An Amish Country Christmas (29 page)

I found this recipe in a historical cookbook more than twenty years ago and I’ve never
bothered trying another one: the cookies are spicy and soft and they keep well. The
dough is sticky, however, so you need to roll it out on a day when you’re feeling
patient!

 

½ C. softened butter (no substitutes)
1 C. sugar
2 T. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 T. ground ginger
1 T. lemon flavoring
¾ C. evaporated milk
1 C. molasses
5 C. flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

 

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the flavorings and evaporated milk and blend well.
Add the molasses, and then the dry ingredients until the dough is thoroughly mixed.
Wrap in wax paper and chill overnight (or it’ll keep in the fridge for a few days).

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Working with about a fourth of the dough at a time, roll
out to ¼" thickness on a well-floured surface, rubbing flour on the rolling pin as
needed (patience, remember!) and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake 7–8 minutes on
pans lined with parchment paper—don’t let them brown!—and allow to cool for a minute
on the pan before removing them to a wire rack.

 

Frost/decorate with the buttercream recipe included here for Sugar Cookies, and allow
the frosting to dry/set up. Store between sheets of wax paper. Freezes well. 7–8 dozen.

I used this recipe in WINTER OF WISHES, but it bears repeating here: this is the cookie
that turns an ordinary cookie tray into a fabulous display of Christmas cookies! I
usually make five to six batches of this dough, adding paste coloring and flavored
gelatin (see note below). I make and chill the dough one day, bake the cookies another
day and store them in a covered container, and then decorate them the next day because
it takes that long to finish about 13 dozen of these!

 

½ C. butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 C. sugar
1 egg
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

 

Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Combine
the dry ingredients and gradually add them to the dough until it’s well blended. Tint
with paste food coloring, if desired. Wrap dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and
refrigerate it for at least 3 hours (it will keep for several days, until you have
time to bake). Preheat oven to 350°. Work with half a batch at a time: roll to about
¼" thickness on a floured surface, then cut with cookie cutters. Place 1” apart on
a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake 7–8 minutes for softer, chewier
cookies and 9–10 minutes or until lightly browned for crisp cookies. Cool on the pan
for a minute and then remove with a spatula to a cooling rack. Makes 2–3 dozen.

 

Kitchen Hint
: For flavored sugar cookies, add a 3 oz. package of sugar free gelatin to the dough!
I make green dough with lime, yellow dough with peach or orange, and dark pink dough
with cherry gelatin. If you use regular sugar gelatin, reduce the sugar in your recipe
by a couple of tablespoons.

This is the recipe I learned long ago in a cake decorating class. I love it because
it doesn’t taste like shortening, and it dries firmly when you decorate cookies or
cake. It also freezes well in a covered container if you have any left over.

 

½ C. milk
½ C. softened butter (no substitutes)
½ C. shortening
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon flavoring
6–8 C. (about a pound) confectioners’ sugar

 

In a mixing bowl, blend the milk, butter, shortening, and flavorings. Blend in the
sugar a cup or two at a time, scraping the bowl, until the frosting is thick and forms
peaks.

 

For colored frosting, use paste coloring to maintain a thickness that will hold its
shape during decorating. Makes enough to decorate/frost 6 batches of sugar cookies,
or a cake.

 

Kitchen Hint
: I divide my frosting into 4 or 5 plastic containers and color one batch with deep
pink, one batch with yellow, one with green, one with sky blue and I leave some white.
Then I get out my pastry bag and decorating tips, the sanding sugars, jimmies, and
miniature M&Ms, and I
play
! Let the decorated cookies dry/set up before you store or freeze them.

Here’s the perfect Christmas combination: a chocolate chip cookie you roll and cut
into shapes! This came from a Nestle’s ad, years ago, and is still one of my favorites.

 

1 C. butter, softened
½ C. brown sugar
½ C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg yolk
2½ C. flour
2 C./one bag mini chocolate chips, divided

 

Cream butter, the sugars, and the vanilla. Beat in the egg yolk and gradually add
the flour. Stir in 1½ C. of the mini chips. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill at least
a couple of hours (overnight or longer is fine, too).

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Allow the dough to warm for a few minutes. On a floured surface,
working with one chunk of dough at a time, carefully roll to ¼" thickness and cut
into shapes, pressing the dough together again if it separates around the chips. Use
a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake about 9 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Cool on pan for a couple of minutes
before transferring to a wire rack.

