Christmas cookies bring up so many memories. Now you have me in the mood to make them. Our favorite to make is Norwegian Krumkake.
I was just at a book event in Minneapolis at the Norwegian Mindekirken with Lee Stivak Dean and Rick Nelson who are delightful to listen to. They talked all about the book and about the annual Star Tribune cookie contest. The event was held in the church fellowship hall that is decorated with Norwegian Rosemaling. We drank proper church coffee out of large urns and sampled cookies from the book. A wonderful event. You need to visit Minneapolis Anne!
Karen, I promise to get there! So much history of baking there. So many wonderful stories and recipes. I’ve enjoyed diving into their book and will share on Thursday!
Those cookies look really good. My wife doesn't cook some things anymore. The kids show up with stuff from the local grocery store bakery and if she cooked pastries they would leave the store-bought stuff with us and take home the left over homemade stuff.
What a lovely post on so many levels! I would have loved to have known Dee, and sampled her cookies. There's something about a pecan tea cookie melting in one's mouth with that first bite, the powdered sugar like it soft layer on top of the buttery goodness. ❤️ Your recounting of memories with Dee marches parallel to mine of my mom and my childhood.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Looking forward to making the cake. I will let you know how it turns out. Have a wonderful and blessed holiday season.
In our house, we only had two homemade cookies growing up. Tollhouse recipe from the back of the bag and slice'n bake sugar cookies. Slice'n bake from the Poppin' Fresh doughboy is only home baked and not from scratch, as you know. lol.
I still make Tollhouse, and I make homemade sugar cookies, and sometimes I make homemade peanut butter blossoms. I have made homemade spritzer cookies, too. Creature of habit.
Having just shipped 22 tins of cookies off to clients, I thought I was cookie-d out. But now that I've read about the cheese date cookies, I may have to reconsider! We made an espresso cinnamon cookie dipped half in white/half in semisweet chocolate from a recipe my sister used to use when she baked cookies for her clients at Christmas. Froze them after baking/dipping so they ship pretty well!
Thank you for this extra special post - my family is Austro-Hungarian and as soon as I saw the crescents I thought other scrumptious version I loved even as a non-sweet eater and of their history, which you told so beautifully!
I am also working on a WWII story about my dad so your delightful story about Dee also resonated.
I am copying it and sending it as instagram stories to let readers know why to subscribe to you.
I am only sorry that the Melissa’s introduction to legendary you was not in person— and look forward to changing that one day!
This is not comment but a question about a fruitcake recipe from your wonderful cookbook “American Cake”. I am planning to make Mrs. Harvey’s Fruitcake from this cookbook and here is my question. The recipe states to wrap the cake in cheesecloth and then aluminum foil-should I dampen the cheesecloth with brandy or rum before wrapping the cake as I plan to make the cake a week or two before Christmas? By the way, I think that I have all of your cookbooks and I always have great success with your recipes and often give your cookbooks as gifts to my friends who like to cook and bake. Thanking you in advance for your help.
I loved hearing about Dee. What a special person! My grandmother was born in 1900 and made spritz cookies decorated with colored sugar or hot cinnamon candies. We did not leave nearby so she would send them in a tin can every year. I loved them. The New York Times reintroduced a spritz cookie recipe during the pandemic. I purchased a spritz gun and make them for Christmas with some other favorites. But, I often have trouble with the dough. The invitation to come to Utah is still open! Happy Holidays!
I have a crescent cookie Recipe that has been used in my family for over 70 plus years. We use chopped almonds in them. Roll them into a worm shape then use the tines of a fork to press them down. Roll them in powdered sugar after coming out of the oven. I also do a thumbprint cookie that I roll each small ball of dough in egg whites then in finely chopped walnuts. The print is made after the have baked for a few minutes. After cooled I use a cream cheese icing ( multi colors, pink, green, yellow and blue) to fill the thumbprint. So yummy.
