Almost every reader who responded to the Courier’s request for cookie recipes shared a treasured family favourite, making their contributions even more special. Even my sister got in the act, sharing a much-loved recipe our mom used to make every Christmas. My sister, Pat Penner, reminded me of how after most dinners our calls for dessert were typically answered with, “You can have an apple or an orange.” But when Christmas came around mom would pull out all the stops and bake an assortment of goodies. Pat remembers these cookie/squares in particular and says this recipe comes from a “battered Five Roses recipe book — pre 1960s.”
Meringue Squares
Pastry:
1.5 cups Five Roses all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
Meringue Topping:
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Five Roses all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Method
Preheat oven to 350-F
Mix pastry ingredients together until crumbly. Press into a shallow greased 7 by 11-inch pan. Bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes or until mixture starts to brown. Let cool to lukewarm. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gradually beat in sugar, blending well after each addition. Blend in baking powder and Five Roses flour. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread mixture evenly on top of cooled pastry. Bake in 325-F degree oven until meringue mixture is lightly browned (15-20 minutes). Cut while warm into finger-sized slices and allow to cool in pan.
Food publicist Nancy Wong also shared a family recipe for cookies she says were always served at Christmas.
Hálfmánar (Icelandic Half Moons)
Filling
Use fig or apricot preserves — or any other that you prefer. Wong says in Icelandic homes they use a prune filling.
Pastry — Ingredients
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
About 2 to 4 tbsp. cold water
Pastry — Method
In a bowl combine the dry ingredients
Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs
Mix together the egg, lemon juice and 2 tbsp. of water
Blend egg mixture into dry mixture just until it holds together (you may need to add a bit more water)
Gather pastry into a ball and chill for 30 minutes
On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness
Cut into rounds with a 3-inch cookie cutter
Assembly
Pre-heat oven to 375-F
Lightly grease baking sheets
Spoon a little filling into the centre of a round
Fold over the round and press to seal edges (you now have a half circle)
Place on baking sheets and bake until golden — about 10 to 15 minutes
When cool, they can be dusted with sifted confectioner’s sugar
Makes about 4 dozen
Freda Simpkins also describes this recipe as a favourite of her mom’s, especially during the holidays. The original recipe is called Hermit Cookies, but Freda likes to simply call this version “Mom’s Cookies.”
Mom's Cookies
Preheat oven to 400°F
Ingredients
1 cup shortening and then cream in:
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs — beat the mixture after each egg
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup currants or peeled fruit
Mix and add:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 tsp each of cloves and all spice
1/4 cup of strong cold coffee
1/4 cup of milk
Mix well
Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Tracy Pullman
Grandmas Homemade Whipped Shortbread
Ingredients
2 lbs real butter (no margarine)
2-4 cups of icing sugar
1 cup corn starch
4-7 cups of flour
Method
(This recipe is to taste and look.)
Preheat oven to 325-F
Whip butter and icing sugar together until very fluffy. Slowly add the cornstarch to the butter mixture while still whipping it. Add flour until mixture is stiff, but not too stiff.
Drop by small spoonful onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Press lightly with fork to cookie. Bake until bottom is lightly golden brown, between 7 to 15 minutes depending on your oven. Cool and enjoy.
Joey Villocero
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup milk
1teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food colour
2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candies
2 tablespoons sugar
Method
Stir together 1 cup sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into one half. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours.
Preheat oven to 375-F.
Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoons sugar, set aside.
For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into four-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place one red and white rope side by side then press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and curve top of cookie down to form handle of the cane.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Immediately sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Christelle Hugron
Chocolate Drop Cookies
(Easy and light)
Preheat oven to 350-F
Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate chips over boiling water
Let cool five minutes
Beat 2 egg whites until stiff
Add 2/3 cup sugar gradually while beating
Add 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Beat all ingredients
Fold in 5 tbsp crushed salted soda crackers
Grease cookie sheet
Add chocolate to bowl
Drop cookies teaspoon at a time
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Enjoy!
Connie Mar
Connie’s Lip Smackin’ Lemon Squares
Connies says even though she's a Paris trained Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Chef, she still loves to bake these North American Lemon Squares every holiday season. "My mom and my aunts baked these when I was a young girl and now I carry on the tradition for them to enjoy."
Crust
2 cups flour
½ cup sifted icing sugar
¾ cup softened, un-salted butter
Method
Mix flour and sifted icing sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly. Press into a 9 x13-inch buttered pan. Blind bake (without filling) for 15-20 minutes at 375-F on the bottom rack (watching to ensure that it doesn't brown too much).
FILLING
4 large eggs beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
In a mixing bowl, beat together everything with a whisk. Pour onto partially baked base. On the middle rack, bake for another 25-30 minutes or until top is lightly golden.
Garnish
After it cools, use icing sugar for dusting on top, then cut into bite-sized squares. Bigger pieces tend to be very crumbly.
Enjoy! These are very addictive and you'll be eating six or more pieces if you are at home by yourself.
Lavana Delivuk
Shortbread cookies
3 3/4 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
11/4 cups butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 Eggs
1 pack vanilla sugar
Method
Mix flour and baking powder. Into flour, crumble butter or margarine.
Add sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs, and form into dough with hands.
Let dough rest in fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough and cut into shapes.
Put on greased cookie sheet and bake on 300-F on middle rack for 15 minutes.
Rachel Corkum
Oat Delights
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
1⁄2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
3 cups rolled oats
Method
Combine sugar, cocoa, butter or margarine and milk in large sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla, coconut and rolled oats, stir until all in coated in chocolate mixture.
Drop by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheet and allow to cool before eating.
These cookies set up best if cooled in the fridge.
@sthomas10
