I have a QoftheD..What special food do you look forward to at Christmas? Is it sweet, savory, have a special memory or meaning?
Our lives are changing at the holiday, due to the family growing up and out. I have typically made frosted cut-out sugar cookies, gingerbread cut-outs and some very putsy candy cane cookies (my favorite). I like to make cardamom bread for me and my husband, but sometimes he goes off bread for health reasons. I have no frosted sugar cut-outs but do have star cut-outs from the same dough that I dip in chocolate. I sprinkled crushed candy cane on those this year.
Another big thing of a more savory nature is the Chex mix.
We have to drive to a music gig quite a distance. It is currently raining and the roads were terrible that way last night. I am praying they are well sanded and okay both coming and going today. We would hate to disappoint those waiting.
Morning! Cold and breezy and we saw a wee bit of snow/rain during the night on the cameras. It was all dried out by the time we woke!
Christmas cut out cookies have always been a favorite this time of year. Our “Grandma Mack” from church made them for us every Christmas and they were perfection! She was an older German lady who became so dear to our family as we would pick her up every Sunday for church. She became a Mom to my Mom and we adored her. She would also make other types of cookies for us but those frosted sugar cut out cookies were the best. Try as I might to replicate them I always fell short but just the attempt is fun. My oldest daughter caught on to the tradition and hers were much tastier than mine!
Chex mix is a must during the holidays…much better than store bought! Chocolate covered cherries is a tradition as are Doschers candy canes…those are made in Cincinnati and I always purchased the white candy canes but they no longer carry them at our grocery…the striped ones must suffice!
I’m off to mail last minute forgotten Christmas cards and accomplish last minute grocery shopping. School will be out for Christmas break and I’d rather get the in town shopping over with before chaos ensues!
Praying for safe travels Kathaleena…you are such a blessing to those dear folk…
I always loved my mother’s cutout shortbread iced cookies called Silver Bells. I looked for the recipe recently but did not find it. It was in a little booklet from either a flour or butter company.
Nightingale has carried on the tradition of making some of the same Christmas cookies that my mom would make, or similar ones. I especially love spritz cookies and Chinese almond cookies. (But not being a fan of nuts, I would always remove the almond from the center of the cookie. 😀 )
I also love fruitcake, which gets such a bad rap from many folks.
My grandmother also had a German heritage. She was the one who made the cutouts, but mine are from the old Betty Crocker Cooky Book. The same Grandmother also made the Chex Mix. My mom made Divinity, but I was never fond of that. I have made many different kinds of cookies but are down to the ones everyone seems fondest of.
I have gift bags to give to the music group, but they will have to wait. The group elected to cancel going. It is now snowy and windy on top of ice. I gave them a few of the star cookies and some cream wafer cookies, which are a sandwich cookie with icing in them. The cookie part only has sugar on the outside. I had made these in a heart shape for one of my daughter’s weddings years ago. They were made earlier and frozen, because I knew time would be short and that they freeze well.
My dad’s family was German on both sides (with his dad having been born there as well) and my mom was half German. Mom made two or three classic German cookies each year.
Got all of the non perishable food into the boxes and then Saturday morning we will do all of the perishable food and the deacons will deliver along with the gifts.
Also tomorrow is my laser surgery to zap the scar tissue that is from my cataract surgery and is making my vision fuzzy.
Oooh, traditional treats from my family: ammonia cookies, halvah and pepper nuts.
Ammonia cookies were made with baking ammonia which can be super hard to find so I make them with baking powder and peppermint oil. They are a soft white peppermint cookie. My daughter has started making them now, too, thankfully because they are just a pig to roll out and cut. The dough is super soft and sticky.
Halvah was always on the coffee table at Christmas – I love it, but most people do not like it. I think one has to grow up with it.
Well I had to look up ammonia cookies and Halvah…two things I had never heard of in my long life! Ammonia cookies sounded kinda scary! The Halvah kind of reminds me of fudge. We always made Hershey’s fudge and marshmallow peanut butter fudge…haven’t made those in years!
Paul’s going up to the Peak on a training run tomorrow…I think I need to bake some cookies while he’s gone!
I would always bake cinnamon rolls for the grandkids when they were little and liked me! They enjoyed them so much when they got up in the morning after a sleep over. They didn’t stay over very many times but my youngest grandson remembers I’m certain….he enjoyed them the most!
Growing up we made a type of sugar cookie I’ve never seen anywhere but in our family. Fun, delicious . . . but super messy, and so much sugar in them that I’ve rarely made them in recent years.
They are made by making a dough, which we often would chill for a bit, then rolling it out and cutting with cookie cutters. I don’t know if it is a basic sugar-cookie dough simply because I’ve never made any other sugar cookies–it is made with Crisco. One of my sisters-in-law started making them with butter, and I didn’t like them as well.
