What are your favorite holiday cookies/treats to make? (1,231 views)
applecrisp1
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Post by applecrisp1 on Dec 9, 2019 15:50:20 GMT -5
What are your favorite holiday cookies/treats/presents to make --- whether sweet or savory?
I'm going to a cookie swap so you know what that means. Time to take out those mixing bowls!
And I love homemade gifts, always fun to hear what people make as gifts (or to have at their home).
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belly
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Post by belly on Dec 9, 2019 21:14:47 GMT -5
Anna's Roca - from the CL board about 10 years ago at least
Anna's Almond Roca
2 Cups Sugar
1 Pound (4 sticks) Butter
1 Cup Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Cups Almonds -- the "shaved" kind, not slivers or whole
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 pound bar of Cadbury Milk Chocolate -- broken up
Reserve 1 cup of the almonds and set aside. Mix sugar, butter, water, and salt in large, heavy saucepan and heat to boiling over medium to medium high heat. Make sure there's room in the saucepan for the mixture to foam up and boil. Heat mixture over medium to medium high until it foams and reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. When temp reaches 240, stir in 2 cups of almonds. Stir mixture constantly and watch temp carefully until temp reaches 290. Remove from heat, stir in soda and QUICKLY pour onto a cookie sheet covered with buttered or greased wax paper. Mixture should start to harden immediately. As mixture hardens, sprinkle chocolate chunks over hardening mixture and spread the chocolate chunks around until they melt. Sprinkly melted chocolate with reserved almonds. Let sit until toffee hardens and chocolate sets.
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Post by PattiA on Dec 9, 2019 23:06:06 GMT -5
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emptynestmom
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Post by emptynestmom on Dec 10, 2019 8:38:52 GMT -5
I really like cookies, soft and hard ones...
Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
36 dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses (Can use flavored ones, ie mint, caramel, truffel)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
How-To
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Let cool for 10 minutes.
With an electric hand mixer, beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar, the egg and vanilla until combined.
Slowly beat in the flour on low until just combined.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, around a chocolate kiss (dough will be oily and fall apart easily). Roll the truffle into the turbinado sugar and place on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake for 9 minutes or until set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely
Coconut Biscotti
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar
¾ tsp salt
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
4 2/3 cup flour
5 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted golden & cooled
To toast coconut
Preheat oven to 350F. Spread coconut out in thin layer on a large jellyroll pan and put in oven. Check every 5 minutes or so. When coconut begins to turn golden, start checking coconut more often and stir it as the coconut at the edges of the pan will brown faster than the middle. When the majority of the coconut is a nice golden brown remove from oven and let cool completely.
Cookies
In mixer beat butter, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, then vanilla and mix until smooth. Beat in flour gradually until dough is completely combined then beat in all of the cooled toasted coconut. Do not overmix. Divide dough into thirds and either on wax paper or plastic wrap pat dough into long rectangles about 3 ½ - 4 inches wide and about ¾ inch high. Wrap dough and chill until completely firm, at least an hour or even overnight.
Preheat oven to 350degrees. Work with 1 rectangle of dough at a time and cut dough crosswise into ½ inch slices, arrange slices cut side down on baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake cookies until pale golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.
Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 30 • Size: 1 bar • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts Calories: 149 • Fat: 5 g • Protein: 2 g • Carb: 24 g • Fiber: 0 g • Sugar: 17 g Sodium: 47 mg • Cholesterol: 5 mg
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (Gold Metal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
For the Frosting:
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted*
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.
In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.
Fold in white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cranberries. Spread batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.
Bake 10 - 14 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended. Frost bars and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.
*To melt the chocolate, place in a microwave safe cup and heat 15 seconds; stir. Another 15 seconds; stir until the chocolate is melted.
When the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve
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Post by beth on Dec 11, 2019 11:43:21 GMT -5
Every year must include peanut brittle for my DH and my dad's favorite Santa Claus Cookies -- a Dutch spice cookie his mom made for them. Everything else is negotiable. Things I thought were a must have proven to be enjoyed but not essential. ANd wassail.
