Cookie Exchange Recipes #2

My house smells like oranges! I just finished frosting this batch of yummy orange and walnut refrigerator cookies. Some we'll eat, and the rest will go in the freezer for now. I can easily do these in advance because they freeze beautifully and retain their fresh taste for a very long time.   

This is my own recipe and it's another or our family favorites. The cookies are full of lovely walnut chunks, frosted with orange buttercream, and garnished with grated semi-sweet chocolate. I'm not sure how this recipe came to be, but it had something to do with my husband liking walnuts and two family members not caring for the sour of lemon. I make them small. Somehow small cookies seem more festive, don't you think?

The recipe is simple and these little guys are truly very tasty and just bursting with the flavor of fresh oranges.   

KAREN'S ORANGE-WALNUT REFRIGERATOR COOKIES

Makes about 3 dozen 2-inch cookies

1 c butter

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

2 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 - 1 teaspoon grated orange rind (or whatever you will get from one medium orange)

1 egg

2 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 c chopped walnuts

• Cream the first three ingredients. Add egg, orange juice and orange rind. Mix thoroughly.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Blend until smooth. 
• Stir in walnuts.
• Shape into rolls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap. 

(I always square the rolls up at this point so that we'll have square cookies)

• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 
• Slice about 1/4" thick and place 2 inches apart on a very lightly greased cookie sheet or one lined with baking parchment. 
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.
• Cool completely before frosting

ORANGE-BUTTER FROSTING

3 tablespoons softened butter

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 - 1 teaspoon grated orange rind (or whatever you will get from one medium orange)

3 tablespoons orange juice or enough to make a smooth, spreadable frosting

semi-sweet chocolate

Cream butter. Alternate adding powdered sugar and orange juice. Blend thoroughly after each addition.

Frost the cookies and garnish with a bit of grated chocolate.

At this point my two children would come running for their "lickum stick", and each of them grabbed one of the mixer blades and "cleaned" the bits of frosting stuck to the blades.  

Enjoy this beautiful week, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to send your cookie recipes to my email address: 2strings@gmail.com

Cookie Exchange Recipes #1

To share your recipes here, send them  to klee2strings@gmail.com
Don't forget to tell us why the recipe is special. Attach a photo to the email if you have one.
All recipe posts can be seen on the right side of this blog under the heading, "Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange".




Gaynelle is the first to send in her favorite cookie recipe. Thank you so much, Gaynelle! These raisin filled cookies sound scrumptious.

"I think, of all my cookie recipes, this is my favorite. It is a Holiday Season favorite of ours, a Christmas Cookie made with dear memories of a precious patient.Her family would always bring us a big platter of these cookies during the Holiday Season. I always think of her, and it has been many years since her passing, as she would say,"My name was Carr and I married a Ford" and we would all laugh and eat cookies together.She was a special lady. Her daughter gave me the recipe many years ago as a gift, and I cherish it.This recipe was their grandmother's, so it is very, very old."  from Gaynelle

RAISIN FILLED COOKIES

Dough:

3 cups brown sugar
1 cup Crisco Shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Cream together and add:
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
6 cups flour

Mix all together. This makes a lovely, soft, brown dough. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or more before rolling out. I roll out just small batches at a time. (This also makes just wonderful, plain sugar cookies)

Filling:

1 box of raisins (I prefer the dark brown ones) Cover with water and add sugar to taste, I like mine sweet. Simmer till done, use flour to thicken. (Use a couple spoons of flour to make a paste, drop in the hot raisins, and stir till nice and thick. Cool filling. Cut out the rolled dough. I usually just use a glass, and dip the rim in flour, then cut out my circles. Works great for a cookie pattern. Pinch the edges of the cookie together after you put about a TBSP of filling in it, use the amount you want, or use a fork and dip the tines in flour, press all around the circle of the cookie if you want them to be fancy.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees if the cookies seem too brown. I use Pam spray on my cookie sheets.

This wonderful peanut brittle poem was also contributed by Gaynelle. 
She says, "I love recipes in poetry form..."

CHRISTMAS PEANUT BRITTLE

by Myrna Skousen

When it is Christmas candy time,
or any time of year,
This peanut brittle recipe
Becomes especially dear.
You add to one large cooking pan
Two cups of sugar if you please--
One cup white syrup, 1/2 cup of water too
And blend with gentle ease.

A dash of table salt,
When it is added too,
Will mean that you have reached the point
When you must cook the brew.
So cook it to the soft crack stage
And when it's time to add
Two tablespoons of butter
And the peanuts to your pan.

It takes one pound of peanuts
That you've purchased in the shell (2 cups raw)
And shucked yourself ahead of time
To make this turn out well.
With all the ingredients in the pan
You cook until it's brown,
And take your pan from off the stove---
Your candy's almost done.

Stir in one TBSP soda and one teaspoon vanilla,
Pour on a buttered sheet,
And let it harden as it will.
Then break in chunks your treat.
The rest comes very naturally
Just eat to suit your will,
And have a Happy Holiday
That's peanut brittle filled.

A Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange Party!

It's almost time to start baking for Christmas. My freezer is stacked with butter, the sugar container is full, I've stocked up on chocolate, and all is ready to go. The fragrance of cinnamon and spice and everything nice will fill the house with a holiday spirit and I'll be turning up the volume on the Christmas music and doing a little dance as I mix, roll, cut, and frost several batches of our holiday favorites.

I do hope you'll join me!

Just send your family's favorite cookie recipes to my email address: klee2strings@gmail.com. Please tell us a bit about this recipe - where it came from, what it means to your family, whatever makes it special. Attach a photo or two to the email, if you'd like.

I'll post as many as I can whenever you send them. This is so exciting! I love cookie exchanges!

I'll start.

These gingerbread cookies are a big favorite in our family. It all started with a gift. Long ago, very long ago, in fact, when I was the young mother of a toddler, someone gave me a set of Christmas cookie cutters. Shortly afterwards I happened upon this recipe and that was the end of that! I've tried several different recipes over the years, but we always go back to this one.

Gingerbread Cookies 

The number of cookies will depend on how large you make them, but this recipe makes a LOT of cookies!

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. dark molasses
2 T. vinegar
5 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves

Cream butter; add sugar gradually. Bean in egg, molasses and vinegar. Blend in sifted dry ingredients. Chill. Roll  1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on floured surface; cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets or on cookie sheets lined with baking parchment. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 5 to 15 minutes depending on size and thickness of cookie.

Decorate with icing and candies.

Icing Recipe

2 c powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
3 to 4 t. warm water

With electric mixer, blend the ingredients on low speed, then beat on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture holds a stiff peak. If icing is too thick, add a little more water ( 1/4 teaspoon at a time). You want it to hold peak but not be so stiff you can't push it through a decorating tip.

I can't wait to read your recipes!