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| Fruitcake Shortbread |
It didn’t matter how cold it got.
And in Manitoba it can get REALLY cold.
We’re talking -40, which is the same in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
December in Manitoba is the great equalizer.
Okay… we’re not in our 20s, 30s or 40s anymore.
Neither are our friends.
We bought a fake tree around the time we celebrated our half century birthdays.
Who needs a ‘Silver Alert’ sent out for idiot seniors who got lost in the woods while looking for a tree?
Who would search for idiot seniors lost in the woods looking for a tree?
Well, we’re Winnipeggers, so we had to come up with something else to keep ourselves super busy during the holidays.
We now do Christmas Cookie Exchanges.
We stay nice and toasty warm by our ovens and work like slaves for the holidays.
Hell, by the third batch we’re sweating like pigs.
We bake a ton of cookies, trade them, then have a new ton of cookies.
Ho… Ho… Ho…! Happy Holidays!!
Hints:
About the Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies…
It is important that your butter is soft and not cold.
If the dough is dry, you can add some milk, a teaspoon at a time, to bring it together.
Don't add too much milk. The dough will come together if your butter is soft.
Longer baking will create a crisper cookie; shorter time makes a soft, buttery cookie
About the Shortbread Cookies…
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 7 days.
They will stay in the fridge for 10 days. You can also freeze shortbread cookies.
About the Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies…
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
These make perfect ice cream sandwich cookies.
About the Chocolate Chip Cookies…
Softened butter and warm eggs help create a smooth batter.
For thicker, chewier cookies, refrigerate dough for 30 minutes before baking.
Take cookies out while their centres are still slightly underdone.
Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg for warm, aromatic notes.
Stir in peanut butter, chopped walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts for extra crunch.
About the Thumbprint Cookies…
Use a variety of jams and jellies - raspberry or strawberry, apricot, grape - for colour.
If your jam is thick, microwave it for 10 seconds.
About the Italian Almond Paste Cookies …
Almond paste is less sweet, and is typically used to make marzipan, as a baking ingredient and as a filling in a variety of pastries.
Marzipan is made from almond flour, sugar, and sometimes egg whites and syrup. It is used to make candy or cake decorations. You may be able to adjust the recipe to use less sugar and use marzipan in place of almond paste.
Store the cookies in a tin that is lined with parchment.
About the Toffee Doodle Cookies…
Starbuck’s Toffeedoodle Cookies, a variation of cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies, is the inspiration for this recipe.
Add an extra caramel flavour to the cookies by browning the butter first.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple hours until soft.
About the White Chocolate Cranberry Bars…
These bars were inspired by Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars.
If you don’t have orange zest add 1 teaspoon orange extract to the cookie and 1/4 teaspoon to the frosting.
Powdered sugar is also known as 10x sugar. Confectioner's sugar has a starch, like cornstarch, added to prevent clumping.
Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or flash freeze them, then stack with parchment paper between, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or for a few hours, before serving.
Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 Cup sugar
Cream together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add
1 teaspoon rum extract (or vanilla or almond extract)
Beat in.
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time
2 Cups flour
Scraping down the sides of the bowl, beat until the dough comes together.
Add
1 Cup finely diced fruitcake mixed fruit
Stir until the fruit is blended in.
Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and form it into a log, about 9 or 10 inches long.
Wrap it in the plastic and smooth it into a smooth tube, twisting the ends tightly to secure.
Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Have on hand
Coarse sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F
Slice the tube of dough into 1/3 inch slices.
Roll edges in course sugar, then place slices on the cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes. They may seem soft, but they will firm up as they cool.
Let them cool on pan for a few minutes.
While they are warm, sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar, if using.
Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Shortbread Cookies
Sift together into a medium bowl
1/2 Cup cornstarch
1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar
Add
1 Cup flour
Whisk in until well combined.
Add
3/4 Cup salted butter at room temperature
Using forks, mix in butter to form a soft dough.
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls. Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Preheat oven to 325 °F
Using the tines of a fork, gently press the cookies.
