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Christmas Cherry Refrigerator Cookies

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Moist Ingredients:

½ cup softened butter

½ cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Additional Ingredients:

1 cup chopped candied cherries or other fruit

½ cup chopped nuts

Method:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

Cream butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. 

Sift the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix well. Add fruits and nuts. If desired, refrigerate for 30 minutes before handling.

Shape dough into 2 smooth rolls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap them in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the rolls until firm, which will take a minimum of four hours. I usually chill this dough overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F

Using a sharp knife, slice rolls of dough into disks about ¼" thick.

Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart, because they spread as they cook. Bake in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden. 

When baked, remove the cookies from the pan after a minute because they will stick if left longer. Place the cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling. 

These cookies freeze well and are a crisp, colourful addition to a teatime tray. 

Other "slice-and-bake" cookies are featured in Prairies North Magazine, Winter 2023. 

Maureen's Crater Cookies

Preheat oven to 350° F

The complete story of my inspiration for developing these cookies was featured in my "Eats and Treats" column in the Spring 2022 issue of Prairies North Magazine.

Dry Ingredients:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Whisk the dry ingredients together

Prepare:

1 cup of toffee chips (Chop home-made toffee or use your favourite brand. Harder toffee may need to be crushed with a mallet.) 

8-ounces, about 2 cups, pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (see note below for toasting)

Moist Ingredients:

½ cup butter 

¼ cup shortening (I use Compliments vegetable shortening)

1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar

Beat butter, shortening, and sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add:

2 large eggs

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beat in eggs until incorporated with the butter-sugar mixture. Beat in vanilla.

Then, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, folding in until combined. 

Mix in nuts and toffee, just until blended. Refrigerate for approximately 10 minutes. 

To Bake:

Place scoops of dough 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets using a 2-inch scoop. Dampen hands and gently press cookies to flatten. Chilling the dough reduces spreading a little. Some spreading is required to create toffee craters. 

Bake cookies for about 12 to 14 minutes. Serve warm or store up to three days in a cookie tin at room temperature. The cookies become softer with storage, and I like that. Freeze after three days. 

NOTE: To toast pecans, preheat an oven to 350°F. Spread them on an aluminum cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, stirring at 2 or 3-minute intervals. Keep a close eye on the pecans because they burn quickly.  

A Modern Take on Vintage Butterscotchies

Awe, the ever-popular cornflake - Kellogg’s is a name synonymous with pressed, toasted corn, but there are other brands, including some that are gluten-free.  

Butterscotchies are a delicious treat made by coating cornflakes in a toffee mixture. They are easy to make. I am allergic to soy lecithin, an ingredient in most purchased toffee. I found a soy-free recipe for Fantastic Microwave Oven Toffee so that I can partake in this treat too. 

My vintage recipe for Butterscotchies originally called for 2 boxes of Mackintosh Toffee. Over the years, packaging sizes changed. Some years ago, I determined a weight measure for the toffee required in this recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients:

130 grams of the toffee of your choice. I make microwave oven toffee and love the results. 

1 tablespoon of butter or margarine

1 tablespoon milk or milk alternative

2 cups Kellogg’s Corn Flakes or corn flakes of your choice

Melt the toffee, milk, and butter in a double boiler. No cooking is required. 

If you don’t have a double boiler, try to buy or borrow one, but as an alternative, you can melt ingredients in a heat-proof bowl over a pot containing boiling water. You could also melt the ingredients on medium-low in your microwave oven. A Staybowlizer makes one vessel fit another perfectly.

When the toffee mixture has melted, add the cornflakes to the pot.

Stir gently until the cornflakes are entirely coated, then drop small mounds of the mixture by teaspoon onto waxed paper and place in the fridge to harden. One can use a mini-muffin pan to make portions even. If you are using home-made toffee and gluten-free corn flakes, adding the mixture to mini-muffin cups helps hold these treats together. 

These melt-in-your-mouth treats are easy to make and delicious to eat. I often double this recipe. Put them in a tin and hide them because they disappear faster than you can make them. 

Famous 1950s Cherry Winks

Recipes for Cherry Wink cookies can be found in many old cookbooks, but Ruth Derousseau is credited with creating the recipe and winning the Junior Pillsbury Bake-off contest in 1950. I have several alternative versions. One recipe is nut-free and another one calls for less flour. Perhaps your old, family cookbooks contain a recipe for Cherry Winks that someone remembers making or at least eating. These cookies can be frozen for at least a month, and they add a festive touch to your dessert table.

Cherry Winks should be savoured with a cup of tea while reading a good book. Chewing every bite slowly allows me to enjoy the crisp cornflake coating, the cake-like texture, the crunch of nuts, and the sweetness of the dates and cherries. 

Famous 1950s Cherry Winks

Preheat oven to 375°F

Prepare fruit and nuts, then set aside:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries

Crush 2 ½ cups of cornflakes and place in a shallow dish.

