this is a recipes that brings back so many memories. my grandmother found this recipe on one of those little yearly calenders that have recipes with pictures on the back of each month. i love these cookies, esp the 10x sugar icing drizzles on top in a spiral. yum....



Beat until the consistency of a glaze.

7. Starting the edge of each cookie, drizzle with icing in a sprial, ending in the center.

Coconut Ginger Sticky Rice Jumbles
Makes 3 dozen cookies

Coconut Ginger Sticky Rice Jumbles

These simple drop cookies feature hints of Thai influence from coconut, candied ginger and sesame seeds. Crispy rice cereal adds a playful twist on "sticky rice."

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup candied ginger pieces, diced*
4 cups crispy rice cereal
2 tablepoons sesame seeds, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugars, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until blended. Stir in coconut, ginger and cereal, mixing until just blended. Using a teaspoon, drop the dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake until edges just start to turn golden but centers are still moist, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

*Candied ginger (also called crystallized ginger) can be found in many supermarket produce or spice sections or in a health or gourmet store.

A Merry Christmas Meme

  stolen from One Gal's Musing of course.

1. Candy cane or peppermint patties? Peppermint patties.

2. Sugar or gingerbread cookies? sugar cookies, hmmm, hot out of the oven

3. Tinsel or beaded strands? the strands, but not beaded

4. Multi-colored or same-colored lights? on my tree, different colors!! outside both!

5. Flashing or still lights? on the tree in my house, flashing. outside, i like both

6. Wreaths or mistletoe/holly? mistletoe or holly Wreathes with pinecones...so pretty!!

7. Rudolph or Frosty? Rudolph, although i have to admit, i wish it'd snow butthole deep to a giraffe!!

8. Sledding or snowball fights? its been YEARS since ive sledded....but we've moved up close to sugar mountain and beech mountain, and my husband is really looking forward to getting out and sledding!

9. Snow or ice/icicles? BOTH!!! they both are so beautiful on the trees

10. Snow hat or earmuffs? even though my hair is a mess, hats!!

11. Getting or giving? giving-i think that BEING santa is more fun-i really enjoy it

12. Snow days or plow trucks? snow days as long as i have groceries and meds for my son

13. Stockings or presents? presents

14. Cookies & milk or letter to Santa? both-along with carrots and ranch dip for the reindeer. they get hungry too!!

15. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Christmas Eve

16. Log Burning Channel or real thing? real thing-love the smell, esp if its cedar

17. Cards or emails? cards

18. Shoveling or cleaning off the car? cleaning off the car, because i don't have the strength to shovel

19. The Inn’s manger or the animals? Manger

20. Mary & Joseph or The Wise Men? wise men still seek Him, so Mary and Joseph

21. Hot cocoa or eggnog? cocoa

22. Jack Frost or Little Drummer Boy? Little Drummer Boy because he is playing for our Savior

Pistachio Biscochitos
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shelled, roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/3 cup raw sugar (see note below)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons orange zest
Colored sugar, for decoration
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, anise seeds, cinnamon, salt and pistachios; set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, extracts and zest; mix to combine. Gradually add flour mixture; mixing well.
Divide dough in two pieces and place each piece on large sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into 1/2-inch thick discs, wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out until 1/4-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets. Decorate with colored sugars, if desired. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Cool cookies on pan 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week. Yield: 5 dozen cookies.
Note: Demerara and Turbinado are two common types of raw sugar.

Roth Family Christmas Cookies (Sour Cream Cookies)
As offered by Kathy
Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cut outs

1 cup butter (softened)
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla (clear if you have it)
2 cups white sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sour cream

Cream butter, add eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well. In a smaller bowl sift flour, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream about a half cup at a time into butter mixture.

Separate batter into four small bowls and refrigerate until cold (I do this overnight). Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Separating the dough also keeps most of the batter cool while you are working with each batch. Sometimes I make cookie dough a few days ahead if it fits into my schedule

I roll the dough out on a floured counter top. I make my cookies a number of different ways. First, the thinner you roll the cookie dough the crisper they get. More like a sugar cookie, only better. Christmas cookies are great this way because I always frost and decorate them. The second way (and the way my family likes them the best) is to roll them out a bit thicker. They turn into a cake cookie. Very moist, and again, great with frosting.

For the Frosting
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1 tsp of vanilla (or other flavoring. Your choice. Maple, orange or almond would work well)
2 cups of powdered sugar
Milk (as needed for consistency)

Instructions, from Kathy's notes

This is what I do. I usually take about 1/4 cup soft butter (room temp) and put in 1 tsp. of vanilla. Then add about 2 cups powder sugar (again adding slowly one-half cup at a time) and mix. Slowly add milk until the consistency would be easy to spread on cookies. Now I always make my frosting as the cookies are baking because I want the frosting to set a bit because it tends to thicken and I may need to add more milk. It really is just a feel on how you want the frosting to look and spread. Often bakeries have a frosting on their cookies that is a sort of a glaze, but I like mine thicker without that glaze smooth look. More like a cake frosting.

I have also used almond flavoring or maple syrup instead of vanilla. But again it will make the frosting sort of off color. Works ok if you add coloring to the frosting. I guess I didn't put that information in the recipe. When Callie (my grand-daughter) comes over we make cookies and she loves to put food coloring into the frosting. We have had blue hearts and green ginger bread men. I think she is going for that Picasso look. Frost the cookies when they are cool and the frosting is at the consistency you like.

Storage:

I usually put mine in a glass cookie jar when folks are coming over. If I need to keep them longer, there are two places I put them. I always put them in an airtight container or plastic zip lock bag. I put them in the refrigerator, or in the winter I put mine on a shelf in the garage. (Kathy lives in Wisconsin). Most of the time I don't need to store cookies. They are eaten or I send them home with guests. They do freeze well. The cookie dough also freezes well. Again, freeze the dough in small portions. A small portion would be 1/4 of the recipe.

Send email to Zola at zolacooks@gmail.com.

Latin Lace Florentines
Makes 4 dozen cookies

The lacy texture of this traditional Florentine results from its thin, buttery batter giving the cookie a festive holiday look and feel. A surprising hint of chili powder nicely balances the Florentine's crisp texture and slight sweetness.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, melted
1/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped*
Cooking Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF with oven rack in the middle. Line baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or heavy-duty aluminum foil buttered generously.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in almonds.
Add butter, half-and-half (or milk), corn syrup and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Scoop heaping teaspoons of batter onto the prepared sheet at least 3 inches apart, six cookies per sheet. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are flat and browned around the edges, 7 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies on the sheet several minutes, until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
When all cookies are baked, melt the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a very small tipped pastry bag or the tines of a fork, drizzle over cooled cookies.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with kitchen parchment paper or grease lightly.
    
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and sour cream.
    
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring just enough to blend. Add nuts with the last addition of flour.
    
4. Drop by level measuring tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set and very lightly browned (do not overbake). Transfer to wire racks to cool. Prepare icing and ice when cool.
    
5. Top each cookie with a cashew half. Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. In a small saucepan over medium heat, lightly brown butter, stirring often to prevent burning.
    
6. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in just enough half-and-half to make an icing that can be spooned over the cookies.