Cover Story

Maryland Life Home November/December 2008 Issue » View Cover Story

12 Days of Christmas Cookies

Maryland Life
11/6/2008

The stockings may be hung and the tinsel strung, but until those rich, buttery smells fill your home, it just isn’t Christmas. So satisfy your Yuletide yearnings by baking up a batch of holiday cookies.

We’ve compiled a dozen recipes from Free State notables to get you started, but don’t forget to whip up some old family favorites, too. Just be sure to save a few for Santa when he squeezes down your chimney on the big night. You have been good all year, right?

*****

Chocolate and peanut butter may be a match made in heaven, but throw in some pretzels and things truly get divine. These creations come courtesy of Sarah Brewer, a culinary student at the Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter

3/4 c. smooth peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

16 oz. mini pretzels, salted (coarsely chop 1 cup for the dough; keep the rest whole)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

16 oz. milk or dark chocolate

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars for approximately 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until blended, and scrape the bowl again. Don’t over-mix! Combine the salt, flour, baking soda, and baking powder and add to the batter. Mix on low until just combined. Add the chopped pretzels and mix until just blended. Scoop out 2-inch balls of dough and drop on greased sheet pans. Press one whole pretzel into the center of each ball to flatten. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the bottoms of the cooled cookies in the chocolate. Place the cookies upside-down on a parchment-lined tray. When dry, flip the cookies back over and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

*****

These old-fashioned charmers, compliments of Orrell’s Maryland Beaten Biscuits, are a favorite around the Wye Mills shop. One bite and you’ll know why.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Coating:

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is too soft to roll, cover and refrigerate until it’s firm (about 1-2 hours). Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Make coating: In a large, shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

Roll balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about two inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

*****

Who says cookies should be all about butter? Try these vegan delights from NBC-4 News anchor (and Annapolis resident) Wendy Rieger, herself a recent convert to the veggie way of life. Not only are they delicious, you’ll feel downright virtuous whenever you stir up a batch!

Solstice Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. organic all-purpose flour

1 1/3 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 2/3 c. sugar

2/3 c. canola oil

2 T. molasses

1 c. canned or cooked pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie filling)

1 T. vanilla

1 T. ground flax seeds

1 c. walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 c. raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices. In another bowl, mix the sugar, oil, molasses, pumpkin, vanilla, and flax seeds until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three batches, folding to combine. Fold in the walnuts and dried fruit. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the sheets. Flatten the top of each cookie with a fork dipped in water. Bake for 16-20 minutes; cool for two minutes before removing from the sheets.

Note: These cookies taste even better the day after you bake them.

Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

*****

“It was absolutely fantastic,” says Carolyn Gurtz of her grand-prize win in this year’s Pillsbury Bake-Off. Equally fantastic are the Gaithersburg resident’s prizewinning cookies. They’re crunchy outside and creamy inside, with just a hint of cinnamon. No wonder they took home the gold!

Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 c. dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 roll (16.5 oz.) Pillsbury Create ‘n Bake refrigerated peanut butter cookies, chilled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix peanuts, sugar, and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 1-inch balls. Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape one piece of dough around one peanut-butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls.

Place balls two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Spray bottom of a drinking glass with nonstick spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with the glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough. Bake 7-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool one minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

*****

“This is truly, truly the world’s best chocolate chip cookie,” says Chef Diane Bukatman, owner of For the Love of Food in Reisterstown. “I worked and reworked the recipe for years. Enjoy!”

World’s Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c. oatmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. + 2 T. unsalted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1 c. toasted almonds, left whole

2 eggs

1 T. vanilla

18 oz. chocolate chips

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend oatmeal in a food processor almost to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Combine eggs and vanilla; add to butter mixture. Combine flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; add to mixture and blend well. Add chocolate chips, dried fruit, and nuts. Using a 1-oz. ice-cream scoop, portion out cookies and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 12 to a sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

*****

Sugar and buttermilk take center stage in these decadent morsels from Bob Brenengen of the Main Cup in Middletown. Serve St. Nick a handful on Christmas Eve and he may never leave!

Sugar Cakes

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 1/2 c. unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. coarse sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl with a whisk; add eggs and whisk together. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add baking soda to buttermilk and wait for it to foam. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to egg mixture until combined and batter is formed. Drop Ping-Pong-ball-sized dollops of dough onto cookie sheets (allow plenty of space between each one). Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake about 10 minutes until the edges are golden. Cool and serve with ice cream or coffee.

*****

Banana bread goes upscale in these lovely treats from Allegany College of Maryland culinary student Amber Mabry. Go ahead and nibble a few for Christmas breakfast—we won’t tell!

Banana Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 large egg

3/4 c. ripe bananas, mashed

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1 T. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze:

1 tsp. orange zest

3 T. orange juice

1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat convection oven to 300 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, blend the sugars. Add the butter and mix 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through. Add the egg, banana, and vanilla to the sugar-butter mixture and blend until just smooth. (Do not over-mix!) Add the flour mixture and the walnuts and blend until just combined. Drop the cookie mixture into Madeleine (shell-shaped) molds and bake for 24-27 minutes. Do not over-bake!

While cookies are baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. When the cookies are cool, remove them from the molds and glaze them. Serve immediately.

