# Your favorite Christmas cookie/sweet



## Startingover

I used to do so much xmas baking. Baklava, cutout cookies, peanut butter blossoms were favorites.

A dear friend said she loves rum balls so I'm trying those today for the first time. All recipes are similiar. A few use honey instead of Karo but I'll go with the majority and use Karo. 

Waiting on liquor store to open to buy rum.

Then cutout cookies will be only other baking. I'd love to make Pralines but would end up eating too many myself.


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## BigJim

My weakness is sweets, I dearly love peanut butter cookies, lemon cookies, sugar cookies. I even like the dry cheap oatmeal cookies from Wal Mart, I dunk them in milk, that is some kinda good. The down side to milk is it makes me sick.

Judy is in the cookie making mood now, she was saying just last night she was going to make some cookies, I can't wait. :smile:


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## Nik333

My most popular dessert, ever, has been Italian Cream Cake. After eating it in the break room, a rather cranky Dr made a point of finding me in the hospital, to say I'd missed my calling.:wink2: It has nuts, coconut & cream cheese icing. Uncle Herb in Virginia, added rum to the icing.

I've lost my recipe, but there are a lot on the Internet, esp from the South.

BigJim, you may not eat this!

(Personally, I love chocolate.)


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## de-nagorg

Pineapple upside down cake, made in a 12 inch skillet, baked in the oven.

Then there is my Grandmothers " Birthday Cake".

Made more like a pound cake, than her everyday cake. 

Her Pumpkin pie recipe, different than mainstream conventional recipe.

Pecan Pie.

Jeez , too many favorites, no wonder I am borderline Chubby.:vs_laugh:

Alas but since Diagnosed with the dreaded Diabetes, I have cut out all of that stuff, except when I bake them now, I use a natural sugar free sweetener.

It has no gastrointestinal impact. Which is good.

ED


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## BigJim

Nik333 said:


> My most popular dessert, ever, has been Italian Cream Cake. After eating it in the break room, a rather cranky Dr made a point of finding me in the hospital, to say I'd missed my calling.:wink2: It has nuts, coconut & cream cheese icing. Uncle Herb in Virginia, added rum to the icing.
> 
> I've lost my recipe, but there are a lot on the Internet, esp from the South.
> 
> BigJim, you may not eat this!
> 
> (Personally, I love chocolate.)


I believe Judy has that recipe, if that IS the one, it is fantastic.

Oh my stars, Pineapple Upside down cake, I can remember Mama's Pineapple Upside cake, the topping that was on the bottom while baking then on top when eating was out of this world. Mama made it where the thick brown topping part was chewey, it was soooooo good. Judy makes them for me now and they are just as gooood.


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## Startingover

Ed, people liked my pineapple upside down cake. I doubled the topping and baked it in my iron skillet. Haven't made it for a long time. Now I'm hungry for it. One recipe put the cherries on after baking so they stayed red and plump. 

Nik, i lived in a little town in the midwest with a lot of Italians but never heard of Italian cream cake till years later. They were northern Italians and I know food differs from region to region. But that was long ago. I thought it was amazing first time I had it. Have never tried making it. 

Bigjim. Are you lactose intolerant? Have you tried soy milk? If you like dunking try leftover corn bread in a cup of milk and eaten with a spoon. 

Just remembered how my father in law used to like peanut brittle at xmas. My mother liked ribbon candy. 

I have a birthday this month and get to chose my dessert. Last year it was Tiramisu. One failing I have is merangue topped pies. My g'ma and aunts made the best. Thick merangue and it didn't get weepy (soggy) like mine. My daughter excels at baking but this will be her first merangue pie. I chose chocolate cream pie. Debated coconut cream pie.


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## Nik333

My sister quotes a famous French chef who said "mix cream, sugar & butter & people will be happy.":smile:


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## lenaitch

We're not much for baking here but love eating it. It's not really a Christmas treat but my all time favourite sweet is Empire cookies (biscuit). Two cookies - preferably shortbread - with jam in between, icing on top and a piece of cherry. Originally, I think, from Scotland and for some strange reason, popular in Winnipeg.











Speaking of shortbread, yea, a good Christmas favourite. The more butter in the recipe the better.


