By Laura Del Monte

It’s Holiday time again and that means Christmas cookies. Every year I send in a couple of batches of Christmas cookies to the salon and often clients ask for the recipes. The most popular cookie recipes are below. (Note: My oven does not heat as hot as it should. The oven temp is what it should be in a normal oven.)

Chocolate Balls
This recipe was created from a conglomerate of several Italian Chocolate Ball recipes and a little creativity.

4 cups flour
1 – 2 cups sugar
1 c. cocoa
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 chocolate squares (unsweetened) or pouches
1 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
– 1 tsp black pepper

1 c. butter
4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
3 eggs
1/2 package chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
1 c. chopped walnuts
raisins (about 1 cup)Milk as needed (up to 1 c.)

Cream cream cheese, butter, sugar. Add eggs and melted chocolate squares (or pouches) and blend.

Mix dry ingredients. If too dense, add a milk a little at a time. (You may not need any, depending on size of eggs, etc.). Add nuts, chips, raisins. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at about 375 degrees for 12 – 16 minutes.

Cool.

Frosting: I don’t measure, but basically you want a thin enough consistency to dip the cookies, but not so think it pours all off. In a medium bowl put a few cups of confectionary sugar. Heat about cup of milk with a few teaspons butter in microwave. Add about 1 tsp vanilla. Pour a little milk mixture into sugar and blend. Keep adding as needed. If it gets too thin, add more sugar.

Dip top of cooled cookies into frosting. Place on wax paper.

Anna Toth’s Cookies
This recipe came from a friend of my Grandmother. I loved the cookies and begged for the recipe. Anna agreed, but told me I had to come to her house so she could show me how they were made. Here is her recipe.

Fillings –
Apricot (Can make a few days ahead and refrigerate.)- Cut up dried apricots, add approx. 1-2 cup sugar and water to cover (small pot). Simmer for several hours, mixing occasionally – cover on. (You may have to add more water.)

Nut – 1/2 c. firm brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 c. chopped nuts. (Blend in sour cream after blending other ingredients)

Dough

Blend:
1 c. sugar
4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg dry yeast
1 c. sour cream

Cut into dry mixture 1 lb margarine (like making pie dough)
Make puddle in mixture, dump sour cream in middle, make puddle in sour cream and plop in 4 egg yolks (These are Anna’s words). With fingers mix yolks into sour cream, then mix into dough mixture. (Again, this is as Anna instructed. I use a wooden spoon. It looks like 3 circles – big dough mixture, center sour cream, center of that yolks – I don’t know if this really makes a difference, but this is how Anna insisted .)

When blended well, roll into 3 balls. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Use one ball of dough at a time – keep rest refrigerated until ready. Pinch of pieces of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into a circle on a surface of flour and sugar. (I mix about 1 cup flour to 2 tsp sugar.) In center of each circle place about 1/2 tsp filling.Fold over one side, then other as if your are making a wrap, with closure on bottom. Press each side so filling stays enclosed.

(I have tried rolling out large sections like pie dough and cutting circles, but cookies are tougher. Typically I cut a bunch of 1 inch pieces, roll them out at same time, fill and put on baking sheet. They are not at all perfect circles.)

Bake at 350 about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. (Bottom should be golden brown or cookies will soften too much later and spoil.)Cool slightly and move to parchment paper or brown paper. Sprinkle with confectionary sugar.