Sweets – Cookies

Linzer Torte

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Direct from Switzerland!  A delicious, not too fussy, fancy cookie.  They keep well and can be frozen (if there are any left!).

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature  (3/4 cup)
  • 1 c sugar
  • 2 c ground blanched almonds, fine (easiest to use slivered almonds)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 c flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 Tab brandy (or rum)
  • 2/3 – 3/4 jar raspberry jam

Directions:

  1. Mix in order. (butter, sugar, almonds, lemon zest, egg, flour, cinnamon, cloves, brandy)
  2. Roll out about 1/2 dough (maybe a little more)
  3. Place in a nine inch pie plate (or tart pan with removable bottom)
  4. Spread raspberry jam on top, but not all the way to the edge.  Leave about 1/2 inch to anchor the top.
  5. Roll out remaining dough.
  6. Cut into strips to cover the top.
  7. Chriscross the strips over the top of the jam.
  8. Press the ends into the base dough.
  9. Bake 325 for about 35 – 40 minutes.
  10. When cool, cut into 1 inch squares.

Serves:  4 – 5 dozen cookies

Source:  Helen Dell-Imagine

Perfect Lemon Bars

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This is a quite detailed  recipe of the Lemon Bars we all love!

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 c powdered sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on bars
  • 1/4 c cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 Tab butter (1 1/2 sticks), at cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Crust Directions:

  1. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease.
  3. Stir together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  4. Add the pieces of butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender,
  5. two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (You might try freezing the
  6. butter and grating it into the dry ingredients on the large holes of a box grater)
  7. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer on the bottom and
  8. about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan.
  9. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
  10. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Filling Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 c granulated sugar
  • 3 Tab all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsps grated lemon zest, from 2 large lemons
  • 2/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3 to 4 large lemons
  • 1/3 c milk
  • Pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Filling Directions:

  1. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl.
  2. Then stir in the lemon zest, juice and milk to combine.
  3. Pour the filling onto the warm crust (it’s important that the crust is still warm!)
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°.
  5. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the filling feels slightly firm to the touch.
  6. Cool the bars to room temperature, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.
  7. Cut into bars. Cut the 9 inch side into 6 and the 13 inch side into 8.

Serves: Yield: Makes 9X13-inch pan of bars. 48 bars – 1 x 1 1⁄2 inches.

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Café

 

Butterscotch Cookies

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  A “Take a pound of butter cooking school” recipe.  ALWAYS use real butter!!! Save the egg whites (in the freezer) for meringue cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butter
  • 1 c light brown sugar
  • 1/4 c white sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 c flour
  • 7 dozen pecan halves

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Cream butter and sugars.
  3. Add egg yolks.
  4. Add flour.
  5. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Take a small (about 1 oz) piece of dough and roll into a ball in the hand. (I use a 1 oz scoop.)
  7. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
  8. Then pat down with a fork.
  9. Top with a pecan half.
  10. Do it again and again until all the dough is gone.
  11. Bake 350° for 15 minutes.

Serves:  Makes 7 dozen cookies

Source:  Anna Ortlund, Margie’s great-grandmother.

Revised 9/2022 when I found the recipe in Winnifred’s (Margie’s grandmother) handwriting.

Spritz

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  Grandmother Ortlund brought this recipe from Sweden when she came to the US – alone – at age 16.  It is part of the “take a pound of butter cooking school” Christmas cookie collection. Life is much easier now that you can buy grated almonds.  Save the egg white (they freeze) for meringue cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butter (yes, real butter)
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 c + 3 heaping Tablespoons floor
  • 1/2 c almonds, grated

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°
  2. Cream butter and sugar.
  3. Add eggs and extracts.
  4. Mix in flour and almonds.
  5. Form into rings with star tipped cookie press.
  6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until barely brown.

Serves:  Makes 5 dozen cookies

Source:   Anna Ortlund, Winifred Kleerups mother, Margie’s great-grandmother.

Orange Ice Box Cookies

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  Great because you make to dough and bake them later. One of the “Take a Pound of Butter Cooking School” recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c real butter (1/2 lb)
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • 2 Tab orange juice (I use undiluted frozen concentrate)
  • 1 Tab orange rind
  • 2 c flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 c pecans – coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add egg, orange juice and rind.
  3. Beat until smooth.
  4. Stir in flour sifted with soda.  (flour is consistent enough now you don’t need to sift)
  5. Add pecans.
  6. Shape into roll 1 1/2 – 2 inches wide.
  7. Chill overnight.
  8. Preheat oven 375°.
  9. Slice roll  into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices.
  10. Bake on ungreased greased cookie sheet 10 – 12 minutes. (I lightly grease)

Serves:  Makes 4 – 5 dozen cookies

Source:   Winifred Kleerup, Margie’s grandmother

Updated 9/2022 when I found the original recipe in Winnie’s handwriting.

