Angel Cookies ~ A Recipe that I found reading a library book!

 

Angel Christmas Cookies.  Recipe is online, but I found this recipe in a book I read years ago - Aunt Dimity's Christmas, by Nancy Atherton.  We use the recipe for our traditional cut-out cookies at Christmas, but Christmas has passed, so I made them "winter" themed this year - snowflake cookies.

I'm glad I went searching for the book on my blog, because the link does not work anymore, and the recipe has been changed over the years.  

In the book, the recipe is called "Angel Cookies" because she makes them all angels.  I make all sorts of cut out shapes with the dough.  Very easy to make and you can make it the day before to chill the dough.

The recipe states that if the dough is sticky to chill it, but every year we've made these cookies, we chill the dough.  I take half the dough out, cut the cookies, and take out more chilled dough as we bake them.  You can also chill this dough overnight.

Did you know that if your dough is cold when you cut your cookies out, they are more likely to keep their shape vs. puff out when baked?

Over the years, I have only used the frosting recipe that comes with this cookie recipe.  I noticed the only change in ingredients was the amount of butter in the frosting.

Recipe from the book says:  1/3 cup butter

Recipe online says:  1 cup butter 

All other ingredients are the same.  I used one stick this time, and had enough frosting for 38 of these snowflake cookies.

TIP:   I use parchment paper.  My notes (on my own recipe card) stated that I used air bake baking sheets and did not grease my sheets, but that is not the case.  I have no idea why I wrote that down ha ha!  These cookies will not come off the sheets without greasing them or using parchment paper.  I highly recommend using the parchment paper (original recipe states to lightly grease your baking sheets).

A little "ditty" about the cookie recipe. . .

The cookies were so popular with my kids, that one year a daughter took all of my recipe cards out and copied them.  However, when she filed them, she did not put them in the right place in my recipe box.  I had to go on my blog and find the recipe again for these.  Later I found the recipe card filed in my box under something else.

Another year, our youngest wanted to make this recipe.  She rolled the dough and cut the cookies, but forgot to grease the cookie sheet.  They all stuck to the baking sheet and she cried and cried.  I felt so bad for her that year.

Angel Cookies © Dec 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Storm Updates and other tidbits

We will still have heat if the power goes out this weekend.  So glad I invested in the eco-fan.  Temps will be plummeting.

We are praying the power stays on.  We also stocked up on lamp oil.  Both are low.  Just in case.  We also have a few places we can rent generators from if needed.

The wind is going strong this morning.  No snow yet, but today is the day we get it.

While everyone is raiding the grocery store for bread,  milk and eggs, we are planning which day and when we'll cut more wood, checking our battery supply, filling more water jugs, double checking chicken feed, pet food and what not.  And baking bread.

Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom mentioned sharing our morning routine.  It varies with me from season to season.

Right now I rise about 5:30am, let the dog out, stoke the fire and start the coffee.   I make sure Daughter is up, get Hubby's coffee poured into his thermos, pack his lunch and watch for the bus.  Some mornings I make them both breakfast burritos, and Hubby's wrapped up for the road.

When the bus arrives I feed the dog and let him out one more time before showering (or working out then showering), and start the day.  I also make the bed and tidy up.

It typically starts with laundry (winter routine), while I wash dishes from the night before.  I do not own a dish drying rack.  I have no space, and towels work great.  I just dry them by the wood stove.  I typically do them in the morning because we get little time together with it being dark early.  Then it's out to the chickens and taking care of them.

It all depends on if there is a crock pot meal on the menu for the day as well.  Those typically get started early in the morning too.

I get my handy notebook out and look over my list of to-do's of things I want to make or do (outside of chores), and my notebook for my own recipes.  I am writing down one I made recently that Hubby raved over.  Speaking of journals (not to get off the subject), I am a journal junkie - one for just about anything including wine tasting, a garden journal, and lots more.  Journaling has been in my blood since childhood and I LOVE writing.  Daughter has that bug too.  She loves to write and journal as well.

I also have a magnetic notebook (pad of paper with a magnet on the back) that lists other things to make.  Some days is homemade mushroom soups to freeze, some things to dehydrate, items to can in winter and salves/tinctures/lotions that need made.

After that, it just depends.  Yesterday I made more dirty dishes early, by making cookies.  German chocolate.  I also baked a 10# ham to prepare for meals while snowed in too.  I'm thinking scalloped potatoes and ham, ham sliders on homemade rolls, ham and bean soup with cornbread, ham/pea pasta, ham for breakfast (possibly a scramble), ham and greens quiche....they all sound good.

