Simply Cookbooks

Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

Or any time really.   The last minute gift shopping and wrapping is over in this house.  It is time to get down to some serious celebrating of the season!

Our cookies are done, stuffed cabbage done, kielbasa bought, Pierogis are made.  What else?  Not much…except maybe appetizers.  After all when my family gathers for the holidays we “graze” as my daughter likes to tell it.

Here are some grazing appetizers for you to try.

Roll ‘Em Ups. Spread a thin layer of your favorite cream cheese spread on large flour tortillas (you can use plain, herb, sun-dried tomato, or spinach-flavored). Top with thin layers of turkey or roast beef, thinly sliced tomato, and baby spinach leaves. Roll the tortilla up very tightly, similar to a jelly roll. Chill rolls for about 30 minutes, then cut rolls into slices, creating small finger sandwiches.  These are also good after Christmas for snacks, use whatever cheeses you like and thinly sliced ham or turkey.   Great way to use some leftovers.

Where’s the Shrimp? Who doesn’t love shrimp? For a super-easy appetizer, thaw cooked frozen shrimp (or steam, saute, or boil your own raw shrimp). Place bowls of dipping sauces on a platter (such as tartar or cocktail sauce or aioli), then surround the bowls with the cooked shrimp.

Dip This. Every party needs a dip, but here’s an option that’s a little bit more gourmet. Purchase garlic- or basil-flavored oil or make your own variations by stirring herbs, garlic, or grated Parmesan cheese into olive oil. Pour the oil into small dipping dishes and serve with chunks of focaccia or baguette slices for dipping.

Twisted Salsa. Here’s a fun salsa variation that’s almost a meal in itself. Combine drained canned black beans, thawed frozen corn, chopped roma tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, chopped green pepper, and chopped avocado. Toss the mixture with some lime juice, salt, and pepper. If you like, you can also add chopped garlic, sliced black olives, chopped jalapeno peppers, or anything else! Serve with tortilla chips, or just give guests a spoon to dig in!

All of these recipes are from Better Homes and Gardens, one of my favorite magazines.

Happy “Grazing” and have a safe holiday season!

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Two Sundays before Christmas has become somewhat of a tradition in our family for two of our children to come to our house and bake cookies.   Jenn and Pat have done this together for the past 15 years or so.

My husband and I are not allowed to comment, make suggestions, or watch.

This year the results of their afternoon are Swedish Nut Cups, Russian Tea Cakes and of course Thumbprint Cookies.  I am told that our daughter, Jenn, has the perfect size thumb for the Thumbprint cookies.   It is a lot of fun, but the cookies are generally gone within a day or two.

Following are the recipes they used this year.  If you try any of them, try the Swedish Nut Cups, they are delicious!

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1/2 c. soft shortening
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
chopped nuts
1 egg white

Combine shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt. Stir into batter.

Roll into 1 inch balls and dip into slightly beaten egg white.

Roll the balls in the chopped nuts. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 5 minutes at 375°F. Remove cookies from oven and press a thumb into the center of each cookie. Return and bake for 8 more minutes. Spoon jelly or icing into the impression made by your thumbprint.

Russian Tea Cakes (also called Snowball cookies in this house)

Ingredients

* 1 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners’ sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

Swedish Nut Cups
These are really cute and yummy, plus they’re a nice change from typical Christmas cookies.

Dough: Filling:
1 Cup butter,softened(2sticks) 2 Cups chopped pecans
2 Cups flour 2 I5p’PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
2 Soz.pkgs.cream cheese,room temperature 2 eggs
2 CuPs brownsugar,tightly Packed
2 tsp. butter

Dough:Combine the butter,flour and cream cheese together. Mix well. Press tablespoon-sized pieces of dough
into the bottom and up the sides of greased mini-muffin tins. chill at least t hour.

Filling: Preheat oven to 375″. Mix together the butter with brown sugar’ Add the eggs, blending after each
addition. stir in the VANILLA. Add the pecans and stir by hand to combine. Fill the muffrn cups with 1 teaspoon
of filling. Bake at 375″ for 24-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing to completely cool on a
wire rack.

Prep. time: 10 minutes plus chilling time
Baking time: 24-30 minute-s
Yield:4 dozen

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Christmas traditions are part of every family experience. Whether it is spending time shopping, going to parties, staying home with family and friends these traditions are important.

They are important because they give continuity to family. Something you can look forward to year after year. Something your parents did, your grandparents and if you are very lucky your great-grandparents.

In my family it is the traditional cookie baking Sunday. It started when the children were small and the only treat I could afford to give them during the holidays were homemade cookies. The kids and I spent one Sunday making cookies together. We then gave them as gifts to teachers, friends, the local shelter, and the nursing home down the street. The children would make the wrapping out of whatever paper was available even newspaper. Presents came from the heart, not the department store, and because the children helped in making the recipients appreciated the presents all the more.

Since the children have become adults and moved out of the home you would think this little tradition would have been forgotten. The truth is it hasn’t. My daughter who is the oldest and one of my twin sons spend the second Sunday in December in our kitchen making cookies to hand out to friends. They still take cookies to the local shelter for other children to enjoy.

It is a time of much laughter and memories. The recipes have broadened to include some new favorites. One of the newer cookies for them to make is a recipe handed down to me from my grandmother. It is a simple sugar cookie with a twist. The recipe is at the bottom of this article.

This is a tradition that I have passed down to my children and hopefully if any of them have children they will pass down to my grandchildren. Gifts do not have to be store bought, do not have to have a dollar sign attached; they should come from the heart.

During the holiday season take a moment to reflect what you have rather than what you can’t afford and start a new tradition. Maybe it is taking baked goods to a shelter, to a nursing home, give of yourself in little ways and involve your children. Teach them the tradition of giving.

Soft Sugar Cookies (Gram’s Cookies)
½ cup of shortening
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk (best if sour)
pinch of salt
½ tsp of baking soda
2 ¼ c flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
banana 1-2
chocolate chips- whatever feels right to you
Maraschino cherries cut in half.
A little cherry juice

Mix all with a spoon, not an electric mixer. Combine shortening with the sugar. Add egg,, blend in milk and vanilla and a small amount of cherry juice. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix all together very good with large spoon.
Last add 2 mashed bananas and chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls on a lightly greased cookie sheet ( I use parchment paper) and sprinkle with sugar and top each with a maraschino cherry. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

(I want to say that I was luckY that Gram lived with us while growing up, a plate of these cookies was always made for us when we got home from school. She never had a written recipe. Her cup of anything was measured with a coffee cup, her teaspoons with a regular table teaspoon. For that reason these measurement might be a little off. She gave us the recipe towards the end of her life. When the texture looks the right consistency, then you have added enough flour. Have fun and enjoy)

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Just to let you know that Menu Planning Central has some Freebies for you for the holiday season. Take a moment to check them out.

Christmas Gifts for Moms

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