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Cookie exchange and gift giving season is here. The day before Thanksgiving I enjoyed helping a group of students make and deliver cookie plates. One recipe we used, Grandma’s Drop Sugar Cookies is a bit unusual. The dough is very, very soft, almost runny, like thick glaze. This is a great recipe to make when kids want to make sugar cookies but you don’t have time to deal with the cookie cutters and rolling pin mess.

Grandma’s

Drop Sugar

Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

Colored sugar for rolling (about 2/3 cup)

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy, add sugar, oil, and flavorings. Stir in dry ingredients until well blended.

Dough will look and feel very, very soft. Do Not add any extra flour.

Chill dough at least 1 hour or over night.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grandma baked these on ungreased cookie sheets. I line the sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Drop dough by small teaspoonful’s into colored sugar and roll about to coat with the sugar. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart as these raise and spread as they bake. Bake about 8 minutes until lightly browned. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Speaking of Cookie or Cooky, I was asked why recipes from the 1930’s and up into the 1950’s most often spelled it cooky. I could find nothing conclusive other than cooky became less popular by 1970, and spell check does not recognize cooky.

Nutmeg Sugar Crisps were another selection on our cookie plates. We rolled ours in red, green and white non-perils, but you may roll in granulated sugar if you like.

Nutmeg

Sugar Crisps

1 cup butter (no substitutes) softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

Granulated sugar or non-perils

In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease generously. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls, roll in sugar or non-perils and place on prepared baking sheets. Flatten with cookie press or fancy bottom of drinking glass.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers. Yield: 6 dozen.

The third selection was Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies. You might have a bit of a search to find the chips, but the flavor is exceptionally rich and worth the hunt. This recipe requires forming the cookie dough into balls and chilling them before baking.

Bailey’s

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 package (12 ounces) Bailey’s Chocolate Chips

In mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.

Combine flour, leavenings and salt. Add to creamed mixture and blend well. Stir in the Bailey’s Chocolate Chips.

Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon size ball. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart and chill one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and keep heating 10 minutes past the time the oven came up to temperature.

Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Let stand one minute in the pan. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 3 dozen.

Life is not all cookies, meals must be prepared as well. Crispy Baked Shrimp Scampi is an easy festive dish for a company or family meal. Serve with a rice pilaf and a green salad for a special meal.

Crispy Baked

Shrimp Scampi

2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled, thawed if frozen

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp white wine

1 small shallot, finely minced

1/3 cup melted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine, shrimp, lemon juice, wine, shallots, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Mix well to coat.

Meanwhile heat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Arrange shrimp in a single layer outwards.

In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over shrimp.

Bake 12 minutes until shrimp are just cooked. Change setting to broil and grill one to two minutes more to crisp the topping. Don’t over cook. Serve immediately. Yield 4-6 servings.

Share your favorite winter holiday treats and meal recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, Attn: Laura, P.O. Box 151, Odessa, WA 99159 or email pandl@odessaoffice.com. Keep fresh cut Christmas trees watered daily, and check lights often to be sure there are no bare wires and needles are not looking scorched from heat. Other fresh greenery will benefit from a light misting of water daily. Now would be a good time to replace batteries in smoke detectors.