Season's Favorite Holiday Cookies

I have two childhood memories that center around Christmas cookies. My Mom's no-bake cookies and my Aunt's sugar cookies. I can still see my Mom stirring the cocoa for the no-bakes and can still smell their savory, sweet, aroma. I remember being just barely tall enough to peek up at the waxed paper-lined kitchen counter to sneak me a cookie while they were still warm.

My Aunt made the best sugar cookies that I can remember. The shapes that I remember the most were the Christmas trees, the candy canes, and the wreaths. I like soft doughy cookies and my Aunt's were the best. She lived just three blocks down from our house and I still remember walking to her house with my parents...visiting, and eating those cookies. Those were the good old days.

What are the cookies that you remember as a child? Which ones were your favorites?

If you're like most people...you will come up with the following four

*Sugar Cookies
*Chocolate Chip Cookies
*Peanut Butter Cookies
*Gingerbread Cookies

These four kinds of cookies are America's top pick when it comes to holiday cookies. There are many variations of each kind. But my favorite...other than the cookies I mentioned at the beginning of this article, is chocolate chip cookies. Every Christmas, my Sister-In-Law brings everyone in the family a big bag of them. It's a tradition with her. She enjoys baking chocolate chip cookies for us all.

Below is my Sister-In-Law's recipe

(It's actually the same recipe that is in the Betty Crocker cookbook)

bettycrocker.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

(The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup chopped nuts, my Sister-In-Law doesn't include nuts)

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugars, margarine, shortening, egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

I look forward to these every year. I too, have made them many times and they don't last long around our house. My Husband loves them.

Do you bake cookies for the holidays? Everyone has their personal favorites.

If you're baking cookies this Christmas, don't forget to leave Santa a special plate full of them.

Happy Holidays to all!

Article Written By: Tammy Embrich Tammy owns and operates two work at home websites, a work at home forum, a recipe site and three blogs. She offers free work at home job leads for the job seeker, business work at home articles, tips, and more. You can visit Tammy at Work At Home Jobs and Cookin At Home. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tammy_Embrich

Find More : sugar cookies , Chip Cookies , Butter Cookies , holiday cookies , Food Cookies , Cookies Homemade , Cookies Cakes

Easy Delicious Sugar Cookies

Making Sugar Cookies

In my family we have been making sugar cookies for the holidays for at least 30 years. It is a tradition that many expect. It brings a smile to your face to see the enjoyment of others when they eat these wonderful cookies. You can make shapes and decorate accordingly.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

In a bowl mix 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cut in (or add small pieces of) one cup of shortening. Mix this until you get a crumb like mix. If you make pie crust you would mix just like you do that.

In another bowl add 1 heaping cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix these ingredients well.

Now take the first dry mixture and add the wet ingredients a little at a time mixing after each addition. Once you have added all the wet, continue to work the mix into a workable dough. If it is too sticky add more flour. It various depending on the size of the eggs.

You can now roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut your shapes and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. You do not need to refrigerate this dough it is fine after mixing.

Add your favorite frosting and decorate. I like to make candy cane cookies at Christmas time, it doesn't take a lot of dough and they are easy to decorate. Everyone loves them.

Try a batch and see if your family loves them as much as mine does.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Hoover

Find More : sugar cookies , cane cookies , Food Cookies , Cookies Homemade , Cookies Cakes