Today I conclude my cookie posts (for this year) with cookies 9 – 12 of the Twelve Cookies of Christmas. Just in case you weren’t salivating enough from the pictures of my other cookies.
We start cookies 9 – 12 with cookie 9. When I ask everyone what kind of cookies they want for Christmas, Jackie (daughter-in-law) always requests Strawberry Cream Cookies. These are an excellent cookie, with a cream-cheese flavored dough and a dollop of strawberry jam on top. They look fancy but are fairly simple and Jackie and I love them. Most of the rest of the family can take them or leave them, which just leaves more for us.
10. A new cookie that I made with Jackie in mind this year was Inside Out Red Velvet Cookies. These were the most time-intensive cookies I made this year. I was especially glad that I read the reviews because I made some modifications that made it a better cookie. First, I doubled the dough recipe. Even with twice the dough, I barely got the dough around the cream cheese stuffing, so I was glad to have more. Second, I chilled the dough before handling it, which made it easier to work. Third, I used all the red food coloring I had, but it was less than half what the recipe called for. Finally, I doubled the powdered sugar to the cream cheese filling.
Even with twice the dough, the recipe didn’t make too many cookies. The dough around the filling was a wonderful red velvet cake-like cookie. And the filling added a touch of sweetness that was delicious. I still had a little filling left over at the end, so I slathered all over one of the warm cookies and oh! so good! The best cookie of the day!
11. Cookie 11 was a tribute cookie. My friend Wendy’s dad died of Covid-19 just after Thanksgiving so I’ve been thinking about her a lot. When I was looking through my cookie recipes I found one that Wendy gave me years ago that I hadn’t made in a while: Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars. Three yummy layers with brownie, marshmallow, and chocolate/peanut butter/krispy. It isn’t really a family favorite, which is why I haven’t made it in a while. But I like the toasted marshmallow layer between the two chocolate layers.
12. The final cookie in the Twelve Cookies of Christmas is, as always, Grandma’s Ginger Cookies. It just isn’t Christmas until I make these cookies. They make the house smell the way it is supposed to. I have so many wonderful memories of baking with my Grandma Clymer and this recipe brings it all back.
Grandma’s recipe is almost identical to Taste of Home’s Big Soft Ginger Cookies. If you want to make Grandma’s Ginger Cookies, substitute shortening for the butter and use 1/2 tsp of ginger. I think the lighter ginger flavoring is one of the reasons I like her recipe so much.
Those are the Twelve Cookies of Christmas that I baked this year. I missed doing them with my mom, but I always enjoy baking. Do you have a favorite where it just wouldn’t be Christmas without that cookie? Maybe I’ll try one of your recipes next year.