Christmas Bars and Cookies

Here are just a few of the many Christmas cookies we make each year.
There are always the must-haves-or-else-it's-just-not-Christmas and a
few new favorites. The bigger the variety, the more they say "Celebrate!"

Swedish Almond Bars

1/2 c butter, 1 c sugar or Splenda, 1 egg, 1 t almond extract, 1 3/4 c flour
2 t baking powder, 1/4 t salt, 1/2 c sliced almonds, 2 T milk

Icing: 1 c powdered sugar, 1/4 t almond extract, 1/4 c milk

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and
almond extract; mix until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, mix well.
Divide dough into 4 pieces, roll each one into a log about 12 inches long.
Place 2 logs per cookie sheet 4 - 5 inches apart. Flatten each roll by hand
until it is about 3 inches wide. Brush flattened roll with milk and sprinkle
with slivced almonds. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 15 minutes or until edges
are slightly browned. While the cookies are still warm, but them crosswise at
a diagonal, into slices about 1 inch wide. Ice when cool.

Icing: in a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk
until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies.

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Easy Christmas Bars

Melt 4 T butter in a 7" x 11" pan. Spread on this: 1 c crushed graham
crackers, 1 c nuts, 1 c cocoanut, 1 c chocolate chips, 1 jar drained chopped
marachino cherries. Pour over all 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 350°
for 30 minutes. Cut into bars when cool.

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Swedish Pepparkokar

1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, beaten, 1 tsp dark corn syrup,
2 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp warm water, 3 cup sifted flour, 3 tsp cinnamon,
2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves,

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg and syrup. Add baking soda
dissolved in warm water. Mix together with dry ingredients. Fold in creamed
mixture. Mix well. Chill several hours. Roll out very thin on lightly floured
board. cut with cookie cutters. Put a piece of blanched almond in center of
each cookie. Bake 6 to 8 minutes on ungreased sheet at 400°. Makes 4 dozen.

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Snowballs

1/2 c powdered sugar, 1/4 t salt, 1 c butter, softened, 1 t vanilla,
2 1/4 c flour, 1/2 c chopped pecans, additional powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour and salt to creamed
mixture, blend well. Add nuts and mix well. Chill dough for 1 hour. Preheat
oven to 400°. Shape into 1-inch balls and bake 8-10 minutes. Do not brown.
Cool, then roll in powdered sugar.

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Raisin Stars

Dough:
1/2 c shortening, 1 c sugar, 2 eggs, 1 T lemon juice, 1 t lemon rind
3+ c flour, 1 t salt, 1 t baking powder

Filling:
1 3/4c raisins, 3/4 c water, 1/4 c sugar or Splenda, dash salt
1 T cornstarch, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T lemon rind

Boil raisins 5 minutes. Stir remaining filling ingredients into raisins.
Cook and stir until clear and thickened. Cool. Mix dough ingredients well.
Dough should be fairly firm. Add flour if necessary. If it's too tender it
spreads and doesn't hold in the filling. Roll dough 1/8" thick. Cut into
circles with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place on a greased baking
sheet. Put filling in the center of each circle. Pinch dough into a 5-point
star. Bake at 375° 10 - 12 minutes.

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Cherry Nuggets

1 c sugar, 3/4 c shortening, 2 T milk, 1 t vanilla, 2 eggs, 2 1/4 c flour
1 t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt, 1 c chopped pecans
1 c chopped dates, 1/3 c maraschino cherries -- chopped & drained,
15 maraschino cherries -- quartered

In large bowl, combine sugar and shortening; beat well. Add milk, vanilla and
eggs; mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour,
baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in pecans, dates and 1/3 cup
chopped cherries. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 15 minutes
for easier handling. Heat oven to 375F. Grease cookie sheets. Drop dough by rounded
teaspoonfuls into cereal; thoroughly coat. Shape into balls. Place 2-inches apart on
greased cookie sheets. Lightly press maraschino cherry quarter into top of each ball.
Bake at 375F for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets.

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Cranberry-Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 c butter or margarine, softened, 1 c sugar, 1 t vanilla, 1 egg, 1 c canned pumpkin
2 1/4 c flour, 2 t baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt. 1 c cranberries
1 t ground cinnamon, 1 T grated orange peel, 1/2 c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. In a large mixing bowl, cream
butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Sift
together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and add to mixture.
Mix until until well blended. Cut the cranberries in half and stir into mixture. Add
orange peel and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

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