Time To Bake
Christmas Cookies
Tradition is intertwined with the
holidays, and baking favorite holi
day goodies is often part of that
tradition. The simple act of mixing
sugar, butter, and flour with other
ingredients to create a special coo
kie is a seasonal ritual that many of
us look forward to.
If ypu don’t have a baking tradi
tion in your home, it’s time to start
one. Time spent together in the
kitchen is the perfect setting to
pass along your thoughts about the
meaning of the holiday season and
to share some family history. It’s a
good time for strengthening family'
ties and building traditions that
you and your children can look for
ward to each year.
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS
COOKIES
Basic Dough:
1 cup butter, softened
I'A cups confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
I'A cups flour
Mix butter, egg, and vanilla
thoroughly. Blend in flour. Divide
dough in half.
English Toffee Bars:
Heat oven 375 degrees. Grease
13x9x2-inch pan. To one half bas
ic dough, mix 'A cup brown sugar.
Dough will be crumbly. Pat firmly
and evenly into prepared pan.
Bake IS minutes or until no
imprint remains when lightly
touched with finger. Remove from
oven, immediately sprinkle 'A cup
semi-sweet chocolate pieces even
ly over pan so contained heat will
soften chocolate pieces. Spread
softened chocolate evenly over
crust; sprinkle with 'A cup chopped
nuts. While warm, cut into
I'A -inch diamond shapes. Makes
about 2A dozen.
Greek Clove Crescents:
Heat oven 375 degrees. To one
half basic dough, mix 'A teaspoon
brandy flavoring. Shape dough by
rounded teaspoonfuls into balls
and crescents. Press whole clove
into center of each. Bake on
ungreased baking sheet 10 to 12
minutes or until set but not
browned. Cool. Dust with confec
tioners’ sugar. Makes about 3
dozen.
Louise Graybeal
Renick, W.Va.
Recipe Topics
If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please share
them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you
include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingre
dients and clear instructions with each recipe you submit.
Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O.
Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our office
one week before publishing date.
December
11- Holiday Non-Alcoholic Sippers
18- Holiday Treats
25- Christmas Dinner
January
1- Soups & Stews
Bunt On The Range
VIENNESE ALMOND
WAFERS
Cream:
'A cup butter
'/■ teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon almond extract
A cup sugar
Add:
3 A cup flour
Preheat oven to 3SO degrees.
Chill dough and roll out on floured
cloth to 9x13-inch square and
place on unbuttered cookie sheet
Beat I egg white until foamy.
Brush egg white over dough.
Sprinkle with ’A cup sliced
blanched almonds and press down
with fingertips. Brush again with
egg white. Sprinkle with almond
sugar. 2-3 hours before baking,
mix 'A cup sugar and enough
almond extract to dampen sugar
completely. (Keep stirring until
time to sprinikle on cookies).
Bake until lightly browned. Cut
into squares and cool. Cookies are
fragile but good!
Contributor writes that she usu
ally triples this recipe so that she
has lots of them.
Linda Massey
Bridgeton, NJ
CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES
Brownie layer
4 ounces sweet chocolate
A cup butter
’A cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
'A cup flour
'A cup chopped nuts, optional
Cream Cheese Layer:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
A cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour
Preheat oven to 3SO. Melt cho
colate and butter in a sauce pan
over very low heat. Stir until cho
colate is completely melted. Stir
sugar into melted chocolate mix
ture. Stir in eggs and vanilla until
completely mixed. Mix in flour
and nuts. Spread in a greased
8-inch square pan.
In the same bowl, mix cream
cheese, sugar, egg, and flour until
smooth. Spoon over brownie mix
ture and swirl with knife.
Bake for 35 minutes. Do not
overbake. Cool in pan. Cut into
squares.
Karen Heilinger
Lebanon Co. Alternate Dairy
Princess
Start a family tradition thia holiday season and bake together. Versatile Butter
Almond Cookies are equally delicious eaten plan or decorated. Kids of all ages will
love cutting the shapes, decorating and most of all eating theml
BUTTER ALMOND COOKIES
2 cups flour
'A teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
VA teaspoons almond extract
1 cup finely ground blanched
almonds
Colored sugar or sprinkles, if
desired
Decorator icing or gel, if desired
Combine flour, salt, and baking
powder, set aside. Cream butter
and sugar in large mixer bowl until
light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and
almond extract. Add half of flour
mixture mixture; blend well. Add
remaining flour mixture; blend
well. Stir in ground almonds.
Divide dough into two portions;
wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrig
erate 2 hours or until completely
chilled. Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Roll dough on lightly
floured surface to 3/8-inch thick
ness. Cut into desired shapes with
cookie cutters dipped in flour.
Reroll scraps; chill if necessary for
ease in handling. Place 2 inches
apart on unbuttered cookie sheets.
If desired, sprinkle with colored
sugar before baking. Bake 12 to IS
minutes or just until cookies begin
to brown around edges. Transfer
cookies to wire racks; cool com
pletely. Decorate as desired.
(Turn to Pago B«)
Featured Recipe
In England, taking time out to enjoy tea and biscuits is part of
everyday life. But you don’t have to be in the United Kingdom to
make an afternoon cookie break part of your day. English Oat
Biscuit-Cookies, made with much less fat, are an updated version of a
traditional favorite. They make a great-tasting treat, perfect for dip
ping in hot tea or coffee.
Most of the fat has been replaced in these usually rich and buttery
cookies with an easy-to-make puree of prunes and water. This after
noon snack or light dessert tastes good but won’t leave you feeling
guilty. Learn how to prune the fat by 70 to 95% in a variety of baked
goods from chocolate chip cookies to fudgy brownies by writing by:
Prune the Fat/M, P.O. Box 10157, Pleasanton, CA 94588.
English Oat Biscuit-Cookies
'A cup pitted prunes
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon orange juice
VA cups all-purpose flour
3 A cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
A teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In container of electric blender mea
sure prunes and water. Pluse on and off until prunes are pureed. In
large bowl beat prune puree, margarine and sugar until thouroughly
blended. Beat in egg, orange peel and juice. Mix in flour, oats, cinna
mon and salt just to blend thoroughly. Coat 2 baking sheets with veg
etable cooking spray. On lightly floured surface roll dough out to 14
inch thickness. Cut into rounds with 214 - to 3-inch cutter. Place 1
inch apart on baking sheets. Bake in center of oven about 10 minutes
until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to rack to cool complete
ly. Store in airtight container. Serve with tea. coffee, milk or fruit
juice. Makes about 24 biscuits.
Nutritional Information Per Biscuit: 99 calories; 2 g fat; 9 mg
cholesterol; 70 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.
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