Cranberry Hootycreeks

I made twenty of these for gifts - and they look so nice, I'm not sure if I'm going to actually hand them out! For the cooking novice, note that 5/8 Cup = 1/2 Cup plus 2 T.

This was my first attempt at making a jar cookie. I just made 16 jars to give as gifts. I did try the recipe out first and it is good. It is a dry dough but bakes up soft. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead, I think they made them a bit salty, so I reduced the salt a bit. I wanted my jars to look fuller. So I layered the ingredients this way, bottom to top, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, nuts, chips, berries, oats, flour, soda, salt. Also just a note for anyone planning on making a bunch. 12 jars used: 5 lbs flour, 2 lbs oats, 1.5 pkg of brown sugar (32 oz) and 4 pkg chips (12 oz). I bought the nuts in bulk and bought way too may. Next time I think I will take my measuring cup to the store.

This was a great gift to give and it tasted wonderful as well! To prevent the brown sugar from hardening I mixed the brown and white sugars together before adding them to the jar. They stayed soft over a week before they were made. Another reviewer stated that egg and butter couldn't be creamed so she put the sugar in a packet. Egg and butter CAN be creamed - it just won't look the same as when you cream butter and sugar. It will look how egg and butter look together. Follow the recipe's original directions and you should get a great cookie!

Great recipe! I make them all the time. I just do two things differently when I make them as jar mixes: use Domino Brownulated Sugar to avoid having the sugar get hard in the jar, and stick a small crumbled-up piece of wax paper in the top to avoid having the ingredients move around (since the recipe doesn't completely fill the jar.) I cover the top with a small piece of patterned cloth and tie with a ribbon, and you can't see the wax paper.

I love this recipe!!! Tastes great, awesome textures, and it looks SO pretty in the jar with the bright red cranberries! I printed out the baking directions on cardstock and tied it to the mason jar with rafia. Taking the advice of another reviewer, I changed the name to "Cranberries in the Snow"...sounds more appropriate for the holidays and actually resembles it's name! Two suggestions, DO NOT pack down the ingedients as some other recipes in a jar require. This recipe fits in the jar just as it's poured in. Also, using a wide-mouth jar and a cone made out of paper helps kids (and adults alike) get it all in without any mess. Oh, used 7 grain flakes 'cause that's what I had, and walnuts instead of pecans (cheaper) and it tasted great! Will make this to give as gifts every year!

I have given cookies in a jar as Christmas gifts for 3 years now and have searched through dozens of recipes to find one better than the last. I have yet to find one better than this. I made 100 of them last year and people are STILL raving about them! They taste wonderful and look very festive in the jars.

The kids loved making these and they were super easy for them to assemble. I switched the layers around so that the more colorful ingredients were at the bottom of the jar. The nuts, white choc chips and cranberries were at the bottom, then I packed the brown sugar and layered the remaining ingredients on top. The holiday fabric that I topped the jars with covered the flour mixture and all the "prettier" stuff was at the bottom and nothing seeped through the brown sugar.

Great cookie, my husband liked them bette when I rolled them into balls instead of dropping them by spoonfuls. Also, I found the mix did not fill a one liter jar, so I altered it to serve 24, fits perfectly.

I made these cookies based on all the great reviews, and I must agree!! They were very easy and fast to mix. As great as they were, I love really vibrant flavors, so I will probably take the time to find UNsweetened dried cranberries next time, and will probably add a lot more than the recipe calls for. I'm just waiting for an excuse to give this mix to someone in a jar, as intended!

Good cookie. I tripled the recipe for a cookie exchange and baked (did not fill jars.) To recap the previous wisdom from you all, I agree it is best to: 1. Cream the butter, vanilla and sugars first, then add egg. I used an electric beater and it worked fine. 2. Mix this dough with your hands, as suggested before - much easier on the arms than a spoon. 3. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the batter if it seems too dry to mix - really helps. 4. Flatten the cookie slightly before cooking. 5. I had best results using a Silpat - the trays with oil burned the edges too much. 6. Mine also needed extra cooking time - 12 mins average. 7. Next time I make these, I will add more white choco chips. 8. Craisins help add extra sweetness. 9. The recipe does not say to pack the brown sugar, so I didn't...next time I think I will add a little more. 10. Next time I won't chop the pecans as finely but let them be lumps.

