A Taste of Heaven

My memories of  Christmas as a child always included this light and flaky fried cookie. My great aunt would make them and douse them with powdered sugar (a favorite for every kid). We referred to this recipe as “Angel Wings”, however they are actually called Chrusciki. They are a polish dessert, which was fitting as my Aunt immigrated from Poland in the early 1900′s. When she passed away, she took the recipe with her. Then a few years ago, my brother found a recipe that reproduced the these cookies perfectly. Now our Christmas tradition continues.

Rolling the dough will ensure plenty of calorie burning. By that I mean it is kind of a pain rolling it thin without it curling back up. Believe me though, it is well worth it. Enjoy the recipe!

Angel Wings

Ingredients:

• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• **Vegetable Oil for frying
• **Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Add salt to egg yolks and beat until thick and lemon colored. Add sugar and vanilla, continue beating. Add the sour cream and flour alternately, mixing well after each addition.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until it blisters. Cut the dough into two parts. Roll very thin and cut into strips about 4 inches long. This entire process will take a few minutes of elbow grease, don’t panic…

Preheat vegetable oil to 325 degrees. I suggest using a deep fryer with a temperature gauge. Keeping the oil at this temperature will ensure even results. Make about a 1 – 1/2 inch slit in the center of each piece of dough and pull one of the ends through it. Drop each cookie in hot oil one at a time. The ends may curl up – use tongs to keep the dough flat. The dough cooks fast, less than one minute each. You will turn them half way through. As soon as the dough changes color to a very light brown, remove them from the oil with tongs. They will brown more once removed. Place on paper towels to absorb oil and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Yield about 50 cookies (depending on size you cut them)

Merry Christmas!

Raspberry Almond Cookies

These are wonderful cookies for Christmas. Anytime really, but they really add to the Christmas cookie plate. I started making these a couple of years ago after receiving Land O Lakes annual Christmas cookie magazine. The recipe is easy to prepare…your basic shortbread…and the filling can be adjusted to personal preference. Though I think the raspberry filling is the best choice with the almond flavors.

These cookies are a delicate and “dressy”. A great selection for both the casual or elegant affair.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
(from Land O Lakes)

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 – 3 teaspoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

Combine butter, sugar and extract in mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Set the mixer on low and add the flour, scraping often until well mixed. Refrigerated dough at least 1 hour.

For Baking: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie and fill it with a small dollop of jam.

Bake for 14 – 18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove pan from oven and let cookies stand on cookie sheet for one minute. Remove from sheet and cool completely.

Glaze: When cookies are cool, combine glaze ingredients with a fork until smooth. Using the fork, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. When glaze is set, serve cookies or store in an airtight container.

 Notes: Roll all of the dough into balls but bake only half. Freeze the other cookies for future use. You can quickly remove desired amount of cookies from freezer and bake in a short moments notice.

Another View, Mmmm

My original intent for today did not include preparing seven different confections, but it ended that way. I signed up to bring a cookie tray to church tonight for an evening of luminaries, caroling, cookies and hot apple cider. The weather was perfect, cold but not unbearable, a nice change from our eighty degree week.

For me, when it comes to baking, I can’t just bake a simple batch of cookies. Today was no different for me. Starting with rolled sugar cookies, on to gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, raspberry almond shortbread cookies…and two quick breads… pumpkin and sour cream pound cake. I still have to bake the shortbread cookies…I ran out of time…(In the midst of all the baking, I managed to make a teriyaki chicken stir fry for lunch, and english muffin pizza for dinner.)

The kids got involved with the first two cookies… after the cookie cutters and sprinkles got put away, they lost interest. The other cookies were too boring for them. All in all it was a good day… long day. Here are a few pics of the day. When I finish the almond shortbreads, I will post the recipe and pics. Oh yeah, the chocolate covered cookies in the middle are PB Ritz sandwiches, post to come soon…

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe started as a simple oatmeal raisin cookie. I however, rarely prepare a recipe without altering it. This cookie ended up being a, pardon the enormous name, “White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies”. Whew, try saying that five times. I really enjoyed making this recipe, and especially the end result. The texture was perfect… the cookie was dense with a soft center and crisp edges. Every bite had a range of flavor.

These cookies are simple to put together. Basically its a “two bowl, mixer free” recipe. Here it goes:

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 vanilla beans (optional, I had them already)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbl oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins
• 6 oz white chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup packed coconut, toasted

Additional granulated sugar for rolling the cookies in

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Once heated, toast coconut till lightly browned, remove and set aside to cool.

In one bowl, combine sugars and vanilla bean seeds. Pour in butter, eggs, vanilla and oil. Stir until smooth.

In separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (flour through coconut) and mix well with fork.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl. My flour bowl was larger, so I added the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter will be thick. I ended up finishing the mixing using my hands.

Use a tablespoon size cookie scoop to prepare evenly sized cookies. Roll each cookie in sugar and place at least two inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. The centers will still be pale and moist. Cool cookies on cookie sheets until the center is set. Cool completely and serve.

Makes about 36 cookies.

I did some recipe digging tonight trying to decide what desserts to prepare for Thanksgiving this week and for the upcoming Christmas Holiday. Of course there are certain must haves – Pumpkin, Pecan and Apple Pies, Cookies and Quick Breads. I plan to bake and post as much as possible. Hopefully I will have a chance to get some good pictures in before the desserts get eaten!

Classic Holiday Desserts Top Ten Seventeen!

1. Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie ~
2. Pecan Pie ~
3. Apple Pie
4. Decorated Sugar Cookies
5. Chocolate Chip Cookies
6. Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies ~
7. Oatmeal Cookies
8. Annie’s Pumpkin Bread ~
9. Brownies
10. Snickerdoodles ~
11. Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
12. Dark Chocolate Orange Butter Cookies
13. Milk Chocolate Florentines
14. Angel Wings
15. No Bake Chocolate PB Oatmeal Cookies
16. Caramel Corn
17. Blondies

~ = Made for Thanksgiving!!!

Who isn’t familiar with these easy, one bowl cookies? They are a great tasting “dummy proof” cookie that anyone can make, and it uses only a few ingredients that are staples in most pantry’s. Last night, was looking to finish off a peanut butter jar – scraping it down to the last drop. I had just enough to throw these cookies together. Kenzie, my 7 year old was happy to help. I scooped the cookies and she rolled them in sugar. When they came out of the oven she helped me top them with more calories with kisses and M&M’s. It was a mood booster for her, since her brother wouldn’t let her play basketball with him.

I did change one thing on the sugar… you will see the change below:

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 C. Peanut Butter (I used Jif)
• 3/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 C. Brown Sugar* (my change)
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Hershey Kisses
• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Mini M&M’s

Directions:

Combine PB, sugars, egg, vanilla and soda. Stir with spoon until well mixed. For the kiss topped cookies, roll the dough into a ball (whatever size you want – I used 1 tsp) and then coat with sugar. Place on pan (do not flatten) and bake for 8 minutes. The cookies are ready when they begin to “crack”. Remove and immediately place kisses on top – pushing down slightly. (um, unwrap them duh). Allow to cool about 2 minutes on the pan, then remove to wire rack and cool completely – and until kisses have hardened – if you are in a hurry, place the cookies in the fridge.

For the other cookies you see pictured, I added some milk chocolate chips and mini M&M’s into the batter and placed teaspoon rounds on pan. I should have pushed them down slightly, but they turned out fine.

Serve with a tall glass of milk and enjoy! Stored tightly covered at room temp.