Christmas time is quickly approaching. The hustle and bustle of the season is to be enjoyed by all. It is most people’s favorite time of the year. The celebration of Jesus’s birth, the gathering of family and friends, and the sights and sounds of the season makes adults and children alike warm and giddy.
One thing that many people do around this time a year is to participate in a cookie exchange. You gather a group of people and you make a dozen cookies for each of the people in the group. It is a wonderful way to show your Christmas spirit. So I thought I would share with you a few different cookie recipes.
I will start you off with Praline cookies. Everywhere you turn in New Orleans, you see praline flavor. Be it in ice cream, sno-balls, cheesecake, etc., praline flavor is ever present. So, it is natural to make a cookie with this flavor.
Praline Cookies
1 Egg, beaten 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Butter, melted 1 1/4 cups light Brown Sugar, firmly packed 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 1/2 cup Pecan Halves
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Combine the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla, stirring well. Add the flour and salt and stir to mix well. Add the pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
The next cookie is a Ginger cookie. Most people would call this a spice cookie. The different spices combine to give these cookies a worldly favor. The use of the cane syrup in place of granulated sugar makes this a typical Louisiana recipe.
Ginger Cookies
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Soda 1 teaspoon ground Ginger 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground Clove 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 cup light Brown Sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup Shortening 1/2 cup Cane Syrup 1 Egg Granulated or Powdered Sugar for topping, optional
Preheat oven to 375℉.
In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and shortening. Beat in cane syrup and egg. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, beating thoroughly between additions. The mixture will be very thick.
Form 1-inch balls and roll in granulated or powdered sugar, if desired. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
I wanted to give you some nontraditional recipes. This one does not fall into that category. But I must included it because it is near and dear to me.
This is the very first recipe that I made by myself at 8 years old. My mom allowed me to go solo on a batch of cookies for the holidays. After making them, I was proud of what I accomplished. When everyone tasted them and told me how good they were, I was hooked. Thus began my life in the kitchen.
The recipe may look familiar. It is right of the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chip bag. Not too original, but still a crowning achievement.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups Flour 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1 teaspoon Salt 1 cup Butter, softened 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar 3/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 2 large Eggs 2 cups Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one t a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Optional ingredient: 1 cups chopped Nuts, added when you add the chocolate chips.
To continue with my Christmas theme, next week I will share with you some appetizers. My family tradition is to have finger food to nibble on while opening presents.
