December 6, 2010

Cookie Exchange

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Margaret's Morsels | Cookie Exchange


Each December, I'm invited to a cookie exchange hosted by a friend.  The idea is to make cookies and bring some to sample and the rest to exchange with the other attendees.  I thought it would be fun to have an online cookie exchange.  We can't exchange the cookies, but we can exchange the recipes!

The recipe I'm sharing is the one my mother made every year at Christmas.  After she died, I decided to carry on the tradition and make the cookies with my son.  My mother used regular sized cookie cutters, but I prefer miniature cookie cutters instead.  I'm not sure how many cookies you get with the regular cookie cutters, but you get several dozen with the miniature cookie cutters.  The miniature cookies cook faster so you'll need to reduce the amount of cooking time.  When I roll cookie dough, I dust my work surface with powdered sugar rather than flour.  If you use too much flour when you roll out the dough, the cookies will be dry.  Powdered sugar keeps the cookies from drying out plus it adds an extra touch of sweetness.  If you're making chocolate cookies, you can do the same thing with cocoa.  I'm sharing my recipe below.  Please share one of yours!


German Christmas Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup shortening
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and spread with icing.

Icing:

3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 to 3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
assorted liquid food coloring

Stir together sugar and corn syrup; stir in milk and vanilla to desired spreading consistency.  Divide into several small bowls; stir drops of a different food coloring into each.  Decorate cookies as desired.  When the icing dries, store cookies in an airtight container.

© Margaret's Morsels





7 comments:

  1. My Cookie Recipe is DATE BALLS!

    2 (8 oz.) pkg. pitted dates, cut into little pieces
    1 stick butter
    1 c. brown sugar
    4 Tbsp. water
    1 tsp. vanilla
    2 c. Rice Krispies
    1 c. pecan pieces
    Mix dates, butter, brown sugar and water together in saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until it thickens to a paste. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
    Mix Rice Krispies and pecan pieces in a bowl. Allow your date mixture to cool a little before you mix with the Rice Krispies and pecans. Now roll mixture into small balls. Roll the balls in coconut or powdered sugar.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your blog and love this idea!!! What a great way to get tried & true cookie recipes!

    Fruit Cake Cookies

    1/2 cup butter
    1 cup brown sugar
    4 eggs
    1/2 pound candied cherries
    1/2 pound candied pineapple
    6 cups chopped nuts
    2 1/4 cups white raisins
    3 tablespoons milk
    2 1/2 cups plain flour
    2 teaspoons soda
    1 teaspoon cloves
    1 teaspoon nutmeg
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    2 tablespoons orange juice

    Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Use 1/2 cup flour sprinkled over fruit. Combine all ingredients. Drop tablespoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lemon Chess Bars

    1 box lemon cake mix with pudding
    1 stick butter
    1 egg

    Mix together and press into a greased 9x13 pan.

    Blend until smooth:

    8 ounces cream cheese
    3 eggs
    1 box powdered sugar

    Pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes Store in refrigerator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are No Bakes, or Oat Haystacks:



    1 stick margarine

    2 cups sugar

    ½ cup milk

    ¼ cup cocoa

    1 tsp vanilla

    ½ cup creamy peanut butter

    2.5 cups oats

    1 cup coconut flakes



    Mix margarine, sugar, milk, and cocoa in a sauce pan, boil 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, oats, and coconut. Drop into little mounds on waxed paper, chill until hard. After they harden, they can stay out of the fridge without melting, they hold their shape pretty well.



    If you want to use it as a dipping sauce instead, stop after you add the peanut butter (before the oats and coconut)- then you can dip biscuits or bananas or vanilla wafers or whatever into the chocolate/peanut butter sauce.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for posting the cookie recipes. They all look so yummy, I don't know which one to make first!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. S'MORES BROWNIES

    10 Whole Graham Crackers

    1 Package Fudge Brownie Mix

    2 Cups Miniature Marshmallows

    1 Cup Chocolate Chips

    Arrange crackers in a single layer in a greased pan (long). Prepare brownie
    mix and spread over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle
    with marshmallows and chocolate chips, while still warm. Bake 5 minutes
    longer until marshmallows are golden.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The S'mores Brownies sound delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Pam is the author of "Country Goodness Recipes of Tennessee Celebrities." The cookbooks are available as fundraisers for non-profit organizations. For a complete list of contributors go to the website:

    http://sites.google.com/site/celebritycookbooks/home or for more information contact Author Pamela Whinnery at whinneryw@bellsouth.net

    ReplyDelete