Cut That Out! Annie's Danish Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies (Sirups Kager)©

One of the many benefits of marrying is that you suddenly become a part of an entire new family. Now to some, this may not seem like a benefit. But in my case, I loved the fact that I now had in-laws, including not only my husband's parents but a brother and two grandmothers as well. I had no brothers of my own so I was thrilled at the fact that I had gained a male sibling. And I already knew him because he and my sister were in the same class in high school, so I didn't have to go through that awkward getting-to-know you stage that comes once you are absorbed into your spouse's family. When we were first married, he was away at school in another state, so we didn't see him all that often. But he did come home occasionally, and always for the holidays. When he was home for Christmas break, he joined in the cookie baking process, which was a good thing because he was instrumental in the particular cookie recipe that I'm going to share with you today. My husband and his father were working so they could offer us no assistance for the particular task that was required. After receiving his degree from Michigan State University's Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional College in 1975, my Brother-in-Law went on to graduate from culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island. He then launched a successful career as a Restaurateur, owning restaurants all over the country. I'm going to devote an article to him at another time, but let me just say that we were fortunate he had a real interest in the culinary arts, and that he enjoyed assisting us in the baking process.

The two major players in this story are my Mother-in-Law Alma, and her Mother, Annie. Because my husband and I had known each other for several years before we began dating, I had gotten to know both Alma and Annie even before we married. I was very fortunate in acquiring both of them as they were both very gracious, loving women who enjoyed all the simple things in life. Annie lived out in the country which at that time meant that the area had not yet been sectioned off into subdivisions. Her home was on the corner of the "Workhouse" property. There was a pig farm down the road, a creek for fishing across the street and corn fields surrounding her half-acre of land. The rest of the surrounding land was owned by the county in Northwest Ohio where we lived. The "Workhouse" was a county correctional facility for criminals who had six months or less to serve and were non-violent offenders, so it wasn't like Annie had Charles Manson in her back yard trying to escape.

Annie's husband, Priff (his real name was Walter), had passed on about two years before my husband and I met, so I never knew him. But from what I understand, he was as fun-loving as Annie. Priff worked as the over-night supervisor at the Workhouse, which was convenient given the location of their property. The house itself had formerly been a one-room schoolhouse. It was converted to a home but still maintained some of the characteristics of a schoolhouse. This was fitting because before Annie married, she was a school teacher in Southern Ohio. She used to laugh when she told about the circumstances under which she and Priff decided to marry. Apparently, it was not a long-planned event like weddings are today. Annie said that her students came to school one day and saw the sign that she had posted on the door which read, "School closed. Went to get married." Since at that time school teachers couldn't be married women, that day ended Annie's teaching career. After their marriage, she and Priff moved to Northwestern Ohio where Priff took the job at the Workhouse, and they bought the schoolhouse where Annie continued to live until her death in 1983.

As I understand, Annie was originally from Logansport, Indiana. Her family was of German heritage (Knapp) and although I never heard her speak German, the family Bible that she had was in German. That Bible, like all the old-time family Bibles, had the names of all the Knapp family members recorded, dating back into the 1700s. The dates of family marriages, births, offspring, and deaths were kept in the Bible. The Bible reported that Annie was born on February 29, 1896—the leap year day. When I met her, she claimed she was only 17-1/2 years old! That was because she would not celebrate her birthday on any other day than February 29^th; not March 1^st, not February 28^th, only February 29^th. And when she did celebrate, she celebrated! There was always a big party honoring her, and as she grew older the parties just got bigger. Annie loved a good party. In fact, try as I may, I cannot envision Annie with any other expression on her face than smiling or laughing. That was the kind of person she was and everyone that met her, loved her.

My Mother-in-Law and her Mother were very close. I suppose one reason was because Alma was the only girl in her family, and she had the only Grandchildren. Looking back, it seems like we spent either Saturday or Sunday each week out in the country at Annie's for picnics, dinners, or both. We'd spend the entire day, and sometimes stay overnight. Annie was a wonderful cook, and the house always had the aroma of something baking in the oven or cooking on the stove. For as good a cook as Annie was, and as much cooking and baking as she did, she still had the old-fashioned zinc-lined "ice box" and cast iron sink that she had gotten early in her marriage. Although time and again my in-laws would try to talk her into a more modern kitchen and updated refrigerator, she refused. With that old ice box, the cast-iron zinc sink, and leftover remnants from the schoolhouse, the home maintained a nostalgic charm. Hanging over the door between the kitchen and dining room there was a sign that read, "No Dancing." I can see that sign as clearly in my mind today as if I were standing there reading it, and it still makes me smile because one thing Annie liked to do was dance!

