Christmas Cookies Redux

[David Ross]

On 12/6/2016 at 7:19 AM, David Ross said:

This is year #3 working on my gingerbread house project and I think it's just about finished, although I have a few more ideas for adding some candies next year. 

 

Unfortunately this gingerbread house has fallen.  I wasn't able to do anything for the holidays last year because I was recovering from breaking my upper right arm.  So much to my horror, when I unpacked the Christmas boxes this year I found this wonderful creation had been damaged.  I had put it on a cardboard base and stuffed it in a large hard plastic storage bin, but it wasn't really wide enough to fit the base so it sort of bent and that collapsed under the weight of the house.  And somehow I hadn't properly sealed the bin as somehow moisture or humidity got in and softened all the candy, gingerbread and frosting.  So it couldn't be repaired or saved.

 

But I'm already working on building a replacement and a few more this year.  I'll post photos when I have the first one done.

 

[rotuts]

I thought I ask my question here 

 

Id like help with and I.D. of a particular cookie

 

my mother made cookies from time to time.

 

i think this cookie has a european-ish name , perhaps not

 

it is a roundish cookie that has ground nuts mixed in.

 

when baking is finished , it is rolled in powdered sugar while hot then allowed to cool

 

its a very ' tender '  cookie   and melts in your mouth

 

its easy to make , as Ive made it myself a few times

 

please help me remember the name

 

Seasonal Cheers , and a Merry Christmas  Your Way !

Edited December 8, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

@rotuts

 

 I am thinking Pfeffernusse. I think of them primarily as spice cookies but I know some recipes call for ground almonds. 

[blue_dolphin]

Or maybe Russian Tea Cakes aka Mexican Wedding Cookies aka Snowballs?

[rotuts]

thank you !

 

I looked up a few Rx's , esp in Fannyfarmer.  I couldn't find my mothers Joy of Cooking

 

and those were probably the only cookbooks she used , and of course the Betty Crocker   " Loose-Leaf "  cookbook

 

what I recall are more towards snowballs as they didn't have the spice or glazing of Pfeffemusse  as IU recall

 

thanks again 1

[Darienne]

26 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I thought I ask my question here 

 

Id like help with and I.D. of a particular cookie

 

 

14 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Or maybe Russian Tea Cakes aka Mexican Wedding Cookies aka Snowballs?

 

This cookie is the one in my photo with the chocolate squiggles on it (my take).  My very favorite cookie.  And yes it is the Russian Tea Cake and Mexican Wedding Cookie (Polvorones) and a dozen other names depending upon the country.   It's in the Fanny Farmer cookbook as Viennese Crescents and other online websites credit her with the recipe.  Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook lists it twice: Nut Crescents and Mexican Wedding Cookies.  
    I make it with pecans and have never tried it with almonds.  And it does melt in your mouth.  Five dozen go to my Cookie Exchange...can't believe I am a Virgin Cookie Exchanger at the ripe old age of 77.   

[rotuts]

thanks again

 

@Darienne

 

I think your  chocolate squiggles cookies brought back memories .  

 

my mothers were  a variant of the polvorones , as these were my favorite cookie while I lived in Spain.   only at Christmas !

 

 

and she made them w pecans.

 

thank you all again

[ElsieD]

https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20055/snowball-cookies/

[Darienne]

3 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20055/snowball-cookies/

Fanny Farmer has them rolled in confectioner's sugar before baking and after.   I can't remember where I read the accompanying text to the 'crescent' part of the name...the crescent shape represents the repelling of the Turkish army by the Viennese in 1529.  I am just too lazy to make the crescents.  I hope the Viennese will forgive me.  

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, rotuts said:

thanks again

I think I need to thank you. I have not thought about pfeffernusse in a very long time. Now I’m inclined to make them!

[heidih]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

Or maybe Russian Tea Cakes aka Mexican Wedding Cookies aka Snowballs?

 

Yes this sounds like our Austrian Vanilla Kipferl. 

[heidih]

2nd of the 3 things I will bake. These Linzer bars came out more candy than cookie but taste great. Going to try to cut up the sticky mess now that it has cooled and hardened overnight. I used a mixed berry jam and apricot jam with some Meyer lemon juice to tart it up. 

[lemniscate]

I did about, by my estimation, 10 doz. lemon shortbread rounds this morning.  Hoo boy.   I earned my hot toddy this morning.

I finished my dozen Caribbean Rum Cakes 2 days ago.

One more batch of palmiers in the nearish future.

 

Just in time for the Christmas parties to start.

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Or maybe Russian Tea Cakes aka Mexican Wedding Cookies aka Snowballs?

Yup - Mexican wedding cake in my world

[andiesenji]

In western Kentucky, where I was born and raised, they were known as pecan "meltaways" (there are a fair number of recipes if you Google that name)

And they were occasionally made with rum or bourbon - but never if they were going to one of the church events.