I wish I could give this recipe more than 5 stars....I took the advice of another reviewer and kept the sugars separate. However, on my second jar I forgot to separate, so I ended up making a batch for myself. These are the BEST cookies in the entire world, period. They're so much more than I ever imagined a cookie could be!

I made 10 or so of these for family & friends this year. The ingredients perfectly filled a quart size jar. They are very festive with holiday paper in the lid and the recipe card attached with nice ribbon (see photo). This got rave reviews from all who saw them. You should definitely modify the directions to increase the baking time according to your own oven and note they should NOT be baked on stoneware. These cookies really aren't that sweet - add sugar if you want a sweeter cookie. Extra cranberries and white chocolate chips really help. These taste more like a Nature Valley Granola Bar type of treat than a decadent holiday cookie.

These were a lot of fun to make for the holidays. My little girls enjoyed helping fill the jars. We used silicone funnels to easily add the ingredients. They cut out fabric squares and ties ribbons around the top of the jars. We called them "Cranberry Cuties" instead. My sister made them from the jar we gifted her and they tasted amazing! We've made them several times since and they always get great compliments and never last long. Thanks for a great recipe.

Makes a pretty gift. I liked 2 ways of layering. #1 brown suger, white sugar, cranberries, white chocolate chips, nuts, flour, salt, soda, oats, flour. #2 flour, oats, white sugar, cranberries, white chocolate chips, nuts, flour, brown sugar.

Please keep the recipient in mind. If you are sending this to a person who doesn't bake much, or is living in an environment where they don't have access to kitchen staples and equipment,they may not be able to make your gift. I think I have in mind some college student on a tight budget who hopefully has access to a cookie sheet. I have used buttermilk powder, vanilla powder and whole egg powder and they work fine. These ingredients aren't hard to find (I know King Arthur Flour's site carries them, check your store's baking and health foods aisle), you have drastically reduced the ingredients the recipient needs to add. If you do change the ingredients, be sure to remember you may need a larger container and you will have to edit the instructions to reflect your changes. Instructions should be as clear and complete as possible. Using a phrase like "prepared baking sheet" isn't helpful at all to a novice baker. Say something like "lightly grease a baking sheet with Crisco, or any cooking oil, butter, or margarine, use just enough to lightly coat the part of the sheet where the cookies will sit". Include an expiration date and where to store the gift. For example, nuts keep about a month at room temperature, a lot longer in the freezer.

Amazing! I made the recipe in the jar for my daughter's teacher and made a batch just to see how they tasted. WOW! I have made probably 7 batches since mid-December and have had 4 people ask for the recipe. FYI - I got jars that were too small and had to make 2 jars for the whole recipes...make sure you get the correct size jar! Thank you so much for this recipe!

These look great in a jar ~ no problem fitting in all the ingredients. We used them for teachers gifts. After hitting the Christmas sales where we managed to get everything 50% off, we topped the jars with fabric and tied on a miniature tree ornament (12 for $1.50) with a bow. We made up a Christmas basket of goodies with the cookies, the cookie mix, hot chocolate mix in a jar, pot holder, kitchen towel, spoon and 2 mugs ~ all for under $8.00

Sooooo tasty! I get way more cookies than the recipe states, but who's going to complain about that!? I made these last year for gift, and had nearly everyone come back and ask for the recipe so thay could make them again this year. The guys at work are figting over my last batch - they are pretty much everything you want a cookie to be!

These cookies are so addictive, I put them in the freezer to keep from eating the whole batch all at once. That didn't help, as I discovered these cookies are chewy straight out of the freezer! I used 1 litre jars and had to increase the recipe to 24 servings to fill the jar. That meant changing the recipe card to 2 eggs, 2/3 cup butter and 1.5 tsp vanilla. I followed someone else's advice and reorganized the layers: flour, nuts (semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips if making nut-free batches), cranberries, oats, flour with baking soda and salt, brown sugar, white sugar. This made a much prettier presentation. If I packed it down too much, I just added a few more cranberries at the top to fill the gap. I also experimented and slightly flattened some before baking, and spooned some without flattening...it didn't seem to make a difference, they spread the same.

