HOLIDAY COOKIES!
Before the Christmas season gets too hectic, start baking your holiday cookies now.
Making cookies from scratch is a delightful way to tell your friends and family how much you care. These recipes are from our readers.
Rolled sugar cookie
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cookie icing (recipe follows)
Thoroughly mix the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to shortening. Mix. Chill dough at least 1 hour. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until delicately brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Decorate with icing, tiny candies, and colored sugar. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Cookie icing:
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Water or cream
• Food coloring (optional)
Blend powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and enough liquid to make it easy to spread (about 1 tablespoon water or 1 1/2 tablespoons cream). Tint with food coloring, if desired.
Grandma's sugar cookies
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Icing (see directions)
With an electric mixer, beat shortening, salt, lemon rind, nutmeg, sugar and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and soda and add to egg mixture.
Chill dough overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees. Watch carefully as not to overcook. Cookies are done when they start to brown around the edges.
To make icing: Mix together powdered sugar and enough milk and vanilla to make desired consistency. When cookies are cool, frost and sprinkle with decorations.
Egg kisses
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a large glass bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto 2 cookie sheets lined with large brown paper bags (do not grease bags). Cook for 1 hour at 275 degrees. Turn off oven and do not open door until cool. It's best if the cookies remain in oven overnight. Recipe can be doubled.
Gingerbread men
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light molasses
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses, water and vinegar. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll a small amount of dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a gingerbread man cutter, or other holiday cutter, dipped in flour. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Do not overbake. Makes about 6 to 7 dozen.
Candy cane cookies
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, egg and extracts together. Mix in flour and salt. Divide dough in half. Blend red food coloring in one half. Chill. Roll 1 teaspoon of each color dough on floured surface so each piece is about 4 inches long. Twist together. Place on greased cookie sheet. Curve top down like a cane. Bake 9 minutes or until very lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen.
White chocolate oatmeal cookies
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 6 (1-ounce) squares white baking chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
• Additional sugar
In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and extracts and mix well. Stir in melted chocolate.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oats and coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen.
Lemony cut-out cookies
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• Royal icing (recipe follows)
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk and beat well. Combine flour, soda and lemon rind. Gradually stir into creamed mixture. Stir in lemon extract. Chill dough several hours or overnight.
Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut out with shaped cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies, and cool completely on wire racks. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Decorate as desired with royal icing. Makes about 4 dozen 5-inch cookies.
Royal icing:
• 3 egg whites (room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
• Food coloring paste
Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Color portions of icing with food coloring paste. Makes about 2 cups.
Note: Keep bowl of icing covered with plastic wrap as royal icing dries quickly and becomes very hard. It is used for making decorations to last indefinitely. It is edible but crunchy.
Christmas hand cookies
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 1 egg, beaten
• Orange icing (recipe follows)
Whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. In medium saucepan, combine Crisco, sugar and molasses. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Add egg. Add flour mixture and stir until smooth. Cover and chill about 1 hour.
Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Dust one side of hand pattern with flour and cut out dough with sharp knife. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool and decorate.
Orange icing:
• 1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• Food coloring
In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar with orange juice. Tint with food coloring.
Chocolate chip butter cookies
• 1 pound butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips
Cream together butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, vanilla and flour. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Mixture will be heavy yet easy to handle. Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls slightly smaller than a table tennis ball. Flatten with a fork and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden and edges are brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while hot. Makes 6 dozen.
Anise cookies
• 2 cups butter
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons anise oil
• 10 to 11 cups flour, divided
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter and sugar until no longer grainy. Add eggs, milk and anise oil. Add 1 cup sifted flour to help mix oil into batter. Sift 4 cups flour with baking powder. Add to sugar mixture. Add 5 to 6 more cups sifted flour to make a stiff dough. Mix by hand. More flour might be needed. Chill dough at least 2 hours before rolling to 1/8-inch (crispy) or 1/4-inch (soft) thickness. Cut with favorite cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until very slightly browned around edges.
Decorate with colored sugar before baking or frost with powdered sugar icing. Recipe may be cut in half. Cookie yield depends on thickness of cookie and size of cutters.
Cherry winks
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening or butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/3 cup maraschino cherries, cut into pieces, divided
• 2 1/2 cups corn flakes, crushed
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside. Cream shortening and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, milk and vanilla to shortening. Beat until well mixed. Blend the dry ingredients into egg mixture and continue beating until well blended. Add pecans, dates and cherries. (Reserve some cherries to cut into fourths to place on top of the cookies.) Mix well.
Roll dough by teaspoons into balls and roll in corn flake crumbs. Place balls on a greased cookie sheet. Top each ball with a piece of cherry. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on rack before removing from cookie sheet.
