This week I made all the Christmas cookies. I made Christmas cookies for an annual cookie exchange we host and Christmas cookies with my family.
Every year we host a cookie exchange with a small group of friends. Each person brings 30 cookies, then every person leaves with 30 cookies, but a variety of ten different cookies. This year my wife and I made Coconut Macaroons and Mascarpone Cream Cutouts*. They both turned out so good! We make the Coconut Macaroons every year. However, this was the first time making the Mascarpone Cream Cutouts.
The MCC had mascarpone cream in the dough, along with nutmeg. The nutmeg flavor was pretty mild. I'd use freshly grated nutmeg next time. I made the cutout cookies a day before filling and decorating them. The filling had mascarpone cheese and vanilla. There was also a powdered sugar glaze on the top of the cookie. The texture of the cookie was pretty soft, which made the double cookie easy to eat. They were delicious, and they held up well in the refrigerator for days after they were all assembled and decorated. I plan on making them again next year. I want to use a small snowflake cutout for the center and a bright white sprinkle.
I made all the food for the cookie exchange. I made Cacio E Pepe Cheese Puffs, which were made from a choux pastry. They turned out perfect. I made classic deviled eggs, which are always a crowd-pleaser. Roasted Potatoes with Herb Dip is an appetizer I stole and modified slightly from my sister. She serves potato wedges at her annual Christmas party. I changed it up a bit by roasting small Yukon gold potatoes with garlic, salt, and pepper. I served them with a fresh herb dip consisting of dill, parsley, and scallions. The potatoes have a bit of a crunchy texture and are perfect served at room temperature so you can have them all ready to go before guests arrive. I served a charcuterie board with cheeses, meats, nuts, dried fruit, herbs, and crackers.
Later in the week, we made Christmas cookies with my family. I made our family sugar cookie dough earlier in the day, so the cookies were cooled and ready to be decorated. The cookie dough recipe uses Crisco as the fat. It's the hardest dough to roll out, but I had good luck this year with parchment paper. The frosting we make is also made with Crisco, powdered sugar, almond extract, and heaps of food coloring. We all decorate them. They are colorful and a bit of a mess. However, we have a good time. They taste perfect and nostalgic. The flavor of the cookies is more sentimental than good. They are a bit oily, but they taste like Christmas to me.
Next week is my last week off from work and school, so I hope to do a lot of cooking. I'm planning on making Amish-style Milk Bread, Raspberry Star Bread, Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, and my favorite Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Happy New Year!
*The recipe for the Mascarpone Cream Cutouts is from Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publications “Christmas Cookies” page 55. The recipe isn’t available online.