Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange

[Josephine]

Starting off with an old favorite:

Spritz

1 cup soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp flavoring (almond, lemon, rum, etc-- your favorite)
2 1/2 cup flour

Heat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. Work in flour. Using 1/4 of the batter at a time, force through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheet in shapes. Bake 7-10 minutes until set, but not brown.

Makes 6 dozen.

Chocolate version: into shortening mix, add 2 oz unsweetened chocolate that has been melted.

 

[Josephine]

Chocolate Crinkles

My absolute favorite!!

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, and powder. Chill several hours. Drop tablespoons full into confectioners sugar. Roll in sugar and form ball. Place on grease4d cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT over bake.

Makes 6 dozen.

 

[Josephine]

Almond Crescents

One of my favorites.

Almond Crescents

1/2 cup soft vegetable shortening
1/2 cup soft butter
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup ground blanched almonds (or walnuts if you prefer)
1 2/3 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix shortening, butter, sugar, and nuts. Sift flour and slat together and work into shortening mixture. Chill dough. Heat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Roll dough pencil thick and cut into 2 1/2 inch lengths and form into crescents. Bake 14-16 minutes, until set, not brown. Cool on pan. While slightly warm, carefully dip in sifted confectioners sugar mixed with cinnamon.

I have to admit I don't do them exactly this way, the crescents have a tendency to break when I dip them in the sugar. So I just use a shaker and shake confectioners sugar over them, or even use a fine mesh sieve. Heck, sometimes I don't even make them into crescents, depending on how late it is and how many cookies I've been slaving over. Oh, the dough can be sticky, so chill well. You can add a teaspoon or two of Almond extract if you'd like.

 

[Josephine]

Green Mint Meringues

Green Mint Meringues

2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1 package mint chocolate chips

Reheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Beat egg whites until frothy. Slowly add sugar, beat until stiff with a few drops of green food coloring. Fold in vanilla, salt, and chips. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Turn off oven and place cookies in oven and leave overnight.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

 

[Josephine]

Molasses Crinkles

My mom's favorite.

Molasses Crinkles

3/4 cup soft shortening
1 large egg
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses (the blackstrappier, the better)
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda (aka bicarbonate of soda in England)
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses thoroughly. Add dry ingredients. Chill. Heat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Roll dough into balls the size of large walnuts. Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle each ball with 2 to 3 drops of water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 4 dozen.

This is another recipe I 'streamline' if I don't feel like rolling the dough. I pat out all the dough in a rectangular or square shape about the thickness of a large walnut, then slice them into cubes. I then put the cubes in a tupperware of sugar, closing it up I shake the cubes to cover them in sugar. I use an eye dropper to put the drops of water on the cubes.

 

[Josephine]

Peanut Butter Kisses/ Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Butter Kisses/ Peanut Blossoms

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tblsp milk
48 chocolate kisses

extra granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients (except the kisses) in a large bowl, mixing on the lowest speed until the dough forms a ball. Shape dough into balls, using a rounded tsp full for each. Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Immediately press unwrapped kiss into the top of the cookie. Be sure to let the kiss harden again before you store the cookies.

 

[hotrod_elf]

No bake cholocate oatmeal cookies

I will have to find the recipe. I need to call my mum for the recipe.

 

[Josephine]

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
6 Tblsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp finely grated lemons, zest of

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended. Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but if you want to store it for longer than 8 hours it will need to be in the 'fridge. Return to room temp before using.)

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.

Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin. Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick. Use additional flour to avoid sticking.

Cut out cookies with desired cutter. Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies).

Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack. After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.

From Recipezaar.

 

[Camille]

Ooh, nice thread! I need to go and dust of my mother's old recipy for swedish gingerbred-cookies.

 

[scotrace]

I should dig out mom's mashed potato candy recipe.

