When it comes to Christmas cookies, memories are as essential as sugar.
My holiday platter is filled with reminders of places I've been and people I've met. Some of the treats are holdovers from my childhood; others will be among the traditions my own children someday will recall.At this time of year, I sit down with my recipe boxes, as I do each year, and make my lists: one for the goodies I plan to make, another for the ingredients I'll need.
Once the cupboards are stocked, it's time to revisit old memories and to make some new ones.
There's my mother's old rolled-gingerbread cookie recipe, written in her nearly indecipherable scratching.
From my childhood, I clearly recall impatiently waiting -- colored sugars and chocolate jimmies in hand -- for my mother to frost these cutouts. There were bells and trees and a goofy gingerbread-man shape with a pointy head that always made me think of the Tin Man of Oz.
My mother had to keep up with seven of us children, who would quickly shake a few sprinkles on each cookie and call out for another. It was quantity, not quality, that mattered to us. And, as the youngest, I had to keep up with my brothers and sisters -- or risk missing out.
The cookies always were more fun to make than to eat. My father complained every year that he found these Christmas cookies in his lunch bags until Easter.
The coconut macaroons never stayed around to get stale. They were my dad's favorites. My sisters always made them from a boxed mix and tinted them in Christmas colors. One year, the mix disappeared from store shelves, and that ended our macaroon tradition -- much to my father's dismay.
Several years ago my friend Teddy shared a macaroon recipe that brought back that memory for me. I think of my dad when I make them and wish he were still alive to sample them.
Teddy also has died. This recipe is among several that she wrote out for me, and I cherish them all.
I still have the handwritten recipe cards my sister Denise sent me during my first holiday season away from home. I was working at a small newspaper in Iowa, an eight-hour drive away from my family in Milwaukee.
Denise included all of the Christmas treats my mother had made for years: Peanut Blossoms, Popcorn Balls, Birds' Nests, Mint Surprises. She also included a sugar cookie recipe she originally got from me when I was doing a baking unit in high school home economics class.
In Iowa that year, the weather was bitterly cold, adding to my sense of isolation. Christmas Eve had always meant getting together with my parents and six older siblings. The celebration had grown as in-laws and children joined the ranks. We'd sit down to our traditional Polish meal of pierogi, Polish sausage and sour soup with homemade noodles before tearing into the pile of presents.
That Christmas Eve it was just me and my fiance (now my husband), Jamie. We tried to make the best of it.
I made some of my mother's cookies. Jamie and I tried a new fudge recipe together. We made fondue and lingered over dinner. Later, we pulled on our long johns and walked the couple of blocks to midnight mass along deserted streets. But it was far from what I was accustomed to.
During the 14 years since then, that loneliness has been replaced by a sense of appreciation for the traditions we have created, albeit unintentionally.
We married and moved to Minneapolis. The drive to visit our families was shorter, but still circumstances got in the way. In the early years there was a lack of vacation time from work. Then there was a new baby. And another. And another.
Christmas Eve became a time of quiet celebration. Instead of a big meal, we have finger foods and nibble all evening. There's cheese fondue and taco dip. Cocktail wieners and fruit.
We fill the table with candles and light them in remembrance of loved ones. We open presents one at a time, play with the toys, look at the books and appreciate the thoughts.
And, of course, there's a platter filled with cookies: my mother's Peanut Blossoms and Chinese Noodle Chews, a colleague's wreaths made with cereal and marshmallows, my home-ec teacher's sugar cookies, rolled Ginger Crisps decorated by my kids, and my dear friend's Coconut Macaroons.
And there usually are a couple of new types that just might become part of my family's tradition.
Those recipes are written in my own hand.
This is from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1997 edition, which notes that the dropped cookies will be softer than those shaped into balls before baking.
PEANUT BUTTER CUP DROPS
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 (8 ounce) package (about 30 bite-size, chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, quartered
Beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in peanut butter. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and baking soda; beat till combined. Beat in egg. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Gently stir in chopped peanut butter cups.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets or roll into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly with your fingers. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen.
It might be a stretch to call these cookies, but so what. They are wonderful. Don't put the freshly dipped pretzels on waxed paper because they will stick. Use a greased baking sheet.
TRIPLE DIPPED PRETZELS
14 ounce bag of caramels
2 tablespoons milk
10 ounce bag pretzel rods
20 ounces white almond bark
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Unwrap caramels and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Add milk. Microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until melted, stirring after each minute.
Break pretzels in half and dip the broken ends into the melted caramel, leaving about an inch uncovered. Shake off excess caramel and allow to set on a greased baking sheet.
Melt the almond bark as directed on package. Dip the caramel-coated pretzels into the melted coating, again leaving about an inch uncovered. Allow to set a second time on the greased baking sheet.
