Virtual Holiday Cookie Swap!

[Uncle Bob]

CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIES

2 Cups AP flour
2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 sticks of butter (margarine)
¾ Cups Cocoa
1 t. soda
½ t. salt
2 Cups finely chopped pecans.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in the pecans. Use a teaspoon to drop on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 or 9 minutes at 350* The cookies will puff up while baking and fall when cooling making a flat chewy yummy cookie!

[healthyfoodie]

what are the cookies that are crumbly, dense, a little dry (supposed to be dry), maybe some powdered sugar on top, i think i remember an almond taste. they remind me of bakery cookies, but they are homemade.

i had them a few times and really liked them, but i can't remember what they are. does anyone know?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by healthyfoodie

what are the cookies that are crumbly, dense, a little dry (supposed to be dry), maybe some powdered sugar on top, i think i remember an almond taste. they remind me of bakery cookies, but they are homemade.

i had them a few times and really liked them, but i can't remember what they are. does anyone know?

I think I know what you are refering to. I've seen many variations and many names! At my house we call them....

PECAN SANDIES

2 Sticks Butter
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Cups AP flour
2 t. vanilla
2-3 t. water
1 Cup Chopped pecans.
Confectioner's Sugar.

Cream sugar and butter. Add vanilla and water. Gradually blend the flour, and pecans in. Cover with plastic and chill at least 4 hours. Shape into a finger shaped cookies.(or balls) Bake at 325* for about 20 minutes. After they cool slighty, roll them in confectioner's sugar.

With a cold glass of milk they are delicious!!!

[Dave Hutchins]

Uncle Bob you should only use butter in cookies never margarine. If want top quality cookies. butter tastes better than axel grease
BUTTER is the only way to go. Besides the dairy farmers need all the help they can git

[mercyteapot]

Originally Posted by healthyfoodie

what are the cookies that are crumbly, dense, a little dry (supposed to be dry), maybe some powdered sugar on top, i think i remember an almond taste. they remind me of bakery cookies, but they are homemade.

i had them a few times and really liked them, but i can't remember what they are. does anyone know?

I wonder if you're thinking of Russian Tea Cakes? That's what we always called them when I was growing up in Western PA, where there are lots of Eastern European immigrants and descendants. Now I live in Southern California, and I more frequently hear them referred to as Mexican Wedding Cookies. I don't have my own TNT recipe (my Dad owned an Archway Cookie distributorship, and they sell their version which is called Russian Tea Cakes, so we always had those), but I did a google search and you can find lots of recipes there.

[mercyteapot]

My personal favorite is Nanaimo Bars, which I understand is a popular Christmas cookie up in Canada.

Bottom Layer:
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.


Second Layer:
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.


Third Layer:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

[MsAnya]

Here's my contribution!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Roll into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Press center of each ball with thumb. Place a cherry in indentation.
In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
Bake for 10 minutes.

[Alix]

Originally Posted by healthyfoodie

what are the cookies that are crumbly, dense, a little dry (supposed to be dry), maybe some powdered sugar on top, i think i remember an almond taste. they remind me of bakery cookies, but they are homemade.

i had them a few times and really liked them, but i can't remember what they are. does anyone know?

Do you mean snickerdoodles?

[Alix]

mercyteapot, YUM! Thanks for the Nanaimo bar recipe. I haven't made them for ages, so I will likely go make some soon. I know I don't reserve these for Christmas, but I bet lots of folks do. MMM!

[David Cottrell]

Date Filled Cookies “Ma’amoul”

These are so good and so easy, and for me very good holiday cookies. The ingredients are just as Claudia Roden presents in her most excellent “The New Book of Middle Eastern Food”. The instructions are as I made the cookies, following her general path. Being a novice cook, they are written for a novice cook.

First – start the oven to preheat at 350 degrees F

Filling ingredients

1 pound pitted dates
½ cup water more or less

Filling instructions

Quarter the dates - cut down the middle one way and again the other way. This is good also for checking that they have no pits!
Cook just covered with water over low heat – stir constantly – not much water and not much heat! This won’t take long for the dates to turn to a soft paste.
Remove the paste to a bowl and cool.

Pastry ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into tablespoon size pieces more or less.
2 – 3 tablespoons orange-blossom or rose water (according to Ms. Roden) For me this is just overpowering and I cut back after the first bake to about one teaspoon. If you know and appreciate these fragrances use your best judgment, if not go easy!
4 – 5 tablespoons milk. That’s all!
Confectioners’ sugar

Pastry instructions

In a bowl work the flour and butter together using your best ten utensils – your fingers.
Add the orange-blossom or rose water and milk one at a time! Easy now, the milk is just enough to hold the dough together. You might not need any depending on how much fragrant water you use and the humidity.
Work the dough until it is soft and easy to shape.

Assembly

The intent is to form small rounded balls of date filled pastry.

Set aside a rounded ball of dough about the size of a walnut. This becomes your standard size as you form the cookies. Of course after you try two or three you might want to adjust the standard.
Roll a lump of dough into a standard ball, hollow it with your thumb and pretend you are making a tiny clay pot by gently pinching up the sides.
Fill the pot about three fourths full with filling and bring the dough up and over the filling to finish the ball.

Flatten the balls slightly – very slightly, just slightly.
Place on your cookie sheet and make slight dents on the top with a fork. These are just to make a good surface to hold the powdered sugar dusting. If you are artistically inclined the pattern might show that off.
Bake in the 350 degree oven – you did preheat I’m sure. Baking will be about 20 to 25 minutes.
DO NOT BROWN THE COOKIES! Browning will make them hard and ruin he taste – ask me how I confirmed Ms. Roden’s instructions in this.

Let the cookie sheet cool after removing from the oven.
Let the cookies cool so they can be handled and set on an appropriate surface to cool. Parchment paper is good for this.
They will be very soft when hot but will firm up when cooled.
When the cookies are completely cool and can accept the sugar without melting it put them on a large plate, tray, whatever and dust with the powdered sugar.

When completely cool they will keep very well in a tightly closed tin. These cookies make great holiday gifts because it will be very clear that you went the extra distance.

Enjoy and remember, cookies have no borders, thank goodness. Enjoy