Holiday cookie recipes from the O-R archives
Carol Van Sickle holds a plate of Orange Cookies in this 2010 file photo.
A plate of milk chocolate rocky road, peanut butter and dark chocolate fudge created in the kitchen of the Cross Creek Valley Senior Center in 2006
Ingredients for easy fudge are mixed in the kitchen of the Cross Creek Senior Center in this 2006 file photo.
Megan Ross presses balls of cookie dough into a chopped pecan and white sugar mixture as she prepares her Rolo Cookies. The cookies are now ready for baking in this 2009 file photo.
Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
Mary Jane Jurofcik cuts Aunt Chris’ Apricot Bars in this 2007 file photo.
Readers, preheat your ovens!
There’s still plenty of time to bake up a few batches of holiday cookies!
If you’re stumped for ideas as the days dwindle until the jolly old elf arrives, try one or two of our favorite cookie recipes pulled from the Observer-Reporter archives. We’ve even included an easy fudge recipe, too, which is sure to put a smile on Santa’s face, and yours, too!
And don’t worry about those few extra calories. New Year’s is just around the corner, and so are those resolutions!
Orange Drop Cookies
• Ingredients
For cookies
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup orange juice
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
For orange icing
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
Juice of 1 orange
Grated orange peel
Combine ingredients for cookie dough; drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes. Ice when cooled. For icing, add enough sugar to juice and rind to achieve a consistency sufficient for icing.
Carol Van Sickle,
Washington, 2010
Hungarian-Filled Cookies
• Ingredients
For dough
1/2 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cake Fleischmann’s yeast
2 cups Crisco
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 egg yolks
1 can evaporated milk or 1 pint cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
For filling
2 pounds ground nuts
1 stick margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
To make the dough: Dissolve sugar in warm milk and crumble in yeast. Stir in 1 cup flour to make a soft sponge, and let rise for 1 hour.
While sponge is rising, cut salt and shortening into flour. Beat egg yolks and add canned milk and vanilla. Stir this mixture into sponge, and combine shortening and flour mixture with sponge and egg yolk mixture.
Knead dough until it no longer sticks to hands, wrap in wet cloth and store in refrigerator overnight. Next morning, divide dough into pieces that will roll into a 12-inch circle. Roll out very thin onto sugar-coated surface. With knife, cut dough into pie-shaped pieces about 3 inches wide and fill with desired filling. Roll up into crescent shapes. May be dusted with colorful decorative sugar prior to baking. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 375 degrees about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
To make filling: Combine milk, sugar and margarine in pan. Let it come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in nuts. Fill cookies.
Peggy Tinkey, Cecil Township, 2005
Little Cherry Cheesecakes
• Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box vanilla wafers
Cherry pie filling
Miniature paper baking cups
Line miniature muffin tin with mini paper baking cups. Put one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup. Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla with mixer until smooth. Fill each cup with cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool completely and top with pie filling. Refrigerate.
Peggy Tinkey, Cecil Township, 2005
Aunt Chris’ Apricot Bars
• Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserves
Cream the first three ingredients. Measure out the next five ingredients in a bowl. Put the mixer on the slowest speed and slowly add the ingredients until they are all combined.
Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, being sure to allow the foil to extend over the ends of the pan and anchor foil to the pan. Grease the bottom of the pan and a quarter-inch up the sides of the pan.
Press two-thirds of the dough into the baking pan. Spread apricot preserves over the bottom layer, taking care not to spread too closely to the edge to prevent sticking.
Tear off little pieces of remaining dough and sprinkle over the top of the preserve layer. Be sure to sprinkle some near the edge of the pan. As it bakes, the apricot filling will poke through.
Bake 30 to 32 minutes in 350-degree oven. The top should be lightly golden brown. When cool, use foil to lift bars from the pan. Turn over, pull off foil and cut into bars.
Mary Ann Jurofcik,
Finleyville, 2007
Peanut Butter Fudge with Peanuts
• Ingredients
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces marshmallow creme
24 ounces peanut butter chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
Place sugar, milk, butter and vanilla in a heavy, 6-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and continue cooking and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes.
Place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour boiling mixture into bowl and mix well, until ingredients are dissolved and mixture is smooth.
Working quickly, pour fudge into foil-lined 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares.
Variations
To make white angel fudge: Eliminate the peanut butter and peanuts and add a half jar of pieces of well-drained, maraschino cherries, coconut and chopped nuts.
To make milk chocolate rocky road: Replace peanut butter and peanuts with 2 (12-ounce) bags of milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup nuts. After mixing ingredients, fold in 1 cup of miniature marshmallows, so they don’t dissolve.
To make dark chocolate fudge: Replace peanut butter and peanuts with 2 (12-ounce) bags of dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans).
Cross Creek Valley Senior Community Center, 2006
Gingerbread Men
Makes: 3 dozen
• Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine all ingredients to form a soft dough. Cover and chill at least three hours. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface about an 1/8-inch thick. Cut out with gingerbread man cookie cutter and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. Cook completely on a wire rack and decorate as desired.
Kim Teichmann,
Avella, 2006
Rolo Cookies
Makes: 4 dozen cookies
• Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
48 Rolo candies (9-ounce package)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sugar
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well.
In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans (optional). For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around 1 Rolo candy, covering it completely.
In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place, nut-side up, 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. (I like to chill the dough in the freezer while I unwrap the Rolos. This sets up the dough and makes it easier to work with.)
Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets.
Megan Ross,
Canonsburg, 2009
Peanut Butter Balls
Makes: 6 dozen peanut butter balls
Ingredients
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 pound confectioners’ sugar plus 1 cup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 (8-ounce) Hershey Bars
1/2 block (2 ounces) of paraffin wax
Mix first three ingredients together well and roll into small balls. In a double-boiler, melt paraffin wax and chocolate until smooth and creamy.
With toothpick or dipper, dip balls into the melted chocolate and paraffin mixture. Set on wax paper to dry. Drizzle chocolate over the top to close the hole from the toothpick. Trim the excess chocolate after they have set.
Sue Hazlett,
Washington, 2005
Holiday Delights
• Ingredients
For the icing
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3.5 ounces marshmallow cream
For the cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Crisco
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, ground
Red, green and white jimmies
Red and green M&M Candies
To make the icing: Mix flour and milk together, and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until it forms a paste. Cool completely. Cream together Crisco, butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the paste and beat 15 minutes until smooth. Add the marshmallow cream and beat 10 minutes. Refrigerate.
To make the cookies: Cream together brown sugar, Crisco and butter. Separate the eggs, and set aside whites. Add the egg yolk and cream mixture. Add vanilla. Combine the salt and flour in a bowl and add them to the creamed ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll dough into lightly whipped egg whites. Roll into ground pecans. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Press the center of cookie with thumb before baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. After half of the baking time, press the center back down with the round end of a clothespin because they do puff. Fill pastry bag with icing. Using tip, fill cookie with icing. Add jimmies. Top each cookie with an M&M.
Alan R. Popey,
McMurray, 2005