All last week Canada AM featured (and taste-tested) cookie recipes sent in by viewers. Check out the finalists and the winner, here.

Congratulations to Bev Beever for her Skor shortbreat cookes. The winner of Canada AM's cookie contest (Recipe below)

Bev Beever's Skor shortbread cookies

Ingredients:

Smooth together:

• 1 lb. butter -- no substitutions
• 1 cup icing sugar
• Add: 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Then add a 200 g. package of skor bits.

Mix and eventually it comes together!

Form into 1 inch balls and slightly flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with red or green sugar sprinkles. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets. 350 degrees for about 16-18 minutes.

Carefully remove from pans as soon as they come out of oven.

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Following are the cookie contest finalists from last week:

FRIDAY, DEC. 17

Cardamom cookies (Carol Alanko)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. butter
• 2 c. white sugar
• 6 tbsp. corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. cinnamom
• 3 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda mixed with 2 tbsp. milk
• 6-7 c. all purpose flour

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, refrigerate over night, roll out dough next day on floured surface. Thin cookies are crispy! Bake at 350F. for 15 minutes on parchment paper or silicone cookie sheets. (Batter may be frozen for later use.)

Grandma's Italian Cookies (Andrea Shaw)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of honey
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 orange (rind and juice)

Directions:

Stir ingredients by hand. Add flour as you are stirring, adding enough to make it to a medium consistency to form into a log. Place on a cookie sheet (greased) and bake at 350 on bottom shelf until bottom is golden. When bottom is golden move to top shelf until top is crispy. Cool, and cut into pieces.

Skor shortbread cookies (Bev Beever)

Ingredients:

Smooth together:

• 1 lb. butter -- no substitutions
• 1 cup icing sugar
• Add: 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Then add a 200 g. package of skor bits.

Mix and eventually it comes together!

Form into 1 inch balls and slightly flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with red or green sugar sprinkles. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets. 350 degrees for about 16-18 minutes.

Carefully remove from pans as soon as they come out of oven.

Aunt Audrey's Chocolate Chip Cookies (Phil Pitts)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 Cup shortning
• 2/3 Cup butter
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla

Cream together and then mix in:

• 3 Cups of flour
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 Cups of chocolate chips.

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes remove and press cookies with fork. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Makes approx. 5 dozen.

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THURSDAY, DEC. 16

Scottish Shortbread (Mae Wilson)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. soft butter
• 2/3 cup (227 g) rice flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 ½ cups cake and pastry flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream the butter in a very large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and mix well.

Add the rice flour and mix well.

Add the flour, mixing it in one cup at a time. The dough may become very crumbly.

Transfer the dough to an ungreased 10" x 15" jellyroll pan.

With your hands, press the dough firmly onto the jellyroll pan and prick all over with a fork. The holes should be about 1 cm apart to let the steam escape while the shortbread is baking.

Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.

Be careful not to over bake the shortbread. It should look very pale with some toasty brown around the edges of the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cut the shortbread into rectangles. Allow the shortbread to cool in the pan. Remove and enjoy!

Caramel Shortbread (Tracey Cuddington)

Shortbread base ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups flour

Ingredients:

Combine butter, sugar and salt and heat until fluffy. Add flour and mix well. press into 9" greased, square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, cool slightly. while cooling make the caramel topping

Caramel topping:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 Tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a 2L glass bowl with handle, in microwave, melt butter on high for 1 min. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup. Microwave on high for 6-8 mins, stiring after each minute, until it turns a light caramel colour. Stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over the shortbread base while its still warm. Chill until firm and cut into bars. I also sprinkle with a bit of icing sugar, you could also sprinkle pecans and/or drizzle chocolate on top. Then enjoy!!!

Aunt Audrey's Chocolate Chip Cookies (Phil Pitts)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 Cup shortning
• 2/3 Cup butter
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla
• Cream together and then mix in:
• 3 Cups of flour
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 Cups of chocolate chips.

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes remove and press cookies with fork. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Makes approx. 5 dozen.

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15

 Sour Cream Cookies (Marilyn Limmer)

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. butter or shortening
• 2/3 c. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
• Strawberry or other jam for filling

Topping:

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or more!)
• 1 tbls. sugar

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and blend. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix butter mixture and dry ingredients together. Fold in sour cream and add nuts last. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased or non-stick cookie sheet. Make indentations in middle and fill with about 1/4 t. jam and enclose with the dough already allotted for each cookie. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake at 400F. for 10-12 min. and enjoy!