You can cream the butter, egg, and the vanilla!!!!!! It will take a good 5 to 7 minutes on medium speed, and then it will cream and fluff up nice and pretty. Be patient. I added all of the other ingredients in a bowl first. Stirred them all together, then stirred the ingredients into my creamed mixture. Next I formed them into tablespoon size balls and flatten the tops with a fork. These are wonderful. Follow the recipe and you will not go wrong! I will definitely give these as gifts!

Excellent! These cookies have a wonderful combination together with the cranberries, white chocolate and oats. There going to make great gifts for this year's Christmas. I found out that you might need to bake them for a little longer than 8-10 minutes, or I made them too big. 5/8 cup = 1/2 + 2 TBS, just so you know. Thanks for the recipe!

These were very tasty!! I didnt put them in a jar, just made them regularly. For the 5/8 cup, you do 1/2 cup plus a half of a 1/4 measuring cup. I recommend these!

When the ingredients were packed down, this recipe only filled the jar 3/4 full. I just added more cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Layered the ingredients in the jars for a kid's christmas craft fair, then let the kids decorate them. Used this order: 5/8 cup flour, nuts, white chips, craisins (instead of cranberries), oats, 1/2 cup flour with the baking soda and salt, brown sugar, white sugar, then since I had some room topped off with more craisins. Also baked sample cookies and found out that they do not spread when baking so I was able to put 20 to 24 on a cookie sheet. Tip: be careful when buying the oats and be sure to get the "old fashioned oats" not the "quick 1 minute". I think the quick oats made the cookie dough more difficult to work with (more crumbly) although the taste didn't seem to be effected. Very tasty cookie!

I loved these when I recieved them as a gift. I love dried cranberries and frequently use them instead of raisins in my baking. Recently, I substituted dried raspberries in this recipe and they were excellent. Also, I have used cinnamon chips along with the white chocolate chips to add some more flavor....they were really good. And, I have made these multiple times with the kids I babysit for and they just love them!!!!

Great cookie recipe! When I make mine I also usually end up adding 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

I followed this recipe to the letter. The presentation makes this a great gift! I wanted to verify the outcome of the cookie, just to be sure, so I made a batch for myself, following the directions exactly as they would be written for the recipient. The cookies themselves are quite good, pleasantly crisp/chewy and very flavorful! Glad I finally tried this recipe.

I have made this recipe numerous times and I gave it for Christmas. One of my friends said it was the best cookie recipe she had ever had. I had my reservations about mixing everything together in one bowl, but it turned out fine. I now keep a mix in a ziplock back in my fridge at all times so that I can have cookies whenever the urge hits! Just make sure that your butter is very soft.

I didn't change a thing, my husband rated them among the top 10 best things he has EVER had, someone else described them as heaven in a cookie and I don't care for pecans or cranberries, but these are one of my favorite things. Great tip: Make several batches at once for yourself, (you will want them, I did this when I knew I had 4 months of bed rest coming up and would want some of these) each batch in a ziploc bag, then when time comes to make them, add the vanilla and butter, mash up still in bag then add room temperature egg and mash again. Taste best when making 14-16 large bulky cookies, smash them down a bit, and bake 11-13 minutes, if you take them out too soon they will look like you did something wrong and not taste good either.

My husband declared these cookies his all time favorite cookie! I had to make a second batch for myself. I cream the butter with the sugars and do everything else the same. Mine take about 14 minutes to cook but I use a cookie scoop so maybe that is why.

I have been making layered cookie mixes in jars for a couple of years now......these are pretty to look at, as well as easy to make, and very tasty!! Just a quick note...for those of you who are not familiar with the dough that this and all cookie jar mixes make, it will be a dry crumbly dough that you roll into balls!! Don't panic when your dough turns out dry and crumbly...that is how it is supposed to be!!!

These were great! I had to make 3 batches in one night because they all kept disappearing! Now everyone wants the recipe! And the ingredients looked really cute in the jar! I put a piece of hoilday fabric on top, wrapped a ribbon around with a mini spatula attached and also attached the cooking instructions (with a little personalization from our family). It was a hit!

I gave each of the girls I work with a jar of this cookie mix...they were beautiful! I made an extra one for my sister, and when my husband saw it he asked me to make one for his mom...he said, "She'll probably set it out as a Christmas decoration without making the cookies, it's so pretty." Thanks very much!

