GreenDragon
Well-Known Member
Well, it's the holidays and many of us have food traditions we like to observe this time of year. Let's use this thread to share some of those beloved family recipes and spread the good cheer!
I'll start off with a few cookie recipes that have been in my family for generations. These are not overly sweet or filled with chocolate like many yuletide cookies, but to me they exemplify the holidays in food form with warm, comforting spices. Also I enjoy that they all taste distinctly different and have different textures.
Tip: For cookies that will not stick or burn on the bottom, and easy cleanup, do yourself a favor and buy a roll of Non-stick aluminum foil. Line your cookie sheets with it. You'll never grease pans or use parchment paper etc again!
If anyone tries out these recipes please let us know what you think.
RUSSIAN TEACAKES
400 degrees 10-12 minutes
1 cup soft butter
½ cup sifted confectionary sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ cups regular flour
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts
Mix Butter, sugar and vanilla. Sift flour & salt and stir into mix, add chopped nuts. CHILL for an hour. Roll into 1 inch balls; bake on ungreased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and roll in confectionery sugar, let cool, then roll again.
DATE SANDWICH COOKIES
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + ½ tsp. vinegar)
½ tsp ground mace
Pinch of salt
2 cups oatmeal
¾ tsp. vanilla
Cream sugar, fats, and vanilla. Add rest of the ingredients and mix till it forms a dough. Roll dough out on a floured surface. Cut into 2 inch rounds and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes. They will look pale but are cooked if they feel firm. Immediately transfer to a cooling rack.
FILLING
1 lb. chopped dates
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground mace
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
Place everything in a pot, and cook down until jam consistency (about 10 minutes. I like to hit it with an immersion blender to make it smooth.) When the cookies are cool, spread the date jam between two. I like to put the jam into a quart bag and snip off a corner for an instant no mess piping bag.
Cinnamon Crackle Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Sugar
Cream sugar, fats, spices, and vanilla. Add the egg and mix. Add rest of the ingredients and mix till it forms a dough. Form into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 350 F for 10-15 minutes.
I'll start off with a few cookie recipes that have been in my family for generations. These are not overly sweet or filled with chocolate like many yuletide cookies, but to me they exemplify the holidays in food form with warm, comforting spices. Also I enjoy that they all taste distinctly different and have different textures.
Tip: For cookies that will not stick or burn on the bottom, and easy cleanup, do yourself a favor and buy a roll of Non-stick aluminum foil. Line your cookie sheets with it. You'll never grease pans or use parchment paper etc again!
If anyone tries out these recipes please let us know what you think.
RUSSIAN TEACAKES
400 degrees 10-12 minutes
1 cup soft butter
½ cup sifted confectionary sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ cups regular flour
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts
Mix Butter, sugar and vanilla. Sift flour & salt and stir into mix, add chopped nuts. CHILL for an hour. Roll into 1 inch balls; bake on ungreased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and roll in confectionery sugar, let cool, then roll again.
DATE SANDWICH COOKIES
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + ½ tsp. vinegar)
½ tsp ground mace
Pinch of salt
2 cups oatmeal
¾ tsp. vanilla
Cream sugar, fats, and vanilla. Add rest of the ingredients and mix till it forms a dough. Roll dough out on a floured surface. Cut into 2 inch rounds and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes. They will look pale but are cooked if they feel firm. Immediately transfer to a cooling rack.
FILLING
1 lb. chopped dates
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground mace
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
Place everything in a pot, and cook down until jam consistency (about 10 minutes. I like to hit it with an immersion blender to make it smooth.) When the cookies are cool, spread the date jam between two. I like to put the jam into a quart bag and snip off a corner for an instant no mess piping bag.
Cinnamon Crackle Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Sugar
Cream sugar, fats, spices, and vanilla. Add the egg and mix. Add rest of the ingredients and mix till it forms a dough. Form into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 350 F for 10-15 minutes.