Sounds so wonderful, Tsun! I do think the crescent cookies I know were originally made with almonds - like yours - and then resourceful cooks down South added the local pecans instead. The worm shape is interesting, too, plus the fork. I think the fork is underrated. Peanut butter cookies would be nothing without it!
I don’t remember the color of the phone, sadly! I just recall it rang at night a lot. The apartment was so small. Her neighbors surely heard the conversations, too.
Nostalgia! Thanks for inspiring the memories, Anne. Those crescent cookies brought back Christmases past. No ghosts, just happy times learning to bake alongside my mother and grandmother many years ago. Spritz cookies were also a big favorite of mine. Green Christmas trees with bright red sugar sprinkles and one of those tooth breaking silver dragees at the top - also lemon flavored wreaths. I still have that old Mirro "cooky" press, but I'm not very good at getting the dough out. Happy holiday baking to all.
Thank you, Beth! Those are some sweet memories. Have you tried using unbleached flour with the cookie dough and press? It’s a bit more substantial and might help.
Such a lovely story about your grandmother! I've never seen cheddar cheese in a cookie before, but I love the Vermont tradition of cheddar cheese with apple pie, so I can see how these would be similarly delicious.
Very similar, Leah, and I wish someone would have asked my grandmother the origin of the cookie. It might very well have come out of a post war cookbook or off the box of dates!
Christmas cookies bring up so many memories. Now you have me in the mood to make them. Our favorite to make is Norwegian Krumkake.
I was just at a book event in Minneapolis at the Norwegian Mindekirken with Lee Stivak Dean and Rick Nelson who are delightful to listen to. They talked all about the book and about the annual Star Tribune cookie contest. The event was held in the church fellowship hall that is decorated with Norwegian Rosemaling. We drank proper church coffee out of large urns and sampled cookies from the book. A wonderful event. You need to visit Minneapolis Anne!
Karen, I promise to get there! So much history of baking there. So many wonderful stories and recipes. I’ve enjoyed diving into their book and will share on Thursday!
Those cookies look really good. My wife doesn't cook some things anymore. The kids show up with stuff from the local grocery store bakery and if she cooked pastries they would leave the store-bought stuff with us and take home the left over homemade stuff.
Sounds like you need to preheat the oven, Paul. Those crescent cookies are pretty much foolproof. Go for it! Surprise them!
What a lovely post on so many levels! I would have loved to have known Dee, and sampled her cookies. There's something about a pecan tea cookie melting in one's mouth with that first bite, the powdered sugar like it soft layer on top of the buttery goodness. ❤️ Your recounting of memories with Dee marches parallel to mine of my mom and my childhood.
Please share a memory if you like, Mary! The ladies were strong but their hearts - and cookies - tender. ❤️
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Looking forward to making the cake. I will let you know how it turns out. Have a wonderful and blessed holiday season.
In our house, we only had two homemade cookies growing up. Tollhouse recipe from the back of the bag and slice'n bake sugar cookies. Slice'n bake from the Poppin' Fresh doughboy is only home baked and not from scratch, as you know. lol.
I still make Tollhouse, and I make homemade sugar cookies, and sometimes I make homemade peanut butter blossoms. I have made homemade spritzer cookies, too. Creature of habit.
Repetition builds tradition, Denise! You know what you like!
Having just shipped 22 tins of cookies off to clients, I thought I was cookie-d out. But now that I've read about the cheese date cookies, I may have to reconsider! We made an espresso cinnamon cookie dipped half in white/half in semisweet chocolate from a recipe my sister used to use when she baked cookies for her clients at Christmas. Froze them after baking/dipping so they ship pretty well!
They sound yummy and beautiful, Anna!
Thank you for this extra special post - my family is Austro-Hungarian and as soon as I saw the crescents I thought other scrumptious version I loved even as a non-sweet eater and of their history, which you told so beautifully!