 

Annie also loved to bake, and she was an expert. She had a Lodi Apple Tree in her back yard, and because she made the most scrumptious apple pies, we all called her "Apple Annie." That is a story in and of itself, and I am going to save that for an article in July. That is when the Lodi Apple Tree bears its fruit.  When those first apples of the season were ready and we visited, Annie's kitchen emitted the heavenly aroma of apples and cinnamon which hit you you even before you parked your car in the driveway. She also made the most beautiful and delicious sour cream Sugar Cookies. If you can believe this, and I saw it time and again so I know it's true, she used an empty coffee can as her cookie cutter for those cookies. Because they spread a little during baking, they reached about 7-inches in diameter! They were as flaky and tender as you can imagine; not too sweet and not crispy, but soft. They melted in your mouth. What I wouldn't give to have one of those cookies today. Alma and I used to wonder how Annie was able to get them so tender and soft. We used the same recipe as Annie, but I have never been able to exactly duplicate the tenderness of those sugar cookies. Alma made a pretty close second to her Mother's, and they were pretty hard to differentiate, but Annie's had that extra something.

The cookies that I've chosen for today are Traditional Danish Brown Sugar Christmas Cut-Out Cookies. We made these the first time I joined Alma and Annie for Christmas Cookie baking in 1972. These cookies are the complete opposite of Annie's sour cream Sugar Cookies. When you first bake them they are hard and crispy. It is only after they are iced and sealed for at least a week that they soften up. For forty years I thought they were a German cookie, but I couldn't locate a German recipe that mirrored the ingredients. My oldest sister has a much broader knowledge of International Pastries than I do. She and her family have been extremely fortunate to have lived in several European countries, including Italy, Austria and Poland. When I asked her if she was familiar with a German brown sugar cookie and gave her the other ingredients, she suggested that they might be Brune Kager.

With that lead and a little more research, I found that they are slight variation of Sirups Kager, a Danish Christmas Cut-Out Cookie, "as brown as a reindeer." I wish I had thought to ask Annie about the origin of the recipe as I am not aware of any Danish heritage on that side of the family. But sadly, at time I wasn't thinking about the origin of the recipe, only its exquisite taste. Brune Kager, unlike Sirups Kager, calls for molasses and honey, similar to Lebkuchen. Sirups Kager do not. Their sweetness comes from corn syrup and brown sugar. Annie's recipe calls for finely ground pecans, but most recipes for Sirups Kager that I have seen do not call for nuts of any type. Annie's recipe does not call for butter, but other recipes do. And while hers calls for an egg, other recipes do not. So aside from there being an egg in Annie's and butter in others, there is really not much difference at all. Because some of my Grandchildren do not like nuts of any kind, I make some with and some without nuts. Try them both ways and see which way you like them. I'm going to give you both recipes for this cookie. One is Annie's, the other is the recipe that calls for butter and no egg. I have tried them both, and must confess that I really can't really tell the difference. I prefer Annie's recipe, but I'm sure it's because I used to make them with her, and I have warm memories of the experience that led to the end product. But you decide. Either way, you may have a new Christmas Cookie that you can add to your holiday baking repertoire.

Do not fear. This is a simple recipe. The most difficult thing about the cookies is mixing them. At least it used to be. When I first began making the cookies (at a time before Kitchen-Aid and Viking stand mixers with paddles and other attachments), incorporating the last of the flour by hand required that you have some pretty good biceps. When I made them that first time, Annie could no longer do the mixing, Alma had difficulty, and because I am not what you'd call the most muscular person, we had to enlist the assistance of my Brother-in-Law. Today it's not a problem. For one thing, I don't make as many and don't need to try to incorporate 7 or 8 cups of flour into the already stiff dough. For another, we have better kitchen equipment. So don't let the mixing scare you off.

The other characteristic that is unusual is that when they are first baked they are hard as rocks! But take my word, once they are iced and stored in air-tight containers, they will mellow and become soft and chewy. Make sure you ice them right away and get them stored and they will not disappoint you. Another interesting fact is that these cookies will keep for months, as long as you store them in air-tight containers. They are an excellent choice for sending overseas as gifts to our troops, or to relatives in distant locations who miss the taste of home and holiday sweets. I hope you will give these a try. They are a nice diversion from the standard Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookie. I know both Annie and Alma would be so pleased that their recipe is still being shared and enjoyed!

