In honor of the season, we pulled this cookie recipe feature out of the archives for everyone to enjoy in any holiday tradition
Gingerugelach, Apple Crumblets and Rumprints – three totally original web-inspired treats for your holiday baking pleasure. Hanukkah, Christmas… time to think outside the cookie jar.
Contributor Lorraine Saulino created some brand-new treats by mixing elements from well-worn recipe cards with her own take on new favorites from the web.
Gingerugelach
“This idea came about while I was thinking about gingerbread – the spices in the air, elaborate houses I’ve constructed over the years. But casting my architectural aspirations aside, I hunted for a gingerbread dough that is softer than the crisp, sturdy kind used for building. My inspirations: a recipe for Asian Pear Gingerbread Newtons I found in the Washington Post’s Recipe Finder and a traditional Rugelach. Once I adapted the Newton dough and modified the Rugelach technique to suit, I ended up with a crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside holiday-spiced cookie with a dash of raspberry and chocolate. Gingerugelach was born.”
The Recipe (makes 64 cookies)
- 3 cups flour
- 2 ½ tsp. ginger
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam, melted
- 1 egg plus 1 T water beaten for egg wash, plus sugar for dusting
Apple Crumblets and Apple-Pecan Tarts
“For years my husband and I took our son apple picking. With apples to spare, I’d make a dessert I’d found on Epicurious that has a perfect balance of crunch and sweet: Any Season Fruit Crumble. Recently, I baked my mother’s pecan tart recipe for a party and everyone raved about the “miniature pecan pies” with their flaky cream cheese crust. With these two desserts in mind, I began to envision a mash-up: mini apple crumb pies with that wickedly rich crust? Pecan-topped apple in little tarts? After some trial and error, the answers were “yes” and “yes.”
The Recipe (makes 4 to 4-1/2 dozen)
- Crust
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 8oz. package cream cheese
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- Apple Filling
- 2 large crisp apples, peeled and cut into small dice (about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 2-3 tsp. sugar, depending on the tartness of your apples
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 4 tsp. flour
- Toppings
- Crumb: In a small bowl, stir to combine ½ cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar and ½ tsp. salt.
- Pecan: In a small bowl, stir to combine ½ cup finely chopped pecans (you can substitute walnuts) and ½ cup light brown sugar.
Rum-Prints
“When I was a kid, our next-door neighbor always made Rum Balls for the holidays. They were a personal favorite, and I don’t know whether it was for the deep chocolate taste or because it was the closest I ever got to a grown-up cocktail. At our house, my mom and I would bake Thumbprints, a buttery classic coated with walnuts and filled with jam. What happens when two nostalgic bites collide? Try for yourself. I found a Rum Balls recipe I liked on a blog called My Baking Addiction and changed it a little to suit the Rumprints’ needs.”
The Recipe (makes 4 dozen)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 24 Rum Balls, chilled and cut in half (recipe below)
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Do you have a favorite holiday cookie? Share your faves in the comments! Want more talk about baking or food? Join the Senior Planet Community groups Recipes, Cooking & Foodies and Vegan Lifestyle!