I adore this recipe, and the name——reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas movies—-Emmet Otter's All-Jug Band! :) (The other suggested name is also cute: Cranberries in the Snow!) I haven't made these in a few years, but I am going to a cookie exchange, and quite frankly, am not a big fan of baking, but just remembered this recipe and am excited to "make" these again! The finished gift is lovely in the jar, topped with a little fabric/ribbon/raffia embellishment, and the cookies are divine, when made! Mouth is watering, as I type . . . appreciate all the great assembly/baking tips from others, too! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Great recipe! You can easily substitute different nuts or even chocolate chips for the white chocolate depending on your taste. We love them as they are for the holidays!

5/8 cup of flour? I just went with 1 cup of flour total, and 3/4 cup oats. Worked out beautifully. Omitted the pecans. Upped the cranberries and (dark) chocolate chips to 3/4 cup, to make up for the nuts. Added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg for some holiday spice. Delicious! I'll be giving a few cookies wrapped in cellophane with a pretty ribbon, in addition to the jar mix. Gotta give people a taste of what they're looking forward to!

Worthy of every one of these 5 stars. Due to a lack of cranberries, mine were actually Dates and raisin Hootycreeks (although, like a previous reviewer, I'd like to know what a Hootycreek is as well). Whatever it is, it's yummy!! Other than the cranberry substitution, I also subbed milk chocolate chips for the white choco chips. Rest of recipe was made as listed and it was good. Took a bit longer to bake. Will definitely make again!!

The flavor was great, but every batch just kind of melted on the cookie sheet. I chilled the dough, then I tried using it at room temp, finally I scooped it into paper lined mini muffin pans. They shrunk a little in the middle so I put some more white chips on when hot and added a dried cranberry. TFS

I didn't think I would like these for myself because I'm not a fan of raisins so I figured craisins would be the same. I was wrong, these cookies are DELICIOUS! Thanks for a great recipe and now I am proud of the jar gifts I gave.

these are so good.. i did add 1 tsp of cinnamon. o my goodness they are awesome !!

This was a very cute idea, this year i didnt have much money for presents so i got everyone something nice but not extravagant and to add a little love made these and gave them to some people. My sister in law got one of these and she made them, and brought them over, yum!!!

Awesome. I don't make the mix and give it though, I bake the cookies for the holidays-and they go quick! I double the recipe, form the dough into 2 logs and store in the freezer a couple weeks in advance to make life easier during that crazy holiday baking. And to the people who say you can't mix butter and egg-you CAN! You need to emulsify them. Beat eggs then add in SMALL increments , 3-4 little batches, to the creamed butter and sugar while still beating. I never have any probs. They are sooooooo tasty!

Fantastic cookie! I did change one thing, I added 3/4 cup softened butter (butter and egg can be creamed together, just looks funny) and it did wonderfully! Also, several people are concerned about the brown sugar hardening. Just cut a piece of bread (1/4) and place in the top of the jar and it will keep everything fresh and moist.

oooo so good! I wasn't planning on baking any up, I just making up jars as christmas presents but I made the mistake of pressing down each layer so I had a big gap on top and decided to bake them up and refill the jar. I used a regular quart mason jar and layered them in this order: flour, oats, flour mix, white chips, cranberries (pack the berries when you measure), walnuts (instead of peacans - cheaper), brown sugar and white. You can also wait to put the nuts in until the end, just incase they don't want nuts. Very pretty... and oh so good. I've definately found my new favorite cookie! Update: Through travelling the jar got all mixed up.. I'd reccomend one and a halfing this recipe and pressing each layer for a more compressed fit.

So cute! Made these as thank-yous for my baby shower hostesses. Have not heard feedback on the finished cookies, but the presentation as a gift is great!

This is my NEW FAVORITE Christmas Cookie! Rather than put the mix in jars, I made up a double recipe of these and, WOW, are they good!!! A double recipe makes 5 dozen using a cookie sized ice cream scoop!

I made these cookie jars as Christmas presents this year. They looked so good that my husband made me make a batch for us to eat while we were assembling them! Many raved reviews on the gift!

