Christmas Cookie Recipes

These are an example of wrongs (maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows, butterscotch chips) making a right. This is my favourite Christmas cookie and a whole that is so much more than just the sum of its parts. I don't know where my mother originally got the recipe; we've had it for years and fiddled with it until it was perfect.

BRANDY BALLS (Makes about 45 balls)

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, cut in quarters

6 tablespoons brandy

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

250 grams cream cheese, softened out of the fridge

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups best quality flaked coconut, unsweetened

Marinate the cherries in the brandy for at least 4 hours.

Melt both kinds of chips in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.

Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese. This will only work well if you softened the cream cheese at room temperature first. Putting in fridge-cold cheese may make the chocolate seize and even if it doesn't, you'll have to use your muscle power to blend it in. If the cheese is soft, it melts happily into the chocolate without much effort on your part.

Once the cheese is blended, dump in the remaining ingredients (marshmallows, nuts and coconut). Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and coated with the chocolate.

When the mixture is cool enough to touch (almost right away), roll into 1 inch balls (your hands will be very goopy and messy) and set them out on wax paper. Chill them in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour before eating. They freeze well and are, despite their unassuming appearance, completely delicious and dangerously addictive.

DUTCH ALMOND BARS

I call these Dutch because of the marzipan. My father loves them and requests them every Christmas. One year, I made some for my Opa who grew up in Holland and worked in his brother's bakery. I was a little nervous about serving him something almondy, but he loved them and thanked me many times for "the little marzipan squares." They are a little more time consuming to make, but oh so worth it.

Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter

Filling:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons water

Glaze:

3 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

4 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the crust: combine the sugar and flour and cut in the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan. Set aside.

For the filling: Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Stir in the almonds, flour, extract and water. Spread over the unbaked crust carefully and slowly. Bake the squares for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Set aside to cool slightly and make the glaze. Set the oven broiler to High.

For the glaze: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the glaze is thoroughly mixed and heated through. Spread over the bars in the pan. (You don't have to wait until the bars cool). Broil the bars about 6 inches from the heat source until the glaze is golden in places (it won't brown uniformly). Watch them carefully! This will likely only take 1-2 minutes. Let the bars cool completely on a metal rack before cutting them into squares. They also freeze nicely.

For a picture of the almond bars, see the next post (Cookies for Santa).

PEPPERMINT CRACKLES

These are a recipe from Epicurious.com, which I won't type out as I don't adapt them at all besides cutting their 6 1/2 tablespoons of sugar down to 5 tablespoons. These are fun for kids to help with and sneak little bits of the crushed candy cane when you're not looking!