ChickSpeak

This is certainly the most wonderful time of the year. Houses, businesses, and trees are all glowing with glittering lights reflecting the warmth felt deep within the soul of many people around the globe.

Triumphant carols are echoes of holidays past, but still have a way to lift the spirit of the listener and the holiday minstrel. It’s Christmas time, a time to reflect on year well spent, a time to come together to celebrate life, family, and blessings.

One thing I most enjoy about the holidays is cooking for my family and friends. My family has evolved from the traditional full spread which includes the ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, and so on, to a shmorgus board of heavy hor’dourves. This new tradition saves on time and clean-up, and it does not leave us feeling overly gluttonous. With a wide variety to choose from it certainly makes for palatable satisfaction.

Among the assorted dips and spreads, mini shrimp kabobs, and spiral rolls I prepare, a sweetly popular, confectionary treat I primarily indulge in are cookies. These sweet temptations draw the attention of children and adults alike, and make for a great palm-sized dessert.

Here are three of my favorite holiday cookie recipes. They are different from the traditional icing covered sugar cookies that are so much fun to decorate and consume. The first is the easiest cookie you will ever make. The second is a tart twist on an old favorite from allrecipes.com. The last is has a buttery sweet addition to an old classic inspired by NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE®.

Magic Cookie Bars

Bear with me; I never use precise measurements for this one. My finance agrees that they taste far better when they are unfettered.

Ingredients

A package of graham crackers

½ stick of margarine

Package of sliced coconut

Small bag of chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, or whatever your favorite morsels are (you can use them all)

1 can of fat-free sweeten condensed milk

Walnuts optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a ziplock bag, place about six graham cracker sheets. Seal the bag making sure to remove the excess air. Finely crush the crackers. You may need more depending on the baking pan you use. Place crushed crackers into a bowl. Melt the margarine and combine. This should make the crumbs kind of doughy. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the greased pan, covering the entire bottom. I recommend making the bottom fairly thick to give your cookies a good foundation. Pour the fat-free sweetened condensed milk on top of the pressed crumbs covering it totally. Evenly disperse the coconut on top of that layer covering everything to the edges. Then add whatever you want on top. I prefer just chocolate and peanut butter morsels, but you can add m&m’s, chopped walnuts, or whatever. Bake cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the coconut begins to brown. Sit the in fridge to cool. You can serve them chilled or at room temperature.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

If you love oatmeal-raisin cookie, you’ll love this recipe. The tangy cranberries contrast nicely with the calming flavor of the oatmeal.

Ingredients

10 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups chopped cranberries

¾ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend butter and sugar until it is as fluffy as snow. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Stir into butter mixture. Stir in the oats. Fold in nuts and cranberries. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart. These cookies spread like Christmas cheer so it’s important to spread them out evenly. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are crisp. Cool on wire rack.

Butterscotch- Gingerbread Cookies

Tired of the plain old gingerbread cookies? This recipe from NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® adds a creamy spin of this old faithful.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

1 large egg

 1/3 cup light molasses

1 (11 ounce) package NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine your dry ingredients including: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, egg and molasses in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

It’s the season to get your hand caught in the cookie jar and get away with it. Enjoy your holidays, and treat yourself to these delightful confections.

Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University where she finds herself sometimes spending more time cooking than studying. She plans on having an eventful Christmas break seeing sights, baking cookies, ice skating, oh and working of course!