Favorite Holiday Cookies

[joyofspin]

I have to make some for a cookie exchange - my first ever. I am making my favorite Venetians (Multis, Rainbow, Neopolitans).

What's your favorite? Anyone want to share some recipes?

[SpinBob]

My gingerbread cookie dough recipe is a highly guarded secret, but here's what I'm making this year for our office cookie fest:

Chocolate Sambuca Crinkle Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Sambuca or other anise-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Melt chocolate with butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Lightly whisk together eggs, walnuts, Sambuca, and granulated sugar in another bowl. Stir in flour mixture and chocolate (dough will be thin). Chill, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift confectioners sugar onto a plate. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll balls, as formed, in confectioners sugar to generously coat. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on 2 lightly buttered baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and cracked but centers are still a bit soft, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.

[joyofspin]

oh you can't drop a good gingerbread cookie nod and not give out the recipe....not fair.

it's lie a baklavah (sp?) recipe - everyone is willing to give you a sample to get you hooked but no one will tell you how they make it...

[SpinBob]

I can and will keep my gingerbread recipe a family secret. I will pass it on to my son, who's been baking with me since he was a little tyke.

[SaraSpin]

Ooooo... sambuca. My old friend... many a Christmas Eve Mass has been a giggle fest because of you.

Bob - I'll have to print that out and give it a shot. Thanks!

[JohnNYC]

Snicker Doodles are my favorite. I have fond memories of my mom having me roll them in the cinamon (sp) when I was a child.

[Pink]

I know I said I wasn't going to bake this year...but I just spent the morning shopping for cookie-baking ingredients. My crew likes the traditional, so this is what's on tap:

Palmiers
Jelly Thumbprints
Potato Chip Cookies (son's favorite)
Pizelles
Russian Tea Cookies
Vanilla Waffers
Cranberry Nut Biscotti

I plan to make pecan tassies for the first time. I'm cruising the internet for recipes, unless someone has a tried & true one.

Bob, I think it's great that your son bakes with you. Everyone here puts in orders but no one ever helped. However, since my head-bump, following recipes can be overwhelming so I wasn't going to bake. My son & his gf, promised to help so maybe we'll start a new tradition.

[SpinBob]

...Bob, I think it's great that your son bakes with you...I even wroter a story about it for my paper for our Food section around Father's Day

[joyofspin]

I even wroter a story about it for my paper for our Food section around Father's Day

How nice. So who's recipe and how was it handed down to you. If you are not going to share the recipe at least share the history behind it. Deal?

[SpinBob]

Paternal grandmother's recipe that she gave my mom and I suppose to my aunt, although I'm not sure. I will toss this hint out, look for a recipe with cardamom, that's the real key to good gingerbread cookies. A lot of recipes take that out because it's expensive. What you get is bland gingerish cookies, kind of like lame pumpkin pie.

[like2bike]

Snicker Doodles are my favorite. I have fond memories of my mom having me roll them in the cinamon (sp) when I was a child.

Ooooooh memories! I loved my aunt's Snicker Doodles! She made them soooooo delish!

[ChocolatePizzaRedWine]

Oooh, pecan tassies. Loved 'em as a kid. Let me know if you find a good recipe!

I'm making bourbon balls for the first time. Can't wait to try them, but I have to time it right! ;)

[SpinBob]

Tara,

One hint, you can never use too much bourbon, just don't eat and drive. :D

[Pink]

Tara,

One hint, you can never use too much bourbon, just don't eat and drive. :D

The first time I used anise oil instead of anise extract, I did an equal substitution. I ate a pizelle and my tongue went numb.:o

[SpinBob]

The first time I used anise oil instead of anise extract, I did an equal substitution. I ate a pizelle and my tongue went numb.:oYou say that like it's a bad thing.:D Oils have a very different potency than extracts.

[twokeelya]

My favoite holiday cookie is the one I'm eating!

[SpinBob]

My favoite holiday cookie is the one I'm eating!Me too!

[joyofspin]

So my Venetians took top 4 in a 30+ cookie swap. So excited. Wish I was there to experience the excitement (LOL) I was teaching and missed it. So I am in search of amazing recipes for next year.

[SpinBob]

Way to go, I love competitive cooking.

[joyofspin]

I've got to bring it to a whole new level next year.

[SpinBob]

Start early and practice your recipe on some willing guinea pigs. They're usually not hard to find.

[joyofspin]

Start early and practice your recipe on some willing guinea pigs. They're usually not hard to find.

Just as long as I keep them from passing my lips I will.

[SpinBob]

You'd be surprised how quickly you get used to taking a small taste for quality control and how much you start to rely on other folks' opinion.

[joyofspin]

You'd be surprised how quickly you get used to taking a small taste for quality control and how much you start to rely on other folks' opinion.

Not if I like what I'm baking....want the whole cookie and more..LOL

[Julibird]

So my Venetians took top 4 in a 30+ cookie swap. So excited. Wish I was there to experience the excitement (LOL) I was teaching and missed it. So I am in search of amazing recipes for next year.

Joyofspin - you're getting my competitive side going...I thought I made the best Venetians!

So how's your braciole?

Buona Natele!

[joyofspin]

Joyofspin - you're getting my competitive side going...I thought I made the best Venetians!

So how's your braciole?

Buona Natele!

Hey wanna swap recipes? Always looking for more.

That (braciole) I have never made!

[BFSpin]

For those of you who like coffee and chocolate, I've stumbled on the cookie for you . . .

Triple Chocolate Espresso Bean cookies.

Yes, for real. Chocolate covered espresso beans in there, dark chocolate chunks in there, and finely ground coffee in there. These are no light-weight cookies. And they are goooooo-ooooood.

Recipe happily shared. :) pm and I'll email it to you if interested.

Beth

PS and another new one I tried. . . chocolate peanut butter biscotti. Another winner.

[Pink]

For those of you who like coffee and chocolate, I've stumbled on the cookie for you . . .

Triple Chocolate Espresso Bean cookies.

Yes, for real. Chocolate covered espresso beans in there, dark chocolate chunks in there, and finely ground coffee in there. These are no light-weight cookies. And they are goooooo-ooooood.

Recipe happily shared. :) pm and I'll email it to you if interested.

Beth


Ohhhhh, Beth, in my younger days I would have been all over this. But now caffeine makes my heart race and skip around. I can guage the quality of the chocolate by whether it makes my heart pitter patter (literally). Is Jude Law made of chocolate?