December 18, 2007 - 4:56pm
Christmas Treats
At least in my family, cookies are more of a holiday tradition than breads are. Here are three I am baking this year:
| Cranberry-Orange Oatmeal Drops |
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| Magic Squares |
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| Berlinerkranser |
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How about you?
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Orange Sticky Buns:
and the only cookies so far, though some plain sugar cookies are waiting to be rolled and cut--
Molasses Sugar Cookies:
browndog, are those molasses sugar cookies crisp or soft? I know I'd love them. Any chance you have a recipe for a crisp ginger snap? The orange sticky buns look so good too. Are you having a lot of people for the holidays?
This year only our nearby daughter and family and our Minnesota daughter and her partner are coming home for Christmas. She doesn't eat sugar and I'd love to make a cookie for her. She does eat honey. Anyone know if I can make oatmeal cookies with honey instead of sugar. I'm going to try. I'm thinking of making Floyd's Cranberry Orange oatmeal drops with honey. No sugar frosting though. I have lots of dried cherries I might use instead of cranberries.
Anyway, browndog and Floyd, great looking Christmas treats. weavershouse
You probably could make them with honey. I don't see why not.
The glaze is overkill, IMHO. I made them that way because that was what the cookbook suggested, but I don't think you will be missing much without it.
BTW, My favorite sugar free cookies are these vegan hippy cookies. We eat plenty of sugar and have no issues with chocolate or dairy, but I bake them anyway because they are so good (and are actually better with carob chips than chocolate chips). Give them a try some time!
Hi, Weavershouse--
We are having the family who shares our little hill over for Christmas dinner--something we've been doing for close to ten years now, almost since they moved in (they bought what used to be my parents' house.) The sticky buns were to throw at a triad of teenage boys here over the weekend, to keep them somewhat tame.
I'm sure you can make oatmeal cookies with honey, that's what being hippies was all about, remember? If you like I can troll my recipes.
The molasses cookies are a wonderful texture--crisp like a crisp sugar cookie, not so much crackle as a traditional gingersnap. I owe you, so I will post that recipe, as well as one for a crisp gingersnap from KA's 200th Anniversary cookbook.
Molasses Sugar Cookies
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, melted and cooled
1 c sugar
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
extra sugar for rolling
1. Sift flour, soda, spices & salt.
2. Beat butter and sugar til just combined. Add molasses, then egg.
3. Add flour mixture and mix til thoroughly combined.
4. Gather into a ball, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Shape pieces of dough into 1" balls. Roll in sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2"apart.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375* til set. Let them rest on the sheet for a few minutes. Cool on racks.
Makes 2 dozen.
Gingersnaps
3 sticks butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c dark molasses
4 c ap flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4-6 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
oven 375*
Cream butter and sugar together until light. Add eggs and molasses and beat until fluffy. Combine and add dry ingredients. If you have time, chill for several hours or overnight. (The cookies will still be crisp and gingery without chilling.)
Roll nickel-size pieces of dough into balls, then into granulated sugar, and place them on lightly greased cookie sheets, nonstick if you have them, allowing room for spreading. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Makes 10-12 DOZEN thin, crunchy 'snaps'
Hippy Cookies, I love it. Those look perfect. I haven't bought carob for so long..sigh.
And thanks browndog, both recipes are also perfect. I do remember honey in everything and it did work fine. I seldom use it in place of sugar, I don't know why.
I will be making all these cookies tomorrow and Friday. Last week I got together with my sisters, our daughters and grandkids to make cookies but we mostly laughed and made a mess. Thanks again to you both. weavershouse
I so want to see that. Don't forget the fringed leather purse and the beads.
Wonderful that you have family to share the holidays. Those of us who are left are so spread about that we only gather at funerals these days. *sigh*
You make me eager for grandkids, but don't tell my 16-year-old that.
Good luck, Cookie Lady.
I'm not a big sweets baker but after my daughter prodded me into making a couple batches of fudge and then divinity I thought I would give Floyds cran/orange cookies and the coconut squares a try. Both turned out great, especially the cranberry orange cookies. My 15 year old daughter is showing signs of being interested in knowing the secrets of success in this area so it's fun to joint produce these things.
Well back to it, apple pie next.
Eric