Christmas cookies are a big deal at our house.  Our favorites are many and we look forward to cookie baking each December. The wine cookies and the date-filled cookies recipes are part of a family tradition that has been passed down from my grandmother and very possibly my great-grandmother.  For me it just wouldn’t be Christmas without them!  For my husband, it’s the frosted cut-out sugar cookies that he loves best! 

Usually the week before Christmas my sisters and I, plus our kids, gather together at Grandma’s home for the annual “Cookie Day”.  Prior to “Cookie Day”, all of us have also been busy baking other kinds of cookies: snowballs, peanut blossoms, mincemeat, pecan tarts, frosted brownie cookies, Martha Stewart’s butterscotch cookies, etc.  We bring so many kinds of homemade cookies for the cookie exchange that will provide many boxes and trays we assemble for gift giving, for colleagues at work, and for our homes.  When we arrive at Grandma's on Cookie Day, we all work together (for hours!) frosting several batches of the baked cut-out sugar cookies and a few gingerbread boys.  We use many different colors of powdered sugar frosting and further embellish the cookies with sprinkles and colored sugars.  Some decorated cookies are truly works of art!  When all the cut-outs are finally decorated, we clean up.  You cannot imagine how far and wide sprinkles travel!  We all unpack and set out every batch of cookies we’ve brought.  We then proceed to walk around the tables selecting a delicious assortment for each tray and box.  It is a lot of work, but a family tradition we value!

Here are the recipes for our family’s traditional favorites:

Wine Cookies

1 cup butter; 1 cup shortening (we prefer butter flavored Crisco); 1 ½ cup sugar; 2 eggs;

6 TBSP sweet wine; 5 cups flour; 1 tsp. salt

Knead together with your hands. Make 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet and put a dent into each one with your thumb and fill the dent with jelly.

Bake 10 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Date Filled Cookies

Cream together: 1 lb. box brown sugar; 1 cup shortening; 3 eggs; 4 tsp. vanilla;

In another bowl, mix together: 1 tsp. salt; 4 cups flour; 2 tsp. baking soda; 2 tsp. baking powder

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, and blend well.

Roll out and use a flower-shaped or round cookie cutter to cut out tops and bottoms of filled cookies.

Filling: In a saucepan add ½ # dates; 1 tsp. lemon juice; ¼ cup sugar; ¾ cup water – cook and stir until thick; let cool; add chopped walnuts or pecans

On a cookie sheet, place a cut-out cookie bottom, a dab of filling in the center, then top with another cut-out and pinch the edges together to seal. Continue until cookie sheet is filled wth filled cookies!

Bake @ 350 degrees.  YUMMY!

Sour Cream Roll-out Sugar Cookies

Sift together: 2 cups flour; ½ tsp. baking soda; ¼ tsp. salt; ¼ tsp. nutmeg

Cream together: ½ cup butter, and gradually add ¾ cup sugar.  Blend in ½ cup sour cream.

Add dry ingredients.  Blend.  Chill.

Roll out and cut with your favorite Christmas cookie cutters.  Bake @ 350 degrees.

Frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla; 3-4 TBSP canned milk – mix together and divide into smaller dishes. Add a different colored food coloring to each dish.  We like to use Wilton Food Coloring for more vibrant colors!

These Next 3 Recipes are from finecooking.com (October 2009)

Bow Tie Cookies

8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
11-1/4 ounce (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted;

more for rolling
One 12-ounce jar apricot preserves (about 3/4 cup)
One large egg, beaten
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,

beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until

light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and

paddle. With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the flour until

a smooth dough forms.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the

dough gently to form a ball. Divide the dough in thirds, wrap

each in plastic or waxed paper, and flatten into squares.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to

400 degrees.  Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment. Remove one

piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a

lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Using

a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, trim the rough edges of the

dough so the sides are straight, and then cut into 2-inch

squares. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon. of the preserves onto the

center of each square. Fold one corner into the center, dab

with the beaten egg, and then bring the opposite corner into

the center and pinch firmly together to seal the corners. With

a thin spatula, transfer the cookie to the cookie sheet. Repeat

the process with the remaining dough.
Bake one sheet at a time until golden and very lightly browned

and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool

completely and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

You can freeze these cookies in freezer bags for up to 3

months.
Option: Use seedless red raspberry jam to add a Christmas look

to your platter of cookies.

Chocolate-Covered Dulce de Leche Cookies

 
9 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for

rolling
9 ounces  (2 cups) whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons  baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces  (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Two 13.4-ounce cans Nestlé dulce de leche
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 pint heavy cream
Make the cookies
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, and

salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream

the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2

to 3 minutes. Stir in the orange zest. Scrape down the bowl and

paddle with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the

butter mixture. After adding the last of the flour but before

it’s fully incorporated, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water and mix

just until a smooth dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the

dough into two equal pieces, form into disks, and wrap in

plastic. Chill overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to

350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Roll out the

cold dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s 1/8 to 3/16

inch thick. With a 2-inch plain or fluted round cookie cutter,

cut the dough in circles—you can gather and reroll the scraps

once. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are very lightly

browned and the cookies puff up slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool

the cookies on a rack and store in an airtight container for up

to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month, until you’re ready to

fill and coat them.
Fill the cookies
Lay out the cookies, flat side down. Put a heaping 1/2

tablespoon. of dulce de leche on half of the cookies. Cover

each with a top cookie, flat side up.
Coat the cookies
Put the chocolate in a small, deep, heatproof bowl. In a small

saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil.

Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the

mixture very gently, incorporating the cream steadily and

without overworking, until glossy and completely mixed.

Line 2 cookie sheets or rimmed baking sheets with parchment.

Pick up a sandwich cookie with a small offset spatula. Immerse

in the chocolate mixture, flipping the cookie to coat

completely. Pick up with the spatula and tap a couple of times

on the side of the bowl to get rid of excess chocolate. With

another spatula in the opposite hand, gently smooth out the top

of the cookie and then run the spatula along the bottom.

Transfer to the parchment-lined sheet. Repeat with the

remaining cookies. Allow the coating to set at room temperature

for a few hours and then serve.

Store in a plastic container, separating each cookie with

parchment or waxed paper, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

or freeze for up to 3 months.
Note: You can find the cans of dulce de leche, a sweetened

condensed milk that has been cooked until it resembles pourable

caramel, in the international foods section of Wegmans. It is

also really good on top of ice cream.
Option: Top with Christmas-colored sprinkles.

Fruitcake Biscotti

10-1/8 ounces  (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 ounces  (1 stick)  unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped toasted almonds
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In

a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the

butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3

minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed

after each addition until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and

then the coconut until well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture

and mix just until combined. The dough will be sticky. With the

mixer still on low, mix in the almonds and chocolate chips.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30

minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to

350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment. Divide

the dough into equal halves and place on the cookie sheet.

Working on the sheet, shape each half into a loaf about 10

inches long, 3 inches wide, and 3/4 inch high. Bake until the

tops are browned, cracked, and crusty, and spring back slightly

when gently pressed, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool about 30 minutes on the cookie sheet. Reduce the oven

temperature to 325 degrees.

Transfer each loaf to a cutting board and with a sharp serrated

bread knife, cut 1/2-inch slices crosswise on the diagonal.

When slicing, hold the sides of the loaf near each cut to keep

the slices neat. Put the slices cut side down on the cookie

sheet and bake until the biscotti are dried and the cut

surfaces are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the

cookie sheet to a rack and let the biscotti cool completely.

The biscotti may give slightly when pressed but will harden as

they cool.