One More Cookie--for the Holidays and Year Round

The festive Christmas season may seem to have closed out on December 25, but many of us forget that Christmas Day is only the first of the "twelve days of Christmas." If you had great plans for sharing gifts of homemade goodies but got behind in your efforts, this weekend still provides time to get some things made and shared within that 12 day timeline.

This could be the time to stir up some Chex mix variation to be shared in festively tied bags or in quart jars. You might decide to bake a batch of bread (yeast raised or quick bread style, either one) and give small loaves with a flavored butter. And then there is still the option of packaging up the rest of your Christmas cookies, maybe adding a new kind that you can stir up quickly. This holiday baking could be a lot more leisurely now that the gift buying and wrapping is done, and your efforts will keep the wonderful fragrances of home-baked goodies filling the house for another few days.

So here is a bonus recipe, one that is good year round, either plain or with all kinds of toppings that make them just a little special. (And, if you are in the habit of buying holiday-themed candies after the big days, you might be able to get some of these ingredients at budget-tightening prices.) 

Basic Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, with Variations

1 c butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/4 c  water 
1/3 cocoa
 1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t soda
3 c quick oatmeal (not instant)   

flat chocolate candies

1.  Cream the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together, until very light and fluffy.
2.  Add the cocoa and water and stir until well-blended.
3.  Sift the flour and soda together and  to the creamed mixture. Stir in the oatmeal.
4.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a well-oiled baking sheet,  about an inch or two apart.
5.  Place a chocolate  candy on each cookie, pressing lightly to an
chor the candy.
6.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 to 10 minutes--do not overbake.

Variations:

Stir 3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips into the batter with the oatmeal. Omit the chocolate candies on top.
Substitute M&Ms, chocolate kisses, or other candies for the flat chocolates on top of the cookies.
Stir 1 c  finely apples into the batter with the oatmeal.
Substitute 1/2 c oil for 1/2 c of the butter. Reduce water to 2 T.

 

Pfefferneuse aka Pepper Nuts

Tradition, tradition.

When I was a child, my mother always included lots of cookie baking as part of our Christmas traditions. While we often tried new recipes for the festive cookie trays we shared with family and friends, there were two constants. First there were the "cut out" cookies, rolled, cut into Christmas-y shapes and imaginatively decorated. But always, always too, there were the powdered sugar coated "pepper nuts," made from a family friend's  very old pfefferneuse recipe. These were the first cookies made each season, so there would be time for them to season and mellow before serving.

Move forward a generation. My children and I made dozens and dozens of cookies each Christmas--and this is not an exaggeration. In fact, one year we actually reached a goal of 100 dozen; most years though, we were more in the range of 50 dozen or so. While that may sound like a lot, please understand that these were mostly the kinds of cookies that are small, just the right size for a tasting party. And the pfefferneuse recipe we used helped up the total, since we usually were able to get 10 to 11 dozen out of each batch. (The year of the 100 dozen cookies did include a double batch.) Our tradition included stirring up a batch of these on the day after Thanksgiving, the fragrance of the baking cookies ushering in the whiff of Christmas even if there was not yet the evergreen smell of a tree.

Along with the original recipe, I am including my current iteration. I have halved it to a more reasonable sized batch and have substituted half oil for the fat. As we usually have done, I increased the spiciness just a bit too. From the beginning, we have never used citron even though it was included in Ruthie Stewart's original recipe. Long ago I also stopped adding nuts, partly out of economy and because the cookies tasted better to us without them. I don't feel too bad about altering "tradition," since a brief internet search for "pfefferneuse" will reveal almost endless varieties of cookies bearing this same name. About the only thing they all have in common is the inclusion of black pepper in the cookie dough--and that is a really important thing not to omit. (Oh, and the baking sheets on which these were baked--they were my grandmother's, and I love to bring them out especially for these traditional baking times.)

Pepper Nuts for Today

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c dark molasses
1/2 c canola oil
1 egg
1 1/2 T cider or wine vinegar
1 1/2 T water
1/4 t anise oil OR 1/2 t anise flavoring
2 1/2 c flour
1 t soda
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t cardamom
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground black pepper 
1/4 t nutmeg
powdered sugar for coating

1.  Combine the first seven ingredients. Beat until well blended.
2.  Sift together the flour, soda, and spices. Gradually add to the beaten liquid ingredients and stir until very well blended.
3.  Cover the bowl and chill the dough for several hours or overnight.
4.  Roll the dough into small (about 1 inch diameter) balls. If necessary, dust your hands (and the dough) with a little flour if the dough sticks to your hands as you make the cookies. Place about an inch or two apart on cookie sheets.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees about 12 to 14 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies you make.
6.  Cool on racks.
7.  Place a cup or so of powdered sugar in a small plastic bag. Put three to four of the cookies into the bag and shake to coat them well. Shake off loose powdered sugar and return the coated cookies to racks. If desired, you can coat the cookies while still warm and then a second time after they have cooled. Makes about 5 to 6 dozen cookies.

