Christmas Cookies

December 8 - Christmas Cookies

Did your family make Christmas Cookies? How did you help? Did you have a favorite cookie?

My mother made cookies for both the family and church bazaars. I do not remember helping her. One year as an adult, I made many angel shaped sugar cookies for the church bazaar - "Invite an angel for tea". I don't remember how many but it was lots!
My favourite Christmas cookie is the melt in the mouth shortbread cookies. My mother also made cookies using a cookie press.
This is the shortbread recipe found in the small binder of handwritten recipes. Note - few instructions or details. I am not sure if these are the ones I remember.
1 cup lard
1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups All purpose flour
1/4" thickness - 375 degrees F (note that there is no time limit given)
In the 1970s, when the library had its "Butcher, a Baker, a Candlestick Maker" bazaar, the library staff (the women) had a cookie making party. We had lots of fun with each person given a task. The recipe was from the Canadian Living magazine - date unknown.
Check out the Canadian Living web site for the sugar cookie recipe.

When talking about cookies, I must also talk about the "Cookie Walk" at our church bazaar. We didn't come up with this idea. For many years, members of the congregation were asked to contribute at least 7 dozen cookies. People lined up to fill containers with this delicious and often colourful items. There were 2 sizes of containers. The price was a bargain but still a few people liked to cram the boxes extremely full. We always wondered if the cookies were smushed when they got home. The last time we had the cookie walk, volunteers gathered the day before and pre-packed an assortment in the boxes.

Recently, a nephew sent me a link to a web site with lots of Christmas related recipes. Check the side bar for other Christmas related links.