Jam Dot Cookies (Marni Wasserman)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds, ground to fine meal
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats, ground to a fine meal or oat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup melted pure coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• Strawberry or raspberry jam (fruit sweetened or no sugar added)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350, line 2 baking sheets with Parchment paper.

1. In medium bowl, combine almonds, flour, oats and cinnamon. Mix well to combine.

2. In separate bowl, blend oil, maple syrup, and sea salt. Add to nut mixture and stir to combine.

3. Roll into walnut sized balls. Place on baking sheet and press down with thumb.

4. Fill indentation with jam and bake for 15-20 minutes.

The nutty flavour of ground almonds and sweet richness of coconut oil make the base of these cookies taste like shortbread! Be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven, because if they are left in too long, they will burn on the bottom and not taste so delicious!

Caramilk Cookies (Tina Penner)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar 5 Caramilk bars
• 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat together softened butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Take 1 tablespoon dough and flatten place 1 Caramilk square on top of the dough and roll it into a ball. Then take the ball of dough with the Caramilk inside and roll it in the remaining granulated sugar. Set it on the baking sheet but do not flatten it. Place them a few inches apart; they will flatten out as they bake. Bake @350 degrees F for about 7-10 minutes. Allow to cool for several minutes before transferring cookies to cooling rack. Enjoy!

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TUESDAY, DEC. 14

Almond Meringues (Kristin Farlinger)

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
• 1/4 Almonds*

Directions:

Using a mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. Continue to run machine at a low speed, add brown sugar 1tablespoon at a time. Stop machine and fold in the almonds. Drop about 3-4 tablespoons of the meringue mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees farenheit for 2 hours. Leave it in the oven until cool.

Makes 2 dozen

**Can substitute with mini chocolate chips, Skor pieces

White-Chocolate-Chip-Cherry-Cookies (Erika Sullivan)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 tsp ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup dried cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 oF

In large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt

In separate large bowl mix together the oil and sugar; then add the flaxseeds, soy milk, vanilla and mix well

Fold dry ingredients in batches; when batter starts to get too stiff to mix with a flork, use hands until a nice stiff dough forms; add chocolate chips and dried cherries and mix with your hands again; - your hands will get covered in chocolate! mmmm

Wash your hands, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, roll dough into 1 - inch balls and flatten into disks about 1.5 inches in diameter, placed 1 apart on cookie sheets

Bake 10 minutes, then remove and cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely make makes 36 cookies

Anita's pumpkin cookies (Nicole Nicolson)

Ingredients

Cream:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Add 1cup cooked pumpkin (canned ok, not pie filling!)

Mix in a separate bowl 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon of each: baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnemon. Add to shortening bowl and mix well. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. For a fancy look, pipe out toonie sized rosettes. Bake at 350 10-12 minutes. cool on rack.

Ice with following:

In a small saucepan:

• 3 TBSP butter
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 4 tsp milk

Cook to boiling, remove from heat. Add 1 cup icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. spread on cookies or with those fancy rosette ones, dip 1/2 into icing while the icing is still warm.

Really, the trick to icing them nicely is to do it while it's warm. I keep the icing on low while doing it and add a touch more milk if I need too.

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MONDAY, DEC. 13

Custard Shortbread Cookies (by Vida Burton)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup custard powder
• 1/4 teasp pure vanilla
• 225 g softened unsalted butter

Directions:

1. In food processor bowl, put flour, icing sugar, custard powder, vanilla and butter. Process for 15-20 seconds until combined.

2. Roll teaspoon lots into balls and place on lightly greased cookie tray. Press with back of fork.

3. Bake at 180 deg C for 15-18 minutes untl lightly golden.

4. Cool on wire rack and join together with icing when cool.

Custard icing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 Tbsp custard powder
• 25 g unsalted butter
• milk

Directions:

Blend icing sugar and custard powder with butter. Add sufficient milk to give smooth consistency.

(You can roll out the dough into star shapes for Christmas, bake and join together with icing)

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Peanut Butter blossoms (Anne Brimacombe)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground peanuts
• 48 milk chocolate kisses

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl cream shortening and peanut butter. Add brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until combined while scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula stir in the flour. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

Place finely ground peanuts into a small bowl. Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls and roll in the ground peanuts.

Bake for 10 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies onto a cooling rack

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Pecan Crescent Cookies (Tracey llnisky)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2-1/2 inch logs and shape into crescents. Place, 1 inch apart, on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 F for 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand 2 or 3 minutes before removing. Dust with icing sugar with a sieve. For variety, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon butter in a microwave and with a knife, cover 1/2 of crescent with chocolate and let set. Cool and freeze. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.