Cheers for Christmas Cookie Recipes! | Seasonal Food and Country Style Recipes

Raspberry Cookies

• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Raspberry or blueberry pie filling

Cream first 3 ingredients; add rest of ingredients except pie filling and mix well. Put cookies on trays and make an indentation in each cookie; add 1 teaspoon filling in each cookie indentation. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Cool and glaze.

For glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Stir together, adding milk to desired consistency. Mix some pie filling into frosting for added flavor and color.

This is nice for Christmas with frosting piped on in a drizzle fashion.

Recipe by Mrs. Eugene Nolt, East Earl, Pennsylvania

Chocolate-Dipped Tollhouse Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 4 eggs
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup instant vanilla pudding (dry)
• 8 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Cream sugars and butter. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F until slightly brown. When slightly cooled, dip cookie in melted chocolate to cover half of cookie.

Recipe by Mrs. Eugene Nolt, East Earl, Pennsylvania

Shrewsberry Cakes

• 1/3 cup dried currants
• 5 tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups flour
• Confectioners’ sugar

In a glass bowl, soak currants in brandy overnight, covered.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until well-combined. Add eggs and beat well. Add nutmeg and flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in currant-brandy mixture.

Drop by tablespoonful onto a greased or parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, or until edges are browned.

Quickly transfer to a wire rack. Using a fine sieve, sift confectioners’ sugar atop warm cookies. Cool completely; store in an airtight container.

Makes about 48 cookies.

This recipe was taken from an out-of-print cookbook offering recipes from colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. There is no leavening in these cookies. Brandy may be replaced with orange juice.

Recipe by Debby Hook, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Amish Hats

• 8 eggs
• 2 cups softened butter
• 4 cups brown sugar
• 6 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cocoa
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together eggs, butter and brown sugar. Add the rest of ingredients. Drop batter by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F for 9 minutes. Top with a large marshmallow cut in half. Return to oven for 2 more minutes. Cool; then frost with your favorite coffee icing. Place a large walnut on top of cookie.

This is a large recipe and one of our favorites. They are attractive on a Christmas cookie platter. We like to dip them into hot coffee.

Recipe by Allen and Ellen Stauffer, Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania

 Christmas Butter Cut-Out Cookies

• 3-3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Decorating sugar

Sift together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup of flour mixture until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; mix together. Slowly add remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until butter comes together and is smooth. Divide dough into quarters, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 or more hours.

Heat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.

Space cookies 1-1/2 inches apart on baking sheet. Sprinkle with decorating sugar. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

Recipe by Maria Holland, Leola, Pennsylvania

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 12 ounces chocolate chips
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water

Melt butter, sugar and chocolate chips together. Add eggs. Stir in rest of ingredients. Roll into small balls and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

When cool, spread mint frosting between two cookies.

Mint frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Milk
• Green food coloring

Beat butter, peppermint and confectioners’ sugar. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is a nice spreading consistency. Tint frosting with a drop of food coloring.

Recipe by Maribeth Martin, New Holland, Pennsylvania

Maple-Chestnut Clusters

• 2 (5.2-ounce) packages peeled chestnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dry ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• Coarse sugar or red sanding sugar

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment.

In a food processor, pulse the chestnuts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt until the chestnuts are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the maple syrup, then add the pepitas, bittersweet chocolate, cranberries and crystallized ginger. Mix well, using your hands if necessary. Roll the mixture by the tablespoonful into 1 inch balls, rolling each in your choice of sugar before arranging on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.

Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to fully cool on the pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. Makes 36 cookies.