Christmas Cookies

[badger]

I find myself with an inordinate amount of spare time (forced vacation and not being well enough to play outside) and want to utilize this unusual situation. I want to bake some Christmas cookies...

Do you have any recipes (cookies or otherwise) that you can post? Bonus points to traditional German cookies like butterhorns and pfefferneusse. The ones I looked up online just doesn't sound all too appealing.

[Red Rock]

Well, I have to make some cookies for a woman's group that I belong to, for this weekend. I was brainstorming something that was not super sweet and somewhat healthy. So here is my idea:

Use phyllo dough from store. Fill X number of mini cupcake holes with dough. Cooke for 10-15 min. Mix together homemade recipe for granola bars. Include dried bananas, orange or papaya, perhaps coconut too. Put granola mixture into phyllo cups. Cook another 10-20 min. Take out. Cool. Ice with chocolate or white chocolate icing. Decorate with other fruit pieces and perhaps chocolate decoration.

Eat and be full without the sugar rush.

Hope this helps all cookie makers at TE:D

Red Rock

[jessmarimba]

I have a copy of the cookbook Mom made our Christmas cookies from when I was a kid. I just made Jam Thumbprints and will do the Spritz (cookie press) cookies once I buy more eggs.

It has a pfefferneusse recipe right after the jam thumbprints. I haven't tried it but I'd be happy to copy it here if you're interested! (I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like so I can't even look at it and see if it's any good).

[jessmarimba]

Meant to ask - for any of you higher altitude TE-ers out there - what can I do to alleviate the crumbliness of the cookies? They come out drier than I'm used to but when the only liquid is two egg yolks, I'm not sure how to add more. I'm used to cutting down baking powder a bit but should I also cut out some of the flour when I can't add more liquid?

[withm]

I have a copy of the cookbook Mom made our Christmas cookies from when I was a kid. I just made Jam Thumbprints and will do the Spritz (cookie press) cookies once I buy more eggs.

It has a pfefferneusse recipe right after the jam thumbprints. I haven't tried it but I'd be happy to copy it here if you're interested! (I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like so I can't even look at it and see if it's any good).

I love pfefferneusse cookies and would love the recipe for these! If you could post this, that would be great!

[colby]

We make butter cookies with buttercream frosting at christmastime. I think the one we've been using is an Emeril recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/emerils-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html (often we thin the frosting, though, or it's from a recipe that's more thin than that one). They always end up the right mix of crunchy and soft.

We always separate the frosting and make different colors, and I'll often make the red or green pepperminty.

Mmm, almost time!!

[Melalvai]

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392253_10150502842625930_536270929_11086730_87988315_n.jpg

[jessmarimba]

I love the mouse cookie!

I'll try to remember to get the pfefferneusse recipe for you guys after work. It has been a crazy week so far. Can't wait til school kids are on break b/c I get 3 weeks off from teaching (the second job)!

[Susan]

By Butterhorns I suppose you may mean what I know under the term "Vanillekipferl" (you can take a look at http://www.vanillekipferl.com). This is the traditional recipe my family uses - you'd have to convert the measurements:

200g(gramm) butter
250g flour
125g ground nuts (one half almonds, the other walnuts)
70g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Knead everything together, cover it up and let it sit for some time.

Then form horns by rolling small strings from the dough and bending them.
Bake for about 10 Minutes (until the ends start getting a bit dark) at 180° (about 350 °F).
Let them cool a bit, then roll in powdered sugar mixed with some vanilla sugar. Be careful they break easily :)

[Owlie]

Susan, those sound tasty.

[Reesha]

Oh man this is making me hungry. In lieu of cookies this year, I am making little pots of handmade dark chocolate 'nutella' (without hazelnuts for nut sensitive folks). I used to get it from the bakery all the time in Belgium and nutella just doesn't do it for me. It will always taste like the cheap alternative to the good stuff.

However, I am personally partial to thumbprint cookies with walnuts.

For a healthy alternative, raw coconut macaroons are super delicious. :)

[Blueberry]

Reesha-

Is that something you are making?? If so, could you share the recipe:) Pretty please:)

[Reesha]

for the crafty, I will translate this belgian recipe for real choco spread!
http://www.smulweb.nl/recepten/1025953/Choco-home-made
It is laughably easy and far more delicious than nutella

250 g/8.9 oz high quality dark chocolate
250 g/18 Tbsp butter (Plugra or another kind of cultured butter is the best kind if you can find it)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Make sure you have a bunch of containers cause this makes a lot!

In a pyrex bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on half power for a few minutes, but I'm going to suggest a double boiler on the stove.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and mix carefully until it becomes a smooth homegenous spread.
Pour the substance in mason jars for serving and storage (definitely do a wide mouth for knife access) and it will need to be refrigerated.

In Belgium we would take the choco out of the fridge when we first woke up so it would be spreadable by breakfast :)

http://www.thalsfm.be/upload/659_1273674717.jpg

[jessmarimba]

Sorry. It has been a crazy week. I pop in here at work when I need a break but never have the cookbook then :)

3/4 c light molasses
1/2 c butter
2 beaten eggs
************
4.25 c sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1.25 teaspoons soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash pepper

Combine molasses and butter in saucepan; cook and stir till butter melts. Cool to room temperature. Stir in eggs.

Sift together flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. Add to molasses mixture, mix well.

Chill several hours or overnight.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Cool, roll in confectioners sugar. Makes 4.5 dozen cookies.

Sounds yummy but like I said, I haven't tried it. If I ever find myself with molasses I think it'll be up there on the list!

[badger]

By Butterhorns I suppose you may mean what I know under the term "Vanillekipferl" (you can take a look at http://www.vanillekipferl.com). This is the traditional recipe my family uses - you'd have to convert the measurements:

200g(gramm) butter
250g flour
125g ground nuts (one half almonds, the other walnuts)
70g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Knead everything together, cover it up and let it sit for some time.

Then form horns by rolling small strings from the dough and bending them.
Bake for about 10 Minutes (until the ends start getting a bit dark) at 180° (about 350 °F).
Let them cool a bit, then roll in powdered sugar mixed with some vanilla sugar. Be careful they break easily :)


thank you! do you have any more recipes for Christmas cookies?? My dad was from Austria so my mother made a lot of baked things from Austria.

[malkin]

For high altitude, the best baking cookbook ever is PIE IN THE SKY by Susan G. Purdy. She explains how and why stuff works and fails with descriptions of how to modify and test your favorite recipes. Then she gives variations of each recipe for sea level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet.

[Susan]

I can get you a lot of recipes if you want to :) I will have to ask my mum for recipies. Do you maybe have a favorite?

Another one:

Linzerradeln (on the right side in the picture; Vanille Kipferl in the middle)

300g flour
225g butter
100g ground almonds
125g powdered sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
a pinch of salt

Knead everything together (if it is too dry, add a Tablespoon of milk).
You need a bigger round cookie cutter and a smaller one for the hole in the middle - cut all the cookies with the bigger cookie cutter and use the smaller one on half of them.

Bake about 10 minutes (350°F) until light brown, let them cool.

Spread jam (any kind you like - I like raspberry or strawberry) on the cookies without hole, put one cookie with hole on top and coat with powdered sugar.

[badger]

thank you Susan :)

I'm going to try the kipferl today. I spoke to my mom and she said that the one I remember is kipferl, but she was too lazy to make the horn shape, so she made them into balls!

I'm going to be busy baking today!

[Susan]

When we made the Kipferl last yearsome wouldn't stay in a nice shape, so we ended up making some Vanilla-Cubes too ;)

I hope yours turn out well :)