Annette Baal - Kanata ON
Merry Christmas. Great new set folks, and you all are doing a
terrific job. I am actually making these cookies right now. The recipe
is a family favourite from my Dutch grandmother. It is especially
poignant to make them now because she died in May of 2002 and my
grandfather followed her three weeks later. We still miss them a lot
but when I make these cookies, I remember all the love they gave me
and my sister, my mom and my dad, and how much we looked forward to
these cookies every Christmas.
Ice Box Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 -3/4 cups of walnut bits
1/2 cup EACH of green and red maraschino cherries, chopped
Method:
1. Cream butter, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and vanilla.
2. Add chopped cherries and walnut bits.
3. Mix well by hand.
4. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion into a long
(log)
roll.Wrap in wax paper.
5. Leave in refrigerator overnight until firm.
6. Slice (approx. 20 cookies per roll) and place on ungreased cookie
sheet.
7. Bake at 350 F for 7 minutes.
Enjoy!
Mary Brown - Smithfield, NB
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup margarine (hard squares; I use Parkay)
3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 pkg. Jello brand Vanilla Instant Pudding mix
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use Hersey Chipits)
Method: Cream margarine and sugars together. Add beaten
eggs, pudding mix, and vanilla and mix. Sift together the flour, soda
and salt and add to mixture, along with the chocolate chips, and mix
again. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for
12-15 minutes. Enjoy.
John Parker - Hamilton Ontario
Shortbread
1 egg yolk
1 lb butter
1 cup fruit sugar
1 cup rice flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
Allow butter to soften overnight (or microwave equivalent). Mix
ingredients, one at a time, thoroughly, probably resorting to mixing
by hand when you have added the all-purpose flour and it is too thick
for your mixing tool. Press and roll the mixture into a 12”´18”
aluminum pan (commonly called a jelly roll pan). Fork the entire
surface through to pan. Bake in a 275°F oven for 1½ hours. Surface
should have a slight golden covering when removed from oven. Cut into
pieces immediately on removal from oven. This should yield
approximately 100 pieces of shortbread.
Yvonne Groff - Eriksdale, MB
Watch your show every morning; here's my entry to the holiday
cookie recipe. It's an old family recipe and after you've eaten all
the shortbread, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate desserts these
are a refreshing change of flavour. Hope you enjoy them!
Ginger Sparklers
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
Cream until light & fluffy.
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
2/3 cup cut up candied ginger (crystallized ginger)
Measure and sift dry ingredients, stir thoroughly, add candied
ginger. Shape into 1 inch balls, roll in white sugar. Place on greased
cookie sheet. Press with fork. Bake at 375 degrees F. 8-10 minutes.
Chris Caletti - Ottawa, Ontario
I hope you with "FLIP" over my favourite Christmas cookie.
CHERRY FLIPS
3/4 cup soft shortening
1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Add salt, extract,
flour and nuts. Mix well. Chill dough 15 -20 minutes. Shape into
balls, and top each ball with a cherry half (red or green!). Bake @350
on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 - 15 minutes. While still warm, roll
in icing sugar. Enjoy!!
Katie de Vries - Wellesley, Ont.
Below you will find the best ever recipe for shortbread cookies
anywhere. It was given to my mom by a neighbor of my grandmother about
35 years ago in Montreal and we have made it every year since. We
lovingly refer to it as Mrs. Gorrings shortbread. As far back as I can
remember we would visit our grandparents every summer and no matter
what month of the year Mrs. Gorring would always make these cookies
for us.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (no Substitutes)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 cup flour
cherries for the top
cream butter
Gradually add icing sugar,corn starch and flour whip using an
electric mixer for at least 10 minutes. Drop by teaspoon onto greased
cookie sheet and top with cherry (or chocolate chips) . Bake at 325
for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. They will melt in your
mouth and keep you coming back for more. Enjoy!
From the kitchen of: Grandma Jean Stanley - Arbroath Scotland
Laurie B - Langley BC
Number of servings: 4 rounds(8pc ea)
Preparation time: 15 min
Bake at 275 - 300 for 50-60 min.
METHOD & INGREDIENTS
Soften ½ cup each butter & margarine
stir in ½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk - DO NOT BEAT
Add approximately 2 cups flour, a bit at a time till too stiff to
stir.
Knead very lightly on a floured board.Separate into four equal
balls. Pat into discs and roll evenly to ½ inch thick (will spread
while cooking). Place on lined cookie sheet. CHILL at least ½ hour.
