Christmas Cookie Corner

from NewsTribune_Holiday Life_103021

The Art of Buying Presents for Kids

Tried-and-tested cookie recipes for the holidays

By Shannon Serpette

Sometimes 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 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.

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 thick you rolled the dough. Cool for one minute and then remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

PRIZE-WINNING FUDGE

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

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 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.

BUTTER COOKIES

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:

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.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup margarine 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1 egg yolk, unbeaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour 1 bag of chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream together margarine, shortening, brown sugar, and egg yolk. Stir in vanilla, salt, and flour. Pat mixture into lightly greased 15 and 1/2 x 10 and 1/2 inch jelly roll pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the chocolate chips over the warm baked cookies as soon as you take them out of the oven. When the chocolate chips are melted, use a knife to spread them over the whole surface of the cookies. Add chopped nuts to the top if desired and cut while warm.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 cup molasses 2 tablespoons vinegar 5 cups flour 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 to 3 teaspoons ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves Red cinnamon candies, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

Thoroughly cream shortening with sugar. Stir in egg, molasses, and vinegar; beat well. Mix dry ingredients together; stir into molasses mixture. Chill for at least three hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch or 1/2-inch thickness, depending upon whether you like softer cookies or crisper ones. Cut with a cookie cutter. Place one inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Use red cinnamon candies if desired. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet and cool on a rack.

EASY NO-BAKE CANDY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine 2 cups sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cocoa 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter, or SunButter for those who have peanut allergies 2 cups quick oats

INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt butter or margarine in a heavy saucepan. Stir in sugar, salt, cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for exactly two minutes. If using natural SunButter instead of peanut butter, boil three minutes instead of two. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter or SunButter, then oats. Mix thoroughly and drop by rounded teaspoon