©2012 Cut That Out! Annie's Danish Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies (Sirups Kager) by Kathy Striggow

ANNIE'S SIRUPS KAGER

Yield: about 5 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 50 minutes (including icing)

Bake Time: 6-10 minutes

 

Ingredients 

For Cookies
 

1-1/8 cups Brown Sugar
1 cup light Corn Syrup
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Vinegar (white or cider)
½ tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

3-3/4 to 4 cups All Purpose Flour, approximately

¾ cups Pecans, finely ground (optional)

For Icing

4 cups Confectioners' Sugar

4 Tbsp. water, or enough to make icing easy to spread, but not runny

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract OR Almond Extract, or a combination of both

Assorted food colorings, if desired

Decorative Sprinkles, Colored Sugars, Non-Pareils, etc., if desired

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease cookie sheets or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Mix together the brown sugar, corn syrup and egg.

3. Stir the baking soda into the vinegar and add to the egg and sugar mixture.

4. Add the cloves and cinnamon and stir to incorporate.

5. Add the flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. If you are adding pecans, stir them in once you have mixed in about half the flour.

 

6.  Continue slowly adding the flour and mixing until a VERY stiff dough forms.

 

7. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

8. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes.

9. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets until lightly browned, about 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Because ovens vary, check the cookies to be sure they do not burn.  Do NOT overbake!

10. Remove to cooling racks and prepare icing.

11. For icing, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, and coloring if desired. Add water as necessary to make a spreadable, but not runny, icing.





12. When cookies are cooled, ice with the confectioners' sugar icing and decorate.

13. When icing has completely set, store in airtight containers in a cool place. Give them at least a few days to mellow before serving them.  The longer they are permitted to rest in an airtight container, the softer they will be.

 

14. The cookies may be stored for as long as two months if kept in an airtight  container in a cool place.

 

TRADITIONAL SIRUPS KAGER

Preparation Time:  45 minutes             

Chilling Time:  1 hour or overnight

Baking Time:   8-10 minutes

Yield:  About 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

For Cookies

1 cup Butter (or Margarine), softened, not melted

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Dark Corn Syrup

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ground Cloves

½ tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tsp. Vinegar (either white or cider)

3-3/4 to 4 cups Flour

For Icing
 

4 cups Confectioners' Sugar

4 Tbsp. water, or enough to make icing easy to spread, but not runny

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract OR Almond Extract, or a combination of both

Assorted food colorings, if desired

Decorative Sprinkles, Colored Sugars, Non-Pareils, etc., if desired

Directions
 

1.     Cream the butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir in cinnamon and cloves.
 

2.       Stir the baking soda into the vinegar and add to the sugar-syrup mixture.
 

3.       Add in flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.  If you're going to add pecans or other nuts, add them after about half the flour has been added.
 

4.       Continue adding flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition until a stiff dough forms.
 

5.       Cover dough and chill until hard.
 

6.        When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400° F.
 

7.       Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/8 to ¼-inch thickness on floured surface.   Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes.
 

8.       Bake on ungreased cookie sheets until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 min.  Because ovens vary, watch to make sure that they do not burn.  Do NOT overbake!
 

9.       Remove to cooling racks and prepare icing.
 

10.     Combine the confectioners' sugar, water, extract(s) and coloring if desired.  Add water as necessary to make a spreadable, but not runny, icing.
 

11.    When cookies are cooled, ice with the confectioners' sugar icing and decorate.  
 

12.    When icing has completely set, store in airtight containers in a cool place.  Give them at least a few days to mellow before serving them.  The longer they are permitted to rest in an airtight container, the softer they will become.

©2012 Cut That Out! Annie's Danish Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies (Sirups Kager) by Kathy Striggow

 

Don't Get Tart with Me! Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies©

For some reason I associate Pecans with the holidays. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps because when I was a little girl Santa always left whole nuts (Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and Pecans) in our Stockings, and Pecans were my favorite. Maybe it is because when I held those Pecans I liked feeling the smooth texture of their shells. Or it could be that as I grew older and Thanksgiving time drew near, I anticipated the Pecan Pie more than the Pumpkin Pie. And once I started doing my own holiday baking, I found that I preferred the flavor of Pecans in my recipes over any other nut. Granted, some recipes just don't taste right without Walnuts or Hazelnuts; and I love eating Walnuts, Almonds, and Cashews, especially whole. But for baking, Pecans win the prize. And since I do more baking during the month of December than any other month of the year, I purchase more Pecans at that time.

