Last Wednesday the boy and I made the trek to my mother’s house to have our annual cookie day.? Of course mom spent most of Monday at doctor’s offices and then Tuesday at the dentist and with the old people so she didn’t get any shopping or planning done.? Of course my mom isn’t big on planning much of anything so that isn’t really surprising.? She phones as I’m walking out the door to go to her house asking what she should buy at the store.? I am trying to load a giant mixer (that we didn’t use), a potty chair (that was over used!), accouterments for a potty training child (ergo changes of clothing) and said small child into the car.? All the while, talking to my mother on the phone and trying to explain that I barely have the brain capacity to hold the phone to my ear and breathe at the same time let alone plan an entire cookie day that is to take place in little over an hour.
I get to my mother’s house and she is prepared with everything except a list of the stuff we are going to make and peppermint extract.? I spent 1/2 an hour pouring over Martha Stewart’s website trying to find recipes using the ingredients we had (which included: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, brown sugar and green, yellow and blue food coloring).? The sum of those things adds up to many variants on sugar cookies.? We all know my history with sugar cookies.? But for the love of gawd I did not drive an hour to make cookies and go home empty handed.? We pressed on.? We made icebox cookies and, much to my chagrin, sugar cookies.? Mom and the boy made almond bark covered pretzels (because I love those) and I covered the cookie department.? At that point I was so used to running the kitchen I kinda took over.? Mom called me a kitchen hog, but she wasn’t serving rum like she did last time so it wasn’t as fun.? Note to my mother: rum.
Feeling a little defeatist in the cookie department I have declared that the boy and I are going to have our own cookie day the Wednesday.? I will pencil that in right between my acupuncture appointment and the Christmas Party with my high schoolers.? Cookie day may spill over into Thursday just because I don’t want to do laundry.
But here’s the problem.? I don’t know what kind of cookies to make.? The trusty husband says chocolate chip.? My theory is that chocolate chip is not a Christmas cookie and besides, I really don’t want to pull out the remaining 10 pounds of chocolate.? Neither of us will eat coconut.? Neither of us believe that nuts should be in cookies, cakes or brownies.? And we really aren’t fans of gingerbread or gingersnaps.? I suck at sugar cookies.? So I need some suggestions.
So far my list of cookies for Wednesday includes:
Rosettes (because I have a fancy new Rosette iron)? and shortbread (all the fun of shapes, but not sugar cookies)
Give me your best shot.? What cookies are your favorites for Christmas?? Remember no nuts, coconut or ginger.
snickerdoodle?
jam thumbprints? (although you are suppose to roll them in nuts, you can do plain or in powder sugar)
But I hate to bake and actually I don’t like sweets much anyway, but we always have jam thumbprints and snickerdoodle are a fav of the girls….good luck.-J
Jenny up there beat me to Snickerdoodles! They are the yummy, cinnamon love of my life. Also Spritz cookies, which just melt like butter in your mouth. Always a good thing!
OMG, make it three in a row for Snickerdoodles!
My all-time favorites. LOVE love love them.
Spritz–You can borrow my spritz maker if needed.
Oh drooling here! Can you send some cookies with the candy?
There are snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, molasses, and peanut butter blossoms (the ones with the hershey kiss on top) – but I have to admit I LOVE LOVE LOVE a good cut out sugar cookie. I HATE to make them but will scarf them off of a cookie tray in a second. Sigh…I haven’t had a cookie yet this holiday season.
Snickerdoodles rock, though I do usually default to chocolate-chip. And fudge, but I suppose that’s more of a candy … You can make the russian tea balls without nuts. Then there’s “balls” … cereal-type things rolled in sticky-type things. Krumkake cookies. No-bake cookies. Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting. Shortbread with gumdrops on them. I’ll ponder for more …
Shortbread and sweet oatcakes are our holiday standbys– sensing the Scottish, much?! Shortbread has an added bonus in that if you choose to not make it in cookie form, but rather just spread it out in a cookie sheet to be chopped into squares later, it can be drizzled with caramel and melted chocolate to make all sorts of sticky, pretty patterns.
Another holiday favourite is a much-loved no-bake chocolate/peanut butter bar recipe; there are about a hundred variations of it out there, but anything in a greased baking pan with some sort of peanut butter/confectioner’s sugar combo on the bottom and melted chocolate chips spread over top will probably get you the desired result; we like to crush ribbon candy and/or candy canes to sprinkle over the top to give them that holiday look.
Mmm, you have me thinking of Christmas kitchens! Now, if only I can rid myself of this sudden craving for ribbon candy . . .
Next time just ask for Rum and cookies! Jeez…………
I’ve never made a cookie in my life so I won’t be any help I’m afraid. I am however very good at eating them and shortbread sounds delicious to me. I want to go to Andi’s house right about now after reading her comment. I’m intrigued as to what a snickerdoodle is.
And you have to come up with this dilemma while I’m in Sweden!!! My awesome little cookie recipe book is at home in my kitchen, but I will find you my latest favorite recipe and translate it for you.
Secondly, you and boy will get to taste my gingerbreadcookie recipe when I come home (as I do plan to make some more even though it will be past Christmas) and I may get you converted on the gingerbread issue.
Good luck!
Peanut Butter blossoms are easy and a classic holiday cookie. My family also makes Buried Cherry Cookies for Christmas (in the Betty Crocker book). We have some other family recipes, too, but I usually let other people take care of those for me!
Snickerdoodles rock!
My mom always makes green Christmas tree spritz cookies and I love those too. I asked for a spritz gun for Christmas a few years ago. It’s still in the box. If I could tube it to you, you could have it!
