12 days of cookies
Prepare for the holidays with good recipes
Butterscotch Gingerbread
By NATALIE MIKLES / World Scene Writer
Published: 12/13/2009
it melts a bit, the coarse sugar will stick to it better.
MACAROON KISSES Makes 4 dozen 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons almond extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 cups flaked coconut, divided 48 dark chocolate kisses Coarse sugar 1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extract. 2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. 3. Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in the remaining coconut. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cool on pan for 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sharon McKee of Talala says these cookies are grandkid-approved. In testing them, we found them to be some of the best oatmeal cookies we’ve ever made. The surprise of both the pumpkin pie spice and the chocolate-covered raisins makes for a great cookie. OATMEAL SURPRISE COOKIES Makes 3 dozen 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats 1 1/2 cups chocolate-covered raisins 1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. 2. Combine the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. 3. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overbake. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Judy Orr says even if you don’t care for mincemeat, you’ll love these cookies. "As long as I can remember, my mother (now 94 and in a long-term care center) always baked these wonderful cookies at Christmas time. Even if you don’t care for mincemeat, you’ll love these cookies." We weren’t able to find a 9-ounce package of mincemeat, so we substituted an equal amount from a jar. MINCEMEAT PECAN COOKIES 5 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups butter-flavored shortening 3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 9-ounce packaged (box) None Such condensed mincemeat, crumbled 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour and baking soda in a large bowl. 2. Beat shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in crumbled mincemeat and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix well. Stir in pecans. 3. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet; flatten slightly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. This classic thumbprint is adapted from a Food Network recipe. Fill the thumbprints with jam or, if you’re a chocolate lover, with chocolate ganache. BUTTER AND JAM THUMBPRINTS 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 sticks butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling 1 large egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Red plum jam or any other type you like that has a thick consistency 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. 2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. 3. In another bowl, whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until incorporated. 4. Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam. 5. Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Kimberly Deardorff shared this recipe, which is a hit among her friends in the Philanthropic Educational Organization Sisterhood. Her local chapter has an ornament and cookie exchange every year, and this is one of their favorites. CHOCOLATE-COVERED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS 2 cups peanut butter 1 pound powdered sugar 1 stick butter 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal 1 (8- to 10-ounce) package chocolate chips 1/8 cake paraffin wax 1. Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter and Rice Krispies well. Shape into small balls. Chill thoroughly. 2. Melt chocolate chips with paraffin wax. Dip balls in chocolate. Refrigerate to set. Fruitcake is a labor-intensive Christmas treat. These cookies, from Barbara Randall, have all the taste of fruitcake without all the work. FRUITCAKE COOKIES Makes 18 dozen 1 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 6 eggs 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup whiskey 2 quarts (or less) pecans 1 1/2 pounds white raisins 1 pound candied cherries (red and green) 1 pound candied pineapple 1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each. 2. Sift flour, and combine with baking powder and spices. 3. Add flour and whiskey to butter mixture, alternating between the two until all is incorporated. Mix in nuts and fruit. 4. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Anna Milleret shared this recipe from her mother, Madeline Arganbright of Alva. Her mother called them leftovers because she created the cookie out of leftover batter. She dumped all the nuts and raisins she had in the house in the batter, baked them, frosted them and named them Leftovers. Milleret was a well-known cook and caterer in Western Oklahoma, and these Leftovers were the most popular of all her cookies. After she died in 1991, her Sunday school class made a cookbook featuring her best recipes, including this cookie. LEFTOVERS Makes 14 dozen 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream 2 pounds raisins 4 cups pecans, chopped 1. Cream butter, brown sugar and eggs. 2. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with sour cream to butter mixture. Add raisins and nuts and mix well by hand. Chill 4 hours. 3. Drop on a cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack. Top cookies with Brown Butter Frosting. Brown Butter Frosting 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1. Melt butter in a saucepan until brown. It will sizzle. When it stops sizzling, add powdered sugar. Add hot water from tap, 1 tablespoon at a time until spreading consistency. Add vanilla. This cookie couldn’t be easier. Hiding the mints in the cookies is a good job for the small hands of any little bakers in your kitchen. HIDDEN MINT COOKIES 1 white or yellow cake mix 2 eggs 1/3 cup vegetable oil 30 to 36 individual Andes mints, unwrapped 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. With a spoon, mix cake mix, eggs and oil together in a bowl. Flatten a ball of dough around a chocolate mint. Make sure to completely cover with dough. 3. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown around edge. Remove cookies and place on rack to cool. Note: Chocolate cake mix can be used but increase vegetable oil from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup. It might not be the prettiest cookie on your Christmas cookie platter, but the combination of ingredients makes this one from Gloria Blessing a winner. CHRISTMAS ALMOND BARK Makes 80 to 90 cookies 2 1/2 pounds white almond bark 2 cups peanut butter 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal 2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 cup salted peanuts 1. Heat oven to 200 degrees then turn oven off. Place almond bark in a 9-by-13-inch pan and place in the oven to soften. When softened, remove and add peanut butter, Rice Krispies, marshmallows and peanuts. 2. Mix and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Work fast, as this sets up very fast. If needed, return to the oven on low to remelt, then continue to drop on waxed paper. CREAM CHEESE SNOWMEN 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 cup powdered sugar 3/4 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on medium until well blended. Add flour and baking soda and mix well. 2. Shape dough into an equal number of 1/2-inch and 1-inch balls. Using one small and one large ball per snowman, place balls slightly overlapping on an ungreased cookie sheet and squish to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a glass with sugar on the bottom so it doesn’t stick. Keep doing this until you’ve used up all the balls. 3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. Decorate as you wish: Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar, decorate with icing or use miniature peanut butter cups cut in half for hats. Butterscotch pudding gives an unexpected twist to classic gingerbread. BUTTERSCOTCH GINGERBREAD Makes about 2 dozen cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 packages (3 1/2 ounces each) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix 3 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. 2. Combine the flour, pudding mixes, ginger, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Decorate as desired.With 12 days until Christmas, we give you 12 days of cookies. More of you will be baking cookies in these days before Christmas than any other time of the year. This year’s recipes come from our best source, Tulsa World readers. They’re all tried and true and home-tested and have our stamp of approval. Some, like the Butterscotch Gingerbread, take some work. Others, like Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls, couldn’t be easier (and don’t even require an oven). If there’s a theme to this year’s group, it is nostalgia. Many of you shared old family recipes with ground nuts, raisins, oats and coconut. You won’t find a cookie with Valrhona chocolate in the bunch. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improvise. Cookies that call for shortening can be updated with your best unsalted butter. If you don’t like pecans, go for walnuts, almonds or pistachios. Yes, baking is a science, but with cookies, a little improvisation never hurts.Natalie Mikles 581-8486
natalie.mikles@tulsaworld.com
By NATALIE MIKLES / World Scene Writer
Lori Cain, Realtor
Chinowth & Cohen Realtors
phone: 918.852.5036
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