So....Christmas cookies

jeannecarol

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I've just made a bunch of pies for Thanksgiving so I won't be doing cookies for a couple weeks yet. (Weelll, maybe later this week, depending on what I want to bring to a friend's party this Saturday...) My usual Christmas cookie, which I've been making most years since I was 13, is nutmeg logs. 7 ingredients, mix, roll, and bake, then frost & decorate. When I was a LOT younger, I used to make designs with the decorations, just like the full-color photo in the ad I got the recipe from. No more; now I just dip the frosted cookie into colored sugar or chocolate shot and have done.

Over the years I've done others as well: fruitcake bars, spritz, etc. I had 3 cookie presses, one of which I never used because it was electric (it was a gift), but one of them broke. I think I got another one at a tag sale in recent years; I'll have to find it. The trouble I always had with spritz is trying to get the dough to stick to the pan while pressing. I found out recently that the pan has to be cold, not hot and re-used; easy to do now that we traded our small cookie sheets for enormous ones. Also, we now use parchment paper, and I've never tried making spritz on that. Experiment! 


I can't find my old fruitcake-bar recipe, and I had an idea about a substitution for those candied citron bits that so few people like. I want to make them again (but they ARE expensive), but first I have to find the recipe!

My husband makes chocolate-butterscotch chip cookies and oatmeal cookies, mostly to give to family, but a good share for ourselves. 
 
 

denice

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I don't do the Christmas baking since the kids are grown and on their own.  I used to do a lot of different ones.  I pretty much like all cookies but one.  I don't remember the name of them.  They are pretty kind of look like lace.  I think they must be made on some kind of iron but they have a strong licorice flavor.  I really don't like licorice.

I think our favorites were always the peanut blossoms.  I know they aren't really a holiday cookie but I always made them at Christmas time.  Peanut butter and chocolate, you really can't go wrong.
 

LTS3

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I've never really cared for peanut butter blossom type cookies. Maybe it's because I've never had a good one. The ones I've had were always chemically tasting and dry, even homemade ones.

My Mom makes the same cookies every December, almond cookies that include at least a whole pound of lard as an ingredient
Yes, real pork lard. These are definitely not for those on a diet or have dietary restrictions. The cookies taste good but are a little on the greasy side from all that lard. And there's no real almond in it, just fake almond extract. When Mom was still working she'd bring in boxes and boxes of the cookies to work. I'm not sure if she told anyone that there was lard in the cookies as a heads up to vegetarians / vegans / etc.

I forgot about a cookie I made for a friend. It's probably more like a pastry than a cookie. It's won ton wrappers filled with sugar, shredded coconut, and sesame seeds and fried until golden brown. Next time I'll dust some cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar on top.
 

artiemom

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My mom had a great recipe for the peanut butter blossoms. Much better than the ones I have tasted from others.

I remember my mom was the first one around here to make that recipe. She was a great baker; always clipping recipes and trying them out...and adjusting them for the 'perfect' recipe.

I may have to make a batch for New Year's to see if it is still as good as her's...nah..never as good as my mom's; even with her recipe..
 

denice

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It was bugging me so I looked around on the Internet to find the name of those licorice flavored cookies and they are Pizzelles.  They are traditionally made with an iron to give them the intricate lacy design.  They are pretty, I just don't care for the taste of licorice.
 

Kat0121

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It was bugging me so I looked around on the Internet to find the name of those licorice flavored cookies and they are Pizzelles.  They are traditionally made with an iron to give them the intricate lacy design.  They are pretty, I just don't care for the taste of licorice.
I've had many pizzelles in my life and I've never had one flavored with licorice (thankfully as I hate it). I haven't had one in decades though. so good
 

catlover19

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I was done baking but on Tuesday, my hairdresser was talking about chocolate chip Nutella cookies and then the next day, my husband was given a container of Nutella. That was a sign that I need to make them. :lol:
 

LTS3

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I was done baking but on Tuesday, my hairdresser was talking about chocolate chip Nutella cookies and then the next day, my husband was given a container of Nutella. That was a sign that I need to make them.
Try the Nutella in the crinkle cookie recipie I posted above
The cookies are soooo good and a nice departure from the typical chocolate chip cookie
 

jeannecarol

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I know this is old, but I too don't like licorice (or anything anise-y). But even though anise is the most common flavor for pizzelles, there are others too: vanilla, lemon, etc. Try looking online for variant flavors. The other Italian cookie that's often anise is biscotti, but there are other flavors of those too.

We don't bake cookies for the relatives anymore; the adults don't want the extra calories, and two of the niece's four sons are gluten free/dairy free so they have special recipes (and last year we did make special cookies for them). So hubby's usual cookies are now for ourselves. :)
 
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