Christmas Cookies
We are getting ready for Christmas over here, and counting down the days! I'm sure some of you are too. One of our favorite traditions every Christmas involves the making of our cookies. We usually make them in advance to have them ready for Christmas Eve.
I freeze some of them and leave the rest out for the kids to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate. And on the morning of Christmas Eve, we get the frozen out to thaw and be ready for Santa and the reindeers.
I like having an assortment of homemade cookies for Christmas. We make gingerbread, spitzbuben, vanillekipferl, apricot pinwheels, and classic sugar cookies. And yes hot chocolate too!
It's even more fun when I get the kids in the kitchen to help, or a willing friend to accompany me in the kitchen with a glass of champagne.
Happy Holidays!
GINGERBREAD MEN1 cup butter, softened1 cup sugar1 1/2 tsp. baking soda1 cup molasses5 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 Tbsp. ground ginger1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon1/2 tsp. ground allspice1/4 tsp. salt1. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.2. Stir together baking soda and 1/4 cup water until dissolved; stir in molasses.3. combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Shaper mixture into 3 discs; cover dough and chill 1 hour.4. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut gingerbread men. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool completely.6. Spoon royal icing {recipe follows} into a small ziplock bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Decorate as you wish. You can pipe eyes, mouth, and buttons onto cookies. Top buttons with cinnamon candies {optional}.ROYAL ICING3 cups of powdered sugar2 egg whitesMix until smooth.VANILLEKIPFERL (Almond Cresents)Ingredients:2 cups flour1 cup ground almonds or walnuts1/3 cup sugar1 package vanilla sugar or 1 tsp. vanilla extract1 1/4 cup cold butterTopping:1 cup powdered sugar1 package vanilla sugar (optional)Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend flour, sugar, almonds, and vanilla. Cut in cold butter and work quickly into a smooth dough. Shape into small balls about 1 inch in diameter or into crescents. Bake for 20 – 23 minutes. Adjust the baking time depending on size of cookie. Let cool completely and roll into topping.SPTIZBUBEN3 cups all-purpose flour1 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened1 1/4 cups powdered sugar1 1/2 cups ground hazelnuts1 egg1 tsp. vanillaRaspberry jam1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.2. Combine all dry ingredients together.3. Whisk your egg and add to dry ingredients along with butter.4. Mix with your electric mixer. Divide dough in 3 batches and chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.5. Flour your surface and roll out your dough and cut out your cookies using a cookie cutter.6. Place them on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 9 min or until slightly golden at the edges.7. Let cool for 5 minutes or so and spread jam on one cookie and top it with another one to make a sandwich.8. Finish off with a simple coating of powder sugar.APRICOT PINWHEELS1 cup unsalted butter1 package cream cheese1/4 cup granulated sugar1/2 tsp. salt2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Prepare Cream Cheese Dough:1. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.2. Beat in granulated sugar and salt until mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour until blended.Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until dough is firm enough to roll. (Or, place dough in freezer 1 hour.)Prepare Apricot Filling:If preserves have any large pieces of fruit, finely chop. Finely chop dried apricots. In small bowl, combine preserves and apricots.1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.2. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator; let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly.3. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 10 1/2-inch square. Trim edges to make a 10-inch square.4. With sharp knife, cut dough into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares. Place squares, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. With knife, make 1-inch cut from each corner of each square toward center {do not cut all the way to center}.5. Spoon 1 scant measuring teaspoon filling in center of each square. Fold every other corner tip of dough in to center to form a pinwheel, pressing tips to hold in place.6. If you like, sprinkle cookies with sugar crystals and place cherry strip on center of each.7. Bake cookies 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, filling, and, if you like, sugar crystals and candied cherries. Store cookies in tightly covered container, with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 4 days, or in freezer up to 3 months.
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color.3. Add egg and milk and beat to combine.4. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.5. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.7. Sprinkle surface with powdered sugar. Remove one wrapped dough and sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar.8. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shape.9. Place at least 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.10. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.11. Let sit on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.12. Cool completely and decorate* if desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.*Use Royal Icing recipe above to decorate.