Sugar and Spice

            What would the holiday season be without tasty baked goods? We all enjoy having a variety of cakes and cookies to sample and share in December, but most of us don't have time to spend days in the kitchen baking them.

            One way to indulge in an assortment of goodies without all the work is by playing host to a holiday cookie exchange.

            Consider planning your party around the third week of December – after most of the shopping, gift-wrapping and other holiday errands have been completed. That way, you can relax, enjoy a fun-filled afternoon or evening with friends and end up with an assortment of mouth-watering goodies to share with family and friends.

            "I usually tell my guests to bring five dozen of their favorite cookies and an empty large container," said Barbara Oliver, a Smith Mountain Lake resident. "This way, they'll go home with five dozen of an assortment of cookies. All the platters of cookies are set out on a table, and the ladies go around the table filling their containers."

            Depending on how many people attend your party, the number of cookies they take from each platter will vary. For example, if there are 12 people contributing, each person would take six cookies from each platter containing five dozen cookies. Encourage your guests to bring a dozen or so extras to share at the party as well as copies of their cookie recipe.

            Another idea is to have your guests make an extra platter of cookies and deliver them later to a local shelter, retirement community, fire department or police department.

            Get creative when planning your party. Invitations can be made on a recipe card or in the shape of your favorite cookie. Decorate your table with lots of pine cones, small pine tree branches, red, green and gold candles and colorful ornaments.

            When it comes time to bake your cookies, invite your family to help and enjoy a fun day of baking together. Everyone can help wrap your cookies in festive tins or platters with red, green and gold tissue.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• ¾ cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first four ingredients with an electric mixer. Add in egg and then mix. Add last four ingredients and mix with a spoon. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

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Easy Toffee Crackers

Courtesy of Barbara Oliver

 

Cover bottom of a stoneware bar pan or large sheet pan with single layer of unsalted Saltine crackers.

 

In a pot, bring to a boil 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Pour mixture over crackers and spread evenly. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees.

Remove from oven and pour 8-12 ounces of milk chocolate chip morsels over hot toffee crackers. When softened, spread chocolate evenly over top. Sprinkle grated almonds or nut topping evenly over top of chocolate. Chill for 1 hour. Break apart and serve or store in covered containers. Variation: Use graham crackers instead of saltines.

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Rolled Sugar Cookies

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unsifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Set a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

 

Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown, about 1 minute, and pour into a mixing bowl. Add sugar (or Splenda) and oil; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough in half and press each piece into a disk.

 

Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out cookies with small (about 2- to 2 1/2-inch) cookie cutters. Place the cookies about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

 

Bake the cookies in the upper third of the oven, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly golden on the edges, 5-7 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

In large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.

 

Bake 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

 

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Ginger Snaps

• 9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 7 ounces dark brown sugar
• 5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 ounces molasses, by weight
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 4 ounces finely chopped candied ginger

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove and salt.

 

Place the brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.

 

With a 2-teaspoon sized scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined half sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.

 

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheet pan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with all of the dough. Store in an airtight container for up 10 days. If desired, you may scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan and once frozen, place in a re-sealable bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer as above.

 

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Chocolate-Apricot Filled Flakies

 

For the filling:

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

For the dough:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening, cold
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Powdered sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water and melt. Stir in apricot preserves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Scald the milk and allow to cool until lukewarm. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the yeast to the warm milk. Stir milk, egg, and lemon zest into the flour mixture. Divide into four parts. Sprinkle powdered sugar lightly onto work surface. Turn out one portion of dough onto work surface, sprinkle dough lightly with powdered sugar and roll to 1/8" thickness. Cut into rounds with 2 ½-inch diameter round cutter. Place 1/2 teaspoon filling in the center of each round and fold over. Seal edges. Bake 12-15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

 

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Snickers Cookies

• 1 cup margarine
  
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 3 cups flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 60 miniature (bite-size) Snickers candy bars
  
• Chocolate glaze (recipe below)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Cream margarine, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to peanut butter mixture. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into round shape in palm of your hand. Place Snickers bar in center and fold dough around it. Roll in palms of your hand to form a smooth ball with the Snickers bar totally covered with the dough. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. Drizzle top of cookies with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon milk

Mix powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and milk. Add additional as needed to thin mixture enough to drizzle from a spoon.

 

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Peanut Blossoms

• 1 bag (8oz) Hershey's Kisses
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup shortening
  
• 2 tablespoons milk
  
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• Additional granulated sugar

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove candy wrappers.

In large bowl beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended. Add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the additional granulated sugar; place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place kiss on top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.