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## de-nagorg

Shortbreads: MMMMM.

My favorite snack was take a bag of Keebler Pecan Sandies, stack as many as you can fit in a tall tumbler, laid flat you get the most.

Then hold down the shortbreads, while pouring Half n half into the tumbler. Covering the shortbreads.

Hold them down until they have soaked most of the half n half, then use a long teaspoon, to break them up, and eat, enjoy.


ED


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## BigJim

Startingover said:


> Ed, people liked my pineapple upside down cake. I doubled the topping and baked it in my iron skillet. Haven't made it for a long time. Now I'm hungry for it. One recipe put the cherries on after baking so they stayed red and plump.
> 
> Nik, i lived in a little town in the midwest with a lot of Italians but never heard of Italian cream cake till years later. They were northern Italians and I know food differs from region to region. But that was long ago. I thought it was amazing first time I had it. Have never tried making it.
> 
> Bigjim. Are you lactose intolerant? Have you tried soy milk? If you like dunking try leftover corn bread in a cup of milk and eaten with a spoon.
> 
> Just remembered how my father in law used to like peanut brittle at xmas. My mother liked ribbon candy.
> 
> I have a birthday this month and get to chose my dessert. Last year it was Tiramisu. One failing I have is merangue topped pies. My g'ma and aunts made the best. Thick merangue and it didn't get weepy (soggy) like mine. My daughter excels at baking but this will be her first merangue pie. I chose chocolate cream pie. Debated coconut cream pie.


Thanks for the suggestion of trying Soy Milk, but my bad thyroid won't allow soy anything. I do use milk even if it does make me sick, it is worth it. As matter fact, I did have some milk and cornbread tonight, it sure was good. I have a birthday this month also, the 17th, Judy just told me she would bake me a Pineapple Upside Down cake for my birthday.

Another thing I really love is good banana nut bread, I may have to just bake some of that one day soon.


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## chandler48

As far as cookies go, when I first read the thread I was munching on wife's oatmeal raisin cookies from a recipe on Harvest Farms raisin box. Makes chewy but firm cookies with an excellent flavor. Simple.


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## Startingover

Jim, my birthday is the 18th. Early Happy birthday fellow Sagittarius. 

Ed, we buy Keebler sandies all the time. Will have to try them in cream. I drink coffee black, but during holidays if theres leftover cream its a treat in my coffee.

I love shortbread. Was on a side road recently and a young girl and her mother had a table set up selling baked goods. Their shortbread was excellent. I should have left my number for them to call if they did that again. 

before I moved a friend gave out jars of that chek cereal snack at xmas. Several boxes of different cereal, nuts, drenched in butter and garlic salt and baked. Another friend used to give me bread weaved into a wreath shape decorated with green an red candied fruit.

Other peoples baked goods always taste better.

Fruitcake was another fav of my father in law. If I get hungry for it now I just buy a little Claxton fruitcake.


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## Nik333

The Italian Cream cake is only 1000 calories per slice. :devil3:


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## Munsters1313

I make what my mom called a kolach /kolacky that looks different from the usual shape. It is a fruit filled pastry that looks a bit like a croissant. I use my grandmothers 100+ year old rolling pin to make them, she is the source of the recipe. I usually use strawberry for the filling and I have little self control when they are available. When I bring them to parties I have copies of the recipe to give out because others like them as much as I do. There is a steep learning curve so I offer to help others with their first try. I have started to use a mixture of 3 different types of high quality organic flours and it improved the flavor and texture, the best part to using high quality flours is I can eat several at a time and not get stomach upset. It used to be a guaranteed stomach ache because I would eat 5 or more at a time. Try to use organic when you can, glyphosate/roundup is being used on many more crops than you realize and it is showing up in many products.


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## de-nagorg

Nik333 said:


> The Italian Cream cake is only 1000 calories per slice. :devil3:


But how big is that slice, A Nik size, or an Ed size?

Like the his and her sizes of Filet Mignons at the market, sizes are different for each individual.


ED


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## Nik333

de-nagorg said:


> But how big is that slice, A Nik size, or an Ed size?
> 
> Like the his and her sizes of Filet Mignons at the market, sizes are different for each individual.
> 
> 
> ED


Standard baking - 12 slices per 8" cake.

