Cookies are a delicious Christmas tradition, but they weren’t always a Christmas thing. Families were not leaving cookies and milk for Santa Claus until the 1930s. In those difficult times, parents wanted to show the children a kinder way.
And thanks to Queen Victoria, gingerbread cookies became associated with Christmas.
Christmas cookies are small bites so we can enjoy sampling many different ones.
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Christmas cookie exchanges are a popular social event and a way for each person to have a large variety without all the work.
Why not make a cookie Advent calendar? Package the cookies separately and put a number from one to 24 on each package and place them in a decorative box. Mix them all up for the fun of searching through the box.
Cranberry nut tarts
- 1/2 c. butter, softened 125 mL
- 1/2 pkg. cream cheese, softened 125 g
- 1 c. all-purpose flour 250 mL
- 1 egg
- 3/4 c. packed brown sugar 175 mL
- 1 tbsp. butter, melted 15 mL
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 mL
- 3 tbsp. chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts 45 mL
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cranberries 45 mL
In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add flour and continue mixing until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
While the dough chills, make the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the cranberries and nuts.
Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Form the dough into one inch (2.5 cm) balls. Press the balls into the cups of a mini muffin pan so that the dough covers the bottom and sides. Chill for 10 minutes. Fill each one with a generous teaspoon (5 mL) of the filling.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until the edges of the tarts are lightly browned. Makes about 20 tarts.
Butterscotch blondies
The butterscotch chips may be omitted and they will still be delicious. Make browned butter by continuing past melting until the colour changes. It makes a subtle difference in the flavour that is very nice.
- 2 c. all-purpose flour 500 mL
- 1 tsp. baking powder 5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1 c. unsalted butter, browned or melted 250 mL
- 1 3/4 c. packed light or dark brown sugar 425 mL
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 10 mL
- 1 1/2 c. butterscotch chips 270 g pkg.
- 3/4 c. chopped walnuts, optional 175 mL
- coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a nine-inch (22 cm) square pan or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished blondies out. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk the browned or melted butter and brown sugar together. Once completely combined and cooled to room temperature, whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips and nuts, if using.
Evenly spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with coarse sea salt. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs on it. Remove from the oven and cool blondies completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Cover and store leftover blondies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze, cool blondies completely. Cut into squares and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to three months.
Peppermint meringues
If you freeze extra egg whites for another use, this is a good time to use them. Defrost in the refrigerator. Four egg whites are approximately half a cup.
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1 mL
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 mL
- 1 c. granulated sugar 250 mL
- 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract 2 mL
- red gel food coloring
Preheat oven to 200 F (95 C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Beat on medium speed until whites are foamy and soft peaks form, about one minute. With mixer running, slowly add sugar one tablespoon (15 mL) at a time and then increase speed to high and beat until meringue is thick, marshmallow-like, and holds firm peaks, four to six minutes. Beat in peppermint extract.
Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip and fold top back to create a cuff. Using a small paint brush, paint a few thin vertical stripes of red food colouring inside bag. Rest bag in an empty drinking glass to prop it up and then use a rubber spatula to scrape meringue into piping bag. Fold back top of bag and twist top to seal.
Pipe two inch (5 cm) cookies on prepared sheet pans, leaving one inch (2.5 cm) between cookies. Bake until cookies are very crisp and hard to the touch, one and a half to two hours. Turn off oven and let cookies sit in oven until completely cool, about two hours. Makes about two dozen.
Cognac sugarplums
Brandy or rum may be substituted for cognac and these cookies will be just as tasty.
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips 170 g
- 1/2 c. sugar, plus additional for coating 125 mL
- 1/4 c. light corn syrup 60 mL
- 1/3 c. cognac 75 mL
- 2 1/2 c. finely ground vanilla wafers 300g
- 1 c. finely chopped pecans 250 mL
- candied red and green cherry halves to garnish, optional
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and cognac. Stir in the wafer crumbs and nuts to make a paste-like mixture.
Roll into one inch balls. Roll each ball in additional sugar. Press a red or green cherry half into the centre of each ball, if using.
Store in an airtight container. These cookies improve with age. Makes four dozen.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.