*****

“Here is a recipe from Rebecca Spray, mistress of the 17th-century tobacco plantation at Historic St. Mary's City,” says Susan Wilkinson, director of marketing and communications for Historic St. Mary's City. “Banbury is a city in Oxfordshire, in the north of England.”

Banbury Cake

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 c. sugar
1 c. raisins or currants, chopped
1 egg

Dough:

2 c. flour
1/2 c. lard or shortening
1/2 tsp. baking powder
6-8 T. ice water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. For the filling: Mix all ingredients well and then cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Cool.

For the dough: Mix the ingredients and chill. Roll out dough and cut into 2-by-2-inch squares. Put filling on bottom square, moisten the edges, and then place another square on top; press the edges together. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

*****

Not just for Christmas, these cookies are perfect for Passover, too, say Xavier and Karen Mauprivez of the French Confection in Sandy Spring. Kick these macaroons up a notch by dipping them in melted chocolate.

Almond Macaroons

Ingredients:

28 oz. almond paste

1 1/2 c. sugar

7 egg whites

1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 T. almond flour (or white flour)

1/2 tsp. salt

Sliced almonds

Candied cherries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix first three ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Using an ice-cream scoop, drop scoops of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Put a few sliced almonds or candied cherries on top of each cookie for decoration. Bake for 15-30 min., depending on the size scoop used. (If you use almond flour, these cookies are gluten-free and great for anyone with a wheat allergy.)

*****

“Here is a great cookie I like to call ‘whatcha got?’ cookies,” says Shannon Clarke, owner of Starry Night Bakery Coffeehouse in Westminster. “It is a great base cookie, and you can add the special extras—whatever you have on hand!”

Whatcha Got? Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar (light or dark)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla (or whatever flavoring you have on hand)

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or nutmeg, cloves, ginger, curry, cayenne pepper, etc.)*

3 c. goodies**

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add sugars, eggs, and extract; mix on medium until combined. Toss in the dry ingredients; mix until combined. Add the goodies (either put them all in the dough or sprinkle some on top of each cookie before baking). Drop even-sized pieces of dough on cookie sheets, and bake until golden around the edges and set in the centers.

*Mix it up every time! (Coconut and curry with some chocolate chips? Outrageous!)

**Goodies may include: chopped nuts; chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips; chopped candy bars; dried fruit; M&Ms; Rice Krispies; or that healthy trail mix the kids won’t eat.

*****

“This is an adorable, mild cookie,” says Vianne Bell, owner of the Good Timber Bed & Breakfast in Garrett County. Full of holiday appeal, they’re sure to inspire visions of sugarplums!

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

Red paste food coloring

1 candy cane, crushed

2 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and the extracts. Combine dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Divide the dough in half. Add the food coloring to one half and mix well. Roll small pieces of dough (both colors) into 4-inch ropes. Place two strips—one red, one white—side by side; press them together lightly and twist. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and gently bend them into candy canes. Moisten each cookie with a touch of water and sprinkle with a mixture of crushed candy cane and sugar. Bake until dry looking, about 9-10 minutes. Cool on rack.

This recipe was adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book.

*****

“These cookies are good for all occasions,” says Troella Tyznik, owner of the My Fair Lady Bed & Breakfast in Crisfield. “In Greece, we serve them at Easter time.”

Troella’s Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. olive oil

3/4 c. sugar (generous)

3 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. grated orange or lemon zest

3 tsp. baking powder

3 c. flour, sifted*

Sesame seeds

Glaze:

2 T. sugar

2 T. water

1 egg yolk

For best results, have all ingredients at room temperature. In a large bowl, cream together butter and olive oil; slowly add sugar and continue beating. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add milk, vanilla, and zest. With mixer on low, add baking powder and flour to form a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a towel and let rest for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. Spread sesame seeds generously on a cutting board or other flat surface. With lightly floured hands, pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it in the sesame seeds to form a 5-inch rope. Pinch the ends together to form a ring or other desired shape. Place far apart on cookie sheets. Make glaze: Mix together sugar, water, and egg yolk until sugar dissolves. Brush over each cookie.

Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Cool on sheets. These cookies store well and keep for several weeks.

*Experiment with different kinds of flour, including soy, millet, garbanzo, rye, or corn.

*****

Twelve types of cookies just not enough? Here’s a special bonus recipe courtesy of Vi Ripken, Cal’s mom!

My mom was watching the kids one day at her house, and when I picked them up, they told me they had eaten gingersnaps—and liked them! I thought it was an unusual cookie for kids to like.

The cookies they ate at my mother’s house were from a bag. Store-bought cookies were too expensive, so I decided to make them from scratch. When the kids came home from school, the cookies were cooling on the pan, and Cal said, “Hey, Mom! You bought gingersnaps!” When I explained that I had actually baked them, he commented, “But they’re cracked on top—just like the ones in the box!”

Anyway, all the kids liked them, so I continued to make them over the years. And while Cal was playing in Bluefield and Charlotte, I made sure to send fresh-baked gingersnaps to him.

—Vi Ripken

Traditional Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

2 1/4 c. sifted flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together the first four ingredients until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients; stir into molasses mixture. Form into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Click here to comment on these recipes or share some of your own favorites.

Click here to purchase this issue of Maryland Life Magazine.

Online Publications

Cover Story

12 Days of Christmas Cookies

Maryland Life11/6/2008

Featured Story Archives

Maryland Life
11/6/2008