I’ve been baking my way through Christina Tosi’s cookbooks (Momofuku Milk Bar), and I recently found her recipe for Cranberry Gingergread Layer Cake that I can’t wait to make!
Interesting! I’m from down south so we mainly make candy at Christmas time. I’ll do pralines, fudge and divinity.
I always make these but not sure I’ll have time to do all of them this year.
Peanut Butter Crackles
Christmas Pretzel Treats
Ritz Squares (everyone’s favorite!)
Chocolate Graham Squares
Peanut Butter Fudge
Blueberry Buckle
Cinnamon Bread
Italian Cream Cheese Poundcake
Walnut Cookies
I’m so envious of you all! I have 4 boxes of frozen cookie dough that’s been in my freezer for a few months. The neighbors were always kind enough to buy from my kids, so I buy from theirs. I think I’ll ask my kids home from college to bake and bag them and find someplace to pass them out. We have a senior care center nearby, so maybe I’ll send them there.
My sister bakes a lot of cookies and she delivers us a big box. Therefore I don’t need to bake at all. When the kids were young we would go over and my children would paint the cut out cookies. She eliminated that one once her cookie painters grew up. All of the recipients have their favorite. I like the molasses best.
Homemade cookies are my downfall. I used to make a dozen different kinds when the kids were still living with us and would put on five pounds every holiday tasting and eating them. Then would go to cookie exchanges and same thing, had to sample them all, much to the detriment of my waistline. For the last couple years I’ve avoided the cookie exchanges because I have no self control. Funny thing, just the other day my yoga instructor said she gained five pounds at a cookie exchange and will be avoiding them from now on. Now if the neighbors and friends would just stop bringing me all their goodies…
@alwaysamom Can you tell us about Peanut Butter Crackles and Ritz Squares? I’m not familiar with those.
I put myself through college baking cookies. Seriously, I sold trays and trays of them. So in the irony of all ironies, my son is allergic to eggs. And tree nuts. Which is a killer, because my father and I are both allergic to peanuts. That has put a serious damper on any baking!
This year, however, we’re determined to find some egg-free cookies to bake. His girlfriend is coming over on Saturday for an all-day bake-a-thon, so I’ll let everyone know how it goes.
One thing we did a few years ago that was very popular: we took mini-candy canes, stuck them into large marshmallows, melted some high-quality chocolate, dipped the marshmallow in the chocolate and rolled them in crushed peppermints. It came from Pinterest and actually worked really well/looked like their pictures.
This year we will have the usual, unless a kid adds something to the list:
Peanut butter balls (already made, Thanksgiving tradition)
Cut-out frosted, decorated sugar cookies, using my mother’s recipe
Spritz
Fudge
Thumbprint cookies, raspberry jam
Shortbread cookies, recipe from H’s great-aunt
Chocolate crinkles
Going to get busy this weekend!
I make these fritters at Christmas. They are a popular Christmas treat in Croatia—both of my parents immigrated to the US from there.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/klaras-traditional-croatian-fritters-recipe-1135857
@Bromfield2 - awesome. SIL has Croatian roots. I will make these for him. 
I bake with 3 friends and we spend the day chatting, as well as producing a large volume of cookies.
My sometimes contributions to our nut free baking, as one friend’s son is allergic to all nuts:
ginger biscotti
krumkakke
meringues
7 layer bars
thumbprints
coconut macroons
Others add: nanaimo bars, springerle, lemon bars and whatever strikes our fancy in a given year.
At home I add:
buckeyes with almond butter, as one D is peanut allergic
rum balls made with pecans
I adore frosted sugar cookies, but find them a pain to make now that the kids are gone.
scarletrobin, the best cookies are egg free, shortbreads and so on . Though lack of nuts does create a challenge.
Anyone have a favorite Buckeye recipe??? I know, I’m from Ohio, but I’m really a Wolverine/Spartan.
Especially any tips for a smooth nice chocolate to dip them in.
Ritz Squares
1 small box of Ritz crackers
1 package Skor bits
1 can condensed milk
Crush the crackers into small-ish pieces. Add Skor bits and condensed milk. Stir to coat. Spread evenly into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into squares.
Peanut Butter Crackles
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
-granualated sugar
-chocolate candy stars
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until well blended. Beat in sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually, add flour mixture. Beat until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and quickly press chocolate star firmly into top of each cookie. Cookie will crack around edges. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Thanks! I’ll give those a try sometime.I bet those Ritz Squares have the great sweet/salty combo going on.
@abasket My Buckeye recipe (one of my SO’s favorites, next to Irish Potatoes…)
3/4 cup butter
3 1/4 to 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar (I have found this varies based on peanut butter brand)
1 cup peanut butter
1 T milk
1/2 t vanilla
Melt butter. Combine with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Add peanut butter, then stir in milk and vanilla. Beat in enough of the remaining powdered sugar to make a firm, crumbly-looking mixture. Roll into balls.
Chocolate coating
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (Toll House chips are fine)
1 T vegetable shortening
Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler (or in microwave if you’ve done it before and know to be really careful to prevent scorching). Using toothpicks, dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate mixture then place on parchment paper to cool. Once cooled, store in the fridge.
Hint for the peanut butter: if you make absolutely certain there is no foil remaining from the seal on the lid, you can place it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds. It will pour right out of the jar and make measuring SO much easier.
And since I mentioned it, Irish Potatoes. Be warned, these are messy!
1/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounces of cream cheese (1/2 package)
1 t vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut
Cinnamon. Lots and lots of cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth. Mix in the coconut. Roll into balls or potato shapes. Place the cinnamon in a plastic container, and roll the “potatoes” until completely coated. Place on cookie sheet and chill to set. If desired, roll “potatoes” in cinnamon again for a darker color.
I find it helps to keep the mixture on ice to keep your hands from getting too messy. The butter/cream cheese melts after a while into your hands and creates quite a mess! I usually place the cinnamon in a plastic container with a lid, drop 4-5 in at a time, seal it up and shake well to coat them.
^^Those both sound good! Thank your for the Buckeye recipe. I assume you use smooth peanut butter @ScarletRobin??
Yes, smooth PB.
@alwaysamom OMG those Ritz squares sound amazing and how easy too!! What size is a “small” box of Ritz and what size package of Skor?