Peanut Brittle
3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
1 lb (about 3 cups) raw peanuts
2 T butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Before starting, butter two large cookie sheets and set aside (you can use a spray or margarine, but the thin coat that remains on the bottom of the brittle makes me chose butter). Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Stir until dissolved and continue to cook until a thread spins (about 230 degrees). Add peanuts and cook until mixture reaches a golden, caramel brown (about 300 degrees -- takes a bit but then changes quickly – do not burn). Remove from heat. Quickly add butter, soda, salt, and vanilla (mixture will foam up) and stir until butter is melted and incorporated, then pour out onto buttered cookie sheets and quickly spread thin with the back of a spoon. Let cool and then remove (flexible cookie sheets will make this easier) and store in an airtight container.
Santa Claus Cookies
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
1 C melted unsalted butter (do not substitute)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs -- lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blanched and sliced or slivered almonds
Cream sugars and butter. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients, then add almonds.
Form dough into small narrow rolls on waxed paper. Wrap to seal and chill or freeze.
To bake: slice very thin and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown. Cool on wire racks and store in airtight container.
This is one of my most requested recipes; it was Dutch grandmother's Santa Claus Cookie recipe. My mother says you have to have Dutch blood to make them just right, but I think that's just her way of making sure I make them each year. I usually bake some right away and keep some in the freezer for instant warm cookies later.
Enjoy with coffee, hot chocolate or some wassail.
Wassail
2 quarts apple juice
2 cups orange juice
2 ¼ cups pineapple juice
1 cup lemon juice
½ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick (3-4 inches)
1 tsp whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Strain and discard spices. Serve warm.
Makes 3 quarts
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gilgamesh37
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Post by gilgamesh37 on Dec 11, 2019 12:27:31 GMT -5
This changes depending on the year--who's visiting, how Christmas falls, how much time I have, if we're doing a cookie swap at work, etc.
Biscotti - I have about 25 different recipes, mostly sweet. I have a new one for a black pepper - parmesan one I want to try this year--love make ahead cocktail appetizer type things. Buttercrunch and shortbread always, to go in my friend Jim's Christmas box Challah, to be turned into French toast My grandmother's Molasses Cookies a couple years ago I made Smitten Kitchen's Seven Layer Cookies. I loved them, and they look gorgeous--kind of a time-sink though, esp around the holidays
Christmas desert is always such a dilemma for me. It's a holiday dinner, so I'm inclined to do something fancy. But honestly, we're often so full we don't even have dessert, and it ends up something we eat the next day instead of after dinner (we spend Christmas Day largely grazing, except for a late lunch of scalloped oysters always). I've done cheesecakes, fancy cakes, rum cake with the box mix (my father's favorite), cookies, last year I did a big pan-sized deep dish chocolate chip cookie, which smelled amazing warm out of the oven but none of us had room. (it was less amazing cold the next day). I think I may do Mary Berry's simple Yule Log this year, though, just to change things up.
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Post by emma on Dec 12, 2019 23:54:53 GMT -5
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keba
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Post by keba on Dec 14, 2019 7:31:19 GMT -5
Gingerbread Popcorn - recipe found on Joe's Culinary in the Desert - a surprise hit for me several years ago.
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Post by erin elizabeth on Dec 17, 2019 6:42:27 GMT -5
I made these nuts to give to neighbors and wanted to eat them all myself! Especially warm. I used pecans and almonds.
These biscotti are delish! I don't add the chips and then spread melted chocolate on one side.
Peanut Butter Biscotti
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter (4 Tbsp.)
1⁄4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips
3⁄4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt butter and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth; cool. Stir in flour, ground peanuts, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; set aside. Beat eggs in a large bowl with a mixer until light, about 2 minutes. Gradually add both sugars, then beat in the vanilla. Drizzle in the peanut butter mixture and beat until well mixed. Fold in the peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts, and flour mixture until blended. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes to thicken. Spoon half the dough onto a prepared baking sheet and shape into a 4 X 12-inch log (moisten hands with water to control stickiness). Repeat with remaining dough on second baking sheet. Bake both pans for 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Remove and let stand for 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325. Slice logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips, cut side up, on baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Flip biscotti over and bake an additional 8 minutes, or until golden brown; do not overbake. Transfer to rack to cool.