 

Sesame Cookies

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Different, but tasty.  An NO eggs!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butter, softened
  • 1 1.2 c sugar
  • 3 c flour
  • 1 c sesame seeds
  • 2 c shredded coconut
  • 1/2 c almonds, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Cream butter in a large mixer bow.
  2. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
  3. Add flour and mix just until combined.
  4. Stir in sesame seeds, coconuts and almonds just until well mixed.
  5. Place 1/3 on a long sheet of wax paper.
  6. Shape into a long roll 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  (I used the cookie press tube.)
  7. Repeat with he remaining dough.
  8. Wrap and refrigerate until firm.
  9. Preheat oven 300°.
  10. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices.
  11. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 minutes.
  12. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Serves: Makes 7 dozen

Source: Ladies’ Home Journal, Dec 1985

Meringue Cookies

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This is for James.  Have fun!

Ingredients:

  • 6 egg whites, room temperature (very important)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tea vanilla extract
  • 1 Tab vinegar
  • 2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 c mini chocolate chips

Directions:  

  1. Preheat oven 300°.
  2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (or brown paper bags the way we used to.)
  3. Using stand mixer, beat egg whites, salt, vinegar and vanilla on medium until soft peaks form.
  4. Slowly add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from mixer.
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips by hand until combined
  7. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons full onto cookie sheets.
  8. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until cookies are cooked and slightly golden brown.
  9. Turn off the oven and let the cookies cool in the oven for an additional 20 – 30 minutes until cool.
  10. Remove and serve immediately or store in airtight container.

Serves:  Makes about 3 dozen

Source:  Lucia Henderson, Margie’s Godmother

More to know:  

  • You can make them with brown sugar, put in nuts, candied cherries, coconut, a drop of food coloring, mint flavoring – the possibilities are endless.
  • You can heat the oven to 350°, put the cookies in the oven and turn it off.  Leave them overnight (or at least 2 hours).  They are called “Forgotten Cookies”
  • These can be frozen.
  • They are gluten-free.

Rice Crispie Bars

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Another of the many variations on rice crispie bars – this one has peanut butter and butterscotch chips.  Double this – really, as long as you are making a mess, make a big batch of cookies!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1/2 c White Karo syrup
  • 3/4 c peanut butter
  • 3 c rice crispie cereal
  • 6 oz butterscotch chips
  • 6 oz chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Bring sugar and Karo syrup to a boil.
  2. Stir in peanut butter.
  3. Add cereal.
  4. Mix well.  (I use my hands covered in plastic bags.)
  5. Pat into 8 x 8   pan.
  6. Melt chips together and spread on top.

Serves:  16 2×2 cookies, or 32 1×2 cookies
Doubled: 9 x 13 pan makes 48 1×2 cookies

Source:  Taft Library Cookery Bookery, Orange, CA

Holly Wreath Cookies

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Another great Christmas cookie.  You can add a drop of green food coloring and decorate with cinnamon red hots.  

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 a 3 oz pkg of cream cheese
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 c sifted flour
  • 1 Tab vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Cream butter and cream cheese together.
  3. Add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly.
  4. Add vanilla.
  5. Gradually blend in flour,.
  6. Fill cookie press with star tip.
  7. Form cookies into 2 inch circles on ungreased cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 8 -10 minutes.

Serves: 2 dozen-  WAIT! Nobody makes 2 dozen cookies!  Multiply by four – that is 1 lb of butter, 2 3 oz pkg cream cheese 1 c sugar, 4 c flour – duh!

Source:  Karen Eckardt at KOA 1990

 

Pecan Pie Bars

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Swedish tradition is to serve seven kinds of cookies on a tray for special occasions.  You will learn to pick seven less complicated cookies when you do this!  Bar cookies and ice box cookies for the win!

Ingredients:

  • 1 8 oz box butter or yellow cake
  • 1/2 c butter, soft
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 c reserved cake mix
  • 12 c brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 c dark corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c+ pecans

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan.
  3. Reserve 2/3 c dry cake mix.
  4. Mix remaining cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly.
  5. Press into pan.
  6. Bake until light brown – about 15 minutes.
  7. Combine reserved cake mix, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and eggs.
  8. Beat 1 – 2 minutes.
  9. Pour over parochially baked crust.
  10. Sprinkle with pecans.
  11. Bake 30-35 minutes until filling is set.
  12. Cool and cut into bars.

Serves:  Makes 3 dozen bars

Source:  Magazine add