Kitchen adventures: Christmas cookies

[yuuago]

I've been making a whole lot of cookies during my time off from work. So! I decided to share two of our favourite Christmas recipes. :)

We do a ton of baking at this time of year (usually 7 or 8 different kinds of sweets), but these two are what I like best, I think.

Imperial measurements only, sorry! All of my family's traditional recipes are pre-metrification and I can't be bothered to convert them. ;p


Christmas Shortbread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter
Red candied cherries (optional)

- Mix butter; 20 seconds or so with the electric mixer should do it
- Using hands, blend in cornstarch, icing sugar, and flour until it makes a large ball
- Shape into small cookies
- Gently press down with fork
- Optional: cut candied cherries in half, and place on top of cookies. Or you can use different decorations if you prefer
- Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes.

Notes:
If you make them very small, you may need to adjust your cooking time. I find I prefer them at maybe 1.5-inch diameter, or slightly larger.

If you're running low on real butter, you can substitute a 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine mixture.

Everyone loves this one, and the base recipe doesn't make a whole lot, so we almost always double it.

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Thimble Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup flour
Walnuts, finely chopped
Jam for centre

- Cream butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla
- Add flour
- Shape into balls
-Roll balls in egg white
- Roll balls in nuts
-Dent centre with thumb or thimble, about halfway into cookie

Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes.

After removing from oven, wait 10-15 minutes, then fill with jam.

Notes:
Make sure not to press too deeply when denting, because the cookie will split

We usually make these smallish, around 1.5 inch diameter. They do not expand, so you can fit many of them on a cookie sheet.

We usually use strawberry jam for the centre, but any kind that you like will do. It's better to use one that's finely blended, rather than one with large fruit chunks.

1/4 or 1/3 should do it for the filling, depending on how large your cookies are.

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And there we are! I might share more favourites at a later date. :) Also I'd love to hear about what kind of sweets you all make for this time of year, if you're so inclined~

Comments

[paladinquen]

Thanks for these! I've been in the mood for some holiday baking, but having moved to a new place and a new country, I haven't been sure about the type of flour sold here, or buying measuring spoons and cups and baking materials. I may just have to, because baking is too much fun. Seeing these recipes kinda gave me a stronger incentive to make baking a higher priority - thanks!

[yuuago]

:D Sounds like a plan. Never a bad time to get that stuff all figured out...!