 

[deelovely]

HOLIDAY SPICE COOKIES

1/2 c Butter or margarine
1 c Light brown sugar*
2 Eggs
1 ts Vanilla
1/2 ts Lemon extract
1/2 ts Anise extract
2 3/4 c Sifted flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Black pepper
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1/4 ts Cloves
1/8 ts Mace
Confectioners sugar

* firmly packed

Just the smell of these cookies baking is enough to
get you in the holiday spirit.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with brown
sugar. Beat eggs and extracts. In another bowl, add
sifted flour and mix baking powder, salt, pepper and
spices. Gradually add flour butter mixture, mixing
well after each addition. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375ø. Shape dough with two teaspoons
into ovals and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake
8-10 minutes. Carefully remove cookies from baking
sheets to wire racks and sprinkle with confectioners
sugar. Cool and store in airtight containers. These
cookies keep well and mellow with age. They're their
best about 5-8 days after baking.

Yield: about 5 dozen.

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[Feraud]

I am gaining weight just reading this thread.

 

[deelovely]

HOLIDAY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 c Butter or margarine
1 c Firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
2 tb Milk
2 ts Vanilla
2 1/2 c Oats
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1 t Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
1 c Semi-sweet chocolate. chips
1 c M&M Holidays, plain

Heat oven to 350F. Beat first six ingredients until
smooth. Add combined oats, flour, soda, and salt; mix
well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by rounded
tablespoonfuls 3″ apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes for chewy or 10 to 12 minutes for
crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes; remove to wire rack.
Cool completely. Makes approx. 48

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[deelovely]

I am gaining weight just reading this thread.

I know... me too...

 

[deelovely]

DEE'S HOLIDAY CHERRY SQUARES (CHRISTMAS)
Yield: 1 pan

1 1/2 c Corn flake crumbs
1/2 c Margarine; softened
4 tb Sugar
1 1/3 c Flaked coconut
3/4 c Marachino cherries; chopped
1 cn Eagle Brand Condensed milk
1 c Pecans; chopped
2 c Miniature marshmallows

In 13x9x2 inch baking pan, combine cornflake
crumbs, butter and sugar. Press down firmly with back
of spoon. Sprinkle coconut, marshmallows, and cherries
evenly over crumb crust. Pour swetened condensed milk
over all evenly. Bake at 350~ for about 25 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in
tin box between layers of wax paper.

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[BeBopBaby]

Here's an old eastern european recipe. My Polish great aunt used to make similar cookies.

Kiefle (cream cheese cookies with jam filling)

2 sticks real butter, softened
2 packages cream cheese
6 cups flour
your favorite jam (seedless raspberry, apricot, etc)

Combine butter, cream cheese and flour. Mix until crumbly. Then knead
together until the dough is soft and make into a ball. Divide dough into
four separate pieces. Roll out one of the divided pieces. Set aside the others in a covered bowl. Roll dough out to 1/4" thickness using a 2" biscuit cutter or a glass cutout. Continue cutting until you have used all of the dough. Fill each circle with a teaspoon of your favorite jam. Fold over two sides and pinch together in the middle. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and store in an air tight container. Repeat the above with the rest of your dough.

 

[BeBopBaby]

Another favorite that I make every year. People go nuts over these, they taste similar to shortbread (but with pecans and powdered sugar) and they melt in your mouth.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
powdered sugar (additional for rolling cookies in after baking)

Directions
Cream butter with an electric mixer and then gradually mix in the sugar. Blend in salt, vanilla, flour and pecans. Dough will be stiff. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 400° F. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Wait 10 minutes and roll in powdered sugar again. Let cool.

 

[BeBopBaby]

Another recipe that people love is a creation of my own. I just make a basic sugar cookie, roll the dough into balls, use my thumb to make a thumprint in the middle of the cookie, then I fill the thumprint with seedless raspberry jam. I bake the cookies then I drizzle melted white chocolate over top of them after they cool.

 

[deelovely]

I will HAVE to make those Mexican Wedding Cookies for my hubby now... that is one of his favorites!

 

[Inky]

Gourmet Magazine 1940-2008 Cookies

For all you baking types out there (get me near the oven and I burn myself!) here is a collection of Gourmet Magazine's cookies throughout the decades (starting in the 1940's)

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/cookies/1940s

enjoy (and send me some cookies )