Recipe of the Week; CLOTHESPIN COOKIES

Nothing says "It's Christmas!" to me like cookie tin filled with Mom's homemade clothespin cookies! She made these religiously year after year, and God Bless her for it!!

I too have taken on the daunting task of creating these mini masterpieces at Christmas, although since I've moved back to PA I don't regularly make them because Mom does and I can always steal a dozen or so from her!

The recipe I am posting is the one Mom uses, but I've seen similarly styled cookies made with puff pastry dough. That would seem like such an easy and heavenly alternative, but I'm kind of a stickler for the traditional way Mom made hers. Do make these- they are not as complicated as you may think. And if you're just not into all the measuring, rolling, and wrapping, try the puff pastry and let me know how they are!

Before you begin, you will need clothespins. Use the old-fashioned, (non-spring type) ones. You can find them primarily these days in craft stores.

Wrap the pins in aluminum foil. As an alternative to this, you could also use a dowel rod. Either cut the rod to clothespin lengths, or simply wrap several strips of dough on one rod, leaving enough space between them. I recommend 2 inches, as the cookies will puff a little during baking. You can also find "horns" in kitchen stores, but why go through the expense?

DOUGH:

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup room temperature evaporated milk

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside. Mix evaporated milk, butter, vanilla and eggs in large mixing bowl. Gradually mix in yeast. Add salt, sugar and flour slowly to the mixture until a soft dough forms. Chill for at least one hour. You can prepare the filling while this chills.

FILLING:

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons flour

1 cup Crisco (not butter flavored, and no other brand of shortening works- BELIEVE ME.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar (fine granulated sugar works well)

Using a small saucepan on medium heat, mix milk and flour until it forms a soft ball. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. The mixture is completely ready when it sticks to itself and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and forms it's own ball. I cannot stress enough to MIX MIX MIX while it's boiling. Flour lumps are not welcome in this filling.

Allow mixture to cool completely. In a mixing bowl, add the Crisco, sugar and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until well combined. This process may take awhile, as the sugar should be beaten well to avoid gritty frosting. A stand mixer comes in handy here, as I've had to mix this for up to 15 minutes to get the right texture. The best way to check this is by tasting while it mixes.

Once the milk mixture is completely cool, add to Crisco and mix with electric mixer again until all ingredients are well combined. You should have a white, creamy filling.

You may add food coloring at this point if you wish, if I'm in the mood I'll tint some of the filling red and some of it green.

Store filling in a covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to start filling cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once dough has been chilled, divide it into fourths, working with only one portion at a time. Keep the dough in the fridge until you're ready to start rolling. Roll the dough on a floured surface until it is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips. roughly 3/4-inch wide and 4 to 5 inches long.

Wrap the dough strips around the foil-wrapped pins, overlapping the dough enough so that it doesn't separate during baking.

Place cookies on baking sheet. I suggest using a silpat or parchment paper on your cookie sheet to avoid the cookies from browning too much on the bottom. These cookies should retain a soft and somewhat delicate texture once they are baked.

Repeat with remaining dough until all the cookies have been baked.

Use a pastry bag or a zip-lock fitted with a large tip (I like the large star) to fill the cookies. Squirt into each side of the cookie to ensure the cookies are filled throughout.

I have dipped the ends of the cookies into fine colored sugar for the holidays upon occasion, although it's totally unnecessary. You could also finely dust with confectioners sugar if desired, this looks especially festive if you tint your filling.

These cookies freeze wonderfully for the holidays.

Recipe of the Week; CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Let the fun begin! I realize we haven't even discussed Thanksgiving, but as I was careening my cart through the supermarket this morning, the baking isle stood at full cookie-baking attention with piles sugar, spice and everything nice for Christmas cookies. I pushed right past the big frozen birds and loaded up on sprinkles and assorted chocolate chips, mentally making a list of what tried and true favorites will be baked up this year, as well as what new recipes I've come across that look like fun to try.

Two recipes, courtesy of Land O' Lakes butter, are on my new recipes list this year. I always seem to opt for fussy, pretty cookies, then regret doing so when I'm elbow-deep in flour when it's too late to change my mind.

The following two recipes really are pretty, but also seem a little less labor-intensive. I'm anxious to get started... in fact I'm getting so excited to start my baking I've actually scheduled two vacations days from work so I can do just that. Obsessive, perhaps. But rewarding without a doubt!

The first recipe is for Biscotti, with a holiday twist. In all of my years baking, I've never made my own Biscotti, which is so wild because I love to dunk it in coffee. Land O' Lakes tells me that "The lively aroma of sweet peppermint will drift from your oven as you bake these small and tender Biscotti cookies." I surely hope so.

CANDY CANE BISCOTTI

1/2 cup butter, softened
12/ cup sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cups finely crushed peppermint candy canes

For the coating:
1 14-oz. package (almond bark) vanilla candy coating
2 drops red food color
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, if desired
decorator candies, sugars or crushed peppermint candy canes, if desired

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in large bow. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs, continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and baking powder; continue beating until well mixed. Stir in crushed candy.

Divide dough into fourths on lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands. Shape each into 9 x 1 1/2-inch logs. Place logs 3-inches apart onto lightly greased large cookie sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.

Carefully remove logs to cutting surface. Cut into 1/2-inch slices with sharp serrated knife. (Discard ends). Arrange pieces on same cookie sheet, cut-side down. Continue baking for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, or until cookies are lightly browned and crisp on both sides. Remove to wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Melt candy coating in double boiler or microwave according to package directions. Remove from heat, stir in food color and peppermint extract, if desired.

Dip each Biscotti half way into warm coating; shake off excess. Place onto waxed paper. Immediately sprinkle with candies, sugars or crushed candy canes, if desired. Let set at room temperature until coating has hardened. (About one hour).

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I thought this next recipe would be a nice addition to the cookie tins this year. It's a decorative cookie, but without rolling out all that dough and fiddling with cookie cutters. Not that I mind doing that- my son and I religiously "paint" cut out sugar cookies every year, as was the tradition when I was growing up. You know, when I really think about it, for me Christmas cookies aren't necessarily the little treats themselves- it's the memory of the time spent together in the kitchen and the delicious smells that linger in the house during this time of year. A cookie is just a cookie, but a memory is something that touches all of senses...

CINNAMON CABINS

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Frosting:
1 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons of milk
white nonpareils
red and/or green food coloring, if desired

Combine 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cinnamon. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm (2 hours or overnight).

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide each half of dough into 15 portions. Work with 5 portions at a time, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Roll out each portion on unfloured surface into 7 1/2-inch long rope. Cut each rope into 5 (1 1/2-inch) logs.

To assemble cabins, place 3 logs horizontally onto ungreased cookie sheet to form cabin; press logs together slightly. Place remaining 2 logs in an inverted "V" shape above cabin to form roof, press together slightly. Repeat with remaining ropes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Combine all frosting ingredients in small bowl; add enough milk for desired consistency. Frost or pipe cabin roofs, sprinkle with nonpareils. Tint remaining frosting; decorate as desired.