Microwave the chocolate chips on high until melted, stirring after each 30 seconds. Move the pretzels so they are touching on the baking sheet and drizzle the chocolate over them. Allow to set. Makes about 4 dozen.
This is adapted slightly from a recipe printed in the Milwaukee Journal several years ago.
FLORENTINE FANTASIES
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced almonds, preferably blanched
1 cup flour
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped candied red cherries (or a mixture of red and green cherries)
4 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted
In a 1-quart saucepan, heat butter and corn syrup until butter melts. Remove from heat. Stir in almonds, flour, raisins, lemon juice and cherries. Let stand 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drop mixture, a tablespoonful at a time, on foil-lined cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies to allow them to spread. Bake 12 minutes. Remove to wire rack.
When cookies are completely cool, spread chocolate on bottom of cookies. While chocolate is still warm, score the cookie backs with fork tines. Allow chocolate to harden.
Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve them chocolate side down. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
Watermelon brings back those memories of summer fun. These take a bit of fussing but aren't as complicated as they seem. Kids like using a paintbrush to apply the egg white. The recipe is adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1994 edition.
WATERMELON COOKIES
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
Red food coloring
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Green coarse sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Beat the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt; beat until combined. Beat in egg, orange juice concentrate and vanilla till combined.
Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Turn dough onto waxed paper and knead in enough red food coloring for desired color. Cover and chill dough for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
Stir together egg white and water. Roll half the dough at a time on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Cut rounds in half. For each cookie, use a small brush to apply egg-white mixture on the rounded edge and in a 1/4-inch wide strip on front of cookie along the rounded edge. Dip edge in green sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press a few chocolate pieces into each for "seeds."
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or till the bottoms begin to brown. Do not allow the cookies to brown on top. Remove cookies and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.
Adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1994 edition.
ZEBRA COOKIES
4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, cut up
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
13 ounce package Hershey's Hugs (milk chocolate kisses with stripes)
Stir unsweetened chocolate in small heavy saucepan over low heat or microwave until melted. Cool. Combine eggs, sugar, melted chocolate, oil, baking powder and vanilla in large bowl. Gradually add flour to chocolate mixture, stirring till combined. Cover; chill 2 hours or till easy to handle.
Shape dough into three-fourth inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set and tops cracked. While still hot, press a kiss into the center of each. Cool on a wire rack. Let the chocolate harden before storing. Makes about 6 dozen.
From Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1993 edition. These are very easy to make and very sweet.
CARAMEL APPLE SQUARES
2 1/2 cups wheat flake cereal
1 1/2 cups apple-and-cinnamon flavor round toasted-oat cereal
1 (6-ounce) package dried apples, finely chopped
36 vanilla caramels
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
Toss together cereals and dried apples in a very large bowl.
Place the caramels, milk and margarine or butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until caramels are melted. (Or, combine the caramels, milk and margarine in a 11/2-quart microwave-safe casserole. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 to 4 minutes or till caramels are melted, stirring after 1 minute, then every 30 seconds.)
Stir caramel into cereal mixture. Firmly press into a buttered-foil-lined 9-by 9-by-2-inch baking pan. Cool completely. Using a wet knife (to avoid sticking), cut into squares. Makes 25 squares.
From "The Silver Palate Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. For the holidays, add a few drops of green or red food coloring before baking.
COCONUT MACAROONS
1/3 cup unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, coconut and salt. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Stir well to make a thick batter.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto well-greased cookie sheets, allowing an inch between cookies. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan at once and cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen.
Here are cookies you can eat by the handful and not feel too guilty. These cute tiny cookies go together quickly -- and disappear just as fast. The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1998 edition.
ELFIN SHORTBREAD BITES
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter (do not substitute)
2 tablespoon colored sprinkles
Stir together flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter till mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in sprinkles. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.
Roll or pat dough on an ungreased cookie sheet into an 8-by 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 1/2 inch squares. Separate the squares on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or till the bottoms just start to brown. Transfer to wire racks covered with waxed paper to cool. Makes about 160 very tiny cookies.
These are great with or without frosting. Decorate however you like. It's my mother's recipe, which she clipped from the Milwaukee Journal.
GINGER CRISPS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting
Combine butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Cream with mixer until smooth. Stop mixer and add molasses and cream. Beat until blended.
Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda. Turn mixer on low and blend. Add flour in three stages, blending after each addition.
Dust the surface well with flour and roll out the dough, half at a time, 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen large or about 5 dozen small cookies.
I got this from my high school home economics teacher about 20 years ago. They are not rolled and cut, but flattened with fork tines dipped in sugar. I usually double the recipe and use colored sugars for the tops.
SUGAR COOKIES
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
Sift together flour, salt, soda and cream of tartar. Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Cream until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix.
Add sifted ingredients; mix. Shape into balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Dip tines of fork in sugar and flatten cookies in crisscross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen.
Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.