Sift together the dry ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Combine wet ingredients:

Cream:

½ butter

¼ cup shortening 

1 cup granulated sugar

Add:

2 eggs to creamed mixture and beat lightly.

Add:

2 tablespoons milk

Add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

Fold the fruit and nuts into the dough. 

Create:

Use a one-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure dough. Roll dough into a ball. Roll each ball of dough into the cornflake crumbs.

Place cookies onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets. Top each ball with ¼ or ½ of a maraschino cherry. Place in a preheated 375° F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool completely on a rack before storing. 

Serve or store these delicious bites.

Patterns for Simple Gingerbread Houses

My Eats and Treats column for the winter 2018 issue of Prairies North Magazine is titled Starter Home - Gingerbread Style. To accompany that article, I am sharing a few ideas about making gingerbread house patterns. 

Designing a bungalow pattern is easy. Start with a pad of graph paper. If this is your first attempt, count out a rectangle that is 34 squares wide and 22 squares high, which provides a template for the front and back of the bungalow.

Draw the narrower ends of the house, beginning with a 22 X 22 square box. From the center top of the square, count up 13 squares. This creates the pitch of the roof. You will cut two of these pieces, creating the two ends. Add a hole in the lower third of the back. This opening will allow the lights to enter the building.  

Draw a rectangle for the roof, a little longer than the house and broader than the roof pitch. An overhang is a good idea in case the gingerbread pieces shrink while baking. 

Cut windows and doors as you like. Roll the dough on parchment paper and use a paring knife to cut away the windows and doors you have planned. You can also add a few windows or enlarge them at this stage. If you change your mind, crumple the dough into a ball and reroll.  

If you aren't sure about the pattern you have made, tape the pieces together to check on your plan. 

Use your dough scraps to cut out people, trees, or even a fence. The children who help decorate the house will find a way to use everything you provide. 

A-frames have fewer pieces than bungalows. They are simple and fun to decorate. You must cut the roof piece twice and cut the house front again, to create a back, adding a hole in the back piece for inserting a string of lights. An A-frame roof looks spectacular shingled in shredded wheat, chocolate squares, liquorice all sorts or tiny wafers. A sprinkling of icing sugar looks like freshly fallen snow.  

Click on GB1 and GB2 for printable pieces, but every printer is different. The roof measures 9 3/4" by 7 1/2" while the base of the triangular front and back pieces measure 7 1/4" across the bottom. This A-frame results in a 9" house, measured from the base to the pointed roof.   

There are many patterns available online. Enjoy the process and become more adventurous each year. Take pictures. 

REMEMBER: It isn’t the size of your house that makes it memorable but rather the fun and love that goes into building it. 

Crispy Lemon Refrigerator Cookies

Refrigerator cookies are made in two steps. I often let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight, so I can bake them just before guests arrive for tea the next day. The smell of cookies baking creates an inviting atmosphere.

Most vintage cookbooks contain a basic recipe for icebox cookies with several variations on a basic dough. There might be suggestions for making chocolate, almond, citrus, or Christmas cherry cookies. This recipe is one of my favourites and has been in my file since the 70s. 

Crispy Lemon Refrigerator Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ of a cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Zest of a lemon, finely grated

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.

Place butter and sugar in a separate bowl and beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg and lemon juice. Stir in the grated lemon peel. Gradually, mix in the dry ingredients. 

Divide dough in half and shape each half into a roll that is about six inches long and 2 inches across. Wrap each roll in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. When the dough is chilled, cut each roll into ⅛ to ¼ inch thick slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove cookies from pan and cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar.    

Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies

This recipe has been a favourite at my house for over 40 years. The butterscotch chips create the flavour, and no two brands taste the same. Try various brands of chips to see what you prefer. 

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients:

1 cup of shortening or lard

1½ cups of packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of soda

2 cups of flour

1 cup of butterscotch chips

2 cups of Corn Flakes

Method:

Using an electric mixer, cream together the shortening, brown sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt. Blend the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, and add chips and cornflakes. 

Drop cookie dough by tablespoonsful, 3 inches apart, onto oiled, or parchment papered cookie sheets. There is no need to flatten them. Bake the cookies at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Leaving the cookies in a thick pile and cooking for only 12 minutes results in a softer cookie.  

Tip: 

On occasion, I had replaced shortening with butter in this recipe, and the resulting cookies had a different texture and a tendency to burn. Lard and vegetable shortening have a higher burning point and no water content. It’s fun to experiment and discover your preference. 

Plan a cookie party or package a few treats to go. 

Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

I have several recipes for soft pumpkin cookies, but I am sharing my favourite today. This version was published in a book titled Better Food for Kids, written by registered dieticians Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins, who were working at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto at the time of publication. The recipe was not included in the revised edition, and that is a shame. I suggest you scour second-hand bookstores for this 2002 edition. My daughter has made dozens of recipes from this book, repeatedly. There is no better gift for new parents than Better Food for Kids, circa 2002.  

