Quad L Ranch Chocolate Layer Bars | Betty's Russian Torte Cookies
Swedish Ginger cookies | Pineapple Squares | Anita's Cherry Bomb Cookies
I have never met a cookie I did not like
By Cynthia Bowan
Every time I think about writing about cookies, for some reason, I hear the Cookie Monster on Sesame Street singing "C is for Cookies, that's good enough for me..."
It must come from having had five children, all of who adored (in their proper time frame) that show. I remember well one sequence where the Cookie Monster went in to a library and asked for cookies and milk. The librarian told him they only had books. So, okay, Cookie then said he would have just cookies. This went on and on with much frustration on the librarian's part and laughter on all of ours.
Well, cookies also mean holidays to me. And the holidays are upon us once again. It seems that more than any other time of year, cookies are a very important, integral part of the celebration (which makes me slightly happy). You see, I am a cookieholic. Yes, I confess. I love them all - from applesauce to zucchini, cut-outs to drop to bar...I have never met a cookie I did not like. I freely write this confession in notes to friends, to my Internet list members, and in my newspaper column.
I have been known to go after a person at a church social just to get their recipe. I have been known to experiment several times to reproduce one that a person would not share. (Is there any other crime during the holidays so heinous, as that of a person who would not share a cookie recipe??? Perhaps - if it is a person who gives you a recipe and leaves out an important ingredient!!!)
I am very particular about cookies. Now, during the year, it is fine and dandy to make your standbys - chocolate chips, brownies, oatmeal, peanut butter. But they all have something in common - they are brown. All right, brown shades. Now there is not one thing wrong with these cookies, but when the holidays arrive, I want COLOR! I want TRADITION! I want different shapes and sizes, different tastes, different textures.
Brown cookies feed the body, holiday cookies feed the soul...
Oh, granted, we need to have those standbys as part of the holidays - what would a cookie platter or tray be without them? But there are cookies that folks only make for special occasions, like one from each of my two sister-in-laws I will shortly share with you. There are cookies which mean Hanukkah or Christmas or...And there are always new recipes to try.
One of our long-standing favorite cookies is a Swedish ginger cut-outs. They are awesome, and we have always had a great time with our children, making and decorating them.
One year, my husband Merrill and I went away for a weekend to Oglebay Park in West Virginia with our couples' group from church. The Christmas light display is well known for its charm and beauty, and a late-night tour was the highlight of the weekend.
Before we left, I mixed up the ginger cookie dough, gave Holly detailed instructions on how to bake and decorate the cookies.
We came back home Sunday night, to find platters of beautiful and unusual cookies waiting. Among the different shapes were large reindeer, about six or more inches in length, with some very strange decorations. A Rudolph nose on each turned out to be a piece of Captain Crunch holiday cereal. Cute, original...but it was the reindeer hooves that really puzzled me.
I picked up one and started to bite into it - just to test it, of course. My mouth was open, cookie en route, when Bethany said, "Are you really going to eat that?" The reindeer stopped, just inches from my lips.
"What do you mean, honey?", I asked.
"Well, I wouldn't eat fish food," she said.
That got my attention. It seems that there had been a small plastic bag of shrimp pellets left on the kitchen counter, destined to go to the family room downstairs where the fish tanks were. Holly thought that it was a bag of All Bran cereal, and thought it would look great on the reindeer.
Needless to say, we did not offer any of them to company. We still embarrass her to this day with that story.
Well, whatever cookies you decide to make (even the tasty brown ones), remember that the key ingredient is Love, something you cannot buy at the store or on the Internet...bring your children and grandchildren into the kitchen and make a batch of memories.
Just make sure there are no shrimp pellets around!
May you and yours Enjoy! the following, and may you have a blessed and beautiful holiday season. Wishing you the very best, and of course, CYH - consider yourself hugged!
Pineapple Squares
1 c. margarine
1 T. shortening
2 T. sugar
3 egg yolks
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. milk
filling and topping
Cream margarine and shortening with sugar and egg yolks. Add dry ingredients
alternately with milk. Spread on greased 15x10" baking pan. Bake 20 minutes at
350F or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Spread cooled filling on top. Top with whipped topping, sprinkle with coconut.
Mark off in small squares; top each with a half of a maraschino cherry. To
serve, place each square in a miniature cupcake paper. These are very, very
rich.