After a cookie sheet is filled with cookies, and before they are baked, one mixes sugar with milk, mostly sugar (too much milk makes the sugar mixture super runny and it gets all over the pan and bakes on), and then once the right consistency is reached, I divide the sugar mixture into separate small bowls and add food coloring. I enjoy experimenting with colors: add some of the green sugar to some of the blue sugar to make turquoise, add just a little bit of red to make pink–and then mix some of that with the blue, etc. So I’d end up making mostly large cookies so that I can put rainbow stripes on one, white with red polka dots on another, and so on. (My sister started making the sugar just white, no coloring at all, but to me that spoils half the fun.) Eventually I discovered that Airbake cookie sheets were perfect for these cookies, since icing that runs off the edge doesn’t get nearly as baked on as with standard cookie sheets–though my husband didn’t want any cookie sheets made with tin, and I discovered those were and thus got rid of the ones I had when we married (he had a very small kitchen and there was no room for anything that wouldn’t get used frequently, or I’d have kept them just for these cookies). When the cookies are baked, the icing gets air bubbles in it and ends up crunchy and sweet, very different from sugar cookies with traditional icing. I have no idea where Mom got the recipe; I never thought to ask, and have never seen them outside my family. We used to open presents Christmas Eve, and we’d have a plate of the cookies in the living room. It might have been the only time of the year no one kept track of how many cookies we ate. (We children made the cookies; I’m sure Mom made cookies herself when our brothers were little, but I only ever remember Mom making one variety of cookies that were extra complicated; anything else we children made. The highlight was that after we made cookies, whether sugar cookies, chocolate chip, gingersnaps, or some other variety, frequently our supper was cookies and milk, quite a treat when the cookies were still warm!)
My sister-in-law once made extra of these cookies and froze a large quantity to eat later. When she went to the freezer a month or two later to retrieve the frozen ones, she couldn’t find them. When she asked my brother if he knew what happened to them, he told her he particularly liked them frozen!
I have never heard of that type of cookies, Cheryl. Very interesting.
Our family also made monkey bread, which my daughter always refers to as monkey brains, for Christmas morning. We make it with the biscuits in tubes cut up, coated in cinnamon and sugar, placed in a Bundt pan and then covered in a caramel mixture. I would have my grandchildren shake the cut-up dough pieces in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I haven’t made it in years, since there are usually just the two of us for the holiday now.
Late to the party … to early for the Friday thread.
I’m not a fan of sugar cookies. My favorites are my MIL’s fudge, which D2 sometimes makes. But D2 now lives in Oregon, so I guess I won’t get any this year, since it’s not the year we go to Mrs L’s side of the family. Also, peanut clusters. Yum!
Wandering Views 
I have a QoftheD..What special food do you look forward to at Christmas? Is it sweet, savory, have a special memory or meaning?
Our lives are changing at the holiday, due to the family growing up and out. I have typically made frosted cut-out sugar cookies, gingerbread cut-outs and some very putsy candy cane cookies (my favorite). I like to make cardamom bread for me and my husband, but sometimes he goes off bread for health reasons. I have no frosted sugar cut-outs but do have star cut-outs from the same dough that I dip in chocolate. I sprinkled crushed candy cane on those this year.
Another big thing of a more savory nature is the Chex mix.
We have to drive to a music gig quite a distance. It is currently raining and the roads were terrible that way last night. I am praying they are well sanded and okay both coming and going today. We would hate to disappoint those waiting.
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Morning! Cold and breezy and we saw a wee bit of snow/rain during the night on the cameras. It was all dried out by the time we woke!
Christmas cut out cookies have always been a favorite this time of year. Our “Grandma Mack” from church made them for us every Christmas and they were perfection! She was an older German lady who became so dear to our family as we would pick her up every Sunday for church. She became a Mom to my Mom and we adored her. She would also make other types of cookies for us but those frosted sugar cut out cookies were the best. Try as I might to replicate them I always fell short but just the attempt is fun. My oldest daughter caught on to the tradition and hers were much tastier than mine!
Chex mix is a must during the holidays…much better than store bought! Chocolate covered cherries is a tradition as are Doschers candy canes…those are made in Cincinnati and I always purchased the white candy canes but they no longer carry them at our grocery…the striped ones must suffice!
I’m off to mail last minute forgotten Christmas cards and accomplish last minute grocery shopping. School will be out for Christmas break and I’d rather get the in town shopping over with before chaos ensues!
Praying for safe travels Kathaleena…you are such a blessing to those dear folk…
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We don’t do many sweets anymore, but something we enjoy at times is orange cranberry bread mixed with a fruit salad and its juices
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I always loved my mother’s cutout shortbread iced cookies called Silver Bells. I looked for the recipe recently but did not find it. It was in a little booklet from either a flour or butter company.
Still having posting issues.
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Nightingale has carried on the tradition of making some of the same Christmas cookies that my mom would make, or similar ones. I especially love spritz cookies and Chinese almond cookies. (But not being a fan of nuts, I would always remove the almond from the center of the cookie. 😀 )
I also love fruitcake, which gets such a bad rap from many folks.
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My grandmother also had a German heritage. She was the one who made the cutouts, but mine are from the old Betty Crocker Cooky Book. The same Grandmother also made the Chex Mix. My mom made Divinity, but I was never fond of that. I have made many different kinds of cookies but are down to the ones everyone seems fondest of.