Add sprinkles to the tops of each cookie. (optional)
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cook on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup salted butter, softened
1/2 Cup confectioners' sugar
Cream until light and fluffy.
Beat in
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time
2 Cups flour
Mix just until a soft dough forms.
Fold in
1 Cup mini chocolate morsels
1/2 Cup toffee pieces
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls. Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Lightly flatten each ball. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until firm and lightly golden around the edges.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place in a medium bowl
2 1/4 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Stir together, then set aside.
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
Cream until light and fluffy.
Beat in one at a time
2 large eggs
Blend in
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time, the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
Fold in, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough
2 Cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk or dark chocolate or a mixture)
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls. Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Preheat oven to 375° F
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centres are soft.
Remove from oven.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Makes 24 Cookies
Thumbprint Cookies
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup margarine
Cream together.
Add
1 large egg
Beat together.
Add
1/2 Cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
Stir together.
Add
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Stir together.
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time
2 Cups flour
Place on floured surface, then knead, adding gradually
1 to 1 1/4 Cups flour
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls. Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Make an indent with your thumb in the centre of each cookie. Fill the thumb print with jam or jelly.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cook completely.
Italian Almond Paste Cookies
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Have on hand
1/2 Cup sliced almonds
Break into small pieces and place in a large bowl
1 (8 oz) tube almond paste (not marzipan)
Add
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
Mix until crumbly.
Place in a small bowl
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat until frothy.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until a sticky dough forms.
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, gently flatten, and press a few almond slices on top.
Preheat oven to 325° F
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and tops are just set.
Cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar.
Makes 20 cookies
Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
Place in medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Stir to combine.
Place in large mixer bowl
3/4 Cup margarine
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar, packed
Beat to combine then beat in
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Gradually add
flour mixture
1 3/4 Cups old-fashioned oats
2 Cups Thompson raisins
Stir well to combine.
Preheat oven to 375ยบ F
Drop spoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes, then cool on wire rack.
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Toffee Doodle Cookies
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together into medium bowl
3 Cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine in an 8 inch square pan
1/4 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Place in a large mixer bowl
3/4 Cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 Cups sugar
Cream together until light and fluffy.
Add
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix until combined.
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time the flour mixture.
Stir in
1 Cup toffee bits
Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, measure out dough, roll between hands to create smooth, round balls.
Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then place on baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Lightly flatten each ball. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Preheat oven to 375° F
Bake the cookies until the edges look golden brown.
Remove from oven and leave the cookies on the pan for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 25 to 30 cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper letting some hang outside of pan.
Lightly grease with nonstick spray.
For the Bars:
Place in a medium bowl
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Stir together, then set aside.
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
Cream until light and fluffy.
Beat in, one at a time
2 large eggs
Blend in
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
With the mixer on low, add 1/4 Cup at a time, the dry ingredients.
Stir gently until you have a soft cookie dough.
Fold in, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough
1 Cup dried cranberries
1/2 Cup white chocolate baking chips
Turn the batter into the prepared pan, press dough to the edges, and smooth top.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Bake for 15 to 22 minutes, until the top is golden.
Remove pan from oven, place on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Using the parchment paper, lift the cookie out of the pan and place on cutting board.
For the Frosting:
Place in a medium mixer bowl
8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, softened
Cream together until smooth.
Add
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix until the frosting is fluffy.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cookie base.
For Topping the Bars:
Sprinkle over the top of the base
1/2 Cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon orange zest
Place in a small microwave safe bowl
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon coconut or vegetable oil (optional)
Microwave in 10 second increments, stirring after each, until you can stir it smooth. Pour into a ziplock bag and snip off a corner.
Drizzle over the top of the base. Let the base sit until the frosting is set.
Slice the base in strips, then in squares, and then cut each diagonally to make triangles.
~~~
Yes, this was, and is, a popular Winnipeg Christmas tradition.
And, yes, in Manitoba it can get cold enough to make trees brittle!
God, it was cold.
I didn't know it could get that cold.
I didn't know I'd ever be stupid enough to be outdoors in that kind of cold.
