Christmas Cookie Corner
Tried-and-tested cookie recipes for the holidays By Shannon Serpette
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ometimes you’re too tired or busy to even think about adding holiday cookie baking to your list. But in some families, the holiday season is unimaginable without an assortment of home-baked Christmas cookies. Gathering in the kitchen and baking together is a wonderful bonding opportunity to instantly put you in a festive mood. When I was a child, my mom would bake well over a thousand Christmas cookies each year for our gatherings and to give away to
BUCKEYES INGREDIENTS: 1 stick butter, softened 3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar 2 cups crunchy peanut butter 3 cups Rice Krispies 12 ounces chocolate chips INSTRUCTIONS: Cream butter, sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Add Rice Krispies and form into balls. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip balls into chocolate and place on waxed paper.
CHOCOLATE CRINKLES INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup shortening 4 squares unsweetened chocolate 2 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla Powdered sugar for coating INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt together shortening and chocolate. Sift together flour, baking powder,
and salt. Add sugar to chocolate, stirring until smooth. Adds eggs, beating well after each one. Add vanilla. Add in the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Chill the dough for two hours. Using a small amount of dough, form into balls. Roll each one in powdered sugar. Place about two inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t overbake – the cookies will be soft when taken from the oven. Wait a few minutes and then remove the cookies from the sheet, allowing them to cool on a rack.
SUGAR COOKIES INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup of butter-flavored shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla 2 and 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt INSTRUCTIONS: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll to 1/8-inch thick on floured board if you like crisper, thinner cookies. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness if you like softer cookies. Bake 6 to 9 minutes, depending upon how
family members and friends. She would spend the weeks before Christmas baking and freezing all those cookies in her favorite holiday tins. Then on Christmas Eve, those cookies would be lovingly carted out of the freezer and placed on a table in the dining room. Even though she’s in her 70s now, that tradition continues, much to the delight of all of her grandchildren. Here are some of my family’s favorite holiday cookie recipes for those who love Christmas cookie baking as much as we do.
thick you rolled the dough. Cool for one minute and then remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.
9-inch pan. Let cool until firm. Cut in the desired number of pieces. When cooled and cut, pack in airtight containers and store in a cold place.
PRIZE-WINNING FUDGE
BUTTER COOKIES
INGREDIENTS: 12 ounces of chocolate chips 3 four-ounce bars of sweet baking chocolate One seven-ounce jar of marshmallow creme 4 and 1/2 cups sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine One 14 and 1/2 - ounce can evaporated milk 2 cups chopped walnuts
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup butter or margarine 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 and 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS: Put chocolate chips, cooking chocolate, and marshmallow creme in a bowl. Combine sugar, salt, butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil steadily over medium heat for six minutes, boiling the whole time. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Pour the boiling syrup over the chocolate and marshmallow crème in a bowl and beat until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a lightly buttered 13 x
20 October 2021 | Illinois Valley Holiday Life | A NewsTribune Publication
INSTRUCTIONS: Cream margarine. Add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy. Add unbeaten egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together dry ingredients; blend into cream mixture. Chill dough for one hour. Roll on well-floured pastry board to 1/4- or 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutter. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6 minutes at 400 degrees. To make icing: Get an additional 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or other flavoring. Add enough water to make the icing easy to spread – about 1 tablespoon. Tint the frosting with food coloring if desired.