I have gift bags to give to the music group, but they will have to wait. The group elected to cancel going. It is now snowy and windy on top of ice. I gave them a few of the star cookies and some cream wafer cookies, which are a sandwich cookie with icing in them. The cookie part only has sugar on the outside. I had made these in a heart shape for one of my daughter’s weddings years ago. They were made earlier and frozen, because I knew time would be short and that they freeze well.
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Ule Log!
M
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My dad’s family was German on both sides (with his dad having been born there as well) and my mom was half German. Mom made two or three classic German cookies each year.
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Having a log named after you is pretty special!!!
Got all of the non perishable food into the boxes and then Saturday morning we will do all of the perishable food and the deacons will deliver along with the gifts.
Also tomorrow is my laser surgery to zap the scar tissue that is from my cataract surgery and is making my vision fuzzy.
Jo
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Oooh, traditional treats from my family: ammonia cookies, halvah and pepper nuts.
Ammonia cookies were made with baking ammonia which can be super hard to find so I make them with baking powder and peppermint oil. They are a soft white peppermint cookie. My daughter has started making them now, too, thankfully because they are just a pig to roll out and cut. The dough is super soft and sticky.
Halvah was always on the coffee table at Christmas – I love it, but most people do not like it. I think one has to grow up with it.
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I would love to try one of those ammonia cookies. What type of flavor is Halvah? What makes it distinct?
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Well I had to look up ammonia cookies and Halvah…two things I had never heard of in my long life! Ammonia cookies sounded kinda scary! The Halvah kind of reminds me of fudge. We always made Hershey’s fudge and marshmallow peanut butter fudge…haven’t made those in years!
Paul’s going up to the Peak on a training run tomorrow…I think I need to bake some cookies while he’s gone!
I would always bake cinnamon rolls for the grandkids when they were little and liked me! They enjoyed them so much when they got up in the morning after a sleep over. They didn’t stay over very many times but my youngest grandson remembers I’m certain….he enjoyed them the most!
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Growing up we made a type of sugar cookie I’ve never seen anywhere but in our family. Fun, delicious . . . but super messy, and so much sugar in them that I’ve rarely made them in recent years.
They are made by making a dough, which we often would chill for a bit, then rolling it out and cutting with cookie cutters. I don’t know if it is a basic sugar-cookie dough simply because I’ve never made any other sugar cookies–it is made with Crisco. One of my sisters-in-law started making them with butter, and I didn’t like them as well.
After a cookie sheet is filled with cookies, and before they are baked, one mixes sugar with milk, mostly sugar (too much milk makes the sugar mixture super runny and it gets all over the pan and bakes on), and then once the right consistency is reached, I divide the sugar mixture into separate small bowls and add food coloring. I enjoy experimenting with colors: add some of the green sugar to some of the blue sugar to make turquoise, add just a little bit of red to make pink–and then mix some of that with the blue, etc. So I’d end up making mostly large cookies so that I can put rainbow stripes on one, white with red polka dots on another, and so on. (My sister started making the sugar just white, no coloring at all, but to me that spoils half the fun.) Eventually I discovered that Airbake cookie sheets were perfect for these cookies, since icing that runs off the edge doesn’t get nearly as baked on as with standard cookie sheets–though my husband didn’t want any cookie sheets made with tin, and I discovered those were and thus got rid of the ones I had when we married (he had a very small kitchen and there was no room for anything that wouldn’t get used frequently, or I’d have kept them just for these cookies). When the cookies are baked, the icing gets air bubbles in it and ends up crunchy and sweet, very different from sugar cookies with traditional icing. I have no idea where Mom got the recipe; I never thought to ask, and have never seen them outside my family. We used to open presents Christmas Eve, and we’d have a plate of the cookies in the living room. It might have been the only time of the year no one kept track of how many cookies we ate. (We children made the cookies; I’m sure Mom made cookies herself when our brothers were little, but I only ever remember Mom making one variety of cookies that were extra complicated; anything else we children made. The highlight was that after we made cookies, whether sugar cookies, chocolate chip, gingersnaps, or some other variety, frequently our supper was cookies and milk, quite a treat when the cookies were still warm!)
My sister-in-law once made extra of these cookies and froze a large quantity to eat later. When she went to the freezer a month or two later to retrieve the frozen ones, she couldn’t find them. When she asked my brother if he knew what happened to them, he told her he particularly liked them frozen!
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I have never heard of that type of cookies, Cheryl. Very interesting.
Our family also made monkey bread, which my daughter always refers to as monkey brains, for Christmas morning. We make it with the biscuits in tubes cut up, coated in cinnamon and sugar, placed in a Bundt pan and then covered in a caramel mixture. I would have my grandchildren shake the cut-up dough pieces in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I haven’t made it in years, since there are usually just the two of us for the holiday now.
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Late to the party … to early for the Friday thread.
I’m not a fan of sugar cookies. My favorites are my MIL’s fudge, which D2 sometimes makes. But D2 now lives in Oregon, so I guess I won’t get any this year, since it’s not the year we go to Mrs L’s side of the family. Also, peanut clusters. Yum!
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