I've never seen his & her slices of filet mignon. This is California.


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## de-nagorg

Nik333 said:


> Standard baking - 12 slices per 8" cake.
> 
> I've never seen his & her slices of filet mignon. This is California.


 I thought that maybe in your travels you might have been somewhere that they actually serve meat, but I guess not. 

Another reason that I avoid California. No decent Steak.:vs_smirk:


ED


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## BigJim

Talking about cake slice size, we have a City Cafe here who sells all kinds of cakes, and deserts. I kid you not, their cakes are every bit of 8 inches or more tall. One slice will make two servings for two people, it is unreal. Check them out here:
https://citycafemenu.com/cakes/

Now talking about the fruit filled desert, Mama use to make a fried dried peach pie, man talk about goooood. She also made fried apple and chocolate fried pies. I just gained 5 pounds thinking about them. Judy makes them for me every once in a while. I dearly love the fried pies.


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## Startingover

Jim, good link. I couldn't decide between Heath bar cake or tiramisu cake. What will you have for dinner on your birthday? 

Nik, i was going to ask same question as Ed. Ohhh. Thats most of my day's calories. What I often do when presented a huge slice of cake is not eat the frosting, to save calories. Or I tell white lies; "I just ate." 

Munsters, isn't it comforting to use old family utensils. I have an old recipe, little squares of dough, a spoon of canned filling in middle, then opposite corners folded over. It may be similiar. I'll have to dig out the name. It was a friends mom's. Yes, I agree about organic. I always choose nonGMO given a chance.


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## BigJim

Startingover said:


> Jim, good link. I couldn't decide between Heath bar cake or tiramisu cake. What will you have for dinner on your birthday?
> 
> Nik, i was going to ask same question as Ed. Ohhh. Thats most of my day's calories. What I often do when presented a huge slice of cake is not eat the frosting, to save calories. Or I tell white lies; "I just ate."
> 
> Munsters, isn't it comforting to use old family utensils. I have an old recipe, little squares of dough, a spoon of canned filling in middle, then opposite corners folded over. It may be similiar. I'll have to dig out the name. It was a friends mom's. Yes, I agree about organic. I always choose nonGMO given a chance.


I don't really know what we will have, I usually just try to let my birthday go by unnoticed. Happy Birthday to you also.


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## Startingover

Munster, found my recipe. Its Kolacki and uses 'Solo' filling of your choice. Reason I stopped making it was that it called for 5 C flour and made way too many. Maybe I'll cut it in half.


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## Startingover

These are what I take to xmas parties. I always announce, “your food may taste better but mine is cutest. (If you like olives). This isn’t my photo but the same


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## Munsters1313

Startingover said:


> Munster, found my recipe. Its Kolacki and uses 'Solo' filling of your choice. Reason I stopped making it was that it called for 5 C flour and made way too many. Maybe I'll cut it in half.


I used to use Solo until I tried Costco Kirkland organic strawberry spread which worked really well. I have tried various flavors of other jams and they never cooked up very well. The Costco cooked just fine. A couple times I made my own fillings from recipes found online. I have looked up many different recipes for Kolackis and never saw a dough recipe similar to mine. 
It uses flour, sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs. Wondering if yours is similar.
Do you have a favorite filling flavor you use more than others?


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## Startingover

Munsters, my recipe is; oleo, dry yeast, 5 cup flour, egg yolks, sour cream. What I can't figure out is last sentence. 
"Roll a suggestion into dough"
This lady is gone now so can't ask her. I guess last time I made them I just ignored that sentence. I like all fillings.


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## Two Knots

I want to make a thumbprint cookie filled with chopped dried 
figs and walnuts.
I’m thinking of using a jam like apricot with finely chopped dried figs
and chopped walnuts in the middle of the thumbprint. 
Maybe put chopped nuts in the cookie as well. 

I am first going to look for a fig jam to use for the center
with the chopped figs and walnuts. Probably won’t find it though.

any ideas?


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## Startingover

Figs are good. I eat them cause they're healthy, potassium, etc. 

the neighbor sent over some Thumbprint cookies. Hers have coconut in the dough and were really good. Such a small amount of filling and I ate them so fast couldn't tell you what the filling was. 

