Christmas Baking

Every year for as long as I can remember I do some marathon cookie and goodie baking for Christmas.  When working I didn't do a lot of baking during the year but outdid myself for the holidays.  I have been making some of the same recipes since the 1960's and I think my family would revolt if I didn't continue the tradition every year.  So much more relaxed this year since I am no longer working.  Below are the usual suspects complete with recipes and pictures.  Please let me know if you try any of these yourselves as I would love to know how you like them.  Here is a picture of all the containers.  The majority of the tins are from the Swedish Peppakokor (thin ginger snaps) that we buy at World Market every year.  We obviously like those cookies a lot and I have not found a recipe to duplicate them (and would probably be too much work anyway).  One secret I have learned is always use real butter when making cookies.  They taste so much better and since I generally only do this once a year how bad can 5 pounds of butter be??

 

Meringue Kisses
• 2 Egg Whites, room temperature
• 6 Tbs. Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Tbs. Sugar
• Chocolate Chips
Heat oven to 250.  Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Beat egg whites until stiff and dry.  Beat in, 1 spoonful at a time, 6 Tbs. sugar.  Continue mixing until mixture holds its shape when you left a spoon.  Add vanilla.  Carefully fold in 2 Tbs. sugar.  Fold in chocote chips.  Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet.  Bake 50 minutes.  Remove from paper and cool. These are very light and airy and fat free (well maybe without the chocolate chips)!  They have to be made on a perfectly clear and sunny day.  If you try to make them on a cloudy humid day they will be chewy and not crisp - don't evey try it!

Nut Brittle
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Cups Nuts (I used mixed, no peanuts)
Combine all in large heavy skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar melts and mixture is golden brown, 15 - 20 minutes.  Pour quickly onto buttered cookie sheet, spreading thinly.  Cook, then break into small pieces and blot off excess grease. I found this recipe in a TV Guide in 1968 when preparing for a Christmas party while I was a senior in high school.  Very simple to make.

Spritz Cookies
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 2-1/4 Cups Flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tsp. Almond Extract
Cream butter, then add sugar then beaten egg.  Add sifted dry ingredients, then extract.  Color if desired with food coloring.  Put through cookie press.  Decorate as desired with nuts, cherries, chocolate chips, colored sugar, sprinkles.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  My mother used to make these using a hand crank gadget for shaping the cookies.  I did that for a while too but have now progressed to the Wilton cordless battery operated model.  Love it! Chocolate Dipped Cookies • 1 Cup Butter or Margarine, softened • 3/4 Cup Sugar • 1/8 Tsp. Salt • 1 Tsp. Vanilla • 1 Cup Finely Ground Nuts • 2-1/2 Cups Unsifted All Purpose Flour • 1/2 Small Bag of Chocolate Chips, Melted • Choice of Sprinkles or Colored Sugar Cream butter with sugar and salt until light and fluffy.  Stir in vanilla and nuts.  Gradually add flour, mixing well.  Cover and chill until firm, about 4 hours.  Using a rounded teaspoon of dough for each, flatten and press into a cone shape, round and wide at one end and pointed at the other.  Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 350 for 12 minutes or until golden.  Cool on racks.  Dip wide end of cookie into melted chocolate then in choice of sprinkles or colored sugar.  Place on waxed paper until chocolate is firm.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies. I found this recipe on a Maxwell Coffee can in the 1970's and it has been a favorite ever since!

Nut Balls
• 2/3 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Tbs. Vanilla
• 3 Tbs. Sugar
Cream butter, add next 4 ingredients and with fingers until blended.  Roll into small balls (marble size).  Bake on greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375.  Roll in sugar, cool. I believe this recipe came from my Grandma Wills.  It is my friend Kristi's favorite!

These are new this year -  cream cheese sugar cookies.  I got the recipe from a great little cookbook that Pillsbury sent me via email to make up for a mistake they made.  I am sure if you want the recipe you can find it on their website.

I made this fudge using a box mix by Carnation.  I have made it before by buying all the ingredients separately but the box mix sure was easy and I'm all over easy!

I make Chex Party Mix every year - usually 2-4 batches since we all eat it so fast.  I generally follow the recipe on the box but I use mixed nuts with no peanuts and almost double the butter and Worcestershire Sauce since everyone complains if I don't doctor it up.

I got this recipe from Jill who I worked with at Michaels.  It's one bag of microwave popcorn (popped) mixed with 4 squares of melted almond bark, about half a can of salted peanuts and about half a bag of plain M&M's.  Obviously exact measurements aren't necessary.  Just make sure you have picked out all the unpopped kernals prior to mixing with almond bark.  Your friend's and family's teeth will thank you!  The container I have it in in my new favorite clear "paint can" from Michaels with a child-proof lid (at least they haven't figured it out yet and I'm not telling the secret!).

Christmas would not be complete without the customary Swedish and cardomon coffee cakes for breakfast.  I started making these when the girls were in grammar school and I gave them to the teachers as presents.  I was very popular!  They do require yeast, kneading and rising but that is half the fun of it.  There is nothing more stress relieving than kneading dough!  Each recipe makes 4 of each variety.  You can email me for the recipe if you would like it since it is a little complicated and might need some explaining.

One of my new favorite traditions is decorating gingerbread houses with the grandkids.  I started 2 years ago with Lacie and continued this year adding the triplets to the mix.   They had a great time and did a fabulous job!   Once they started to get finished with their houses we went on to making cookies using a box mix.  It is always good to keep them busy!  The one secret I have learned is to purchase the Wilton box mix at Michaels and erect the house (or houses) ahead a time.  That way they are already set and won't fall apart when the kids decorate them.  Trust me, that was learned the hard way!  I always use canned goods from the pantry to prop up the walls until set.  This year I apparently attached the roof prior to removing the can - Jennifer loved the bonus can of tomato soup after Lacie started eating her house!  LOL

I hope you have enjoyed my blog and these recipes - again please let me know either by following me or via Facebook.  I enjoy writing it and hope someone enjoys reading it!

Merry Christmas to all.  The next post will be after Santa has arrived.   :-)