Virtual Holiday Cookie Swap!

[ChefJune]

It's getting to be "THAT" time of year again, when visions of sugarplums start dancing in our heads -- not to mention the taste buds.

So I was thinking we could have a virtual cookie swap this year. Everyone post a favorite holiday cookie recipe (or three) here in this thread, and we can all come here, then, for new ideas for our holiday dessert platters!

Here's a favorite from Feastivals to start us off!

FROSTED COFFEE FINGERS

makes 1 13 x 17-inch jelly roll pan full

1 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup hot black coffee
1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Rumfords baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or Pam) a 13 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg.

3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the hot coffee. Mix well.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.

5. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

6. Frost with the following icing:

1 TBS. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sifted Confectioners sugar
enough orange juice to spread smoothly.

Mix butter and sugar, Add orange juice to make a thin but spreadable frosting. Sprinkle red and green sugars on the wet frosting.

[The frosting will look almost translucent on the cookies.]

7. Cut into bars of the size you desire.

[Alix]

I stuck this til after the holidays so we can all find it easily. I'm off to get my favourite recipes.

[Katie E]

Oh, June, what a great idea. I'm always looking for new cookies for the holidays.

Many, many moons ago I used to host a cookie open house, where I served nothing but different cookies, bars and candies.

I would start baking in October, making the ones that froze well first and, then, baking the rest as close to the party as I could.

I usually made at least 6 to 8 dozen of over 35 different kinds of goodies. I served a big bowl of raspberry punch at the party and always gave my guests a "goodie" bag to take home with them. Boy, that was fun!

I'll look for some of my favorite recipes to post.

[Uncle Bob]

Great idea!!!!!!

[ChefJune]

Hmm this is "stuck," in the Cookies thread, but no one is going there!

[Alix]

Whoops! Sorry June. Here's one of our standards for Christmas. These are the ones we decorate.

Can't Fail Cookies

1 cup shortening (NOT butter)
2/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup eggs (1 or 2 depending on size add water if necessary)
3 cups sifted flour
2 tsp vanilla

Make the dough (cream shortening, add sugar, then eggs and finally flour), and CHILL FOR 2 OR MORE HOURS. That is a crucial step. You must work only with the chilled dough or it will be too sticky to manage. Use a small amount at a time and roll out to about 1/3 - 1/4 inch thickness. Flour your cookie cutters and cut out cookies.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Watch closely to see that they don't brown.

Decorate cookies with coloured sugar or coloured glazes.

We save these for Christmas, but they work well for any holiday with themed cookie cutters.

[Alix]

Brown Sugar Shortbread - its not Christmas in my house without these.

1 lb butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups flour

Blend well together until pasty consistency. Spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes until just turning golden around the edges and center is starting to look dry. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, let soften and smear around as an icing.

If you want to be fancy, and you want to keep your kids occupied for a while, take a fork and (before you bake the shortbread) prick the dough so that it has domino sized tiles on it. Then take chocolate chips and use them for the dots on the dominos. Don't shove them into the dough too far. Just til they stick. This takes a long time but it looks really neat, and the kids love it. Then just bake as usual.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by Alix

Brown Sugar Shortbread - its not Christmas in my house without these.

1 lb butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups flour

Blend well together until pasty consistency. Spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes until just turning golden around the edges and center is starting to look dry. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, let soften and smear around as an icing.

If you want to be fancy, and you want to keep your kids occupied for a while, take a fork and (before you bake the shortbread) prick the dough so that it has domino sized tiles on it. Then take chocolate chips and use them for the dots on the dominos. Don't shove them into the dough too far. Just til they stick. This takes a long time but it looks really neat, and the kids love it. Then just bake as usual.

YUM! Brown Sugar Shortbread is my all-time favorite. It also makes an interesting tart crust.....

[Alix]

Or as the bottom to a nice square...put meringue on top, stir some brown sugar into the meringue and maybe some nuts and then bake it again for 5-10 minutes...YUM.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by Alix

Or as the bottom to a nice square...put meringue on top, stir some brown sugar into the meringue and maybe some nuts and then bake it again for 5-10 minutes...YUM.

or topped with pecans, drizzled with maple syrup and baked off for another 10 minutes...