These cookies may be stored for weeks if tightly covered.

 Heritage Pfefferneuse

1 c brown sugar
1 c shortening
2 eggs
1 c molasses
3 T vinegar
3 T hot water
4 1/2 to 5 c flour
2 t soda
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t cloves
1/4 t cardamom
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t anise oil
1/4 t pepper
1 c nuts or citron

Mix molasses, vinegar, and hot water and add to creamed sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add sifted flour and dry ingredients. Roll in balls and bake at 375 degrees. Roll in powdered sugar. Best if made a few days before serving.

Makes about 11 dozen.    

Quick Cookies--for Christmas or Any Season

Many years ago, my sister shared a cookie recipe based on an ordinary cake mix, standard two layer size, any flavor of your choice, and it has been a wonderful go-to cookie for a variety of occasions.

If you do an internet search, you will no doubt find tons of links to similar recipes, but I am including this on my blog today because it works wonderfully for all kinds of last minute situations that seem to come up all too often in this holiday season. Just when  your otherwise orderly life seems to have spun completely out of control, you discover you are only hours away from having to provide a dessert for a meeting, potluck, cookie exchange or whatever.

Oh, it's tempting to stop by the bakery department and pick up a  tray of those pre-decorated goodies, but the cost is high and they will never really match up to "homemade". Instead of going the pre-baked route, try out this recipe. It's quick, budget friendly (especially if you pick up a box or two of cake mix whenever it is on sale), and fun.


 

Oh, and one other great use: As the directions note, the consistency of the dough is very similar to play dough, so you can make these with your kids, rolling and cutting and building memories without having to assemble tons of ingredients. 

Never Fail Cookies

1 cake mix, standard two layer size, any flavor
1 egg
2 to 3 T softened butter
1 T water

1. Stir all the ingredients together, using your hands to finish blending for best results.
2. Choose the style of cookie desired and prepare accordingly. (Except for the refrigerator variation, the dough does not need to be refrigerated before forming.) With all of these methods, allow space between the cookies on the baking sheets, as they do spread while baking.

Molded: Take small, walnut sized pieces and roll into balls. Place on a slightly oiled baking sheet and press down evenly, using a small glass dipped in sugar. (If desired, use colored sugars for this step.) Bake at 375 for 5 to 8 minutes.

Rolled:  Form about one half of the dough into a ball and roll out on a surface that has been dusted with a mixture--about half and half--of flour and powdered sugar. If rolled to an eighth inch or so, the cookies will be quite crispy. Rolled to a quarter inch, the cookies will be softer. Cut with your desired cutters and re-roll the scraps with the remaining part of the dough. Bake at 375 for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies.

Cookie pizza crust:  Choose a cake mix flavor that will blend well with your choice of toppings--a chocolate variation with the candy/chocolate toppings, a white, yellow or lemon with the fruit toppings.
Lightly oil a large pizza pan.  Press the dough evenly across the pan, leaving a slightly thicker amount of dough along the edges. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. To test for doneness, press lightly on the center of the crust. If it does not spring back, allow to bake for another minute or so. (Use three round cake pans for smaller pizzas and adjust the time accordingly.)
When the crust is cool, spread with a thin layer of basic powdered sugar icing and then add toppings--chocolate chips, nuts, M and Ms or other candies, bits of dried fruit, whatever suits your fancy. A "healthier" option would be to artfully arrange rows of strawberry or kiwi slices alternating with blueberries, halved grapes, mandarin orange pieces etc.

Refrigerator  cookies:  Tear off a piece of waxed paper about a 16 to 18 inches long. Form the dough into a log on the waxed paper, rolling it into shape with the edges of the paper. Wrap the log with the waxed paper and chill at least 3 to 4 hours. (If desired, the roll of dough, waxed paper intact, can be put in a freezer bag and frozen for up to a month.) When ready to bake, slice into 1/4 inch slices and arrange on a slightly oiled baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle with colored sugars or sprinkles. Press the sprinkles lightly into the cookies so they don't fall off while baking. Bake at 375 degrees 5 to 8 minutes.


Peanut butter cookies:  Substitute 3 to 4 T peanut butter for the butter in the master recipe and add 1/2 to 1 c coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts to the dough. Roll into balls and press in a criss cross pattern with a fork. Bake at 375 for 5 to 7 minutes.

Chocolate chip cookies:  Add about 1 c chocolate chips to the basic batter before making molded or refrigerator cookies.

(NOTES on photos--these were made from a pink lemonade cake mix that a friend had gotten on clearance. I formed them into the refrigerator cookie roll but then squeezed a few into bell shapes as I put them on the pan. As you can see in the final picture, the cookies expanded enough that most of the bells really didn't end up very bell-shaped. The round cookies turned out so very round because I also shaped those as I put them on the trays. Like I said, the dough is very pliable, so it was pretty easy to make these adjustments.)

And finally, for an interesting look at the background of how we Americans seem to have developed such an overwhelming craving for  cookies at Christmas, check out Minnesota roots of Christmas cookie craving