[Aliska]

Betty Crocker classic sugar cookies. To me, the secret for flavorful rolled cookies is using powdered sugar and almond flavoring as these do but I haven't made these particular ones. These look like too much work to decorate but have had my eye on them.

My mom used to make apricot meringue bars which were always a big hit but aren't particularly Christmassy. And there is no substitute for Peanut Blossoms.

I used to look forward to buying Maurice Lennel's spritz with a dollop of red raspberry pasty something. Also their powdered sugar almond crescents. And always looked forward to Archway's Pfefferneuse which most people probably don't like, developed a taste for it.

Our stores don't have them any more. Lennel's out of Chicago went out of business and I don't know what became of Archway. The replacements on the shelves are substandard imo. Bakery cookies are good sometimes but expensive and not as good as homemade.

[mylife]

Archway made good store cookies!

Thanlk I have not seen them in Years

[Jamestown1630]

They’re probably not that hard to do - it looks like that ‘dragging’ technique with icing:

http://www.wilton.com/color-flow-dragging/WLTECH-280.html

http://sweetopia.net/2010/04/how-to-marble-royal-icing/

[mylife]

Seriously I was trying to think of Archway earlier

My Dad used to have them for lunch and I had them for lunch, that and fried bologna sandwiches with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce ‘cause folks don’t cook everyday any more

[leaning conservative]

Our Walmart has Archway cookies. I am on love w/ the soft frosted molasses drops. Strangely they are on a rack by the freezer section.

[Flaming Conservative]

Maybe someone here who has worked for a small bakery can tell me what ingredient they use in cookies and even brownies that gives them all a certain unique taste. Big commercial bakeries or grocery store bakeries don’t use it. Whatever it is, you can smell it when you walk into a local type bakery. (Or an I just nuts?)