Holiday cookies and more!

Well it's that time of year for holiday baking and it's tradition that I make a ton of holiday cookies. This year I wanted to add some other goodies into the mix, so that had me searching in my grandmother's cook books, Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook and Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Souvenir Addition. In it I not only found the traditional cookie recipes I wanted, I also found a gem of a recipe - gingerbread written on a piece of paper in my grandmother's handwriting. I love finding handwritten recipes! She also had a cut out from a magazine about an easy applesauce cake that sounded promising. With these recipes found, I knew I had to try them out with my cookie line up of chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, and sugar cookies. Something still seemed missing, and after some more thought about holiday goodies, I decided that it was fudge that was missing. With my holiday baking plans all together, I was a baking fool all weekend! The kids loved the cookies and fudge, as expected, but also really loved their great-grandmother's gingerbread. Make these for your holiday baking and it will be a sweet treat!

What's cooking in my kitchen this week:
Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, sugar cookies, fudge, gingerbread, and applesauce cake.

What you'll need:
Chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 well-beaten egg
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot water
1 6 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut butter cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 beaten eggs
1 cup peanut butter
3 cup sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
dash salt

Oatmeal cookies
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins

Sugar cookies
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp milk

Fudge
3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter

Gingerbread
2 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup molasses
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup hot water
3/4 tsp salt

Applesauce cake
1 2/3 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

How to make it: 
I first started with the chocolate chip cookies. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.

Add egg and beat well.

Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Add hot water and mix until well blended. Add chocolate chips and vanilla.

Drop from a teaspoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; if you don't have this, grease with non-stick cooking spray, although I highly recommend getting parchment paper. This is the first year I've used it and the cookies came off with no fuss. I will always use from now on!

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Next up was the peanut butter cookies. Thoroughly cream shortening, sugars, and vanilla.

Add eggs and beat thoroughly.

Stir in peanut butter.

Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture.

Form into tiny balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press back of fork over balls to make a crisscross.

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 7 1/2 dozen cookies.

While the peanut butter cookies were baking, I got going on the fudge. Place chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on medium power 3-5 minutes until chocolate is melted, stirring once or twice.

Pour into well foil lined, well greased baking dish and smooth out. Refrigerate until fudge is set.

Remove from baking dish and cut into pieces.

Next up was the applesauce cake. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Add brown sugar, shortening, and applesauce and beat for 2 minutes.

Add egg and beat an additional 2 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins.

Pour batter into greased bundt pan and tap to remove bubbles. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, until cake has started to pull away from sides of the pan.

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

After that it was onto the gingerbread. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat until well mixed. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Add molasses and hot water and stir until well incorporated.

Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350° 45-50 minutes.

Next it was time to make the sugar cookies. Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar.

Add egg, beat until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture with milk.

Divide dough in half.

Chill at least an hour. Roll out between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut shapes and put on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Decorate cookies with colored sugar sprinkles.

Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

While the sugar cookie dough was chilling I got the oatmeal cookies done. Cream together shortening, brown sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in buttermilk. Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture.

Stir in oats and raisins (or if you happen to run out of raisins like I did, you can substitute with chocolate chips).

Drop from tablespoon on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 400° for 7-8 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet to wire cooling wracks.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

I'll leave you with a picture of Grandma's gingerbread recipe. 😊

Happy holidays and enjoy!


Did you know?
On this day in 1779, the Smithfield Cattle and Sheep Society held the first Smithfield Show in London. It is now the leading agriculture show in the UK.