Christmas Cookie Boxes

Christmas cookies are baked and gift boxes delivered. There are a few leftover cookies that I have on hand to give in small boxes when the occassion arises, like this morning when our raw milk farmer gave us our milk as a gift so I left some cookies for her as a thank you.

Sarah Marie brought me this Springerle cookie press when she visited last summer so it was the perfect incentive to try making these special old world cookies. The recipe is unlike any cookie I have ever made. I am a baker who doesn't just follow a recipe, I need to know WHY the sheets of cookie dough, after the designs have been pressed, are supposed to sit out and dry over night. So I read a wikipedia article about them to learn that it is to set the design so it doesn't puff and bake away.

This press was either given to me by Sarah or I bought it on one of my trips to Switzerland (I can't remember for sure....)  I know that the cutter came from a Broki Haus in Switzerland.

I had to do a lot of experimenting to get the designs to show enough details. There is probably some technique that I need a Swiss Oma to teach to me.

I learned some things that I understood from my baking experience that I will apply the next time I make these so I hope they will turn out much better in future. The important thing that I didn't know was to not overwork the dough. I think some of the cookies came out rather tough because the dough was overworked. Also, these cookies take forever to bake. I mean a l l  d a y.  Plan on it.

 I also made an Italian biscotti with mini chocolate chips, chopped dates and hazelnuts. Biscotti is a crisp, crunchy cookie that is perfect for dipping into hot coffee or cocoa because it won't fall apart.

 I also made a maple pecan shortbread cookie.

 I called these "Church Window" cookies (rather than just "window" cookies" and used a tart cherry jam. The lines of dough are piped on.

This is how I packed the final boxes before delivery. The fifth cookie is a brownie. Instead of doing a caramel pecan ("turtle") topping, I made a coconut pecan cake filling (like what is used for a "German chocolate" cake) for the top of the brownie.

Some years I use red boxes but this year I used white with a fun snowman ribbon.

The next customized order I have for a client is for an authentic mince pie. This was ordered by a women in California for her elderly father who lives here in the valley. I went to our local slaughter house where they were butchering some beef and asked for good beef suet, which comes from the kidneys and melts more readily than other types of beef fat.

 The mince pie is mostly dried fruit (cherries, figs, raisins) and fresh apples with spices and caramelized ginger, as well as lemon and orange zests and juices. The beef suet adds a richness and depth of flavor like butter does to other types of pies.

After adding brandy the filling ferments for a minimum of three days (but up to six months!) I will make this pie for a Saturday delivery. I delivered an apple pie to the same man last spring for his birthday but mince is his favorite so I'm sure it will be a welcome gift.

 

 

The Christmas card arrivals, diminishing every year, are always a day brightener. This one had such interesting stamps that it seemed to have arrived from the far distant past.

And this homemade card from my niece, with a wax stamp on the envelope, also made me smile.

Blessings on your preparations!