Filling:
Cook 1 large can crushed pineapple with 3 T. cornstarch and 1 1/2 c. sugar
until thickened. (Can size is like 12-14 oz. Not sure exact amount. I also
use pineapple packed in its own juice, not sugar syrup. You can also 2 cans pineapple pie filling instead of making your own.)
Frosting:
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. shortening
6 oz. can evaporated milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Thoroughly cream sugar and shortening. Slowly add milk and vanilla. Beat
well, 5-10 minutes. Have patience - it will get fluffy.
These cookies can also be made with cherry or apricot fillings.
Betty's Russian Torte Cookies
4 c. ground walnuts
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
4 c. flour
3 sticks butter (no substitutes)
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c. milk
2 10-oz. jars apricot filling
5 egg whites
10 T. sugar
Combine first 3 ingredients and mix. Set 1 c. aside for topping. Combine yeast and water. Set aside. Soft flour into bowl, add butter, blend until mealy in texture. Add egg yolks, milk and yeast. Blend and stir batter until it pulls away from the bowl. Place on floured board and knead for a few minutes. Divide dough into 3 sections. Roll first section to measure 15x10". If dough is difficult to handle, roll between waxed paper. Place in lightly greased pans and work to sides for lining. Spread nut mixture over dough. Roll and place next section over nuts. Spread apricot filling over the dough. Repeat rolling with remaining dough, place on apricot filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, beat egg whites and sugar until stiff. Spread mixture on torte and sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Return to oven until light golden brown. Cut into 1" squares.
Makes about 75 squares. Serve in miniature cupcake papers.
Swedish Ginger cookies
2 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. dark Karo syrup
4 1/2 sticks margarine
1 c. heavy whipping cream, unwhipped
2 1/2 T. cinnamon
2 T. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 T. baking soda
1 egg
7 c. flour
Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender. Whip the cream in another bowl, fold in sugar, egg, syrup and spices. Mix well, add to flour.
REFRIGERATE 24 HOURS. If you do not, the cookies will spread when bake and lose shape.
Roll out dough in small amounts, cut in desired shapes. Bake at 375 F for about 10 minutes. Can decorate as desired, or served plain.
Note: for showers, weddings, etc. I make hearts in various sizes. These are delicious.
Anita's Cherry Bomb Cookies
Three 8-oz. jars maraschino cherries with stems, juice reserved
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. flaked coconut finely ground nuts, optional
Cherry Icing:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
cherry juice
enough milk to make a thick glaze
Drain cherries well; reserve juice. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Blend thoroughly; if dough appears dry, add a tsp. of milk. Place a tsp. of dough in the palm of your hand and flatten. Place cherry in center with stem upright. Wrap dough around cherry to base of stem, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350F, 10-15 minutes. Do not let cookies brown. Cool completely. Make icing.
Icing: Combine powdered sugar and cherry juice. Add enough milk to make a thick glaze. Dip cookie into icing, drip off excess and gently roll in coconut or ground nuts. Place on cookie rack to dry before storing.
Note: When the Post Gazette here in Pittsburgh printed this recipe, they said they used 1 T. plus 1 tsp. cherry juice and 1 tsp. milk. Add more of either if you feel the icing is too thick.
Quad L Ranch Chocolate Layer Bars
2 c. chocolate chips
8 oz. cream cheese
1 sm. can evaporated milk
1 c. chopped nuts (opt.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Heat chips, cream cheese and evaporated milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth and melted. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, margarine, 2 eggs and vanilla until crumbly. Press half of dough into greased 13x9" pan. Top with chocolate mixture. Spread remaining dough over top. Bake at 375 degrees, for 35- 40 min. Don't underbake. Cut into bars, makes about 3 dozen.
Note: The original recipe called for almond flavoring. Also, I mix the dough until it becomes smooth. For the top layer, I press small amounts in my hands and patchwork them on top. I omit the nuts.
You can make this with different flavored chips. Mint, raspberry, dark or light chocolate - all are excellent. I have not tried it with peanut butter chips, but I bet that would be good as well.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Quad L Ranch Chocolate Layer Bars | Betty's Russian Torte Cookies
Swedish Ginger cookies | Pineapple Squares | Anita's Cherry Bomb Cookies