I am also working on a WWII story about my dad so your delightful story about Dee also resonated.
I am copying it and sending it as instagram stories to let readers know why to subscribe to you.
I am only sorry that the Melissa’s introduction to legendary you was not in person— and look forward to changing that one day!
Thank you!
Gerry Furth-Sides
Sounds good, Gerry! Thank you for these kind words!
This is not comment but a question about a fruitcake recipe from your wonderful cookbook “American Cake”. I am planning to make Mrs. Harvey’s Fruitcake from this cookbook and here is my question. The recipe states to wrap the cake in cheesecloth and then aluminum foil-should I dampen the cheesecloth with brandy or rum before wrapping the cake as I plan to make the cake a week or two before Christmas? By the way, I think that I have all of your cookbooks and I always have great success with your recipes and often give your cookbooks as gifts to my friends who like to cook and bake. Thanking you in advance for your help.
Bruce
Thank you, Bruce! Yes absolutely soak the cheesecloth first. Good thoughtful planning
What a woman your grandmother was, Anne! Lovely tribute and delicious post. Crescent cookies are one of my favorites ✨
Thank you Jolene!
I loved hearing about Dee. What a special person! My grandmother was born in 1900 and made spritz cookies decorated with colored sugar or hot cinnamon candies. We did not leave nearby so she would send them in a tin can every year. I loved them. The New York Times reintroduced a spritz cookie recipe during the pandemic. I purchased a spritz gun and make them for Christmas with some other favorites. But, I often have trouble with the dough. The invitation to come to Utah is still open! Happy Holidays!
Thank you, Lisa! Cookie tins are been unheralded for preserving old recipes. Wonder if you could use unbleached flour in that recipe.
I have a crescent cookie Recipe that has been used in my family for over 70 plus years. We use chopped almonds in them. Roll them into a worm shape then use the tines of a fork to press them down. Roll them in powdered sugar after coming out of the oven. I also do a thumbprint cookie that I roll each small ball of dough in egg whites then in finely chopped walnuts. The print is made after the have baked for a few minutes. After cooled I use a cream cheese icing ( multi colors, pink, green, yellow and blue) to fill the thumbprint. So yummy.
Sounds so wonderful, Tsun! I do think the crescent cookies I know were originally made with almonds - like yours - and then resourceful cooks down South added the local pecans instead. The worm shape is interesting, too, plus the fork. I think the fork is underrated. Peanut butter cookies would be nothing without it!
Ahhh, the telephone nook…did she have a wall phone in that vintage shade of harvest gold?
I don’t remember the color of the phone, sadly! I just recall it rang at night a lot. The apartment was so small. Her neighbors surely heard the conversations, too.
Nostalgia! Thanks for inspiring the memories, Anne. Those crescent cookies brought back Christmases past. No ghosts, just happy times learning to bake alongside my mother and grandmother many years ago. Spritz cookies were also a big favorite of mine. Green Christmas trees with bright red sugar sprinkles and one of those tooth breaking silver dragees at the top - also lemon flavored wreaths. I still have that old Mirro "cooky" press, but I'm not very good at getting the dough out. Happy holiday baking to all.
Thank you, Beth! Those are some sweet memories. Have you tried using unbleached flour with the cookie dough and press? It’s a bit more substantial and might help.
Always use King Arthur ap. I'm sure it's my lack of good technique.
Such a lovely story about your grandmother! I've never seen cheddar cheese in a cookie before, but I love the Vermont tradition of cheddar cheese with apple pie, so I can see how these would be similarly delicious.
Very similar, Leah, and I wish someone would have asked my grandmother the origin of the cookie. It might very well have come out of a post war cookbook or off the box of dates!
This portrait of Dee reminds me of several great women I knew growing up— who all baked crescent cookies at Christmas. ❤️💚
Middle Tennessee, right? The pecans definitely mark them as Southern but the combination of ingredients is worldwide.