Favorite Christmas Cookies

[Mousey Girl]

I make fudge every year, it is expected of me. I also make different varieties of cookies. So far this year it has been molasses crackle cookies (think ginger snap but chewy and less ginger more molasses) and chocolate chip butter cookies (shortbread cookies with chocolate chips and not as dry).

Once Nickolas is out of school we will make sugar cookies. It is from a recipe my mom cut off of a box of sugar in the late 60's. They are very good and not the type that you have to frost for flavor. He will sprinkle different sugary things on them for decoration.

The fudge that I make came out of a Baker's Secret cookbook from 1962. It is uber easy and very tastey. I recently gave the recipe to a friend who has gone overboard by using many different kinds of chips in it. I prefer it my way, semi-sweet chips only. Also hers came out way to chewy, where mine is the type that holds its shape but melts in your mouth. I always make it 2 batched at a time, 1 batch of girl fudge and 1 batch of boy fudge.

I have also been known to make gingerbread cookies. They are great to decorate and hold their shape well. The recipe is perfect to use for gingerbread houses. They tend to be hard as a rock no matter how long I cook them, also perfect for teething biscuits (yep, I used them for that with Nickolas).

[Fab]

I do Gingerbread houses (this year: Animal Crossing houses). When we lived in Florida, I was President of the Orlando, Florida chapter of the NFFC, and that Christmas, I did the WDW HM in Gingerbread.
Swiss meringue rolls - old family recipe
Rudolph's Rockets - a creation from the old days on a.d.d. when we were all Altoids-mad. I use chili and peppermint oil in them now.

[Gemini Cricket]

Chocolate Crinkles
Nestle Toll House

[Snowflake]

Almond Roca Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, soft
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup crushed toffee
1 cup coarsely ground almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix. (you might want to chill for about 15 minutes to firm up the dough)

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then cool on a rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or carefully in the microwave). Place cookies on a cookie sheet (on wax or parchment paper) and drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies. It will take a few minutes for the chocolate to set. Then enjoy with

[Prudence]

My favorites are M&M cookies, which we traditionally only make at Christmas time. Second favorite are the peanut blossoms. So I'll definitely be making those. My cookie press sucks, so I probably won't make butter cookies. On the other hand, my sugar cookie recipe rocks, so I'm in charge of those. The paper published a few recipes this year that think I'm going to try - including a new thumbprint variant. The ones I usually make are really annoying to make, but I feel compelled to make thumbprints for the holidays. No idea why.

[Fab]

Originally Posted by Prudence

My favorites are M&M cookies, which we traditionally only make at Christmas time. Second favorite are the peanut blossoms. So I'll definitely be making those. My cookie press sucks, so I probably won't make butter cookies. On the other hand, my sugar cookie recipe rocks, so I'm in charge of those. The paper published a few recipes this year that think I'm going to try - including a new thumbprint variant. The ones I usually make are really annoying to make, but I feel compelled to make thumbprints for the holidays. No idea why.

Make triangular sugar cookies, then use two blue, green or brown (or one green one brown if you're a Bowie fan) M&Ms for eyes, and a red one at the bottom of the triangle point for the red nose. Broken pretzels are good antlers. Super easy, and people go all lovey over them.

We made Russian Tea Cakes and lemon bars last night, and chocolate hazelnut cake cookies today.

[Matterhorn Fan]

It may be after Christmas, but it's never too late for cookies!

cirquelover, I've not tried this Buckeye recipe, but here's one from a postcard I received from Ohio--I've had it magneted to my fridge for a couple years now. I ought to try it; it sounds like the one I used to make.


Buckeye Candy

1 lb. bag confectioner's sugar
2/3 lb. jar creamy peanut butter
2 sticks soft butter
16 oz. bag of chocolate chips
1 T paraffin
1 wood toothpick

Blend together confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, and butter.
Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Freeze for about 5 minutes or until firm.
Melt chocolate and paraffin in double boiler. Insert toothpick in ball and partially dip into chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 4 dozen.


I made gingerbread sea creatures and chocolate Andes-chip cookies this holiday.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Usually I make cookies, though I didn't this year. Usually I make ginger/spice pinwheel cookies, and spritz cookies.