Holiday recipes for buckeyes, jam squares, maple pecan cookies and more

Once December rolls around, cookies are everywhere you look.

There are cookie parties, cookie walks, cookie gifts and cookies for Santa. Cookies are baked for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, all celebrated this month.

Most bakers have their tried-and-true recipes, written by a mother or grandmother on a well-loved recipe card. Baking these cookies is tradition, after all. But if you would like to mix things up, here are some new recipes to try this holiday season.

Santa’s Chimney Cookies

This chocolate chip cookie recipe from Asbury Park Press photographer Tanya Breen calls for mesquite flour, a gluten-free, nutritious flour also known as carob flour.

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour

• 1 cup mesquite flour

• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¾ teaspoon sea salt

• 8 ounces brown butter or cubed unsalted butter

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 cups mixed chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk)

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy (by hand or mixer).

4. Add eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.

5. Add vanilla.

6. Slowly add the flour mixture.

7. Mix in oats and chocolate chips by hand.

8. Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized mounds onto baking sheets.

9. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until cookies just begin to set. At 8 minutes, open the oven door and use a spatula to lightly tap the tops of the cookies down, so the tops are flat. Then continue to bake. Makes about two dozen cookies.

Mega peanut butter cookies

This recipe, which makes regular or "mega"-sized cookies, comes from Asbury Park Press Executive Editor Phil Freedman.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup canola oil

• ¾ cup chunky, all-natural peanut butter

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ cup vanilla soy milk (can also use oat or almond milk)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two cookie sheets, or use parchment paper.

2. Stir together flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, peanut butter, both sugars, soy milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. The dough will be very firm and moist.

4. For perfectly round, large cookies: Pack a ⅓-cup measuring cup with the dough mixture, pop out and roll into a ball then flatten just barely on the cookie sheet (don’t let it stick too much). Place them at least one inch apart. Lightly grease the bottom of a heavy ceramic pie plate and press down on the cookies to a ½-inch thickness.

5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies have puffed slightly and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

6. For regular-size cookies, use 1 to 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes a dozen large cookies and two dozen regular-sized cookies.

Ranger cookies

This recipe is from Linda Ely of Ocean Township, whose family has been making them for four generations.

"The recipe came down from my great-grandmother Anna Clayton; its origin was probably in the 1930s as one of its main ingredients is Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, invented in 1927. The recipe appeared in older printings of "The Betty Crocker Cookbook" but was omitted in later editions. They’re fabulously crispy and easy to make.  It’s a great cookie to send in care packages as they keep well and don’t crumble easily."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture.

4. Add coconut and rolled oats.

5. Gently fold in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies by hand.

6. Drop onto cookie sheets and flatten cookies.

7. Bake 11 to 12 minutes. Makes 70 cookies.

Maple pecan cookies

This recipe is from Debbie Peterson of Oceanport and Wendy Bright-Fallon of Island Heights, Red Bank-based health and wellness coaches. It is included in their cookbook, "Nourish: A Community Supported Cookbook."

"This is one of our all-time favorite recipes, not only because it is delicious, but it has no refined sugar and has whole grains. If made with spelt flour, it's also gluten free. We make them for most of our holiday gatherings and celebrations because they are a crowd-pleaser. Best of all, they are super easy to make!"

Ingredients:

• 3 cups pecans, toasted and cooled

• 2 cups oats, finely ground in a food processor or blender

• 2 cups spelt flour (or flour of choice)

• ¾ cup coconut oil, melted

• 1 cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In one bowl, combine pecans, oats and flour.

3. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly.

5. Scoop ¼ cup of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Space 2 inches apart and flatten with your palm.

6. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

7. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Makes about 20 cookies.

More: Even more cookies from New Jersey's home bakers

White chocolate-dipped cranberry oatmeal cookies

These cookies, from the food blog Life, Love and Sugar, are a favorite of Jenna Intersimone, features reporter at mycentraljersey.com.

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1½ cups uncooked quick cook oats

• 1½ cups dried cranberries

• ½ cup pecan pieces, toasted, optional

• 12 ounces vanilla Candiquick (or similar baking white chocolate)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Add butter and sugars to large mixer bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color and texture.

4. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

5. Add dry ingredients and mix just until well combined and the cookie dough comes together.

6. Add oats, cranberries and pecan pieces and stir until everything is evenly distributed.

7. Place large tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. Cookies may look a little undercooked in the center but will continue to cook and firm as they cool. Do not over bake.

8. Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

9. Once the cookies are cool, melt the white chocolate in a small bowl.

10. Dip cookies, one at a time, into the chocolate and gently shake to remove excess chocolate.

11. Set on parchment paper to dry and sprinkle with crushed pecans, if desired.

12. Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. Cookies are best for 2 to 3 days. Makes about 30 cookies.

Buckeyes

This recipe for chocolate-covered peanut butter balls, a Midwestern treat, comes from Ohio native and Asbury Park Press Regional Features Editor Bill Canacci. Buckeyes were a Christmas staple in his family growing up, "and probably the most popular treat on the table," he said.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound butter

• 1 cup peanut butter (Peter Pan creamy is recommended)

• 1 pound powdered sugar

• 1 large bag of chocolate chips (24 ounces) or Hershey's Kisses

• ½ square paraffin wax (Optional: It makes the coating shiny.)

Directions:

1. Line a large dish with wax paper.

2. Melt butter and peanut butter together. Gradually add in powdered sugar, then stir or beat on low until combined

3. Roll mixture into little balls. Refrigerate.

4. Melt chocolate over double boiler, stirring constantly.

5. Using toothpicks, dip peanut butter balls into melted chocolate. Place on wax paper-lined dish. Once all balls have been dipped, place dish in refrigerator.

6. Once they are cold, use a small amount of chocolate on a fingertip or spoon to fill in toothpick holes.

7. Place in a container and refrigerate until the hour you serve them. Makes about 75 buckeyes.

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Jam squares

This recipe comes Asbury Park Press food writer Sarah Griesemer's mother-in-law, Jean, who got it from her mother-in-law. She makes these jam squares for special occasions — and sometimes just for fun — and they are a family favorite.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 2 cups sifted flour

• 12-ounce jar of strawberry jam, or whichever flavor you prefer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan.

2. Cream together butter, sugar and egg yolks or whole egg. Add walnuts and flour.

3. Spread half of the dough into the pan. Spread jam over dough.

4. Drop remaining dough on top of the jam, then pat into corners and edges. It will spread as it bakes.

5. Bake for one hour. Cool and cut into small squares.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Holiday treats: No bake Christmas cookies, traditional recipes to try