Makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks Butter, softened
¾ cup granulated Sugar
¾ cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Ground Cardamom
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
3 cups Oatmeal
1 cup Walnuts
1 cup Raisins

2 cups White Chocolate Chips or Vanilla Almond Bark, optional – for icing

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy.
Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat well.
Add in combined flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon and salt, mix until well blended.
Add the oatmeal, walnuts and raisins, mixing until totally incorporated.
Using a 1 inch scoop, place dough on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Allow to cookies to cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack.
Cool completely.
If desired, ice the cookies with melted white chocolate or vanilla almond bark.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of Flour (a little more for rolling out the dough)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup of Pecans, toasted
2 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar (extra needed for dusting)
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup of Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
1/2 cup of Strawberry Jam

METHOD
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a small bowl and set aside.
Put the pecans, confectioners sugar, salt and cinnamon into the food processor.  
Once it has been ground fine, place into a large bowl (or the bowl of your electric mixer) and add the butter and sugar.  
Mix on medium until totally incorporated.  
Add the egg and the vanilla and continue to mix.  
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and baking powder.  
Mix just until combined.
Refrigerate the dough for about an hour, or until well chilled.
While your dough is chilling you can prepare the jam.
Heat the strawberry jam in a small saucepan on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until is has thickened.  
Place in bowl and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375.

Take half of the dough out of the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick.  Use a 2-inch fluted cutter to cut out the squares.  Then cut out the centers of half of your squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter.  Continue until you have rolled out all the dough and have an equal amount of tops and bottoms for your cookies.

Place the cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets about an inch apart.  Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Place cookies on a rack to cool.

Spread the cooled jam on the bottoms of all the cookies.  Sprinkle the cut out cookie tops with confectioners sugar and place on top of the jam covered bottoms.

Note:  You can store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days… or longer in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
4 Tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups sifted flour

METHOD
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Add sifted salt, baking powder and flour. Combine.
Chill for an hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll dough out 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut out with cookie cutters in the design of your choice.
If desired, sprinkle with sugar before placing on the cookie sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!