Judy Clark of Emlenton has been baking Christmas cookies for 43 years. She's passing the knowledge on to her granddaughters, from left, Alona Clark, 7, and McLaren Paz, 5.

EMLENTON — For an amazing 43 years, Judy Clark has been making Christmas cookies from cherished family recipes.

“I baked for years with my grandmother, but when I had my own family, we all joined together.

“Grandma Betty would have been in her 60s, my boys, Obadiah and Silas, would have been elementary/middle-school age, and my daughter, Rachel, began helping when she was old enough to hold a spoon,” said Clark.

The Clarks make dozens of cookies for their holiday gatherings, including raisin-filled, pecan tassies, molasses cookies, magic bars, oatmeal cookies, Reese's cups, peanut butter cookies, date cookies and lemon bars.

Her granddaughter Tychina's favorite cookies are always the iced sugar cookies, but Clark admits that she fooled her granddaughter for years.

Clark confessed, “I did not like making iced sugar cookies, so I would buy the ones from Walmart and place them in one of my Tupperware containers! Tychina pretended she didn't know the difference for years because she loved them anyway.”

Now with the appetites of daughters-in-law, a son-in-law and several grandchildren to satisfy, Grandma Betty's traditions continue on.

Clark said, “We take our time and enjoy the process. Making so many varieties of cookies takes numerous days.

“We always make our favorites first. Usually we would work together two varieties at a time.” said Clark.

She added, “One person may be stirring up a new batch, while another may be overseeing the baking process. We would use the inside of brown paper grocery bags to lay our hot cookies on as they came out of the oven.

“Bowls and beaters needed cleaned for the next batch of cookies. It is just such a special time to laugh and just be together,” she said.

Clark has provided two of her favorite family recipes:

Pecan TassiesCrust:3 ounces (1 package) cream cheese½ cup butter1 cup flourMix crust ingredients together.Divide into 24 balls and grease the tassie tins.Press the balls into the tins making cups for the tassies.Filling:1 egg¾ cup brown sugar1 teaspoon soft butter1 teaspoon vanilla2/3 cup chopped pecansMix filling ingredients together and add 2/3 cup chopped pecans.Fill tassie cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Grandma Frantz's Molasses Cookies2 cups sugar1½ cups lard, or Crisco1 pint molasses1 cup lukewarm water2 tablespoons baking soda (put baking soda in lukewarm water)2 eggs7 cups of flourMix all ingredients together.Roll, cut, and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.