The first year I was married, I was introduced to an entire new world of what I classify simply as "Christmas Cookies." I was familiar with the cookies my Mother and Grandmothers made as they rarely varied their selections from year to year. Once in a while my Mother tried a new recipe that she saw in a magazine or was given by a friend. But there was no guarantee that we'd see it again the next year. So when I was invited to do Christmas Cookie baking with my Mother-in-Law (Alma) and her mother (Annie), I jumped at the chance to learn some new recipes. In my opinion, baking Christmas Cookies is one of those comforting activities that really help get you in the Christmas spirit. I always have the Christmas Tree and decorations up by then so before I get started, I make sure the tree is lit and the Christmas Carols are playing.   If I have a fireplace, I start a fire, then turn on the oven, pull out the butter, sugar, flour, and eggs and open my recipe file to begin.  Both Alma and Annie were of pure German descent, so I assumed that the cookies we were going to make were from German recipes. But that was not so. I found that some were English, some American, and there was even one that I recently learned was a popular Danish Christmas Cut-out Cookie. And many of them called for Pecans!

 

Each cookie has its own flavor and attributes, so I can't really say that I have a favorite. I make the ones that my family expects to see from year to year and always throw in a few new ones for variety. If my family really likes the new ones, I'll add them to the list for the following year. I make some that have been in my family for generations, some of Alma's and some that were from Annie's family.   I don't make nearly as many cookies as my Mother made when I was growing up. My family is not as large, and storage is a problem. And I tend to make the ones that are not as labor intensive and yield a good number of cookies rather than the more time-consuming varieties so that we have a nice selection. My Mother did not work outside our home until I was in college, so she had more time to devote to her holiday baking than I do. My Mother also had 8 willing little hands to help her (probably more than she really wanted at times), whereas once my boys reached a certain age, they had no interest in Christmas Cookie baking.  They did, however, like the fact that during December there was almost always something baking when they arrived home from school, and after I started working, while they were doing their homework at the kitchen table in the evening.  When I took a few days' vacation time right before Christmas to finish all the baking, our kitchen looked like a bakery and smelled heavenly. Today both my sons enjoy baking Christmas Cookies, and I have passed my recipes collected from various sources on to them. I know that whether I'm making a recipe that was my Mother's, Alma's or Annie's, I am drawn back to my childhood and young adult years and the times we shared when we gathered together for baking days. I remember my boys in their playpens watching the baking activity in wide-eyed amazement as we produced batch after batch of the delicious treats.  And I long to return to the years when they stood on stools helping me make and decorate their favorite cut-out varieties. Those are an integral part of my Christmas memories and I treasure them.

Today I'm sharing Alma's recipe for Miniature Pecan Pies. I've seen them called Pecan Tarts and Pecan Tassies, but really I think they are all pretty much the same.  The first time I had one of these flaky crusted sweet treats I remember thinking that it was wonderful that the essence of Pecan Pie was captured in a two-bite treat. It was also wonderful that they had fewer calories and were not as sweet as an entire piece of Pecan Pie. When we baked these for the first time in 1972 and for many years thereafter, I never saw anything like them in bakeries, stores or specialty food shops.    I didn't even know anyone who had a similar recipe.  Then in the 1980s they began springing up everywhere. I don't know if those other recipes are similar, because I've never really checked.  I like this recipe because it has a cream cheese crust that makes it flakier than regular pie crust.  I have always used Alma's recipe.  In fact, I have used it so much that the ink has faded on the index card where I wrote the recipe forty years ago this month. And some of the words have smeared from butter and the filling mixture.  It doesn't really matter since I long ago memorized the ingredients. But just in case, I recorded it on my computer so that my Grandchildren will have it even when my memory starts diminishing more than it has already. 

 

I have a few suggestions about your technique for this recipe. First, don't make the crust or shell too thick. You should have no trouble achieving the indicated yield if you stick to a crust that isn't too thick.  If you make the crust too thick, the bottoms will not bake thoroughly in the stated baking time and you will end up with a bottom crust that is soggy and slimy. If you extend the baking time, the tops will become too brown or will burn. 

