Christmas Cookies & Desserts
Cookies
Spritz (Butter) Cookies
From the Kitchen of Julie Santiago/Indianapolis, Indiana
1 pound butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 cups flour
Red and green sugar crystals for decoration
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Add white sugar; blend well. Stir in eggs and almond extract. Gradually add flour.
Using a cookie press, form dough into desired shapes onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
While still warm, sprinkle with colored sugars for decoration. Makes about 8 dozen cookies, depending on size.
Helpful hint: When making pressed cookies, if dough is too soft and not making a sharp design, place it in the refrigerator briefly to harden a bit. If dough is too stiff and won’t move through the press, let it stand at room temperature briefly until it is the right consistency.
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This recipe is from my Grandmother, Margaret Peche. I have fond memories of baking these cookies with her every December as a child. My favorite job was decorating them with red and green sugar—and of course eating as many as she would allow!
Today, Grandma’s metal cookie press and hand-written recipe are treasures that bring back warm feelings of her every time I make spritz cookies with my family during the Holidays. Enjoy!
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Honey Cookies
1 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sifted flour
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar
Cream butter. Add honey and mix in. Add vanilla, salt, flour, and nuts. Blend well. Take about 1 tsp. dough and roll in your hands to form a ball.
Bake on greased cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 30 minutes.
Roll in powdered sugar while still warm
Makes about 5 dozen.
Ella's White Sugar Cookies
1 cup softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
Colored sugars to decorate before baking
Cream butter; add powdered sugar gradually. Beat in egg and extracts. Blend in salt and flour. Chill dough several hours.
Roll out on floured surface and cut cookies. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. If using colored sugars, decorate before baking. Bake at 375 for 8 to10 minutes. When cool, frost and decorate cookies as desired.
Christmas Cane Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1/4 cup crusshed candy canes
14 cup sugar
Beat butter and powdered sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract to blend well. Mix flour and salt and stir into creamed mixture. Divide in half. Blend food color into one half. Work with 1/4 plain dough and 1/4 tinted dough. Keep remainder of dough in refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Take 1 tsp. plain doguh and roll with hands into a 4" strip. Then roll t tsp tinted dough into a strip the same length. Lay the two strips side by side and twist together, holding both ends of strips to make a red and white striped rope. Place the rope on an ungreased baking sheet and curve one end to make the candy cane's handle. Repeat, making one cane at a time so the dough will not dry out and be difficult to twist and shape.
Place the canes about 1" apart on baking sheet. Bake at 375 for approximately 10 mintues. Remove from baking sheet at once. Combine candy and white sugar; sprinkle mixture on hot cookies. Cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen (small) cookies.
Wreath Cookies
30 large marshmellows
1/2 cup butter melted
1/4 tsp green food coloring
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups Kellog's corn flakes
Red Hots
Mix and melt butter and marshmellows together. Add food coloring, extracts, and corn flakes. Blend. Place warm mixture on waxed paper. Shape into small wreath shapes. At the top of each wreath add the red hots for the wreath berries. Cool and serve.
Desserts
Warm Winter Lemon Cake
1 package lemon or yellow cake mix
2 cups cold milk
1-1/4 cups water
2 (4 serving) packages Jello-brand lemon instant pudding mix
1/3 cup sugar
2 T. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions & pour into greased 13” x 9” pan.
Pour milk & water into a large bowl. Add pudding mix and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes with a wire whisk. Pour over cake batter.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.
To serve: sprinkle cake with powdered sugar & spoon into serving dishes.
Optional: garnish with raspberries.
Leftovers are also good served cold, garnished with whipped cream.
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