Cookies

These are the cookies I have been making forever. They have survived for two reasons. They are quick and easy to make and they taste good !

When I wrote my first cookbook twenty years ago, I was using the food processor for cookie dough.  I’ve been using the wonderful Kitchen-Aid mixer instead for quite some time.  Love it !!

Let your butter come to room temperature, eggs too.  These days, I’m using all organic ingredients too.  I like to mix up all the different doughs on the Friday after Thanksgiving and put it into ziploc bags for the freezer.  I flatten out the dough so I can stack the bags in the freezer and mark them on the outside with the kind of cookie, baking time and temperature and greased or ungreased for the cookie sheet.  I do also like to use the silicone liners for the cookie sheets.  You can freeze the baked cookies too.  I think you all know that you need to pre-heat your oven, but just in case -- do preheat your oven for at least 10 minutes before your cookies go in !  Also, if you are using both racks, reverse your cookie sheets at the halfway time.

Molasses Gingerbread

Once upon a time, these were the gingerbread Santa faces.  They were very cute, but very labor intensive.  If you want to know how to make them, I’ll be happy to tell you. I’ve been rolling them into balls and flattening them with a glass just like the cinnamon cookies. Yummy !

Cinnamon Cookies

Still my number one favorite.  The amount of 1 tablespoon of cinnamon is correct !

Nutmeg Logs

These cookies taste like eggnog because of the nutmeg.  Makes a lot of cookies quickly!

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Cream butter, vanilla and sugar together.  Blend in the egg.  Mix the dry ingredients together and add them in.  On a well-sugared surface, roll the dough into rods about 1/2 inch in diameter and cut into 2 inch pieces.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 12 minutes.

Sugar Plum Cookies
  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 ounce package cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 and 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

For sprinkling on top:  1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon  -- mix together.

Cream butter and cream cheese well.  Add the sugar, then egg yolk and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients together and add in.  Form cookies with cookie press on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Chocolate Spritz
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 and 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar, the add the egg yolks.  Stir in the melted, cooled chocolate and vanilla.  Mix flour and baking powder together and add. Form cookies with a cookie press on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Christmas Cane Cookies

We love these too!

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red food coloring


Mix this together for sprinkling on top of the baked cookies

Holly Rings
These are family favorites ! I’ve used a lot of cookie presses over the years, but my favorite is still the old SAWA from Sweden that I bought about 40 years ago. Don’t know if they still make it, but it is the best!
Rasberry Bars

I make these ahead too and cut them and store them in the freezer.  

  • 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar -- separated 1/4 cup for the crust and 1/2 cup for the topping
  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup raspberry preserves
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut

Make the crust:

Butterscotch Walnut Bars

Thee cookies are a lot like candy.  I make them ahead, cut them and store them in the freezer so they stay chewy.

CRUST

  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

Mix the dry ingredients in the Kitchen-Aid and then add the pieces of butter until crumbly.  Press firmly into a 13x9 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.  

TOPPING

While the crust is baking, make the topping.

Raspberry Thumbprints

Makes a lot of cookies !

  • 1 and 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 4 1/4 cups flour

Cream the butter and the sugar thoroughly, add the egg yolk, juice and finally the flour. Chill the dough if it is soft.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Press your thumb into the center and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove form the oven and fill the centers with raspberry preserves. Bake for 5 minutes more.
 

Cookies