Every year there are specific cookies that have to be made: Candy Cane cookies, My Nana's Icebox Cookies, Biscotti, and Bourbon Balls. Here are the recipes for the each cookie - passed down through the family and made with love every time.
The Bourbon Balls seem to get stronger every year. The Candy Cookies are the best part about Christmas. The Biscotti are perfect with coffee or tea any time of the day. And the Icebox cookies are the best tribute to my Nana.
Enjoy and happy baking!!
Grandma’s Anise Biscotti
6 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp Anise
¼ tsp yellow food coloring
1 heaping tbsp baking powder
 |
| batter after 10 minutes of beating (frothy) |
Preheat oven to 350*.
Beat eggs, sugar, coloring, and Anise for 8-10 minutes (until frothy) on
high speed. Add flour and baking powder.
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Pour the mixture on the sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Turn onto pastry board or hard surface
(remove wax paper immediately). Cut in ½
lengthwise and then into 1 ½” slices on the diagonal.
Place back onto cookie sheet and return to oven for toasting
(about 10 min.)
Heat chocolate in a double boiler with some karo syrup or butter and then dunk the cooled biscotti into the chocolate and let cool on a wire rack.
Gingerbread
Men Cookies
(~ 21 doz. mini cookies or ~ 8 doz. regular size)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 c. sifted flour
1 c. shortening
1 ¼ c. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 c. molasses, slightly warm
1/3 c. hot water
1 1/8 tsp. baking soda
4 to 5 cups flour
Sift together in large bowl:
salt
ground nutmeg
cloves
cinnamon
powdered ginger
sifted flour
Preheat oven to 350*.
Cream shortening and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
Work flour mixture and shortening/sugar mixture with a
pastry blender until light and fluffy.
Add egg, beaten, alternately with the slightly warmed molasses. Blend thoroughly.
Now add the hot water with the baking soda.
Stir in 4 or 5 cups of flour into the mixture (I used
about 4 ½ c.). Chill dough in fridge for
8 hours or stick in freezer for 2 hours until chilled. Roll out a small portion at a time to 1/8
inch thick. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes on
a cookie sheet.
Nana’s
Ice Box Cookies
3 eggs
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar + 1 c. brown sugar
4 c. sifted flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts)
Cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs. Add sifted dry
ingredients. Stir in nuts. Roll out dough into a log form, wrap in seran
wrap, and freeze for several hours (at least 3). When firm, slice and bake in 400* oven for 10
minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Candy
Cane Cookies
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. shortening
1 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ c. flour sifted
1 tsp salt
Red food coloring (8 drops)
Preheat oven to 350*.
Cream butter, shortening, sugar, egg, and extracts. Sift flour and salt together and add to the
mixture. Divide the dough in half and
add the red food coloring to half the mixture.
Take a small ball from each half and roll into strips,
braid them into twists and shape into candy canes and place onto the cookie
sheet. Sprinkle with a little
sugar. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until
slightly golden brown on the edges.
Bourbon
Balls
1 box of Nilla Wafers, crushed into very small bits
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 c. walnuts, frozen and crushed
3 Tbsp. light Karo syrup
½ c. Bourbon (can use ¼ - ⅓c.)
Combine all into a large mixing bowl and combine until
incorporated. Roll into small balls,
then roll into confectioners’ sugar. Store in a tin container.
