EGGNOG SNOWMAN COOKIES

Makes: 14 (large cookies) Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup eggnog

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoons salt

Frosting

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup eggnog

1 to 2 food colors

Miniature semisweet real chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until the mixture is creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup eggnog, egg and vanilla extract; continue beating until the ingredients are well mixed, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low; add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Beat until the dough is well mixed, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until it's firm, at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the dough, one half at a time, on a lightly floured work surface to a €-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies with 3- to 4-inch snowman cookie cutter. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the snowmen for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove them from the oven and cool them completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup eggnog, mixing well.

Remove one-third of the frosting and divide it between two small bowls. Tint the frosting with desired food coloring.

Frost the snowmen with the white frosting. Use the tinted frosting to decorate the cookies as desired. Add miniature chocolate chips for eyes and buttons.

For a wavy effect, pipe the tinted frosting in parallel lines. Drag a toothpick through the frosting before it sets.

• Nutritional information: 331 calories (30 percent from fat), 11 g fat (6 grams sat. fat), 55 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 157 mg sodium, 47 mg cholesterol, 42 mg calcium, 1 g fiber.

Tips for baking tasty cookies

Here are some basics that will help with cookie baking:

Low-protein flour such as cake and pastry flour will produce a tender and less-crisp cookie.

Cookie dough should keep about 3 months in the freezer. Wrap the dough well in several pieces of freezer-quality plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-quality plastic bag. Thaw the dough overnight before using or thaw the individual frozen cookies about one hour before baking.

To freeze already baked cookies, first cool them completely. Place the cookies in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container. Or freeze them individually on a tray to prevent sticking during storage and pack them in plastic bags.

It's best to use unsalted butter when the recipe calls for it. The amount of salt in salted butter varies, so it's not easy to determine how much salt should be removed from a recipe if using salted in place of unsalted.

When getting ready to make and bake cookies, have all the ingredients at room temperature. This way the butter will cream better with the sugar. And have all your utensils and bake ware set out. Have several baking sheets on hand.

If baking more than one sheet at a time (a no-no to some avid bakers), switch the sheets on the oven racks halfway through the baking time for even doneness.

To prevent cookies from spreading too much, keep the dough or formed cookie in the refrigerator between batches; use a mixture of butter and shortening; cool baking sheets before putting cookies on them.

Web sites cook up tempting recipes

Looking for cookie inspiration? Here are a few favorite cookie-recipe sites uncovered in a week of Web surfing:

• www.smuckers.com: The Orrville, Ohio, jam company pinned down the most popular Christmas cookies in a survey, then commissioned cookbook author Dede Wilson to add new twists to the old favorites — jam-filled pecan snowballs instead of pecan balls, for example. The top cookies in the survey were cutout cookies, butter cookies, peanut butter kisses, gingerbread cookies and pecan balls. The recipes on this site are limited but interesting.

• www.allrecipes.com: This is one of the premier recipe sites, with more than 26,000 recipes. Cookies are one of dozens of recipe categories. Although the recipes are provided by users rather than professionals, the review and rating system is more reliable than most because of the large number of participants.

• diabetes.about.com: Click on the site map, then scroll down to "cookie exchange" for cookie recipes for diabetics. There are only about a dozen holiday cookie recipes, but they're not the same old ones. The site is part of the mega site, About.com.

What a weekend! Fun on the beach with two hit movies, two football teams

Tonight's movie is "Shrek 2," the animated film that follows the adventures of everyone's favorite ogre (voiced by Mike Myers), his bride Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and sidekick Donkey (Eddie Murphy). This time the three head for Far, Far Away, where Fiona's parents reign as king and queen.

Tomorrow's film is "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," pictured, the third Potter film that takes a darker tone than its predecessors. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) seems to be the target of the murderous Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the wizard prison called Azkaban.

This Sunset on the Beach series continues Monday as the football teams from the University of Alabama and the University of Hawai'i, the coaches, pep squads and bands, participate in a "Barefoot on the Beach Pep Rally." The movie will be "Radio," starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris, based on a true story about a mentally challenged young man and a high school football coach who forge a friendship.

Sunset on the Beach begins at 4 p.m. each day with food booths and entertainment. Admission is free. 523-2489.

Birthday festivities at kids' center

The Children's Discovery Center is celebrating its 6th birthday with a big party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. That means face-painting, carousel rides and making party hats. Of course, there's the continuing Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm exhibit, with appearances by Ms. Frizzle and Liz, and meteorologists will conduct weather experiments with the keiki. There's a Scholastic book fair, too.

The Discovery Center also will be an official drop-off point for the annual Toys for Tots drive. Bring a new, unwrapped toy to the party and you'll receive a discount admission coupon to the center.

Admission to today's party is $6.

Pair of craft fairs should be full of delights

If you're looking for a craft fair this weekend, here are details on the bigger ones:

• Save the Best for Last Holiday Craft and Gift Fair, a "Bigger and Better" craft fair, takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Mililani Uka Elementary School and Kuahelani Park.

• The Pacific Handcrafters Guild Winter Festival features pottery, jewelry, clothing and fine art, is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and tomorrow at Thomas Square.

Admission to the fairs is free.

Pair to provide free concert at Kahala Mall

Island music fans, here's a free one for you: Sean Na'auao and Robi Kahakalau will give a concert at 6 tonight by the Kahala Mall's poinsettia tree at center court.

Holiday party at Academy of Arts

It's a holiday-themed Bank of Hawaii Free Sunday at the Honolulu Academy of Arts tomorrow: "Keiki Christmas Party" includes a puppet show by Parasol Puppets and a performance by the Honolulu Brass. Kids can make an ornament, too, and there'll be light refreshments (while supplies last). And don't forget: The museum's galleries are open for viewing.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for all is free. The monthly event is also sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser.

Mark your calendars: Jan. 16's theme is "Mystery!"; Feb. 20's is "African Cultural Safari."

Piano students in concert

Tickets are $10 general, $6 students and seniors. 536-0218.