Score into eight wedges. Prick with fork around edge, and make
decorative star.Bake in slow oven until lightly brown at edges and
firm in the centre. If necessary, trim to fit gift tins while still
warm. Cool completely on racks, wrap in wax paper and keep in a cool
dark cupboard from 2 weeks to a month.
Stephanie Teasdale - Calgary, Alberta
It is best to mix these with a big wooden spoon by hand the old
fashion way!! This recipe makes a tonne of cookies, perfect for a
cookie exchange at work or for husbands and all of their friends who
arrive at your house dirty and sweaty after a day of mountain biking
in the Rockies!!
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup golden brown sugar (packed)
2 cups stick margarine or butter, softened (butter is best!!)
2 large eggs
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup pecans pieces
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Skor pieces
1 cup peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips (or use both
for real fun)!
1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Mix sugars, butter, and eggs in a large bowl until well blended.
Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be stiff but it
is good pre-workout to work up your cookie appetite. Stir in the nuts,
chips, and Skor pieces.
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie
for giant big fun cookies!!) about 2 inches apart. (Air insulated
cookie sheets work the best!).
4. Bake the first batch for about 10-12 minutes or until light brown.
The center of the cookie will still be soft but the cookies will
continue to bake on the pan when out of the oven. Let sit on the
cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to
cool (if you can let them be!!).
5. Pour large glass of milk or coffee and put your feet up and enjoy.
Well there it is folks, the secret to my cookie success....enjoy!!
Sheila Taylor - Hanna, Alberta
Ginger Sparkles
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
white sugar for rolling
Sift together dry ingredients. Cream shortening and gradually add
sugar. Add rest of wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Dough
will be stiff enough to handle. Chill for 10 minutes. Roll into
teaspoonful sized balls and roll in sugar to coat. Bake on ungreased
cookie sheet at 350F for 12 minutes or until tops crack slightly,
Yield 3 dozen.
Brenda Dyck - Rathwell, Manitoba
I live in a very small community in Manitoba and it has always been
a tradition in our family or should I say for my mother to make her
famous Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls. Christmas just isn't Christmas
without them. When you have tried these mouth watering chocolate
treats it keeps you coming back for more. When it is time to do the x-mas
baking it is the first thing on the list out of my husband and
children's mouth to make. I am so glad that I have such a wonderful
Mother who loves to bake and has passed her love and her recipes of
baking down to me. I hope you enjoy!!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Sifted icing sugar
1 cup Chopped dates
1 cup Chopped nuts
1 tbsp Melted butter
5-6 squares 1-inch size of semi sweet chocolate
small piece of parafin wax 1 inch square Combine all ingred.
except chocolate and wax. Mix well until well blended. Shape into
small balls. Melt chocolate and wax in a double broiler on slow heat.
Dip balls in chocolate to coat using a spoon. Set on wax paper to set
(I put in the freezer on cookie sheet ready faster). Makes about 3
dozen. Freeze great and unthaw great for that unexpected company.
Merry Christmas from our house to your yours and all the best to
everyone in 2004 at Canada Am.
Sherrisse Rathgeber - Saskatchewan
Here is my recipe called "Christmas Cookies
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
5 cups flour
Mix all ingredients together and leave stand overnight in the
fridge. The next morning let sit for about a half hour and then begin
rolling out dough to about 1/4 inch. I will usually sprinkle just a
bit of flour onto the counter before I begin rolling out the dough to
prevent sticking. Then I use various cookie cutter shapes (I have
stars, wreathes, trees, raindeer and holly leave shapes)to cut out the
cookies. I think you get the idea. After you cut the shapes out, place
them onto a cookie sheet and then begin the trimming process. I
usually place the various toppings in little individual bowls and then
begin the most fun of decorating each cookie with many different types
of sprinkles (trimmettes). This recipe makes about 4 dozen.
I bake then at 325 degrees for about 8 - 12 minutes. Depending on
how hot your oven is, I watch them carefully to prevent burning.
Another hint is to put parchment paper on the cookie sheet. These
cookies are not really sweet, but OH SO GOOD!
They are something my holiday guests and family enjoy year after year.
Thanks and have a very wonderful HOLIDAY SEASON.
Scotch Shortbread
Number of servings: 4 rounds (8pc ea)
Preparation time: 15 min
Bake at: 275 - 300 for 50-60 min.
