Coco-molasses cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
Vanilla glaze, optional
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg
and vanilla to mix well. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt; stir into
creamed mixture. Chill dough.
Roll dough rather thick, about 1/4”, and cut into rectangles with a
clean empty luncheon meat can, or use cookie cutters of your choice.
Place cookies 1/2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350° about 10 minutes. Remove from sheets and cool on racks,
then frost with vanilla glaze if desired. Makes about 3 dozen.
Years ago I read the Trixie Belden series to the kids, then they
enjoyed them on their own as well. In one of the books a Dutch lady
named Mrs. Vanderpoel served Trixie and her friends some cookies, and
I’ve always wondered if these were the ones. The recipe says that these cocoa-molasses cookies are ”long-time favorites in Dutch neighborhoods in the Hudson River Valley.” These are yummy with a vanilla glaze but just as tasty without it. Moose and pine trees cut from this dough are really good!
Pepparkakor
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tblsp. dark molasses
1 egg
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. cinnamon
1 Tblsp. ginger
1 Tblsp. cloves
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange
Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy; add molasses and egg.
Mix until blended. Sift flour, soda and spices into creamed mixture.
Add orange juice and rind; mix until well blended. Roll dough on
lightly floured surface to 1/8” thickness. Cut into heart or reindeer
shapes. Transfer to cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes,
until brown. Cool on rack and store in a covered tin. Makes at least 3
to 4 dozen cookies.
I found this recipe in an old Country Woman magazine. The lady who
submitted it said that these were the first cookies she baked each year to make her house really smell like Christmas. It works! Of course, you need not limit yourself to hearts and reindeer; that’s just what I did. This year I cut some pine trees and moose as well!
Chocolate nutters
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 3/4 cups flour
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tblsp. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 egg, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Candied cherry halves OR red and green M&Ms
Cream butter with 1 cup confectioners' sugar until well blended. Mix
in 1/4 cup cocoa; gradually beat in flour, mixing until smooth. Chill
dough for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, for filling, beat cream cheese in small mixer bowl; add
remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 T. cocoa, egg yolk, and vanilla,
beating until smooth. Set aside. Slightly beat the egg white in a
custard cup; set it aside.
Shape cookie dough into 1” balls; dip in egg white, then roll in
chopped pecans. Place balls 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Gently press thumb into center of each cookie to make indentation; fill
each with about 1 tsp. filling mixture. Bake for 12 minutes at 350° or
until filling appears set. Cool slightly on cookie sheet; top each
cookie with a cherry half or an M&M candy. Remove to racks; cool
completely. Store in refrigerator due to the cream cheese filling.
Makes 40.
This recipe was in the same magazine article as the Macaroon Kiss
recipe. These cookies are really pretty and delicious. The M&Ms are my own variation. If you would like vanilla filling rather than chocolate
(even prettier!), just leave out the 2 T. cocoa in the filling mixture.
Macaroon kiss cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. orange juice
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 cups flaked coconut, divided
9 oz. Hershey milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped (about 54)
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolk, extract, and orange juice; beat well. Sift together the
flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until
well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover dough and chill it for
about 1 hour.
Shape the dough in 1” balls. Roll balls in remaining coconut; place on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until
lightly browned on bottom. Remove from oven and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then
carefully remove to racks to cool until chocolate is firm. Makes 4 1/2
dozen.
I found this recipe in an old Early American Life magazine being
discarded by the library. These cookies are delicious and very
festive-looking.
Lemon spritz
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
Beat butter until light; beat in sugars until light and fluffy. Beat
in lemon peel and juice and egg to blend thoroughly. Sift together
flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, blending well.
Fill the cookie press with one-fourth of the dough at a time. Use the
plates of your choice to press out cookies about 1” apart on ungreased
baking sheet. (I traditionally use the camel plate for these
cookies.) Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until light brown on
edges. Remove from baking sheets to cooling racks. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.
These cookies have a very nice lemon flavor. It’s a change from the more traditional spritz flavors.
Sugar cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift
together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. If the dough is
sticky, add flour if necessary to make the dough easier to handle.
Roll dough 1/4” thick on a well-floured surface, and cut with cookie
cutters of your choice. Sprinkle with colored sugars or sprinkles.
Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 100 cookies.
I’m sure we used this recipe or a very similar one when I was growing
up. It came from Farm Journal and was supposed to be very easy for
children to roll and cut. I used this recipe for my own kids to make
and decorate cut-out cookies when they were young.