Second, there is now a kitchen tool available for forming the crust in the miniature muffin tins, whereas for many years I formed them by hand. I purchased my miniature-tart shaper from The Pampered Chef® [www.pamperedchef.com], although I am sure you can find them in other stores that carry baking and pastry utensils (see photo below).  It is an invaluable tool. You can still make them by hand, but you will achieve a more uniform end product and save yourself unnecessary grief, time and elbow grease by using a tool like this. 

 

My third suggestion is critical for achieving a beautiful little pastry and a perfect tasting miniature pie.  Do NOT mix the filling with a mixer. When you use a mixer (stand, hand or egg-beater) the filling forms tiny air bubbles.  Then, when the filling is poured into the crust, although it may look like it is full, in reality it is mostly air, not filling.  It's sort of the soda pop in a Styrofoam cup effect. There are lots of bubbles at the top of the cup, but not much soda below. The same principle applies here; when you fill the crust with the filling, most of it is only air bubbles.  Then, when you bite into the pastry, there will be a "sinkhole" between the crusty looking top and the actual filling. All those air bubbles pop during the baking process, and the filling shrinks, leaving the crusted foam on the top.  It does not give you the desired result of scrumptious little pecan pies but rather leaves the filling with a gritty taste.  You can see from the photo above how the top is foamy looking and the filling has shrunk.

Fourth, if you seem to be running out of filling before you have filled all the crusts, simply add a little more melted butter, vanilla and dark corn syrup to the remaining filling mixture. You will not be able to tell the difference in the finished miniature pies. 

Finally, there is an art to putting the right amount of filling into each crust. When they are finished baking, you should be able to easily remove each little pie from the tin. If you over fill the crust, the filling will run over and cause the little pie to stick to the tin;  it may even burn.  You will end up digging its crumbling goodness out of the tin with a knife.  Fill the crust to a point just below the rolled top of the crust.   Each pastry should release easily from its cup.  I have never used non-stick cooking spray in the tins, and if the crusts are filled properly you shouldn't have to either.  

These really are a breeze to make if you follow through with my suggestions. And don't think these reserved just for a holiday treat. I make them all year round. They travel well to picnics, potlucks and just about anywhere.  I can guarantee they will be a hit where ever you serve them.  I hope you will give them a try if you've never before made them. I think you will be glad you did. 
 

©2012 The Cook in Me: Don't Get Tart with Me! by Kathy Striggow

Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies

Yield:  24 individual miniature pies
 

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup unsalted Butter, at room temperature
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour

For the Filling: 3 cups Light Brown Sugar 4 Large Eggs (Make sure they're at least large—today what are marked as large are really medium, and if they're too small you won't yield the right amount of filling) 2 Tbsps. Unsalted Butter, melted 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp. Flour 2 cups Pecans, halved (or chopped into rough pieces, your preference) Confectioners' Sugar for dusting Directions For the Dough: 1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. 2. Add the flour and mix on low until all the flour is incorporated. 3. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour or overnight. 4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 5. Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls. 6. Place the balls into the miniature muffin cups and working one at a time, press the ball down in the center with a mini-tart shaper. Or, if you don't have one, flatten the ball in the palm of your hand until it is large enough to fit in a muffin cup. 7. Gently press the dough into the muffin cup and either roll the top edge or pinch the top to create a fluted edge. 8. Repeat with the remaining balls. For the Filling: 1. Mix together the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, flour and pecans. Pour evenly into crusts. 2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are set. 3. Cool for a few minutes in the muffin cups and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. 4. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. 5. Store the miniature pies in an airtight container. ©2012 The Cook in Me: Don't Get Tart with Me!  Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies by Kathy Striggow

Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire: Thumbprints©

I married into a family that had two amazing cooks. One was my husband's mother, and the other was his maternal grandmother. Because my father-in-law's mother, Nellie, was quite elderly when we started dating, and moved to a nursing home shortly after we married, I never had the opportunity to taste her cooking. One of her legacies to me however, and that I still have to this day, was her 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book©¹. Of course, the metal center is rusted, the pages are now disintegrating and pulling out of the loose leaf binding, and some of the index pages have disappeared. But I treasure that book and know that I will never throw it away. Written on the pages of the recipes she had made are her handwritten notes: "Ed didn't like," and "needs more salt" or "too much marjoram." I can visualize her in her little ruffled apron jotting down her suggestions for additions or changes to the recipes, and critiques of the dishes she made. Those notes make me smile whenever I see them, and keep her alive in my memories.

