Who's Baking Christmas Cookies?

savatage1973

Addicted Member
Been at it off and on for a few days now: Hershey Kiss cookies, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Macaroons, Rugelah, Peppermint Meltaways, Scottish Shortbreads, Jam Thumbprints, Dark Chocolate Truffle Thumbprints, Walnut Snowballs, Almond Crescents and Nut Horns all completed. Ahh--forgot I did the pecan tassies last night too.

Up next--Polish Nut Roll (bread), and Clothespin Cookies (mini ladilocks).

Who else is hard at work in the kitchen?

Sorry--not wasting my time on fruitcake--probably still got one in the attic from 10 years ago ;)
 
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We have the makings for some and the weekend looks rainy, so it must be time. Your walnut snowballs- are they the same as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes? We often make those with pecans, we call them nut dust cookies.
 
Not really Christmas cookies but I was working from home yesterday due to snow and made oatmeal raisin cookies. I hate soft chewy cookies so I baked half on them longer and they were good and crunchy :).
 
My Christmas cookie is a Chocolate Crinkle straight from a Betty Crocker cookie book. It's a cookie that timing is critical. Not cooked long enough they fall flat too long and they taste like chocolate dust but when you hit it there's not a better chocolate cookie and being rolled in powdered sugar before baking they come out looking like Christmas.
 
My Christmas cookie is a Chocolate Crinkle straight from a Betty Crocker cookie book. It's a cookie that timing is critical. Not cooked long enough they fall flat too long and they taste like chocolate dust but when you hit it there's not a better chocolate cookie and being rolled in powdered sugar before baking they come out looking like Christmas.

I make those too from time to time. I think I'll whip up a batch later today--one modification, though--a splash of Grand Marnier for a little orange to compliment the chocolate.
 
The only cookie that I make each year is a traditional Mexican cookie - hojarascas. These are basically lard (I use shortening out of respect for some nieces/nephews who are vegan), flour and sugar, then sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar - very similar to Mexican wedding cakes but no nuts or confectioners sugar coating. I generally make about six to eight dozen.

The other Christmas treat is pralines - those are very popular. I use a recipe we found in Matt Martinez's Culinary Frontiers written by the son of legendary Austin restaurateur, the owner of Matt's Famous El Rancho.

Will probably get to work on these Tuesday or Wednesday.

Alan
 
My wife's mother makes the BEST Fruitcake ever! Regardless of "stereo"types (see what I did there?), I have never tried any other that I would willingly eat. I ask her for one every year! But, she's getting really old, now. There won't be many more coming. So, I will enjoy them as long as they are available
 
I make Almond cookies from finely chopped almonds on top of modified sugar cookies from a tube. Start with 2 tubes and let them get to room temp. In a large bowl, put both tubes in and mash up with potato masher. Put a 1/3 bottle of almond flavoring over top and mash some more, to mix. Put in freezer for 1/2 hour or longer so they can be spooned onto wax paper. Push balls of dough into a bowl of finely chopped almonds and then to cookie tray with foil under. Cook as a regular sugar cookie.
 
My wife's mother makes the BEST Fruitcake ever! Regardless of "stereo"types (see what I did there?), I have never tried any other that I would willingly eat. I ask her for one every year! But, she's getting really old, now. There won't be many more coming. So, I will enjoy them as long as they are available

Do yourself and your family a favor- ask your mother-in-law to share her recipe so the tradition can carry on.
 
The problem is that she does not use measurements that any human can relate to. My wife has tried to replicate to no avail. "A handfull of this, a pinch of that, some of this, Oh, just dump some of that in, etc..." I have suggested that she go "Help" her mom to try to figure it out herself. No luck yet. I am afraid this will be lost to mankind soon.
 
I make those too from time to time. I think I'll whip up a batch later today--one modification, though--a splash of Grand Marnier for a little orange to compliment the chocolate.

I tried some at work one time. The looked fine but tasted awful. Found out she put nutmeg in them. Glad I never made that mistake,

Citrusy orange sounds good. I might give that a try.
 
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