I have also seen them called pecan crescents, pecan balls, Mexican wedding cookies, Italian wedding cookies that were plain, with pecans, with pecans and lemon, plain with anise, made with pine nuts, and Pecan Snowballs, Louisiana Pecan balls,  Southern Pecan Butterballs, Martha Stewart calls hers' Noel Nut Balls 

And the funniest name is Angel Turds...  Lest you think I am making this up, here is the link  -  Pecan balls or angel turds – the best Christmas cookie of all

 

My grandparents' cook made 50 DOZEN of these for Christmas after the end of WWII and it was easier to get white sugar and powdered sugar.  600 cookies may sound like a lot but at Christmas 1945 with some visiting family and friends, there were more than 30 people to be fed.  There were other cookies and lots of cakes but I remember these because I could help roll them in the powdered sugar - togged out in a large pinafore to cover my clothes because that powdered sugar went everywhere!

It was really funny that some of the men, who usually avoided the kitchen, would walk through on their way out instead of leaving through the hall to the porch that opened on the side where the barns were.  Going out the kitchen door, they had to walk halfway around the house. Often there were suspicious patches of powdered sugar on their coats. 

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, andiesenji said:

 

And the funniest name is Angel Turds...  Lest you think I am making this up, here is the link  -  Pecan balls or angel turds – the best Christmas cookie of all

Which, of course, brings to mind one of the cookie varieties we exchanged this afternoon at the Cookie Exchange...Moose Farts.  

Have to say that I think my Fannie Farmer Viennese Crescents were the most popular of all.  Went home with nary a one.  Not that I am a good baker, but rather that you cannot go wrong with butter, sugar, pecans, chocolate...shortbreads.  Is there anyone who doesn't love them?

Edited December 9, 2018 by Darienne (log)

[heidih]

I experienced the joy of "give-away" today with my first two. Cable guys, gardener, fish guy, and mail place guys. Food is powerful.

[Toliver]

On 12/8/2018 at 6:14 AM, rotuts said:

I thought I ask my question here 

 

Id like help with and I.D. of a particular cookie

These are all similar to the "Butterball Cookies" recipe i posted in RecipeGullet (click). Walnuts are used instead of pecans (my mom, having grown up in Kansas used black walnuts in anything she could).

[Shelby]

I jumped in with both feet day before yesterday.  Ronnie had meetings all day and evening so it was a good time to make a bunch of different cookie doughs.  

 

Yesterday, I baked them all.  The goal was to get them done and packaged before my wonderful UPS man showed up--which is usually between 3 and 5.  Thank goodness he was closer to 5 last night.

 

Ya'll, cookies take longer than you think.........🍪 or probably, I'm just really slow 😁

 

Anyway, two new cookies:

 

Snickerdoodle Party Cookies

 

 

They are good.  You get a crunch from the cornflakes and then a bit of chew from the Skor candy bars.  I had trouble getting the flakes to stick to the cookie balls, but other than that, a pretty easy recipe.

 

Next I did @Kim Shook's Supersized Ginger Chewies

 

 

These are really good.  I LOVE the gooey Sugar Babies that melt out of some.  

 

Then I made the Sparkle Cookies from last year

 

 

And the Raspberry Almond Thumbprints from last year

 

At this point I looked at the clock and decided I'd better get to packaging.  Plus I still had to make a birthday cake for my mother-in-law....

 

So, I have the dough made, but I didn't bake Smitten Kitten's oatmeal raisin cookies.  That will be either this afternoon or tomorrow. 

 

 

I don't know how you bakers and candy makers do it all.  So exhausting lol.

 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

I don't know how you bakers and candy makers do it all.  So exhausting lol.

You are so funny. If I get one batch of cookies done over two days I think I’m doing pretty well.  As an aside I made oatmeal raisin cookies the other day and they were greeted with much enthusiasm. They are the best!

[Martin Fisher]

14 hours ago, Anna N said:

 I made oatmeal raisin cookies the other day and they were greeted with much enthusiasm. They are the best!

 

Definitely very close to the top of the list of my favorites! 

[kayb]

I made a batch of spiced wafers this week. Some of them are going into Christmas gifts. Many are going into my mouth. They are So Freaking Good with coffee. Thank you, whoever brought up that topic and led me to the recipe!

[Darienne]

32 minutes ago, kayb said:

I made a batch of spiced wafers this week. Some of them are going into Christmas gifts. Many are going into my mouth. They are So Freaking Good with coffee. Thank you, whoever brought up that topic and led me to the recipe!

I could use a recipe for spiced wafers please.  Where is this recipe you were led to please.  Thanks. 

[Kim Shook]

My PB cookies – some made into PB Blossom cookies with the new Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses:

[kayb]

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

I could use a recipe for spiced wafers please.  Where is this recipe you were led to please.  Thanks. 

 

Here you go.