Nellie was a small woman. She stood about 5 feet tall with heels on, and she weighed about 95 pounds soaking wet. This always amazed me because the story goes that my father-in-law was a very large baby (over 12 pounds) and that the only way they could weigh him was on a meat scale! We'll never know whether that was a true story or not, but it hurts me just to think about how she got that big baby out of such a small body! She was always immaculately dressed, and regardless of the season, she never went anywhere without wearing a hat and gloves. Not a hat and gloves for the weather but rather fancy, stylish ones. I grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, and it wasn't that common to see women wearing hats and gloves unless they were going to church. My mother never wore a hat or gloves. I remember my sisters and me wearing them only to church on Easter Sunday, but that was about the only time I had the need for a bonnet or a pair of white gloves. Even before I knew who she was, I can recall Nellie standing on the corner of the block where I grew up waiting to take the bus downtown. She was always all dressed up and wore her hat and gloves. This was in an age when it was considered a special occasion to go "downtown," and people dressed up for the trip. These are about the only memories I actually have of Nellie; the rest I learned through stories from my husband and in-laws.

I love that old Betty Crocker Cook Book©. It has old fashioned pictures and "How-to" instructions for beginners. It also has a dictionary of special and foreign terms like, "éclair" and "ravioli;" terms that we don't even think of being foreign words anymore. It was a great book for a beginning cook like I was when I inherited it from Nellie. I considered it my bible for home cooking. I found a lot of recipes in that book that I still make today. I also made a lot of the recipes that she did; many times I would try something just because she had made it. That's probably one of the reasons that the pages started disintegrating. Sadly, one day I noticed that the pages were crumbling in my hands. I began to worry that the cookbook would eventually turn to dust and I wouldn't be able to pass it on to my daughters-in-law or my grandchildren. That was heartbreaking to me. If it disappeared, those constant reminders of Nellie would eventually disappear as well. So I curtailed some of my use of the book, and began copying the recipes onto my computer instead. If I didn't have the actual cookbook, perhaps I could still save the recipes.

But, alas! In the summer of 2003 when my family and I were driving to White Birch Lodge in Elk Rapids, Michigan for our annual pilgrimage to the lake, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Monroe, Michigan for breakfast. Lo and behold, when I looked through the glass as I approached the entrance, I saw what looked like the same cookbook on display. Could it be? I couldn't get through that door fast enough! Forget about breakfast—there was something more important in that restaurant than food! After I nearly knocked down everyone in front of me, I made it to the display. The book looked exactly the same (well, except that the cover on mine had faded and the binding was falling apart). I picked up the book and held my breath as I opened it. Sure enough, it was a reprint of the first edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book©²! I can't tell you what I had for breakfast that day. And I can't tell you how the weather was at the lake that week. I can't even tell you whether we took any guests with us that year. But I can tell you that I bought that cookbook and it, together with Nellie's original, shares a place of honor in my kitchen on my cookbook shelves.

One of the recipes from the book that I make at this time every year is Thumbprint Cookies. And as with almost every recipe that I've made over the years, I've altered it from the original version. Not because there was anything wrong with original; it's just that I've adapted it to my own taste. I prefer finely ground pecans mixed into the dough instead of rolling the balls of dough into the nuts before baking. And I add the whole egg to the dough because you don't need to roll the balls in the egg white if you're not going to roll them in the nuts. And I add about ¼ tsp. almond extract to the dough in addition to the vanilla extract. I also prefer filling the 'thumbprint" with tinted Buttercream Icing flavored with almond extract because that is the way I have made them since the first Christmas I was married. These cookies are so simple to make that you might find you'll want to put them on your Christmas Cookie list every year. In fact, I make them in quadruple batches because they're small and they disappear very quickly at our house. Because after all, It just isn't Christmas without Thumbprints!

¹Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book ©1950, General Mills, Inc.

²Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book ©1950, General Mills, Inc., reprinted 1998 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. and General Mills.

© 2012 The Cook in Me: Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire by Kathy Striggow

Thumbprints

Yield:  About 2 dozen 1-1/2 inch cookies             

Ingredients         

For Cookies:

½ cup soft Shortening (half butter)³

¼ cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp. Almond Extract
1 cup All Purpose Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
¾ cup finely chopped Pecans

For Buttercream Icing:

2 cups sifted Confectioners' Sugar

¼ cup softened Butter
2 Tbsp. Warm Water, more or less
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
½ tsp. Almond Extract
Red and Green Food Coloring (or other colors of your choice)

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 375° F.