Soften ½ cup each butter & margarine. Stir in ½ cup packed brown
sugar and 1 egg yolk (DO NOT BEAT). Add approximately 2 cups flour, a
bit at a time till too stiff to stir. Knead very lightly on a floured
board. Separate into four equal balls. Pat into discs and roll evenly
to ½ inch thick (will spread while cooking). Place on lined cookie
sheet. CHILL at least ½ hour. Score into eight wedges. Prick with fork
around edge, and make decorative star. Bake in slow oven until lightly
brown at edges and firm in the centre. If necessary, trim to fit gift
tins while still warm. Cool completely on racks, wrap in wax paper and
keep in a cool dark cupboard from 2 weeks to a month.
WEDNESDAY - Laurie B. - Langley BC
This is a recipe handed down from my late Grandma Jean, who was a
native of Arbroath Scotland. She was a frugal wife and mother in the
railroad hub of Kamloops during the Dirty Thirties, and during the
rationing of the Second World War. This recipe used margarine, and
brown sugar since that was what was available. My Mother, in the more
affluent 50s changed the recipe to be half butter, half margarine "for
taste" which develops fully only after the Rounds have aged for a
couple of weeks to a month in a cool dark cupboard. Time is the secret
ingredient.
Scotch Shortbread
Number of servings: 4 rounds (8pc ea)
Preparation time: 15 min
Bake at: 275 - 300 for 50-60 min.
Soften ½ cup each butter & margarine. Stir in ½ cup packed brown
sugar and 1 egg yolk (DO NOT BEAT). Add approximately 2 cups flour, a
bit at a time till too stiff to stir. Knead very lightly on a floured
board. Separate into four equal balls. Pat into discs and roll evenly
to ½ inch thick (will spread while cooking). Place on lined cookie
sheet. CHILL at least ½ hour. Score into eight wedges. Prick with fork
around edge, and make decorative star. Bake in slow oven until lightly
brown at edges and firm in the centre. If necessary, trim to fit gift
tins while still warm. Cool completely on racks, wrap in wax paper and
keep in a cool dark cupboard from 2 weeks to a month.
WEDNESDAY - Stephanie Teasdale - Calgary
It is a well known fact among my friends, family, and co-workers,
that I make the Best ever, fully loaded, chocolate chip extravaganza
cookie!! I know that when my son Liam is old enough to eat solid
foods, he will be bragging to his classmates and friends that his mom
makes the best cookies ever!! It is best to mix these with a big
wooden spoon by hand the old fashion way!! This recipe makes a tonne
of cookies, perfect for a cookie exchange at work or for husbands and
all of their friends who arrive at your house dirty and sweaty after a
day of mountain biking in the Rockies!!
Chocolate Chip Extravaganza Cookies
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup golden brown sugar (packed)
2 cups stick margarine or butter, softened (butter is best!!)
2 large eggs
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup pecans pieces
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Skor pieces
1 cup peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips (or use both
for real fun)!
1. Heat oven to 375° F
2. Mix sugars, butter, and eggs in a large bowl until well blended.
Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be stiff but it
is good pre-workout to work up your cookie appetite. Stir in the nuts,
chips, and Skor pieces.
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie
for giant big fun cookies!!) about 2 inches apart. (Air insulated
cookie sheets work the best!).
4. Bake the first batch for about 10-12 minutes or until light brown.
The center of the cookie will still be soft but the cookies will
continue to bake on the pan when out of the oven. Let sit on the
cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to
cool (if you can let them be!!).
5. Pour large glass of milk or coffee and put your feet up and enjoy.
Sheila Taylor - Hanna, Alberta
This recipe came from my Great Aunt and has been handed down in our
family for at least 80 years. It makes a delicious chewy cookie that
looks fancy without the fuss.
Ginger Sparkles
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
white sugar for rolling
Sift together dry ingredients. Cream shortening and gradually add
sugar. Add rest of wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Dough
will be stiff enough to handle. Chill for 10 minutes. Roll into
teaspoonful sized balls and roll in sugar to coat. Bake on ungreased
cookie sheet at 350F for 12 minutes or until tops crack slightly,
Yield 3 dozen
John Parker - Hamilton, Ontario
This recipe came from my grandmother, Elizabeth Swales, who was a
WW1 war bride. She taught my mother and all of my sisters how to make
this delicious shortbread.
Shortbread
1 egg yolk
1 lb butter
1 cup fruit sugar
1 cup rice flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
Allow butter to soften overnight (or microwave equivalent).
