Christmastime Sweets

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I highly identify with Buddy the Elf as far as my level of excitement about this holiday. 

IT'S CHRISTMAS! 

And of course, one of the best parts of Christmas is the food—not even eating the food, but making it. So many families have customary Christmas candies and cookies and make a whole day of it—I know mine does.

My Grandma McGraw would make sugar cookies, as well as a plethora of other treats. I remember her little attic would be packed with card tables set with wrapping paper and ribbons and garment boxes lined with wax paper and filled with goodies. 

As I got older, I started icing sugar cookies with my aunt, but I have always made a slew of treats with my mom. We’d make various almond bark confections, dip pretzels in chocolate, bake cookies, etc. There would be new recipes we’d try every so often, but there are two cookies in particular that my mom always makes: no roll sugar cookies and molasses cookies. Now I have made these cookies with my oldest niece for the past two years. And in the spirit of adding some new to the old, I have put my mark on the Christmas cookie tradition and added to the line-up Oreo balls.

Typically, my nieces and nephews go for the Oreo balls first, but adults (shamefully) love them just as much. These are the first to go. However, sugar cookies are just so easy to grab as you walk past the dessert table too many times. These are for your traditionalists who love a good sugar cookie, and these melt in your mouth like butter, so they’re winners. Lastly, the usually over-looked molasses cookie. These are far more delicious than they get credit for. These are for your friends and family who like something a little different—still very holiday-esque, but not your typical cookie. They’re chewy and not overly-sweet—a good chaser to uber-sweet Christmas treats.

Oreo Balls

These have been all over pinterest for quite some time now (and you’ve probably tried them before at some point), so I’m just going to leave you the recipe.

No Roll Sugar Cookies (No roll, as in no rolling pin, though you do roll them into balls.)

Cream together:

1 c sugar

1 c powdered sugar

1 c butter, softened

1 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Sift together:

4.5 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture until blended. Chill dough.

Now for the fun part! Roll into walnut size balls. You’ll need a few bowls, a small glass with a flat bottom, and colored sugar crystals for this.  

Our Boulevard beer sampler glasses work great for this. 

Take your glass and dab a little oil on the bottom of it (I just tap the glass on the dough a little since that’s a bit oily).  I use red and green sugar crystals and keep them in separate bowls. You’ll dip the bottom of the glass in the sugar, then lightly press a dough ball (don’t press it too thin—it doesn’t need to be completely flat).  

Remember: not too thin! These don't expand much in the oven.

For each dough ball, you’ll want to get more sugar on your glass. You’ll only need to re-oil a few times for the whole batch. If you need to clean your class, dip it in water. And if you’re feeling really crazy, you can mix the red and green sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 9-12 minutes (for my oven, it’s 10). These cookies don’t get golden brown—if they do, you’ve over-baked them.

Ta-da! Buttery and crumbly (though even these are a hair on the thin side).

 Molasses Cookies

Cream together:

1.5 c shortening

2 c sugar

½ c molasses

2 eggs

Sift together:

4 c flour

¼ tsp ginger

¼ tsp cloves

4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture until blended. Roll into 1” balls then roll in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. You don’t want to over-bake these—chewy is good! Once they start to develop little cracks and crevices, they are good.

Also good with coffee. 

Tips: Once done baking, let your cookies sit for 2 minutes before removing them from the pan. When you store cookies (especially the molasses cookies), include a piece of bread in your container. This will keep them nice and soft.

Merry Christmas! 

-Madison