That’s the choice I have to make! And, in the end, I will probably make both. At Christmas, my favorite cookies are sugar cookies with lots of icing and springerles. This post talks about when I was making them right after our last move and I couldn’t find my springerle pin. Last year, while walking around the shops in Lawrence, Kansas, I found another pin so now I have two and I know where they both are. They have to sit out and dry overnight before baking and I’m thinking . . where on earth could I do that in this little house? Vince likes them ok but he doesn’t love them like I do. He loves biscotti. He’s not crazy about iced sugar cookies so I always leave some without icing for him. That’s kinda crazy to not like the icing!
For springerle cookies, this is the recipe I use except I use about 4 drops of anise oil instead of the anise extract.
I have a recipe for Anise Cookies from Vince’s sister and that’s the recipe I normally use for biscotti but it’s on a recipe card and I never put it in my Paprika recipes on the iPad so it’s packed and I don’t have it. I’ve written her and asked if she will email it to me.
The sugar cookie dough is in the fridge chilling and I’ll probably wait til tomorrow while Vince is at work to roll those out and bake them. I’ll probably mix up the springerle dough tomorrow evening and spread it out on our little breakfast room table after dinner so they can dry overnight. I’ll wait to hear from Vince’s sister and if I don’t hear back from here by Wednesday or so, I’ll find another biscotti recipe. Anyone have a good one to share?
The fruit for CJ’s Fruit Cake is marinating and tomorrow I’ll bake those. My parents are coming so I want to get lots of baking and cooking done ahead so I can enjoy all my time with them.
Vince is away . . he’s out making his daily trip to Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Seriously . . how does he stand to do that? I’m thankful though because I sent my grocery list with him. My bet is he comes home with lunch too . . either a Subway sandwich (which isn’t my favorite but if he brings it and I don’t have to go out . . that’s great!) or if Maria’s is open, he’ll bring home something from there. My bet is they’re not open on Sunday. He did buy fresh cold cuts yesterday so maybe he won’t bring home lunch. Doesn’t matter . . we won’t go hungry. We’re having leftover beef ribs with cream sauce for dinner so I just need to come up with some veggie ideas. Vince brought home two sweet potatoes yesterday from his trip to Wal-Mart so my guess is . . he wants baked sweet potatoes. Sounds like a good idea — no mess, no clean up. I think we’ll have a salad with it and that’s it!
Now . . really . . I’m going to sew!
Karen says
I like both springerle and biscotti – sugar cookies with no icing but a sprinkle of sugar 🙂 I have to get busy baking too.
Karen
Sue H says
mmmmm, baked sweet potatoes!
Mary L says
I’m with Vince..no icing..on cookies and VERY little on cinnamon rolls.
Doreen, Houston, MN says
Hmmm. The “veggie dilemma” again! Didn’t I just read about something like that on CJ’s Fb page????LOL!
Jocelyn says
And the Biscotti recipe is???
Mary C in WA says
YUMMY-> Sweet potatoes– baked. I like that you can scoop it out with a spoon and just throw a way the foil… Gonna go make me some.
Linda in NE says
I’m hungry for Snickerdoodles, but to make them really good the shortening has to be part lard & I don’t have any on hand…probably a good thing. My blood sugar with thank me.
I really don’t know how Vince can stand to go to any of those stores on a weekend this close to Christmas. He is truly a dedicated shopper.
Diana in TX says
My aunt always makes sandtarts for Christmas. She would roll them very thin and are Dad’s favorite cookie. The folks came to visit us in Taiwan for the holidays one year and my Aunt kept Tilly II. Tilly was about 8 months old at the time. My aunt had the cookies all rolled out and decorated-on the kitchen tabke waiting to go into the oven. Tilly ate everyone when Bertha walked out of the room for a few minutes. Mom wasn’t sure Bertha would ever speak to her again! Anyway, that story came to mind when you mentioned having to leave theSpringeles out over night to dry.
Pat says
I hope someone else gives you a biscotti recipe. You don’t want to get one from me, because the only time I made them, they were a dismal failure. 🙁 I like to cook, but not bake….probably because I am not a good baker!
Lynne in Hawaii says
Baked sweet potatoes with maple butter! YUMMMMMM!
Dru says
Hi, Judy. Here’s a springerle recipe that I’ve been using for years.
Springerle
4 eggs
¼ tsp salt
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
Beat eggs and salt until light. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla; continue beating until mixture is very thick and cream-colored 15 minutes or longer. Add flour and baking powder, mix well and let dough rest before rolling out on floured surface. Knead a few times and roll to ½” thickness. Use flour on embossed board or rolling pin. Do not press down too hard. Cut around pictures. Place on greased cookie sheets that have been sprinkled with anise seed and let stand overnight. Bake at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes (do not brown). Remove to cooling racks. When cool, store in an airtight container. Makes about 5 dozen.
Dru says
And here’s a Biscotti recipe…
Christmas Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios
2 ¼ cups flour 1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp whole anise seed
¾ tsp salt 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp. ¾ cup shelled pistachios
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp grated lemon rind 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
(optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and anise seed. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios (dough will be sticky).
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into a 15-inch log (about 1 ¼ inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake logs until firm to the touch but still pale, about 28 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Carefully transfer logs, still on parchment paper, to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, gently cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into generous
½-inch-thick slices.
Place slices 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 18 minutes, turning slices over halfway through.
Let cool. Can melt white chocolate and dip one end of cooled biscotti into it.
SusanC says
I make biscotti every year with a recipe I got from Allrecipes.com. It’s cranberry pistachio and I now have to make a triple recipe to accommodate all the people who want some. It’s nice to know that I don’t have to come up with a gift for those hard to buy for people when they have come to expect my homemade biscotti!!
Joanna says
I make about 15 types of Christmas cookies, most Italian recipes, but some good old American cut-outs and freezer slicers.
Tonight I’m making candied orange peel for a lovely hazelnut/orange Italian bar cookie.
I LOVE biscotti–I make almond, chocolate almond, anise walnut. I’m afraid I’m my best customer!
Happy Baking, Joanna
Karla says
I tried something new this year, I found a japanese sweet potato at a natural food market while I was in Springfield, MO over thanksgiving. One potato weighed 3 pounds so we decided to slice it up and french fry it as my husband isn’t fond of sweet potatoes and it was delicious. I wish we had a natural food market here in the Waco area. And….. my husband liked the potato surprise…surprise.
carol c says
sorry Judy, I dont like iceing on cookies either, even Oreos, I slide that white stuff right into the trash! I am with Vince-lol
Mel Meister says
I emailed you my TNT anise Biscotti recipe. I always use more anise than called for. I forgot to mention that. I like my cookes very flavorful.
Mel Meister says
Btw.. I am making Springerle this year, too, along with the biscotti and pizzelles. Can’t have too many anise flavored cookies!