'Tis the season for Christmas cookies

Bakers rejoice in the Christmas season. It is their passion to create tantalizing treats for family, friends and neighbors. Blessed, too, is the person who knows a baker and is willing to lend a hand. In the flurry of Christmas baking, it is wonderful to have someone in the kitchen to admire each batch as it emerges from the oven, assist with the decorating and maybe even gently pack cookie boxes destined to go across town or even around the world.

Many family bakers have cookie recipes that came from generations before them that simply HAVE to be made every year. Certainly our family has a few favorites that will probably grace our holiday tables year after year.

At the same time, most bakers are open to trying a new recipe from time to time. For as cooks and bakers know in their heart of hearts, someone else may have created one more wonderful recipe to add to their culinary collection.

Thus it was with interest and anticipation that I delved into one of my latest cookbook acquisitions, “Christmas Cookies” (published by Oxmoor House, Inc.).

As one might expect, it is a lovely book from the delightfully festive cover to the interesting index and is a cookbook worthy of purchase. About the index: not only are the recipes cross-indexed by types such as drop, bars, et cetera, there is also an index for the many frosting and glazes as well as an index to baking tips. From the Tips Index there is information about Cookie Swaps, Packaging Cookies, Storing Cookies and Baking with Kids in the Kitchen entitled “Making Memories.” Truly, this could be one of those unusual cookbooks… one that meets the needs of several age groups and levels of experience.

In “Making Memories” there are suggestions for specific recipes more easily handled by younger cooks as well as safety and measuring advice. From this chapter the recipe for Gingerbread People Cookies – to be politically correct, they are no longer Gingerbread Men – is especially appealing.

Gingerbread People Cookies

(“Christmas Cookies” cookbook)

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

6 tbsp. sugar

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup molasses

1 large egg white

2 tbsp. dried currants

Decorating

1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. vanilla

Stir together first 8 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes. Add molasses and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Working with 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough in refrigerator), roll each portion to 1/8-inch thickness on a heavily floured surface; cut with 2 ½-inch boy or girl cutter. Place gingerbread cookies 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Arrange currants on cookies as eyes and buttons.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Combine confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a small bowl. Blend well. Spoon into a decorating bag or zip-top freezer bag. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag and decorate cookies as desired. Makes 4 dozen.

The simple melting goodness of Shortbread makes it one of the most desirable of cookies. This is surely a classic that bears annual repetition and might be found in many a baker’s repertoire. Just a few basic ingredients and careful baking yield delicious results.

Basic Shortbread

(“Christmas Cookies” cookbook)

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla

2 ¼ cups flour*

1/8 tsp. salt

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Roll dough to ½-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 2 ½-inch round cutter or Christmas cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 275 degrees for 50 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Note: Unbleached flour is the best quality, freshest flour for baking and is particularly good in simple recipes such as shortbread. All-purpose flour works fine in this recipe, too.

Sugar Crinkles are another simple cookie with a bit of a crunchy top and lacy edge. This recipe makes almost six dozen cookies… a good choice for a Cookie Swap.

Sugar Crinkles

(“Christmas Cookie” cookbook)

1 cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup sugar

Beat shortening and 1 ½ cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add eggs and flavorings, beating until blended.

Combine flour, baking power and salt; gradually add to shortening mixture, beating well. Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in ¼ cup sugar. Place balls on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes or until barely golden. Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 5 ½ dozen.

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These fragrant butter cutout cookies are soft and thick. They may remind you of the old-fashioned tea cakes made in your grandmother’s era. Can’t you just taste them with a glass of holiday eggnog or milk?

Sour Cream-Nutmeg Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

4 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Additional sugar

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add l ½ cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs, beating well. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating well.

Combine flour and next four ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Divide dough into fourths. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (keep remaining dough in refrigerator), roll each portion to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter; place on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 dozen.

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Red and green candied cherries dot these little tender little cookies. A drizzle of a simple glaze makes them just that much more festive.

Cherry Lemon Crowns

(“Christmas Cookies” cookbook)

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 cups flour

1 dozen each candied red and green cherries, halved

Lemon Glaze

½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, lemon rind and lemon juice, beating well. Add flour, beating until blended. Cover and chill dough 2 hours.

Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a 1 ½-inch disc. Press a candied cherry half into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are barely golden. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Drizzle lightly with Lemon Glaze. Let stand until glaze sets. Yield: 4 dozen.

For Lemon Glaze: Stir together confectioners’ sugar and enough fresh lemon juice to make a good consistency. (Glaze should be thick, yet easy to drizzle). Makes enough for 4 dozen cookies.