Holiday Cookies and Sweets

[toggleswitch2]

One of my yiayias (grandmothers) used to make three kinds of ethnic cookies for Christmas as gifts.

I remember them dearly and liked them way more than the "standard" fare of baklava, kataifi (shredded wheat thingy; like a bird's nest) and galacto-boureko (custard in fillo dough).

Interestingly, granny never had a mixer. Now I see that she never felt she needed one.........

What are you favorite cookie and sweets recipes?

 

[toggleswitch2]

My grandmother used to add a clove to each one and serve them in paper cupcake "cups"

 

[toggleswitch2]

These too are served dripping in honey (or quite moist) and served in cupcake cups as well.

Greek Melomakarona Are Tasty Walnut Cookies Sweetened With Honey

Melomakarona are honey and nut Greek cookies that are traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

greekfood.about.com

 

[toggleswitch2]

Baklava

 

[toggleswitch2]

Baklava -Part 2

 

[toggleswitch2]

Terry, Kelly, Eddie, everyone?

Chime in y'all!

 

[xraytech]

I love galatco-boureko, my favorite greek pastry. I have yet to try to make it.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Also written as "galaktoboureko".

Make Decadent Galaktoboureko: Greek Custard Pie With Phyllo

Impossible to resist, this creamy custard pie called Galaktoboureko is one of the all-time favorite Greek desserts.

greekfood.about.com

 

[xraytech]

Here's my favorite holiday staple:

Apricot delights

8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese softened
2 sticks Blue Bonnet softened
2 cups flour

in large mixing bowl mix all ingredients together with mixer(can use dough hooks) This forms into a stiff, kinda sticky dough.

cover in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour

Dust dough board and rolling pin in a mixture of flour and confectioners sugar. Take half of dough and roll out until 1/4" thick.

cut dough into 2"x2" squares

place a small amount of apricot filling on dough squares then take two opposite corners pinch together and fold down. the other ends will be open.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned(about 10-12 min)

after baked cool slightly and dust with confectioners sugar

 

[petek]

My fave cookie are chocolate chip on the chewy side inside but a little crisp on the edges,,, with lotsa chips and NOT made with margarine,butters better
Moist and chewy mmmmmmm

 

[sikiguya]

Lebkuchen

My Great Granmother Nellie used to make these at Christmas and now my Mom & I make them together every year. I can't find a recipe that is like ours though. Most online recipes use honey but we use Karo dark syrup instead.

It's basically a German gingerbread and the use of citron sets it apart from most other cookies.

LOVE them!

Lebkuchen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[imperial70]

kourambiethes

Tikanis Toggleswitch2,

I love kourambiethes with a good strong cup of coffee.
These are "Greek" (and i use quotes because I'm sure there are other ethnic variations from the region) butter cookies with a powdered sugar topping. My dad used to make them. The recipe calls for a brandy. He would use Metaxa. I've never made them. My brother makes them however. I make baklava (or paklava if you're Armenian).

I was just reading about the great party in Southboro. I'm only a couple of towns over from there.

I'd like to get to know you all better. I love machinery. Especially laundry equipment.

 

[toggleswitch2]

....and the Albanians call it bakalva!

VRE TO LEVENTO-PAITHO!

I just love "American" junk food and cookies and cakes but every one-in-a-while the soul craves what one saw as a child!

 

[gansky1]

Candy Disasters!

I have always made peanut brittle on the range-top with great success but this year am determined to make this "new" microwave toffee work. For the the last three years, Terry and I have have valiantly tried to master this recipe and have failed miserably. This year, I trekked over to watch a friend a friend make it and finally get it right.

Other than for a couple of strange anomalies, all went well and I felt confident that I could make the magic in my own kitchen. This was the first batch. Smoking so badly that I had to open the front door and garage to air out the kitchen - the range hood is still humming...

 

[gansky1]

Oh Hunny Bear, NO!

The second try was much better - perfect color and texture which will soon be covered in melted milk chocolate.

Obviously, all microwaves are different

 

[gansky1]

At Your Own Risk. Neither I, nor www.automaticwasher.org tak

Almond Toffee

1 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1 cup salted butter
1 cup toasted almonds
1 large chocolate bar 16 oz.

Melt butter in microwave safe bowl (a batter bowl with handle works nicely for flinging smoking contents out of the house quickly while not losing the bowl and risking a nasty burn) then stir in brown sugar with butter until it no longer separates - paste consistency. Cook on High power until 290F is reached. 6:00-7:00 min. Cooking times and amount of smoke varies depending on wattage of microwave. Add nuts and spread onto buttered cookie sheet. Frost with melted chocolate bar when completely cool.

 

[gansky1]

sorry, not 16 oz. chocolate bar, only 4.4

 

[tlee618]

Greg that second batch looks fantastic. Much better than we have ever been able to achieve before. Can't wait to taste it!!

Terry

 

[appnut]

My dad found it far easier to use the microwave for making divinity, peanut brittle, and fudge than old-fashioned methods.