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joanieb
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Post by joanieb on Dec 22, 2019 17:41:31 GMT -5
Keba, Joe’s holiday blog posts were just the best! I’m so glad he left the blog up for his fan club members💙💙💙💙
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Post by Catbatty on Oct 14, 2021 17:54:24 GMT -5
YEAR 2021 !!
It's time to revive this thread, no? HOLIDAYS APPROACHING!! I am gathering up recipes to make for gifting, sharing or eating.  For kicks, today I am ALREADY making some Russian Tea Cakes. (I prefer their other name, Mexican something...Tea Cakes?) I will post the recipe here on this thread soon as I can. I am thinking about making some NUT combinations also. (The spiced kinds for snacking.) Anybody else thinking about making holiday treats? Do you get requests for certain ones?
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Post by wallycat on Oct 14, 2021 19:14:37 GMT -5
Oatmeal ginger snaps from Martha Stewart. I'll have to dig for the recipe.
I don't do holiday baking or much sweet baking but when DH was working and they sent him overseas or over-country, I'd bake these each time he flew back on the weekends. His favs.
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Post by mcgee on Oct 14, 2021 20:09:32 GMT -5
YEAR 2021 !!
It's time to revive this thread, no? HOLIDAYS APPROACHING!! For kicks, today I am ALREADY making some Russian Tea Cakes. (I prefer their other name, Mexican something...Tea Cakes?)? I think they’re called Mexican Wedding Cookies?? |
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margauxspain
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Post by margauxspain on Nov 9, 2021 5:36:04 GMT -5
We are relatively a small family, both my husband and I are only children and we have our parents, and elderly grand-parents on both sides plus twin sons who are both married and have 1 primary school aged son each.
So, our extended Spanish Christmas holidays begin on the 23rd of December and continue through until January 7th.
We always spend the 24th, 25th, 31st, 1st and the 6th, The Epiphany or better known as The Three Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos) with the family up on the Cape of Northern EmPordà, Girona, approx a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Barcelona city.
Our favourite desserts are: Tiramisù, which denotes Pick me Up and is a Sweet Marsala wine and Mascarpone cream spiked with Espresso.
Also, an Italian Cheesecake with either fresh strawberries from the south of Spain, and / 0r Blackberries and Rasberries, from Girona.
Cookies: Our grandsons aged 7 and 8 years old, are avid cookie bakers and they prepare cookies and black Tuscan chocolate brownies topped with assorted nuts.
However, we do not give food gifts to colleagues and dear friends. We usually give them a bottle of good Cava produced 30 km. west of Barcelona in Sant Sadurni d´Anoia or a beautiful bottle of wine or Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
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keba
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Post by keba on Nov 10, 2021 7:08:46 GMT -5
New surprise favorite from last year
On a whim I decided to add a gingerbread man cookie thinking that the grandkids probably would skip over them for the fancier or decorated cookies. At least I would enjoy them!
As I sat in disbelief and much to my surprise, they loved them and kept choosing them! I used the Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookie recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book - maybe that helped.
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Post by wallycat on Nov 10, 2021 11:16:42 GMT -5
Margauxspain, I love that idea of wine or EVOO as a gift!
Can you share the tuscan brownie recipe?
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Nov 10, 2021 11:37:36 GMT -5
we called them Mexican Wedding cakes. my grandmother used to make a cookie called a vanilla bean cookie. very similar but rolled flat and cut out in rounds. I tried making them but they weren't as good as I remembered. she wasnt good at recipes so maybe she didn't record accurately what she actually did.
I'm loving this thread. Ive never had a reason to bake cookies. my DH's family is more attuned to Budweiser and potato chips. cookies don't get any interest. my family is non existent. my mother used to bake 40 kinds of cookies and keep them in tins in a cold attic. when family came to visit, a plate of assorted cookies appeared along with a "highball". Its a pleasant memory from the 1950's.
I made anna's almond roca once and finally had to pitch it because I could not leave it alone. I've worked too hard losing weight to chuck it all by baking goodies that only DH and I will be around to enjoy. I might make one thing so I will watch this thread closely.
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margauxspain
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Post by margauxspain on Nov 10, 2021 12:04:59 GMT -5
Wally Cat,
Would be more than pleased to share the Brownie Recipe however, I have a busy work timetable so, be patient, I shall jot it down to send at the weekend.
