Kolachkes (Polish Christmas cookies)From Alicia LittlejohnCookie Dough1 pound unsalted butter softened1 pound cream cheese softened4 1/2 cups of flour1 tablespoon sugarFilling1 pound crushed walnuts1 cup sugar1 cup milkIn medium saucepan bring to boil walnuts, sugar and milk. Boil 2 minutes and set aside to cool.Combine butter, cream cheese & sugar. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Slowly add flour and mix at low speed until well blended.Divide dough into 2; roll each 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface & cut into 3-inch squares.Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into center of square; fold opposite sides to center and pinch to seal.Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove to rack to cool. Sprinkle with powered sugar.Gluten-free Pecan CrispiesFrom Kathy Hare1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)6 tablespoons brown sugar1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce1 egg1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 cup gluten-free flour1/4 cup coconut flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon sea salt1 cup chopped pecansPreheat oven to 400 degrees.Cream together butter, sugar and applesauce. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes until the tops are slightly brown.Makes about 2 1/2 dozenMexican Christmas cookiesFrom Kathleen WallaceI don’t have a favorite Christmas recipe, per se. I just have a memory of a recipe. Here it is.My Aunt Bertha made the most delicious Mexican Christmas cookies. I loved her cookies so much that I got her recipe and made them myself.Later, in a fit of righteousness, I threw away the recipe to prevent myself from making them anymore because a main ingredient was a full pound of lard.I remember the other ingredients as flour, sugar, eggs and, most especially, port wine.With all the ingredients mixed together, she rolled out a portion of the dough so it was about an eighth of an inch thick. Then, she cut the dough with a cookie cutter and placed the cookies on a baking sheet.She baked them until they were golden brown and then quickly rolled them in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.They were heavenly: light and crisp and not too sweet.Aunt Bertha is gone now, and I have not been able to Google anything that even remotely resembles this recipe.Walnut Maple Syrup Squares (easy and quick)From Kris StonestreetDry ingredients:11/2 cup spelt flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoons saltWet ingredients:1 cup maple syrup4 tablespoons oil (walnut, almond or sunflower)2 teaspoons vanilla11/2 cups coarsely chopped walnutsPreheat oven to 325 degrees. Line large baking pan with parchment paper or oil and flour pan.Mix wet ingredients with a whisk. Combine dry ingredients and add to liquid mixture.Spread mixture in pan and top with walnuts.Bake 25 to 30 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool. Cut into squares while still a bit warm. Cool completely before removing from pan to ensure neat squares.Peanut Blossom CookiesFrom Michelle Barrette31/2 cups flour1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons baking soda1 cup white sugar1 cup brown sugar1 cup butter1 cup peanut butter2 eggs2 teaspoons vanillaCream butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift and add flour, salt and soda. Mix and shape into balls. Roll in granulated sugar.Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with a Hershey’s Kiss. Bake 2 minutes more. Don’t over bake.Minnesota Caramel BarsFrom Deb StumpfI don’t know if this is really the true name of this bar, or if we just called it that because our next door neighbor (when I was growing up in Colorado Springs) was from Minnesota and made these every year for Christmas.Melt 32 caramels (i.e., Kraft) and 5 tablespoons of cream or milk in a double boiler.Mix together the following:1 cup flour1 cup oatmeal3/4 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup margarine or butterPat 3/4 of this mixture in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and spread the melted caramel mixture over the top. Then sprinkle with 1 cup of chocolate chips (OK, I really put more than that on these – who wouldn’t?) and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional) and then the remaining crumb mixture. Bake again at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and beginning to brown along the sides.Let cool and eat the entire pan while making another pan to give to your neighbors.Ginger BallsFrom Angie MorlanThis recipe was one of my great Aunt Doris’ recipes, and she won first place with it at her county fair. It’s a great cookie if you are looking for a soft type of ginger snap cookie.3/4 cup shortening1 cup white sugar1 egg, well beaten4 tablespoons molasses2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon1 scant teaspoon ginger1/2 teaspoon ground clovesCream the shortening and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Sift all the remaining ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls and then in sugar. Place far apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or less.
