Christmas Cookies Around Town
The holidays are upon us, and there is perhaps no better way to get into the spirit than by indulging in some freshly made Christmas cookies. Whether it’s an afternoon spent baking at home, an evening with friends at a cookie swap, or taking a break at the office by convening around a delicious tray of assorted treats, nothing seems to help spread the holiday cheer more than these confectionary delights.
Here in the Lehigh Valley there is no shortage of outstanding bakeries ready to fulfill your holiday needs. In fact, for many longtime residents, a stop by their favorite bakery is a time-honored tradition and an indelible part of the holiday season.
For Rob Erdossy, owner of the Emmaus Bakery on Chestnut Street, today’s fast-paced lifestyle means many people don’t have time to do their own baking. That’s why the bakery, which has been in operation since 1934, prides itself on providing people with the types of desserts they grew up with. “People want home baking,” he says. “And we give that to them.”
At the Easton Baking Company on North Seventh Street, this same sense of homemade goodness is an intrinsic part of everything they do. In operation for more than forty-three years, the bakery is currently owned by the Mosellie family, who keeps the home baked tradition alive with their signature Italian iced cookies. “Our cookie trays are a favorite around the holidays,” explains George Mosellie, co-owner of the Easton Baking Company. “They include nineteen different types of cookies and macaroons, and people really enjoy them.”
But as delightful as these readymade treats are, for some of us there is still nothing better than the aromas and atmosphere that come from baking our own cookies. So, this season we are sharing a few of our staff’s favorite Christmas cookie recipes. We hope you’ll try them at home and share them with your own friends and family.
PEANUT BUTTER KISS COOKIES*
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 bag of Hershey kisses
Directions
– Preheat the oven to 375° F.
– In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, eggs and butter until well blended.
– Stir in the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
– Once the dough has formed, shape it into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
– Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
– After removing from the oven, press 1 Hershey kiss into the center of each cookie while they are still warm. Remove cookies from sheets and allow them to cool on wire racks.
*Editor’s Favorite
CLASSIC CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES
Ingredients
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
– Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
– In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
– Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until they are fully absorbed.
– Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours.
– After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease your cookie sheets or line with non-stick tin foil.
– On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of the chilled dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
– Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cookies from sheets and allow them to cool on wire racks.
– Once cool, decorate with icing.
GINGERBREAD MAN COOKIES
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, soften
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
– In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves until well blended.
– In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, egg, and butter until well blended. Then add the molasses and vanilla and continue to beat until well blended.
– Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth and blended.
– Wrap the dough in plastic and let it stand for 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. (You can refrigerate the dough and bake it later, but you must return it to room temperature prior to using it.)
– Preheat the oven to 375° F.
– Grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
– Place dough on lightly floured surface and roll to ¼ inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut into shapes.
– Place cookies on sheet about 1 ½ inches apart.
– Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in preheated oven.
– Remove from oven and allow them to cool slightly on the sheet. Once they are firm enough, transfer the cookies to a wire rack for cooling.
– Once cool, decorate with icing.
