Christmas Cookies Part 2

This is another old holiday family favorite.The cookie is rich, flavorful and chewy. I got the recipe from my mother. She got it from her mother, and now I give it to you. I hope you enjoy.

Hedgehogs

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped English Walnuts
• 1 cup chopped Pitted Dates
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cups shredded Coconut
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Combine the following ingredients:
   • Brown Sugar
   • Eggs
   • Dates
   • Walnuts
   • 1 cup Coconut
3. Form a bit of the mixture into a 1" by ½" log.
4. Roll the log in the remaining coconut.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes

makes about 60 cookies

Peppermint Pie

My grandmother Jessie was in love with peppermint candy. So it was no surprise that she would make a peppermint pie. She was a very intuitive cook who did not always write recipes down, or measure. Either you watched and figured out her tricks or you were left in her dust as she whipped up her delicious dishes.

One of my sisters wanted the recipe and I started thinking back to the days when I watched my grandmother make this dessert. I had a rough idea of the recipe and with a bit of searching and remembering I came up with something very close to her original recipe. The only real difference was using whipping cream instead of condensed milk.

Candy Cane Chiffon Pie

Ingredients

• 1 - 9" pie crust, prepared
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon. peppermint extract
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1/2 cups crushed peppermint candy canes

Preparation

1. Have the baked pie crust ready.
2. Soften the gelatin in water in a 1-quart saucepan.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat.
4. Cook until the mixture bubbles and the gelatin is dissolved.
5. Remove from heat. Cool.
6. Stir in the peppermint extract.
7. Beat the egg whites in a 3-quart bowl with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.
8. Beat in the sugar gradually until stiff and glossy.
9. Beat in the gelatin mixture at low speed until mixed.
10. Fold in the whipped cream and candy.
11. Heap into shell.
12. Decorate with small candy canes if desired.
13. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
14. Sprinkle with crushed candy just before serving for an added sparkle.

Yields: 1 - 9" pie

Preparation Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling time

Christmas Cookies- Part 1

Kolatchkis

No matter how you spell it these Polish or Ukrainian Christmas cookies are wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie list. These flaky pastry like delicacies were always the first to disappear during the holidays. My mother would make them by the gross. It was a very big family and they all were Kolatchki junkies. You can use any flavor filling you prefer, but most of the ones I have seen were either apricot, cherry, and almond. If you do not have a large family, or you are a dainty eater, you can scale the recipe easily. Just scale down the amount of flour, butter, cream cheese and filling.

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1 lb Cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash
• 2 cans Solo canned filling

Preparation

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl until combined.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
3. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap.
5. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Put oven rack in middle position
7. Preheat oven to 375°F.
8. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
9. Divid the dough into 8 equal pieces
10. Roll the dough between sheets of well-floured wax paper into an 11" square.
11. If dough gets too soft, and chill until firm.
12. Discard top sheet of wax paper
13. Trim dough with a pastry wheel or sharp knife into a 10-inch square.
14. Cut square into 4 equal strips
15. Cut crosswise in fourths again to form a total of 16 squares.
16. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each square.
17. Brush 2 opposite corners with egg wash
18. Bring the coated corners together and pinch firmly to adhere.
19. If dough becomes too soft, freeze it on a baking sheet for a few minutes.
20. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
21. Bake 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
22. Transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
23. Sprinkle with powdered sugar .
24. Make more cookies with remaining dough and filling on a lined cooled baking sheet.

makes around 128 cookies.