I didn't know I'd been stupid enough to marry someone stupid enough to work with people stupid enough to be out in that kind of cold.
It was December in Winnipeg.
Paul and I had grown up in New York City. There people went to an empty parking lot where the trees had magically appeared, like the pre-wrapped ground beef at the local supermarket. No questions asked. No one wanted to get too personal with an ornament that would be out with the trash in a matter of weeks.
At the New York parking lot we'd browse, find a tree we liked and switch the price tag with the cheaper tree which no one liked. Then we'd carry the tree to the clerk, who gave us the fish eye as he noticed the fullness of such a "good find", sighed and took our money. The whole deal was done in ten minutes. Another Christmas had begun.
Apparently, that isn't good enough for Winnipeggers.
Oh, no, they have to get down and dirty with their holiday bushes.
I'll never forget how happy Paul was when he came home and told me we'd been invited to join his co-workers, a group of Winnipeggers, for a real, old-fashioned Christmas experience. If I'd had a clue I'd have realized that giving birth in a barn, unaided, would've been an easier old-fashioned Christmas experience.
We were going to chop down a real Christmas tree, just like our ancestors.
Well, my parents are from Malta, a sunny Mediterranean island. It just wasn't in my genes to know how to dress for a freezing, miserable, forced march through a blizzard-hit forest. The windchill - which I still didn't understand - was in the "exposed skin can freeze in 2 minutes" range.
That didn't sound good, so I said, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Somehow Paul convinced me that his entire future career prospects, our unborn children's college fund, our grandchildren's lives and our golden years' security and comfort would all go up in smoke if I didn't join in the mighty tree hunt.
His Jewish co-workers were going. Everybody, even that ditzy receptionist who always dressed like a showgirl wannabe with skirts up to there, was going.
So, we were going.
God, it was cold.
I thought I had dressed warmly.
That fink, the ditzy receptionist, showed up looking like the Michelin Man. She was ready to march to the North Pole for the perfect tree, if necessary. So were the three other women co-workers. The other wives - who all knew better - had begged off. One was even pregnant. Or so she said.
I was alone with four career women who were full of the 1970s "I am woman, hear me roar" career fever. While they talked shop I felt as welcome as a lump of coal in a kid’s Christmas stocking.
The Jewish co-workers - who I had hoped would keep the tree hunt frenzy within limits - had turned into lumberjacks. They were also ready to march to the North Pole for the perfect tree, if necessary.
After walking five minutes I couldn't feel my toes. We hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot. I was doomed.
I didn't know it could get that cold.
We marched. Finally, someone approved of a tree. The men chopped. The tree crashed. The branches that hit the ground broke off the tree.
I said, "The bare side could be placed against a wall."
The heat from their glares should have restored my circulation. It didn't. We marched. Someone approved of another tree. The men chopped. The tree crashed. It broke.
God, it was cold.
We were doomed to spend all day wandering like Flying Dutchmen on a quest to find the perfect unbreakable tree. The lot was littered with other broken felled trees. Some trees had landed across their comrades in a criss-cross pattern that looked like a cradle.
A cradle, something soft, something to receive and hold...
Hold it… something to catch a damn tree!
Dripping snot and tears had frozen my mouth shut. If I'd had the equipment I would've written my idea in the snow. I slapped my face trying to restore circulation to my lower jaw. Finally my lips parted. I clutched Paul's arm.
"Cradle... tree... cradle," I mumbled and criss-crossed my arms.
The women thought I was pregnant and wanted a homemade cradle. Thank God, months of marriage, misery and love had united Paul's mind to mine. Months of marriage had also taught us that Paul was no carpenter. He knew the homemade cradle idea was bunk. Paul caught on to my pantomime and told the others of my plan.
Someone approved of another tree. It could land on four broken trees. The men chopped. The tree landed on its fallen comrades. It survived.
We marched. Someone approved of another tree. It, too, survived.
Christmas was saved.
God, it was cold.
I didn't know it could get that cold.
I couldn't believe it.
Some fool was planning the next year's tree chopping expedition.