How did these cookies taste?   Fantastic!   They however do not look anything like the photo that is on the recipe site.  I didn't care they were light and delicious.  Everyone needs a good dose of healthy coconut too.  And pecans.   I wanted to try this recipe for Christmas, but didn't get the chance.  Quite honestly, I forgot about it.  It's online and NY Times recipe.  I toasted the coconut at 325° for about 5 minutes prior to mixing all the ingredients.  Of course I used organic and homemade vanilla.  Speaking of vanilla, that is on my list - get out jar and refill the jars.  Along with making a jar of "Full Throttle" herb/spice mix.

This was me at 3pm yesterday - PJ's, crochet, a glass of wine, a dog at my feet, and Judge Judy.  Hubby worked over so I relaxed.

Friday was a "calm before the storm" sort of day - warmer, no wind, no rain or snow, and cloudy.  We have a big day Saturday, so here's praying we get it done before the wind and snow gets too bad.  

Banging on Pots and Pans ~ Bringing in the New Year

My 17 year-old helped a lot with this year's cookie tradition.  She also wanted to add a "lemon" cookie to our baking this year.  We searched the internet and found Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze (Giada, Food Network).

These were delicious.  We will keep this recipe for future holiday baking (and more).  We will however, make them half the size next time.  And of course we used organic lemon juice too.

During summer, I plan to bake these using our homemade ricotta cheese (made from our goat's milk), and organic (or homemade butter).

Tidbits . . . 

It's a whopping 2°F wind chill today.  We got a bit of snow last night too.  Thank goodness my son re-stocked the wood pile.

I went and got myself a head cold, and am sorry I didn't get my elderberry elixir made yet.  I best get on that.  Nobody likes it when Mom is sick around here.  I tend to get grouchy.

I was actually up early this morning, searching pattern sites for a baby blanket for my brother and his wife.  Unfortunately, the best patterns (in my opinion) are in pattern books at the library. They however, are closed.  They actually closed from Dec.23rd, and will not reopen until Jan. 6th.  I guess it was to help with cut backs that they are still dealing with.  Unfortunately for them, my kids (and myself) would have visited often this Christmas school break, and gave them business.

It's hard to believe it's the last day of 2013.  I picked up my new 2014 planner and hope to chill-out later and work on it. More on that later.

Tonight I plan to stay safe, and hang out at home with the kids.  I wonder if they will grab my pots and pans (like I did at their age), and run around the house (outside) and bang on them with wooden spoons, screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"  Of course back then, I lived in the city and it was much more fun to make noise at that time of night, ha ha!  Who knows, if I feel better, I may just join them for ol' time's sake.

Oven Overtime

( mugs that were a gift from my 19 year-old)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I knew I was in trouble, when I heard the coffee cup hit my nightstand at 6:00am, and the curtains where carelessly tossed open (despite it was pitch dark outside, ha ha!).

No Eggs? No Problem

I adapted the recipe for Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies, by using natural peanut butter, and lard (vs. shortening).  Once we have goat's milk again, I will bake these again, using organic butter and goat's milk (vs. the buttermilk).

These were pretty good, and I got about 6 1/2 dozen cookies, by using my smaller pampered chef cookie scoop.  

I think these would make a wonderful addition to our Christmas cookies next season too.  And I am betting they would freeze well.
 

Murder, Mystery, and Baking - Stress Therapy

...three things I love in a good book.  However, since I haven't been feeling well, I have spent the weekend reading this book.  My weekend included hot tea, ibuprofen, kleenex, vapo-rub, and lots and lots of sea water nasal spray.

Joanne Fluke's books must send out a subliminal message - Bake!  Bake!  Bake!

Baking and Cooking with Lard ~ Chocolate Cherry Crunches

(The upper two on the right were made with a half cherry and the others a whole cherry)

Another future goal of ours, is to raise pigs for meat, and of course have lard.  

I spend a lot of time researching ways to utilize something before we raise it for food. 

 

(Photo source: Amazon)

I have found this wonderful book at the library (again, a great place to read books for free).  However, I may have to add this book to my personal homesteading library. 

I did not have enough dough to cover 24 whole maraschino
cherries.  I started to cut them in half, however, in the end, preferred the whole cherry in the cookie.  Next time, I need to use less dough per cookie.

These would be great for Valentine's Day or Christmas.

I am sure the debate over shortening and lard will continue for years, and doctors will have their opinion.  But when it comes down to it, it's about what's real and what's not real.  And of course, everything in moderation.

Angel Cookies and Real Books

As you know, I am a very low-tech, or no-tech person.  I do not read books on electronic devices, nor read them on-line on my computer.  I like to hold the real thing in my hands, and enjoy it without batteries.  That's just me.

(note:  In no way, I am writing this to be hurtful to those who do use electronic reading devices.) 

Crazy for Cookies

I finally got some time (and cash) to bake a few cookies.  This time, I utilized some oranges that a family member gifted us.  I made White Chip Orange Cookies.   These were delicious!