Apologies, however, I have a very professional project to finish at moment.
Have a wonderful day / evening.
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Post by wallycat on Nov 10, 2021 12:36:07 GMT -5
Thanks and absolutely zero rush. We don't really "do" holidays, so anytime you get to it is appreciated. Thank you!
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margauxspain
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Post by margauxspain on Nov 10, 2021 16:27:55 GMT -5
Wally Kat,
Recipe from: Website Ambitiouskitchen.com
My mom had found this "Gluten free, lactose free, and processed sugar free" Brownie Recipe. My two grandsons aged 7 and 8, love to prepare cookies and brownies.
So here is the recipe requested.
Ingredients:
1 cup of pitted dates
1/4 cup walnuts
1/ 4 cup pistachios de-shelled
1/4 cup pecans or macademias or brazil nuts or almonds
3 tablespoons of Cacao powder
1 tblsp of melted coconut oil (health food shop)
1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 / 4 tsp. of sea salt or Maldon
1/ 8 of a cup of dried cherries (can sub dried red blueberries or sultanas = gold raisins)
1 tblsp of warm water
Black chocolate for the frosting of the brownie squares (we use Tuscan dark chocolate 85%; however, any top quality chocolate shall work)
They omitted the coconut flakes as they are not fans of coconut.
To Garnish:
1 Tablesp of pistachios
1 tblsp of pecans or other favourite nuts
Sea salt sprinkled on top
Step 1) Add the dates, walnuts, pistachios, pecans or other nuts to the bowl of a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, place in a large Mortar in batches and crush the nuts with a pestle.
2) Take the coconut oil, the cacao powder and process in the food processor until you achieve a chunky and clumpy texture. If dry, add warm water, 1 tblsp or 2 at most.
3) Add the remaining pistachios and dried fruits and pulse until chunky.
4) Add the mixture to an 8 inch x 4 inch approx. loaf pan and line the pan first with Parchment paper evenly towards the sides of the loaf pan.
5) Pour the heated chocolate (use stovetop or microwave to melt the chocolate to a frosting consistency) and press evenly on the nut mixture and towards the sides of the loaf pan.
6) Garnish the squares with walnuts, dried fruits and other crushed nuts.
7) PLACE this loaf pan in the Freezer for one hour. And take it out of the freezer, and sprinkle some sea salt and Enjoy with or without Italian gelatto or icecream.
There is no oven baking process for this recipe. Please check the website: AmbitiousKitchen.com for photographs.
My mom had forgotten to take some fotos of the brownies and my grandsons. We were very pleasantly surprised as the chocolate squares were truly lovely. The kids chose this recipe !!
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Post by wallycat on Nov 10, 2021 17:27:17 GMT -5
THANK YOU!
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Post by Catbatty on Nov 10, 2021 23:12:01 GMT -5
New surprise favorite from last year On a whim I decided to add a gingerbread man cookie thinking that the grandkids probably would skip over them for the fancier or decorated cookies. At least I would enjoy them!
As I sat in disbelief and much to my surprise, they loved them and kept choosing them! I used the Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookie recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book - maybe that helped.
I'm going to go find the recipe and get it into text, unless you tell me we already have it posted. (Please) I have all their mags and books, I think. Excited. Always love finding recipes that get inhaled fast!!  |
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keba
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Post by keba on Nov 11, 2021 5:29:22 GMT -5
Gingerbread cookie recipe - I don't know if it is anywhere on the site so here it is.
Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
ATK 24 cookies
3 cups (15 ounces) flour
3/4 cup packed (5.25 ounces) dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light molasses
2 Tbs milk
1. Process the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. Add the butter and process until the mixture is very fine and sandy, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, add the molasses and milk in a steady stream through the feed tube and continue to process until the dough comes together, about 10 seconds.
2. Divide dough into 2 even pieces and roll each out to a 1/4-inch thickness between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Leave the dough sandwiched between the parchment, stack them on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15-20 minutes.
3. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Working with one piece of dough at a time, gently remove the top sheet of parchment. Cut out cookies using cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheets, spaced about 3/4 inch apart.
5. Bake until light golden brown and show a slight resistance to touch, 8-11 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. (Do not overbake.)
6. Cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (I don't care to bake two cookies sheets at time, so I don't know how well that works.)
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