2.     Cream together shortening, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3.     Mix in egg, vanilla and almond extracts and blend well.
4.     Sift together the flour and salt and stir into the creamed mixture together with the pecans.
5.     Roll the dough into 1" balls. 
6.     Place about 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. (There is no leavening agent in the dough so the cookies will not spread that much while baking.)
7.     Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
8.     Quickly press your thumb gently into the top center of each cookie.

9.     Return to the oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes longer. 

10.   Remove from oven onto cooling rack.
11.   When cookies are completely cooled, place a bit of tinted Buttercream Icing⁴ into the "thumbprint."

For Buttercream Icing:

 

1.     Blend together the confectioners' sugar and the butter.
2.     Add the extracts and the water and stir until smooth and of the right consistency.
3.     Divide the icing into as many portions as you want to have colors and place in separate bowls.  Add a few drops of the food coloring to each portion to achieve the desired color.
4.     Place about 1 tsp. icing into each cookie's indentation.  Let the cookies set completely before storing them in a tightly sealed container and store in a cool, dry place.
 

³You can use all butter, but chill the dough for appx. 30 minutes before baking.

⁴You may use other fillings for the cookies such as sparkling jelly, jams, candied fruit, or whatever else you like.

© 2012 The Cook in Me:  Pecans Roasting on an Open Fire by Kathy Striggow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve: Caramelized Brie with Almonds and Apples

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My family's big celebration of the Christmas holiday was with my Father's family on Christmas Eve. Dad was from a large family and there was always a lot of commotion when we cousins got together. Christmas Day was reserved for with my mother's parents. Because she was an only child, Christmas Day was more low-key—I had no cousins on that side of my family. So for as far back as I can remember, we always went to my Grandma & Grandpa Warrington's home on Christmas Eve. There, together with Dad's seven brothers and sisters and their families, we all gathered to celebrate the holiday.

I do not have very clear recollections about those evenings at my Grandparents' house. In fact, much of what I remember of my Grandpa Warrington is from photographs, as he died when I was just a little girl. By today's standards he was young, about 62, at the time of his death. And I can't remember whether we actually had dinner there or not, since there were so many people. But I do remember receiving gifts from my Grandparents and my Aunt Heloise, the oldest of my Father's siblings. My Aunt Heloise never married. She lived with my Grandparents, and after Grandpa's death with just my Grandmother, until her death at the age of 93. Aunt Heloise passed away two months ago at the age of 101.

Aunt Heloise was an independent, remarkable woman, and I will devote articles just to her in the future. But for this story, what I remember is that for her Christmas gift, she gave each of her nieces and nephews the sum of Five Dollars. Now that might not seem like a lot of money today but, including my three sisters and myself, Aunt Heloise had 27 nieces and nephews. In 1955, One Hundred Thirty-Five Dollars was a lot of money. I looked forward to that Five Dollars every year. It was something that I knew I could count on. I could also rely on the fact that every Christmas Eve, Mom would make us take a nap in the afternoon so that we could stay up late for all the festivities. (For me, mind you, this was no hardship as I loved taking a nap, and still do!) Those festivities included Midnight Mass, Santa's visit, the visit at Grandma & Grandpa's house, and opening gifts. I also knew that every Christmas Eve while we opened our gifts after attending Midnight Mass, we would have my Father's homemade Eggnog and the Christmas Cookies we baked throughout the month of December. Another certainty was that Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Andy Williams would be singing Christmas Carols on the turntable in the background as we all gathered around the Christmas tree. I can still visualize it today.

I never gave it a thought that Santa Claus came every year while we were at my Grandparents' home. I also never put two-and-two together when every year my mother had to go back into the house after we had all loaded in the car for the trip to my Grandparents' for the evening. Sometimes she forgot the food we were supposed to take with us. Sometimes she forgot her purse. Sometimes she just had to go to the bathroom. Sometimes it was an item my Father asked her to get for him to take with us to his parents. I do remember to this day sitting in the dark in the old '52 Chevy, waiting for my mother so that we could leave. And I remember it taking her for what seemed like forever. As you can imagine, four little girls all under six years old were not very patient. And after all, how long could it take to get your purse? We were all dressed up in our Christmas finery, with our permed hair in tight little locks, eager to get the evening started.

