Lemon Gems

Rolled in colorful sprinkles, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are pretty enough for a party.

I make a lot of them for holiday cookie trays. (Complete your cookie tray with Chocolate Pretzel Rings) - Delores Edgecomb, Atlanta, New York

Prep: 25 minutes, plus chilling

Bake: 10 minutes per batch, plus cooling

Makes: 24 servings

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup colored sugar or nonpareils

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a small bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. In another bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape into a 7-inch-long roll (about 1-3/4 inches in diameter); roll in colored sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are light brown.

Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix icing ingredients; spread over cookies. Let stand until set. Yield: about 2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts: 1 cookie equals 117 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 46 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Coffee Shortbread

You'll be remembered for these cookies when you serve them for a morning coffee or at a gathering.

Melted chips drizzled on top make them look fancy, but they're so easy to make. - Dixie Terry, Goreville, Illinois

Prep: 15 minutes

Bake: 20 minutes per batch, plus cooling

Makes: 30 servings

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons shortening, divided

1/2 cup white baking chips

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, coffee granules and salt until light and fluffy; gradually beat flour into creamed mixture.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening; stir until smooth.

Repeat with baking chips and remaining shortening. Drizzle over cookies; refrigerate until set.

Store between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Nutritional Facts: 1 cookie equals 137 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 73 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Peppermint Meltaways

This recipe is very pretty and festive-looking on a cookie platter.

I often cover a plate of these meltaways with red or green plastic wrap and a bright holiday bow in one corner. And yes, they really do melt in your mouth! - Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan

Prep: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Bake: 10 minutes per batch, plus cooling

Makes: 30 servings

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons 2 percent milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

In a small bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract.

In another bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in milk, extract and, if desired, food coloring.

Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Facts: 1 cookie equals 126 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 56 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.