Delicious! Here are my tips: use high-quality white chocolate. I don't think Nestle white choc. chips are very good, so I broke a Ghirardelli white choc. bar into little bits. That worked great. I did follow the instructions and tried to combine the eggs and butter, and they did't get "fluffy" but it didn't seem to cause any problems either (did not "curdle" as other reviewers have feared), so I think you could do that or add the sugar at that stage. Also, I used craisins, which are sweetened, becuase I couldn't find unsweetened dried cranberries at my store. I think I would do this again, they weren't overly sweet. I would cut back on the salt, though. And I also needed to sprinkle a little water on the dough to make it stick together. I will definitely make these again!

Have made these a few times, made the jars for Christmas presents & everyone loved them! Great cookies, have even added some dried currants with the dried cranberries and that was also very good. This is a recipe that I will use year after year!!

Didn't have full amount of cranberries so supplemented with chopped dates. PHENOMENAL cookies!

These are now a new family favorite! Super good, a nice change. Easy to make and they turn out great everytime. My mom-inlaw, made them with Chocolate chips and they where great too!!

Just made 6 of these for teacher gifts! :) I haven't made the cookies so I don't know how they taste but I'm rating them based on "giftableness" (I know it's not a word :) ) I skipped the nuts simply because they weren't on sale and it would have been an extra $12 or so. But the jars turned out GREAT! Not hard to do- I used the rolled up paper idea to pour in most ingredients. Cut out wrapping paper for the top. Attached a print out of the recipe and an ornament and tied it up with a ribbon. A great idea for a thoughtful gift! Will probably do it again next year. Thanks!!!

These cookies are so delicious. Wouldn't change a thing. One of the most popular cookies on my holiday goodie & gift list.

I made these cookies with my Girl Scout troop for Christmas gifts. Except for needing to be baked on parchment, they were fantastic and easy. If you don't use parchment, the chips melt and scorch. We plan to make them for our fall fundraiser next year!

AMAZING! I made these for 2010 Christmas presents and everyone is still raving about them. I changed the order in which the ingredients were added to make it look nicer, but other than that did not change a thing. I will certainly be making these again next year.

These were wonderful gifts!! I made some of the finished cookies before hand and they were terrible! Dry and crumbly, but then I realized I had forgotten the white sugar. Made all the difference. Great tasting cookies. I took a tip from another post and layered the white sugar at the bottom and then white chips, then cranberries and then brown sugar, flour and oats. That way when you cover the top you can still see all the festive colors. I used old christmas card and glued the instructions to the back of the pictures. Made beautiful tags and didn't have to buy cardstock.

THESE ARE GREAT. MY HUSBAND LOVES THEM. I WILL USE THIS RECIPE OFTEN. THANKS!!!!!!!

A big hit at Christmas! I was asked by a few for the whole recipe even!

I had to test these cookies out before filling the jars as gifts, and my only complaint is that they were eaten too fast! ;-) These are my family's new favorite cookies. I reduced the salt to 1/4tsp, used unsalted butter, craisins instead of dried cranberries, and chopped the pecans pretty small, which I enjoyed more than having large chunks of nuts. I rolled the dough into 1-1&1/2 inch balls, and made 32 cookies. They cooked for 10-12 minutes, not 8 as stated. The cookie balls can be placed closer on the cookie sheet than most other kinds of cookies because they don't expand very much. When filling the jars, I packed the brown sugar down in the jar in hopes of it staying moist longer. Love them Hootycreeks, Susan!

I don't know what I expected - but - these are really great! Rather than do them as jar gifts, I made the dough and divided it into 3 separate packages of cookie dough and stored well wrapped in the freezer. 2 were given as gifts, one I thawed & cooked Christmas Eve..they couldn't have been better. One question??? How did the name come about? Thanks for sharing.

These are very tasty! My niece, who is 13yo, made these and this was her first time baking. She didn't really need any help with following the directions and they came out great. The only problem was beating the butter and eggs - it didn't combine well. As suggested at another review, beat the butter,sugars and vanilla first and then add the eggs. Will definitely keep the recipe:)

Great and easy gift! Thanks for he recipe!

These are very yummy and easy to make! I made a batch with a friend (didn't assemble in a jar - just mixed a batch and baked as directed). She liked them so much she took a few home to give to her parents. She said they taste good warm and told EVERYONE at our women's group how good they were and they all want the recipe too! Next time, I'll make several batches, assemble in Ball jars, add some holiday fabric, a raffia bow and directions and give as a holiday gifts to my friends. YUM YUM! Thanks!