Most probably, the reason that I recall all these things is because I could count on them. Every year, they were part of my family's Christmas Eve tradition. Once I married, I had to begin sharing Christmas Eve with my husband's family. That was fine, as long as I could be at Midnight Mass with my family and back to my parents' house after Mass, where we would open gifts, drink Eggnog, eat Christmas Cookies, all while listening to the Christmas Carols of Andy Williams, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and Johnny Cash on those new fangled cassette players. When my first child was eighteen months old, my husband and I moved to another city about 40 miles away from our parents. Reluctantly, I had to call an end to the only Christmas Eve traditions I had ever known. It became too difficult and too late in the evening to drag Scott, my oldest son, to so many places on Christmas Eve, and still be able to really enjoy the festivities. The only way to solve the dilemma I then faced was to invite everyone to my home. I knew I was rocking the boat, but the consequences I faced if I didn't change something were a cranky baby, too little sleep, and bad memories of Christmas Eve.

I decided that my little family would create its own traditions. We did, and we kept those traditions until my husband and I parted ways in 1983. After that, my boys and I established our own customs. One of those was that the boys spent Christmas Eve with me and Christmas Day with their father. Another, although I did not realize it the first time I set the menu, was that our Christmas Eve dinner would stay almost exactly the same from year to year. The boys, as well as the friends and family we invited to spend that evening with us every year, counted on seeing the Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Glazed Carrots, Browned Potatoes, homemade Eggnog, and this Appetizer—Caramelized Brie with Almonds and Apples. Every once in a while I would try out something new to see how it went over. If it met the approval of my family and guests, I would include it in the following years' menus. That's how my Red and Green Christmas Salad with Sugared Walnuts,¹ and Peppermint Ice Cream with homemade Hot Fudge Sauce² joined the party.

Today's recipe is so wonderful that you won't believe how simple it is. It's also so rich that you'll want to serve it early in your day's or evening's festivities, so that guests have time before the main course to let it settle. (Really, ½ cup of butter on top of the Brie?) Or you could do like we do and run around the block six times after appetizers and before dinner. (And if you believe that . . . ) I do not recall whether I first tasted the Caramelized Brie at my in-laws' house, or if it was my own creation. I do know that I added sliced almonds and tart apples, and that I have always served it on top of thinly sliced miniature loaves of French bread. The small loaves are the perfect size for appetizers. You can either serve the bread fresh, or bake the slices first and serve it as Crostini. Either way, I hope that you enjoy this part of our Christmas Eve as much as my family does.  And who knows.  Perhaps you'll want to make it a part of your family's holiday traditions!

¹Please see "Red and Green Christmas Salad," posted on this blog.
² Watch for Hot Fudge Sauce with Walnuts in this blog sometime in the next few weeks.

©2012 The Cook in Me: Christmas Eve by Kathy Striggow
©1990, 2012 Caramelized Brie with Almonds and Apples by Kathy Striggow

Caramelized Brie with Almonds and Apples

 

Prep Time:  10 min.

Baking Time:  25-30 min.

Yield:  12-16 Appetizer Size Servings

 

Ingredients

1-8 inch wheel Brie, whole (1.5 to 2.5 lbs.)

8 oz. Butter, softened (1 stick, NOT margarine)

½ c. Brown Sugar

½ c. Sliced Almonds

2 or 3 finely sliced Granny Smith or other tart apples, dipped in lemon water to prevent browning

Miniature loaves of French or other crusty bread, in thin slices (fresh or toasted as Crostini)

Directions

1.Heat oven to 325° F.

2.Unwrap Brie from its packaging and place it in an greased pie plate or decorative ceramic tart pan.  Do not remove the rind from the Brie.

3.Spread softened Butter liberally on top and sides of the Brie.

4.Carefully press the Brown Sugar into the softened Butter on the top and on the sides of the Brie.

5.Sprinkle the Almonds on the top and press them into the Brown Sugar and Butter.Sprinkle more almonds on the bottom of the pan around the sides of the Brie.

6.Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the Brie is oozing from the top of the wheel and the butter and sugar mix has caramelized.

7.Remove from the oven and serve immediately on thin slices of French or other crusty bread topped with the apple slices and caramelized almonds. 


©2012 The Cook in Me:  Christmas Eve by Kathy Striggow
©1990, 2012 Caramelized Brie with Almonds and Apples by Kathy Striggow