 

Frost/decorate with chocolate buttercream: melt the remaining ½ C. chips in a microwave
safe bowl and stir in 1 C. of already-made buttercream (or store-bought) frosting.
Pipe it on with a pastry bag.

 

Kitchen Hint
: I have dumped the entire bag of mini chips into the dough, but discovered that more
is
not
better! You can have too many chips in this dough!

Wow, but these are the most fabulous, dense brownies! And who can refuse that extra
little jolt of java? No frosting required, but if you want to dust them with powdered
sugar while they’re still warm, it’ll add a snowy effect.

 

1
C. butter (no substitutes)
C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. instant coffee crystals or espresso powder
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1½ C. flour
1 C. semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9 x 13” pan. Melt/ microwave butter and stir in cocoa
powder and coffee. Stir in the sugar, then stir in the eggs one at a time and add
vanilla—stir this mixture until well blended. Stir in the flour and then the chocolate
chips and cinnamon. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for about 25 minutes or
just until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
Cut into bars or triangles. 4 dozen.

 

Kitchen Hint
: Use a mixer on low speed if you don’t want to do all this hand stirring.

Light, fruity, and very easy to make!

 

2 orange cake mixes
1 box (3.4 oz.) of orange or lemon instant pudding
1 C. oil
4 eggs
1 8 oz. box of chopped dates
1½ C. chopped pecans or sliced almonds

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the above ingredients, except for the nuts, and spread
the dough in two 9 x 13” pans or in a 10 x 17” pan that have been sprayed. Sprinkle
nuts over the batter and lightly press them in. Bake for about 20 minutes, just until
the center is firm. Cool in the pans.

 

Drizzle
: Mix 1 C. powdered sugar with enough milk to make it pourable, and add a shake of
salt, and vanilla, lemon extract or almond extract to taste. Drizzle over top of the
cooled cookies and cut into bars.

Who can resist the classic combination of moist chocolate, gooey caramel, and pecans?

 

1 brownie mix (9 x 13” size)
1 pkg. of caramel bits (Kraft makes them)
C. whipping cream
2 C. coarsely chopped pecans, divided

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the pan with foil so it extends up the sides and over
the ends, then spray the foil. Mix the brownies according to package directions, then
spread half of it in the prepared pan and bake it for 20 minutes or until just firm
to the touch.

 

Meanwhile, microwave the caramel bits and whipping cream in a microwavable bowl on
high for 2 minutes, stirring after the first minute. When bits are mostly melted,
keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 C. of the pecans. Spread this
mixture evenly over the partly baked brownie crust, then crumble the remaining brownie
dough evenly over this (caramel mixture will show through) and sprinkle on the remaining
pecans. Press lightly. Return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes or until the
top is firm. Cool completely in the pan. Lift the brownies by the foil “handles” and
then peel away the foil before cutting to serve. 2 dozen large or 4 dozen smaller
brownies.

These drop cookies are best described as a lot of “stuff ” held together with a little
dough. I bake them year-round, but for Christmas I use red and green M&Ms.

 

1 stick butter or margarine
½ C. sugar
¼ C. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1¼ C. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
2 C. M&Ms (mini baking chips OR regular-size candies)
1 C. raisins
1 C. chopped peanuts

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter
and sugars until fluffy, then mix in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and then stir
in the candies, raisins, and peanuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons, about 2 inches
apart. Bake 10–12 minutes, or until firm. Cool for a couple minutes on the baking
sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Makes about 30.

This has become one of my favorite recipes over the years because I never tire of
biting into one of these frosted cookies to discover that hidden chocolate mintiness
inside. I triple the ingredients to make about 8 dozen, so I don’t run short. If you
tint the frosting bright pink, yellow, or green before pressing them into jimmies
or sanding sugar, they’ll really stand out on a cookie tray.

 

½ C. sugar
¼ C. packed brown sugar
¼ C. shortening (Crisco, for instance)
¼ C. butter or margarine, softened
½ tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1
C. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
About 2½ doz. Andes mints, unwrapped

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the sugars, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg in large
bowl. Add the flour and soda. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each mint, covering
the corners and pressing together any cracks in the dough. (Be patient! It’s worth
it!) Place the cookies about 2” apart on baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
Bake 8–9 minutes or until barely golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

 

Frosting
: 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 T. plus 1 or 2 tsp. milk, ¼ tsp. vanilla or almond extract,
plus food color, if you want. (You can also use the buttercream recipe included in
this section.) Frost the centers of the cookies and press into jimmies, sanding sugar,
etc. to decorate them. 1 batch makes about 2 dozen.