Haven't made my Rum balls yet. I need more Nilla wafers. The box has 80, recipe calls for 75 so I opened them then lost control and ate most of the box.

Joan, i wondered if Harry & Davids had Fig jam. I googled Fig jam and many places carry it, some are Fig "preserves"


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## BigJim

Two Knots said:


> I want to make a thumbprint cookie filled with chopped dried
> figs and walnuts.
> I’m thinking of using a jam like apricot with finely chopped dried figs
> and chopped walnuts in the middle of the thumbprint.
> Maybe put chopped nuts in the cookie as well.
> 
> I am first going to look for a fig jam to use for the center
> with the chopped figs and walnuts. Probably won’t find it though.
> 
> any ideas?


My sister use to make Strawberry jam with figs and strawberry Jello. She told me it wasn't strawberry jam but made with figs, I still didn't believe her. It is some of the best strawberry jam I have tried. Here is a link to how she made it:

https://bayouwoman.com/mock-strawberry-preserves-made-with-figs/

By the way, I don't like figs. lol


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## Startingover

Here are neighbors. Taste like shortbread rolled in coconut. I googled Fig Jam an lots of placed have it. Harry & David had Fig preserve. I eat figs. They’re good for you. Thry hsve potassium, etc.


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## DoomsDave

Startingover said:


> Here are neighbors. Taste like shortbread rolled in coconut. I googled Fig Jam an lots of placed have it. Harry & David had Fig preserve. I eat figs. They’re good for you. Thry hsve potassium, etc.
> 
> View attachment 542859


foaming at the mouth! :surprise:


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## Startingover

I should ask the neighbor for her recipe especially as she's moving soon. 

I told her I'm making cutout cookies for someones xmas party, but disappointed after hearing they're all health conscious so won't eat many cookies. She loaned me the cutest miniture cutout molds. They're perfect for people who just want a taste.


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## Two Knots

I experimented ~ Thumbprint Fig cookies.

These were good... :thumbsup: the recipe only makes 19 to 20 cookies,
so I’m going to double it for Christmas...this was the trial run. :smile:

The filling
I put in about 2 tablespoons apricot jam in a bowl
and microwaved it for a couple minutes at 1/2 power, then
added 1 tablespoon honey and about 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
I chopped up about dried 5 figs and about 1/3 cup chopped nuts. (I
chopped the nuts more then the photo shown before I added it to
the fig mixture) I got the figs yesterday at the market 1.50 for
a ring (22 figs in the ring.)

cookie dough recipe
This is the recipe that I used for the cookie.
It’s not sweet, so if you like it sweeter add more brown
sugar...(I used light brown sugar)
Also, It calls for an additional 8 minutes of baking after filling
the cookie...I had to give it an additional 8 minutes.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9618/thumbprint-cookies-i/

chefs note: (1)
I also used more than the 1/4 cup of chopped nuts
that the recipe specified ~ for rolling the cookie ball in.

chefs note (2)
I made the thumbprint with a wine cork. :smile:


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## Startingover

Those look scrumptious. Wondered how people made the thumbprint. That was a lot of work.


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## de-nagorg

I had never heard them called Thumbprint.

So I went internet searching, found several recipes.

My grandmother used to pull the glass percolator out of her coffee pot, to use as a press item.

Used upside down it makes a divot, used right side up, it will act as a doughnut hole maker. 

Just need to dig the plug from the glass with a flat toothpick after each hole is formed. 

saw recipes that combined flour and cornmeal, and thought that was different.

ED


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## lenaitch

Nanaimo Bars. I don't think they are traditionally Christmas, but my step-mother used to bake them for the season so I associate them with the season.












https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/the-ultimate-nanaimo-bar/16810/


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## Startingover

Nanaimo bars would be popular here. Not sure about “custard powder” but think it’s dry pudding mix.


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## Nik333

Panettone. I'd like a thick slice toasted with butter right now.


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## Jaymz023

I gotta go with potica!! Takes hours to make but it’s tummy!


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## jeff6146

Does anyone have any great cookie  recipes?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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