Holiday Entertaining: Christmas Cookies

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~Janice Maeditere

Today I wanted to share cookie recipes from some of my older cookbooks. The first two are from The Christmas Cookie Book by Virgina Pasley. My husband's grandmother gave me this book years ago. It was published in 1949.

Nut Kisses

6 egg whites

1 pound confectioners' sugar

pinch of salt

1 pound nuts, finely grated or ground

(almonds, pecans or walnuts)

Beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar gradually, beating all the while, salt, then grated nuts. Drop from teaspoon on tins lined with letter paper (parchment) and bake in a slow oven for about 15 minutes. (300 degree F.)

Garnish with a piece of whatever type of nut you used for the cookies.

Cinnamon Almond Stars

4 egg whites

1 pound granulated sugar

1 pound (3 cups) ground almonds

1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar gradually beating all the while and continue beating for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and cinnamon and let mixture stand for several hours. Roll out on a board sprinkled with confectioners' sugar or flour to about a half-inch thickness and cut with a star shaped cutter. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet or one lined with paper in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for about 15 minutes.

This next recipe is from The Good Housekeeping Cook Book, published in 1944.

Chocolate Coconut Kisses

3 egg whites

1 1/2 sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. sifted all purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 tsp. vanilla extract

7 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the sugar and flour, which have been sifted together. Fold in coconut, vanilla, and chocolate, mixing thoroughly. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Allow cookies to cool before removing with a spatula. Makes about 4 dozen.

I love gingersnaps and this recipe is a simple basic one from the Modern Priscilla Cook Book, published in 1924.

Ginger Snaps

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 egg, beaten

Flour

Beat all the ingredients together, using enough flour to make a soft (not stiff) dough. Roll thin, cut, and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 12 minutes. Makes 40.

Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? Try these:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/cmascookies.html

~Brenda

Last Minute Christmas Recipes

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic
ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
~Peg Bracken.

jdsmom shared this recipe with us previously and I made them last year. I used the square grid pretzels I found at Sam's Club instead of twists and topped it with the M&M. They were a HUGE hit. We also made a "pretzel sandwich" with 2 white chocolate chips and 2 semi-sweet chocolate chips on each pretzel. I put them in the oven for 2-3 minutes as in the recipe below and then topped them with a second pretzel, which I pressed on and it smashed the melted chips down. I then sprinkled red/green sugar on the top.

Candy-Kissed Twists

1 bag small pretzels (twisted)
1 (13 ounce) bag Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates
1 (10 ounce) bag of Hershey's Holiday Bits

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the chocolates kisses. Place 1 unwrapped chocolate on top of each pretzel. Bake 2-3 minutes or until the chocolate is soft, but not melting. Take the pan out of the oven and gently press Holiday Bits on the top of the soft chocolate. Cool and serve. *Instead of the Hershey's Holiday Bits, I pressed in an M&M candy on the top.

Simplycindy's note: A lady I work with brought some treats to work. It was the same idea you have here. She put a Rollo candy on top of the pretzel, put in a 250 degree F. oven for 4 minutes or so and then topped with a pecan, they were so good!


FAMOUS BUCKEYES
Denirae shared her Buckeye recipe!

Peanut Butter Balls (sometimes called Buckeye Balls)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on a prepared pan, and refrigerate. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat. Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Enjoy!

EASY ALMOND COOKIES
We love these cookies and they're soooooooooo easy!

Almond Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard/Crisco
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
96 almonds

Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the lard until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg and almond extract. Mix well. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie and press down to flatten slightly. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool on rack.

jdsmom also shared this yummy recipe!

GOOEY COCONUT BARS
1 (18.25 ounce) box French Vanilla cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with Pam. Combine the first 3 ingredients. Press into bottom about 1 inch up the sides of prepared baking pan. Mix together the next 6 ingredients and pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool completely to set and cut into small squares.

Old Fashioned Cookie Recipes

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us,and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

One can never have too many cookie recipes! Today I have some good ones to try this holiday season.

White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S White Baking Chocolate, chopped
or 1 cup BAKER'S White Chocolate Chunks
2 cups chopped PLANTERS Macadamias or Slivered Almonds
1 cup dried cranberries

MICROWAVE semi-sweet chocolate in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla with wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in flour and baking powder. Stir in white chocolate, cranberries and nuts. Drop by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. BAKE at 350 degrees F. for 13 to 14 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire racks. Note: If omitting the nuts, increase flour to 3/4 cup to prevent spreading. Makes about 15 large cookies.

White Pfeffernuesse Cookies
From: McCall's Holiday Baking and Entertaining

Ingredients:
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before
measuring)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeat
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup chopped candied citron
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease several cookie sheets. Sift flour with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeat and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add citron and lemon peel, beat with wooden spoon until well blended. Add flour mixture, beating with wooden spoon until smooth. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Shape cookies; form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove and cool completely on racks. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Makes 4 dozen.

A FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPE
Mcgill, one of our long time forum members, found this recipe years ago in the newspaper:

Almond Crescents

3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners')
1 cup margarine or butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup ground almonds
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
granulated sugar

Sift the icing sugar and cream gradually with the margarine. Add vanilla, cinnamon and almonds. Sift the flour and knead by hand into the creamed mixture. Chill the dough, them roll it to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut or form into crescent shapes and bake for about 25 minutes in a preheated oven (350 F). Makes 5 dozen. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle lightly with white sugar.

A SPICY FAVORITE
This recipe was the hit of our holiday season last year.
~HSMom

Soft Molasses Ginger Cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
Extra sugar

Combine all dry ingredients. Cream the butter and 1 cup sugar; add the eggs and molasses and blend well. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and blend well. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

MORE spicy cookie recipes for the cookie jar on OFL:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/spicy.html