I loved this recipe!! I only made a few minor changes (due to lack of funds, haha). Instead of all pecans, I dids a pecan/walnut blend and used special holiday chips instead of white chocolate (mine were raspberry swirled and mint swirled). Cookies came out awesome and the jars are gorgeous! I used 12 one-quart Mason jars and all the ingredients filled up my jars to the brim. Great recipe and gift.

I can't believe all the rave reviews which failed to mention the issue of mixing butter (oil) and egg (water). What a mess. Eventually had to mix everything together with my hands and then press the batter into patties, like hamburgers. Cookies tasted great, but I wouldn't wish this messy procedure on my friends and family, so I put the sugar in a decorative cello bag on top of the dry ingredients in the jar and amended the method to the tried and true 'cream butter and sugar together and add egg and vanilla'. Took care of the matter of the space on top, too. Kitchen chemistry, 101.

I make these as gifts each Christmas, and often get requests for the recipe. Warning - they are addictive!

These are a family favorite and one we make every year at Christmas. They are so delicious... you've got to try them!

very yummy. The butter and egg does appear curdled when mixed, but the cookies turn out wonderful.

I've made these for Holiday gifts now for several years and created hand-stamped recipe cards, which everyone loved! These taste wonderful, too! Cannot wait to make them next month...

This is the best cookie I ever had! I packaged these up as gifts and they had rave reviews! Thay all want the recipe now. A++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Looks great in jar, makes a beautiful cookie, but me and my daughter just thought they tasted o.k. Still looking for my gift in a jar, this didn't do it for us on taste.

This is a great gift idea and a yummy cookie. My husband loves them, and he's not even a fan of oatmeal-type cookies. Also, they're very easy to make:)

These are good cookies but they are not anything special. I would probably make them again. Also, since I slightly flatten my cookies before putting them in the oven they only need 7 minutes to cook.

excellent cookies

I didn't make the gift jars - just the cookies themselves. I love the cookies - they just might be my new favorite cookie. I think I'll make them again just to make sure...

This makes a beautiful gift and the cookies are the BEST!

Cookies are Very yummy & easy to make, & arrangement is so pretty! Thanks will make every year

These are amazing cookies! Even the name is wonderful. I will be giving these jars of mix as Christmas gifts with confidence! So tasty! I substituted the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour to add some fiber and protein. Yum!

Pretty in the jar and delicious baked up. I used dried cherries instead of cranberries, as I had them on hand. What the heck is a hootycreek?!?

This was a HUGE hit at work! My husband found beautiful festive jars at wal-mart for 2.50. I filled up a bunch, tied with ribbon, and sent off to work. I did separate the sugars and placed them in a ziplock bag and adjusted directions to match traditional cookie recipes. Don't know if it affected the taste but it did help to fill up those jars a bit more since they were a little large! People loved the look of jars and one co-worker brought in cookies to share...they were gone in a flash and people tracked me down to ask for the recipe. Will definitely do again.

The cookies themsleves are quite good, but I'm just ecstatic about the presentation in the jar!! Overall, a very nice cookie :) I did not have trouble filling the jar at all (used 1qt Ball smooth jar from Hobby Lobby). It was right to the top - I layerd like this: 5/8c flour, then soda & salt, oats, 1/2c flour, cranberries, choc chips, pecans, and lastly - brown & white sug combined on top. Thanks Susan for a great recipe!

This is a very tasty recipe! The first time I made this recipe, I packed down each ingredient before adding another. Unfortunately there was a lot of space left in the jar! The key is NOT to pack the ingredients tightly. If space remains at the top, just add more cranberries or chips.

Wonderful cookie! Got all wild reviews from recipients. Very important to bake ONLY until edges start to brown; otherwise cookie gets very hard. Will use again and again.

These are wonderful. Got lots of compliments. Added fresh ginger for a little zing - excellent result. Made about 2 dozen. Will make them again!

These cookies are delicious! I didn't have trouble with the dough not coming together, just mixed until everything was incorporated and instead of using a spoon to drop the cookies on the baking sheet, I formed balls by hand and flattened them slightly. Not only is the mix beautiful when layered, but the baked cookies look gourmet! Whether I make these to give as gifts or just to satisfy a cookie craving for my family, they are in our top 5 cookie recipes!