Candy cane cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
Heat oven to 375°. Mix thoroughly the butter, sugar, egg, and
flavorings. Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half and remove
one half to a separate bowl. Blend food coloring into one half of
dough.
Shape 1 teaspoon of dough of each color into a 4” rope. For smooth,
even ropes, roll them back and forth on a lightly floured surface.
Place the 2 ropes side by side; press them together lightly and twist.
Complete cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased baking sheet as they are completed. Curve top of each cookie down to form the handle of the “candy cane”. Bake about 9 minutes or until set and very light brown. Remove to racks and cool. Makes about 4 dozen.
These cookies are something I always wanted to try in my youngeryears. So when I had kids of my own, I did. They really liked making
these -- it’s sort of like playing with play dough!
Christmas tree spritz
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
14 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups flour
Green paste food coloring
Colored candy sprinkles
Heat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg and extract,
then flour and salt. Blend in small amount of green coloring to tint
dough a light green. Place tree plate in cookie press. Fill press with
1/4 of dough at a time. Form cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking
sheet. Sprinkle cookies with colored candy sprinkles. Bake for 7 to 9
minutes or until set but not brown. Remove to racks to cool. Makes
about 9 dozen.
This is a favorite on our cookie trays because it adds a note of lively
color. If you do not care for almond flavoring, substitute vanilla.
Sacher torte cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
1 (4 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup apricot (or raspberry) jam
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons melted butter
Heat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and pudding
mix; cream together until fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Gradually
add flour, beating at low speed with mixer until dough forms. Shape
dough into 1” balls. Dip balls in sugar. Place 2” apart on ungreased
cookie sheets. With your thumb, make an imprint in center of each
ball. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are firm; remove from
sheets immediately to wire racks to cool. When cookies are cool, fill
each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon jam. In a small saucepan, or
in microwave, blend chips and butter over low heat until chocolate
melts, stirring constantly. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate over
each cookie.
Yield: About 4 dozen cookies.
This is one of our very favorite Christmas cookie recipes. They look
pretty and fancy but are very easy to make. I believe I found the recipe in a Yankee magazine article about the Wellesley Cookie Exchange.
Christmas wreath cookies
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Candied cherries, diced
Green sugar
Heat oven to 400°. Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in
remaining ingredients. Place star plate in cookie press Working with
one-fourth of the dough at a time, press dough out into strips on
ungreased cookie sheet. Form the strips into circles (wreaths) and
pinch ends together to seal. Decorate with pieces of candied cherries
to resemble holly berries; sprinkle with green decorating sugar. Bake 6
to 9 minutes, or until set but not brown. Remove to cooling racks.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
These resemble the spritz wreath cookies I always admired at the
Methodist church Christmas fair as a child. They add a lovely touch to a cookie tray, but tend to be very fragile. Broken wreaths still taste good, however.
Chocolate spritz
submitted by Mrs. T
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. milk
2 cups sifted cake flour
Multicolored candy sprinkles
Heat oven to 375°.
Work shortening until creamy. Stir in sugar gradually, then beat until
fluffy. Add egg, salt, chocolate, milk, and vanilla, and mix well.
Stir in flour gradually.
Shape dough into balls; roll or dip in candy sprinkles. Place on
ungreased baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.
This was a traditional Christmas favorite when I was growing up. I've given the recipe here as I got it from my mother, but when I make them I change a few things. I use 6 Tblsp. baking cocoa instead of the melted chocolate, and I use 2 cups regular flour instead of cake flour. Easier and cheaper, and I can't tell that they taste any different.
Poinsettia brownies
submitted by Mrs. T
Bake your favorite brownie recipe. When brownies are cooled, frostwith a white butter frosting. Cut the brownies in squares. While
frosting is still soft, decorate each brownie with thin slices of
candied cherries. Arrange the cherry slices to form a poinsettia on top
of each frosted brownie. Beautiful and delicious!
Eggnog logs
submitted by Mrs. T
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. light cream (or use evaporated milk)
Ground nutmeg (freshly ground is wonderful!)
Cream butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Add nutmeg, sugar, and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Stir in flour to mix well. If necessary, chill dough for easier handling. Shape dough into logs about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Place logs 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.
For frosting, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the confectioners sugar and the vanilla; mix well. Beat in cream and remaining sugar. Frost cookies. With the tines of a small fork, make lines down the frosting to simulate bark. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.