Mix ingredients, one at a time, thoroughly, probably resorting to
mixing by hand when you have added the all-purpose flour and it is too
thick for your mixing tool. Press and roll the mixture into a 12”´18”
aluminum pan (commonly called a jelly roll pan). Fork the entire
surface through to pan. Bake in a 275°F oven for 1½ hours. Surface
should have a slight golden covering when removed from oven. Cut into
pieces immediately on removal from oven. This should yield
approximately 100 pieces of shortbread.
Chris Caletti - Ottawa, Ontario
I am never really one to respond to this type of search or
promotion, but I love my Christmas cookies so much, I just had to give
this a try. The name of my Christmas cookie, as it officially reads on
my recipe card (written by my mother, and beginning to fade) is
"Cherry Flips". Around the house, these cookies are now referred to as
"Snowballs". This new name has simply come to exist because of the
look of the finished product! I hope you with "FLIP" over my favourite
Christmas cookie:
CHERRY FLIPS
3/4 cup soft shortening
1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Add salt, extract,
flour and nuts. Mix well. Chill dough 15 -20 minutes. Shape into
balls, and top each ball with a cherry half (red or green!). Bake @350
on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 - 15 minutes. While still warm, roll
in icing sugar. Enjoy!!
TUESDAY - Katie de Vries - Wellesley, ON.
Below you will find the best recipe for shortbread cookies
anywhere. It was given to my mom by a neighbor of my grandmother about
35 years ago in Montreal and we have made it every year since. We
lovingly refer to it as Mrs. Gorring's Shortbread. As far back as I
can remember, we would visit our grandparents every summer and no
matter what month of the year Mrs. Gorring would always make these
cookies for us.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 cup flour
Cherries for the top
Cream butter, gradually add icing sugar,corn starch and flour whip
using an electric mixer for at least 10 minutes. Drop by teaspoon onto
greased cookie sheet and top with cherry (or chocolate chips) . Bake
at 325 for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. They will melt in
your mouth and keep you coming back for more. Enjoy!
Tuesday - Sherrisse Rathgeber
This is a recipe that has been passed down from my grandmother to
my mother and then on to me. For 30 years it was my Mom's family
tradition to start the holiday season with baking sugar cookies (I
always called them "Christmas Cookies"). It's now 10 years since my
mom has passed away and (even though she is no longer with us) I still
continue the familly tradition by beginning my holiday season with
making these wonderful cookies. And by the way, now as a "big" kid I
still enjoy trimming the cookies and oh YES, I do enjoy eating them
too. They are not too sweet, but just right for dipping or not -
depending on whether or not you are a dipper.
"Christmas Cookies"
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
5 cups flour
Mix all ingredients together and leave stand overnight in the
fridge. The next morning let sit for about a half hour and then begin
rolling out dough to about 1/4 inch. I will usually sprinkle just a
bit of flour onto the counter before I begin rolling out the dough to
prevent sticking. Then I use various cookie cutter shapes (I have
stars, wreathes, trees, raindeer and holly leave shapes)to cut out the
cookies. I think you get the idea. After you cut the shapes out, place
them onto a cookie sheet and then begin the trimming process. I
usually place the various toppings in little individual bowls and then
begin the most fun of decorating each cookie with many different types
of sprinkles (trimmettes). This recipe makes about 4 dozen.
I bake then at 325 degrees for about 8 - 12 minutes. Depending on
how hot your oven is, I watch them carefully to prevent burning.
Another hint is to put parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
Tuesday - Brenda Dyck - Rathwell, Manitoba
I live in a very small community in Manitoba and it has always been
a tradition in our family or should I say for my mother to make her
famous Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls. Christmas just isn't Christmas
without them. When you have tried these mouth watering chocolate
treats it keeps you coming back for more. When it is time to do the x-mas
baking it is the first thing on the list out of my husband and
children's mouth to make. I am so glad that I have such a wonderful
Mother who loves to bake and has passed her love and her recipes of
baking down to me. I hope you enjoy!!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Sifted icing sugar
1 cup Chopped dates
1 cup Chopped nuts
1 tbsp Melted butter
5-6 squares 1-inch size of semi sweet chocolate
Small piece of parafin wax 1 inch square
Combine all ingredients except chocolate and wax. Mix well until
well blended. Shape into small balls. Melt chocolate and wax in a
double broiler on slow heat. Dip balls in chocolate to coat using a
spoon. Set on wax paper to set.(I put in the freezer on cookie sheet,
it's ready faster). Makes about 3 dozen. Freeze and unthaw for that
unexpected company.