I found a few fun Christmas Cookie recipes in some of the cookbooks I’ve collected over the past year.  Some turned out well…and others proved a bit more challenging, but all in all it was a fun adventure and it produced some delicious results.

Spritz Cookies

Recipe from The American Woman’s Cookbook, copyright, 1938 (1942 reprint)

2 ½ cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter

¾ cup sugar

Dash Salt

1 egg, unbeaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour with baking powder. Cream butter, sugar and salt, add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add sifted ingredients in small amounts. Mold with cookie press on cold ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven 12 to 15 minutes (makes ~45)

 

Mint Surprise Cookies

Recipe from the Betty Furness Westinghouse Cook Book, copyright 1954

Preheat oven to 375, baking time 12-15 minutes

3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package (9 ounces) chocolate mint wafers

Sift flour, soda and salt together. Cream shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Chill dough in refrigerator. Use approximately 1 tablespoon (level) dough for each cooky. Drop on greased cooky sheet, 2 inches apart. Press a mint wafer into center of each and fold dough around mint so it is covered. Do not make cookies too large. If you wish, you may put a pecan or walnut half on top. Bake. Remove from pan to cake cooker immediately after baking. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

 

Swiss Christmas Stars
Recipe from Hellen Corbitt’s Cookbook, copyright 1957

Cream together:

2/3 cup butter and margarine, half and half

¾ cup sugar

Add:

2 well beaten eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Beat and add:

2 cup sifted flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Mix and chill in refrigerator. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut in star shapes and brush with slightly beaten egg whites and colored sugar. Bake on buttered coooky sheets at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

 

Flaky Nut or Mexican Sugarless Cookies

From the Family Home Cook Book, copyright 1963

Mrs. Del Lanphear, Woodland Wash.

The flavor of these cookies improves with age. The recipe came to this country through the pen-pal correspondence of two schoolgirls.

Set out cookie sheets.

Finely chop and set aside

1/2/ cup (about 2 oz) nuts

Sift together into a 1-qt bowl

1 cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cut in with pastry blender or two knives until pieces are size of small peas

¼ cup butter

¼ cup shortening

Add gradually, mixing well after each addition

1 egg, well beaten

Blend in the nuts.

Roll dough 1/8 in thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with floured cookie cutter. Place cookies about 1 in. apart on cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 F 12 to 15 min. Remove to cooling racks and immediately sift over cookies

Confectioners’ sugar

Cool completely. Makes about 5 doz. small cookies

 

The Best Cookie Recipe 

Internet Recipe Swap (late 1990s)

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Almond extract
2-3 drops food coloring (if desired)
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Sift four and salt together and add to other mixture. Add almond extract and food coloring. Chill dough for 3-4 hours and roll and cut into desired shapes.  Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350. Remove from sheet and cool on rack and decorate

Icing (optional):

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. Milk
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
Food coloring

Mix until you have smooth/semi-thick frosting. It will harden as it dries.

I think its nearly impossible to mess this recipe up (and thus the reason that I love it so much) you can stick the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes instead of chilling for 3-4 hours and the cookies tend to be forgiving if you leave them in a little past 8-10 minutes.  They keep really well and they taste awesome!!