Gave these out at a cookie exchange and most thought it was a great idea b/c they can make them later, plus they get a whole batch as opposed to just a dozen cookies. I made a batch for myself and absolutely loved them, as did the family. I used the brownulated sugar, which doesn't stack well in the jar so make sure it goes on the bottom.

The total flour in this recipe is 1 cup plus 2 TB., if you are just making them and not putting them in a jar (I have done both) My hubby LOVES these, and he is not an adventurous eater (these I had to convince him to try, and he fell in love :) Thanks for sharing!!

A very tasty cookie! Not too sweet. I am giving this four stars because I mixed them up for myself, rather than following the jar recipe. I do think they would turn out alright even if you didn't cream the butter and sugar together first..

I made these this weekend and I think I've found a new favorite cookie! I substituted half of the white chocolate chips with regular chocolate chips. I also used brown sugar coated pecans. These are delicious and I plan to make more soon because they go fast! Also, these are a GREAT gift idea. Both our mothers really enjoyed them, too.

Oh .. a word of warning. These are some highly addictive cookies. We are small business owners who usually give out approx 50 boxes of chocolates to special customers each year. As the economy has spiraled we still wanted to acknowledge our friends but couldn't really see spending the money this year. So! Decided to give cookies :) What an incredible hit these have been. Two comments I would make are... you can't blend butter and egg 'until fluffy' as the instructions indicate but it really doesn't matter. We just mixed the egg, softened butter and vanilla well and then added the dry ingredients. These are magnificent tasting cookies. Secondly, if you are giving out alot you might as well just include the recipe with... I have gotten request after request for the recipe. Along those lines too.. I think if you have concerns over whether folks have nut allergies and the like this way they can see all the ingredients. (It would be a shame to leave the nuts out if you didn't 'have' to in my humble opinion) So, enjoy these, they ARE fabulous and don't leave me alone in the kitchen with 'em

I've made these per the directions before giving them as gifts, and I've made them the standard cookie way, creaming the butter and sugars, then adding the eggs, flour, and other stuff. They are easier to mix the standard way but taste absolutely wonderful either way. And they make beautiful gifts. I notice one reviewer said that the eggs and butter together curdled. They don't curdle, exactly, though that is how it looks. It's just difficult to get a homogenous mixture. Doesn't hurt the end result, though.

I made these to eat instead of for gifts. They are fabulous and quite pretty.

These cookies were a smash hit at Thanksgiving. There were none left when the family was gone. And everyone loved getting a takehome jar to make their own batch later. I made them a week in advance and froze the premade cookies. They were as good a week later as the day I made them.

I just got through making these for the first time as I like to add a new cookie to my regular Christmas tray. Wow! These are fabulous!

This cookie is AMAZING!!! I made the cookie, not the mix, and it was maybe the best cookie I ever had. The only thing I did different was use walnuts instead of pecans because I didn't have any. Make this cookie!!!

These cookies are awesome. The perfect holiday cookie and look so nice in the jar. The egg, butter and vanilla blend well, as long as you beat it with a hand mixer, for quite a while too to make it fluffy. This is a keeper for me and will be made over and over again. BTW, the recipe makes exactly 18 cookies. Many, many recipes I have tried are way off on the number it will serve.

just made them for the first time...good, but a little oily. i think i'll cut a little butter or up the flour next batch.

As we say in Hawaii, these cookies are SO ONO (super delicious)! I just made a batch today and was so overwhelmed by how wonderful they taste! Thank you for sharing this! I substituted walnuts for the pecans because I needed a little softer nut. I will be making this a pass it on gift by sharing the baked cookies and the jar ingredients asking others to make a batch and share it with their neighbors or better yet complete strangers to spark some Christmas cheer! What better way to share Jesus? :)

I wanted to try these for gifts this year but wanted to try them first, as others have said. I made a jar up and made them just as if I'd gotten them as a gift. They are SOOO good. And the recipe worked out wonderfully. I took some of the previous advice of cutting the white sugar by a few tablespoons, as I used the sweeter Craisins. They were still sweet but not overly so. I also was lucky to find some novelty snowmen jars that are 28oz. They are just the perfect size and so much cuter than regular canning jars. I can't wait now to give these as gifts.