No gingerbread? Oh man, I’ve had probably 2 a day for many days now. (OK, probably not a good thing, I know.)
p.b. blossoms, but only if I come over with extra hershey kisses and help out! And the rosettes are super fancy, very nice
I’ve e-mailed you my cookie recipe I think you should try.
Let me know if you have questions.
I would definitely recommend the Peanut butter with hershey kisses and spritz. Both are fun for kids to help with.
Belle had a great time rolling the peanut butter ones into balls and then in the sugar before baking. She wanted to put the kisses in but I was afraid she would get burned because I do it at the very end and in the oven.
She also loved to squeeze the trigger on the cookie press for the spritz.
You can hold off of the sugar cookies and candy cane cookies-I have already been instructed that their are cookie plates with my name on them for the neighbors in Oly. Of course I will make extra….
Snickerdoodles would be a good choice and my favorite nephew will love rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture!
I say peanut butter blossoms. They are so good and sooo easy. I am going to email you the best email I have ever gotten….it has every cookie receipe known to man. If you can’t find something good off of this I can’t help you 🙂
Another vote for snickerdoodles. And if you get the hershey chocolate chips that are red and green they can instantly become Christmas cookies!
My other favorite Christmas cookie is the white chocolate cranberry drop cookies that are on the back of the Craisins bag. Yum.
My mom’s butter cookies! Very easy, very tasty, and you can have all the fun of decorating without the pain and headache of sugar cookies! Try ’em, they’re WONDERFUL!!
Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
Mix together and refrigerate. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut out 2-3 inch cookies (cookie cutters are great, but I really like using my ravioli cutter). Return dough to fridge when dough becomes too sticky. Bake 9-12 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Icing:
powdered sugar
milk
1 tbsp butter, maximum
Mix together to desired consistency. Add food coloring if desired.
I forgot I had the molasses cookie recipe online: http://lirri.blogspot.com/2007/09/molasses-cookies.html The cookies are amazing, and very fast. One thing I really like about them is that you can make up the dough and leave it in the freezer. When you want some cookies, just make up a couple – because they’re freezer cookies, you don’t have to worry about adding baking time or warming up before using the dough. Have fun! We’re also doing cookie days this week: we’re making butter cookies on Wednesday (with up to 4 toddlers) and decorating on Thursday. I’ll try to get pictures up this week, but you know how horrible I am with updating my blog!
snickerdoodles – but you know I really came by for the menu. I’m SO excited about my dinner on Wednesday. Thanks!
snickerdoodles, Peanut butter blossoms w/kisses, choc chip, snowballs ( these taste yummy w/pecans) , raspberry thumbprints ( also need nuts)
sorry I am not following the no nut rule am I?
You have the exact same feelings about cookies as I do, so I’m reading for ideas. Snickerdoodles was all I had to suggest and that’s been mentioned 5 plus times.
I was thinking I should make Grace Russian Tea Cakes, but they have nuts, so they are out. Rosettes were my faves as kid, so you’re good to go there. Candy cane cookies are always good…
Peanut butter cookies are some of my favorites. I use the same recipe for Peanut Blossoms and if I’m feelin’ froggy, I will add 3/4 cup baking cocoa to the batter to make Peanut Butter Chocolate cookies. Heck, you could even throw in some chocolate chips to the dough and have Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies. So there are 4 with one recipe. I kind of blew off on the cookie prep this year. I usually buy the annual Better Homes and Gardens cookie issue but I can’t find it anywhere. I happen to have 3 boxes of cookie dough in my freezer that I bought from school fundraisers so I don’t feel too guilty about it.
okay, so does no nuts mean no peanut butter or peanut butter chips either?
I have a couple of good recipes if those rules don’t apply 🙂
We LOVE Buttermilk cookies & Monster cookies, YUM!
What are those cookies that are chocolate with the powdered sugar and when you bake them the powdered sugar turns into “cracks”? I would get off the sofa and look in the trusty Betty Crocker Cookie Book (Red) but I’ve got a dog laying on me.
I am turning my house into a banana bread loaf factory starting tomorrow night. Making mini-loaves to all of my work colleagues.
I’m also a fan of snickerdoodles, and my mom would make rosettes every year.
you are no fun. Next cookie day here you guys should come down. I made spritz, macaroons with hershey kisses on top, chocolate chip sticks dipped in chocolate, gooey bar things with lots of chocolate, shortbread with dried cranberries, and some others. They are the usual….if you need receipes, I’ll fax them to you OR you can wait until we do our christmas and I’ll bring you a plate 🙂
Shortbread, made into 1″x1 1/2″ Rectangle with a gumdrop/spice drop in the middle, upright, like an outie belly button.
Yummy.
Unrelated – Elle if you weren’t married, I would propose. I just tried a (okay 3) truffle and man oh sweet man this pregnant lady is loving you!
Yummy, yummy, yummy for my tummy, tummy, tummy! Yes, I shared with E, and He Who Hates Chocolate said they were “quite good!” Thank you for putting the coffee beans and candy canes on the appropriate truffles! Apparently Quin got a hold of the box and decided to shake it before E could get it away. We were playing “guess the truffle flavor” last night – a fantastic excuse to eat many! Fortunately, the coffee bean identified the mocha (why do people like to ruin perfectly good chocolate with something as nasty as coffee????), the pistachio had obvious nuts on them, and the crushed candy canes were still intact on that flavor, so it just left three that we were guessing at. Very tasty!!! Next year I’ll be ordering LOTS more candy cane truffles! Peppermint and chocolate are such an amazing combination…!
Again, have to come back and pay homage…ate a couple more truffles today and WOW – fabulous! Why didn’t anyone tell me? I can’t believe I only ordered 1 box! The raspberry which I wasn’t expecting to like that much is scrumptious!