Christmas Baking
Every Christmas we have three traditional goodies that we make. First, I make sugar cookies made in the shapes of bells, trees, Santa, snowmen, candy canes and angels. Then I decorate them. When my girls were little, they were thrilled when they got to help frost the cookies and put sprinkles on them. Now they consider it a chore when they come to my house because they have already made them on their own. Here's the recipe for the BEST sugar cookies around.Basic Sugar Cookies
4 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. milk
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cream together butter and sugar: add eggs and beat until smooth and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately. Chill cough until easy to handle. Roll out dough on floured board and cut to desired shape with cookie cutter. Decorate as desired.
Another favorite is Chocolate Nut Caramels. My grandmother made them when I was a kid, and we've passed the recipe down through the generations. These are a tasty treat.
Chocolate Nut Caramels
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups white corn syrup
2 cups cream
3 squares of bitter chocolate, cut in small pieces
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, syrup, butter and one cup of cream in a large pot such as a dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a brisk boil. Slowly add the remaining cup of cream so that the mixture doesn't stop boiling. Boil until a thread is brittle in cold water. Or if you have a candy thermometer, boil until it is a soft ball. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and nuts. Beat until the chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and pour into a shallow buttered pan to cool. When cool, but into 1 inch squares.
Finally, my husband makes Rozak. This is a nut roll that his dad used to make at Christmas. Since my father-in-law has passed away, my husband carries on the tradition. This is definitely a family favorite.
1 1/2 cups white corn syrup
2 cups cream
3 squares of bitter chocolate, cut in small pieces
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, syrup, butter and one cup of cream in a large pot such as a dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a brisk boil. Slowly add the remaining cup of cream so that the mixture doesn't stop boiling. Boil until a thread is brittle in cold water. Or if you have a candy thermometer, boil until it is a soft ball. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and nuts. Beat until the chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and pour into a shallow buttered pan to cool. When cool, but into 1 inch squares.
Finally, my husband makes Rozak. This is a nut roll that his dad used to make at Christmas. Since my father-in-law has passed away, my husband carries on the tradition. This is definitely a family favorite.
Rozak
1 pound of light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 large can of evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp. maple flavoring
3 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
My husband adds cinnamon to taste
Make roll dough mix or use Pillsbury dough from the dairy case. You will need enough dough for four large rolls. Roll the dough into a 9x14 rectangle.
Mix sugar, flour milk, and margarine and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Fold in remaining ingredients. Let mixture cool slightly before spreading on the rolled out dough. Roll up like a jellyroll. Pinch ends to hold filling. Place on a cookie lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the with melted butter as soon as removed from the oven.
What are some of your favorite Christmas goodies?
1/4 cup flour
1 large can of evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp. maple flavoring
3 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
My husband adds cinnamon to taste
Make roll dough mix or use Pillsbury dough from the dairy case. You will need enough dough for four large rolls. Roll the dough into a 9x14 rectangle.
Mix sugar, flour milk, and margarine and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Fold in remaining ingredients. Let mixture cool slightly before spreading on the rolled out dough. Roll up like a jellyroll. Pinch ends to hold filling. Place on a cookie lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the with melted butter as soon as removed from the oven.
What are some of your favorite Christmas goodies?
Labels: baking, chocolate caramels, Christmas cookies, rozak
posted by Merrillee @ 4:38 AM
3 Comments:
thanks for the sugar cookie recipe, Merrillee. We make these every year, too.
Merrillee,
I'm softening butter as I type so I can start preparing cookie dough. Saturday is my baking day. I'll probably frost the sugar cookies on Sunday, though. The caramels sound wonderful!
I've been looking for a good sugar cookie recipe! Thanks, Merrillee! I used to make gingerbread houses, with gummybear roofs, fudge-covered oreo fences, stacks of tootsie roll logs, and whatever other candy I'd purchased that year iced to the walls, with little frosting icicles hanging from the edge of the roof.
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