The Holidays always provide plenty of reason to be in the kitchen and one of the best is Christmas cookies. I am a sucker for a good cookie! I have very fond memories of my Mother and Grandmother gathering in one of their kitchens a few weeks before Christmas with a table piled high with butter, sugar, flour, nuts, dates, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, cans of sweetened condensed milk, rum, bourbon, peanut butter…all the essentials. They would bake all day and at the end each of them would have tins of several different kinds of cookies.
Its just me in the kitchen on this particular Sunday so I am going to stick to two tried and true (and super easy) cookies that are beloved in the Casa Kitchen–the Hello Dolly and white chocolate dipped Oreos with crushed candy cane garnish. Sawyer will be home (finally) from school tomorrow and he will be so excited to see that I have started the baking. He is my Number One cookie eater for sure.
Cookie Number One–Hello Dolly!
I do not know the origin of the name “Hello Dollies” but we have called them by that name my whole life. I recall my Grandmother made them first and passed the recipe to my Mom. Its a basic bar cookie and I have seen the recipe under other names but none as poetic as “Hello Dolly.” I have not met a person yet who could resist these beauties. (Unless you are allergic to nuts, in which case you should probably read ahead for the next cookie.)
Melt a stick of butter in a 13 x 9 glass or metal baking pan in a 375 oven. Once the butter is melted, but not brown, sprinkle in 1-2 cups of crushed vanilla wafer cookies to form the crust then sprinkle in 1 cup of each–semi sweet chocolate chips, shredded coconut and chopped nuts. Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cookies. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Score the bars when warm and then allow to cool COMPLETELY* in the pan before cutting the bars and packing them up in a nice tin to deliver to your favorite neighbors for Christmas.
*Please note emphasis on allowing the cookies to cool completely before cutting into bars. Please also note that this pan is what we call a “soaker”–going to need some Dawn soap and warm water for a little overnight bath in the sink before scrubbing.
Cookie Number Two–white chocolate dipped Oreos with crushed candy cane garnish
This is exactly what you think it is. It is not a cherished family recipe, I don’t even think I have ever used a recipe for this one its so basic. One year I was home alone during the Holidays and I was bored and I just so happened to have some Oreos and some white chocolate chips. I melted a bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips in a ceramic bowl over a pot of simmering water and then dunked the Oreos in the chocolate and laid each one on a piece of wax paper to cool. I had some candy canes on my Christmas tree so I snagged a few, crushed them up and sprinkled the peppermint dust on the cookies. These must also cool completely before being handled. A little over the top but very festive. I thought these were going to be a one-off but the next year Savannah wants to know when I am making those “candy cane Oreos” so this little treat is the newest kid on our Christmas cookie block.
I don’t think what kind of cookie you make really matters, just get in the kitchen and make some cookies this Christmas. I loved decorating sugar cookies when I was a kid. My own kids always volunteer to remove the wrappers from the Hershey kisses for my Peanut Butter Kiss cookies and a few of the kisses actually do make it onto the cookie.
Stay tuned for Casa Christmas Cookie Part Two featuring the aforementioned Peanut Butter Kiss cookies and something tart, possibly lemon drop cookies or a shortbread with orange peel. If you have a favorite recipe for a tart cookie please share! Happy Baking friends and Merry Christmas.
The Casa Kitchen 