My grandmother’s recipe for pumpkin cookies is similar, but she didn’t soak the raisins or add apple sauce, and she sometimes added nuts. Soaking the raisins and adding a bit of apple sauce helps create a moist, soft cookie. I adapt this recipe for the people who will be eating the cookies. I have made gluten-free cookies by using Only Oats flour or a gluten-free blend. I sometimes use spelt flour because I like it. The recipe is forgiving and seems to turn out well in spite of variations. 

Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

1½ cups of raisins

½ cup of butter, softened

1¼ cups of packed brown sugar

1 cup of canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling) 

2 tablespoons of apple sauce

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon of ground ginger

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour or substitution of choice

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Method:

In a small bowl, soak raisins in hot water for five minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin purée, apple sauce, egg, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. I usually stir the dry ingredients with a whisk to blend. Gradually add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in raisins. 

Drop dough using a small spoon (or a scoop) onto baking sheets. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 or 13 minutes, until golden brown. These cookies are easier to remove from the pan once they have cooled.   

I enjoy these cookies for breakfast. They don't crumble, so they make a nice treat for a road trip. 

Gertrude's Molasses Crinkles

Preheat oven to 375° F

Moist Ingredients:

1 cup of packed brown sugar

¾ of a cup of shortening or lard (partially butter, if desired)

¼ cup of cooking molasses

1 egg

Mix the above until it is smooth.

Dry Ingredients:

2¼ cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

½ teaspoon of ground cloves

¼ teaspoon of salt

Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Mix the ingredients until smooth. 

Refrigerate the dough, covered, for at least an hour. This dough can be left refrigerated for 24 hours.  

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into balls. Dip the top half of each ball in granulated sugar and place them 3” apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake the cookies at 375° F for 10 to 12 minutes. If you like soft cookies, then ten minutes in the oven will be perfect. 

Gertrude Baikie gave me this recipe in the early 1980s. She continued to make them into her late nineties. In February of 2018, she celebrated her 103rd birthday and still enjoys a Crinkle with her tea. 

Spicy Raisin Ginger Cookie Bars

I originally titled this piece, An Ounce of Delicious Won't Kill You! I always weigh my treats, if a calorie count isn't available. For me, a serving of a delicious sweet treat is one ounce. 

I am going to share a recipe for light, flavour-packed cookie bars that complement a cup of coffee, elevating the taste experience to the creamy, spiced latte category. Baking these bars will make your kitchen smell like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and love! The recipe contains candied ginger, raisins, spices, and molasses. Bonnie Stern developed the recipe for her heart-smart series, and I have adapted it for my family by making it gluten-free and quick to put together.

As I mentioned earlier, when a calorie count is unavailable, I weigh my snacks. One ounce of cookies, bars, or cake can be disappointingly tiny, but these bars are light in weight and high in flavour. Usually, they weigh half an ounce per bar.  

Cookie bars, jellyrolls, and some cookie-sheet cakes require a pan that measures 10” by 15”. If you don’t have such a pan, do go and buy one. Recipes change in texture and appeal when baked in the wrong pan. The following recipe creates a crisp, non-crumbly bar.  A smaller pan will create a softer, more cake-like result.

While you are shopping, buy yourself a roll of parchment paper. If you use parchment paper, you can lift the entire batch of cooked deliciousness out of the pan, and place it on a cutting board to slice. Once the bars are cut and cooled, freeze them between sheets of waxed paper.  

My gluten-free daughter loves this treat, as does my husband, the boy from the Get a Bigger Wagon stories. As you know, he lives with Crohn’s disease, and he enjoys these bars. As for me, I eat these bars for the flavour! I have always loved the spicy taste of autumn treats.

Spicy Raisin Ginger Cookie Bars

Adapted from a heart-smart recipe by Bonnie Stern

Mix the following dry Ingredients in a medium-sized bowl:

2 cups of gluten free flour of your choice (Use Only Oats brand flour or a combination of gluten-free flours) 

¾ of a teaspoon baking powder

¾ of a teaspoon baking soda

¾ of a teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon of ground ginger

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

Beat the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

1 egg

1 egg white

¾ of a cup of brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

⅓ cup of vegetable oil

Prepare:

½ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped candied ginger (I use kitchen scissors for this.)

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and combine thoroughly. Add raisins and candied ginger.

Lightly oil a 15x10 inch baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Spread the stiff batter into the prepared pan using a spatula. 

Bake the squares in a pre-heated 375°F oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through but not hard.

Cut into squares while warm, and then cool on racks.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Some of my readers are still learning about links. When you click on anything highlighted you will go to a new page on the Internet. Then, if you click the little pages in the upper right corner of your screen, it will show you everything you have opened, so you can quickly return to the blog. 

NOTE: Candied ginger can also be called crystallized ginger. I buy mine at Safeway in the dates and raisins section.