9th Day of Sock Yarn

On the Ninth Day of Sock Yarn, Simply Sock Yarn Gave to me...

a Gradiance Sock Set from The Unique Sheep.

To enter to win this lovely sock set, which slowly gradates from one color to the next using this recipe here, simply answer the following question in the comments section below:

Do you have a favorite cookie or dessert recipe that you must make or eat at the holidays?  If you can, paste a link to it with your comment so we can all give it a try.

 

These skeins are the special edition Beach Glass colors dyed for one of the SSYC sock clubs a couple years ago. So you won't be able to get this in the store, but I do have many other colors available, as I just got in a shipment from The Unique Sheep.

I don't do much baking of cookies and cakes because I would just eat it all.  If there are cookies I like in the kitchen, I have an inability to limit myself to just one or two a day, and instead I grab one every single time I walk through the kitchen.  And since I know this about myself, I try to just keep temptation completely out of my eyesight.  Perhaps when James is older and we have more kids to eat the treats, I'll bake more.

Earlier this fall, Joe and I ate a superb molasses cookie at the farmer's market and I think it's going to be come a holiday tradition for us.  I used a recipe for a chocolate-studded molasses cookie in Martha Stewart's cookie book to make us a batch, and they were perect.  And there's just something about the deep flavors of molasses and ginger that fit with this season, don't you think?

Comments

[Ruth Anne]

My favorite cookie recipe is from an older Southern Living Christmas cookie magazine - you make a batch of orange-flavored dough with macadamia nuts and white chips, and a batch of chocolate dough - you smoosh half of each together in a tablespoon before dropping in the cookie sheet to bake - so the cookie is two-toned, part orange and part chocolate. This year the orange flavor wasn't quite strong enough - maybe I needed a new bottle of orange extract and/or a little more orange peel!

[Lynne]

We have several family cookie recipes that I traditionally make for the holidays. One of the newer additions is these buttery Spoon Cookies: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spoon-Cookies-233297
They're not difficult to make, but because they're sandwich cookies, the recipe is a bit of a process. I use seedless raspberry jam in the middle.

[Julie]

Always need to make the rolled out sugar cookies. I really enjoyed making them with my youngest daughter this year!

[Diane]

I DO like gingerbread very much - the cake not the cookie. Have to have some at Christmas. I also like my grandmother's molasses raisin cookies. I have not had her in my life for a long time - but I still have her recipe and remind me very much of being a little girl looking at her cookie jar (which was eye level on her kitchen counter back then to me). There is no link - but I would be glad to share if anyone wanted the recipe. And I am afraid I am lazy with the gingerbread - I use the mix in the box - just makes life easier for me.

[Elaine]

We're having a decadent, rich chocolate mousse this year. First Gluten-free Xmas! Also might try Sandra Lee's egg nog custard.

[Jana]

FUDGE!! No nuts, just plain marshmallow cream easy peasy fudge. I love it. Some people like to mix it up by adding mint choc chips OR butterscotch chips instead of the regular milk chocolate. Of course I like the plain milk chocolate. I have heard the mint is good (if you like choc/mint), but I am not into peppermint.
MMmm my mother in law also bakes the spritz cookies. Love those too.

[Debby]

I remember always loving my grandmother's iced, cut-out Christmas cookies. I'm afraid I haven't kept that favorite alive because of lack of time. One of my sisters usually comes through with some. Hope she gets around to it this year.

[tami]

my favorite cookie is one my mom used to make. It's almond flavored, shaped like a candy cane and has crushed candy cane on top.

that gradience set is beautiful, by the way.

[Marianne]

This one for seven layer cookies is a must-bake:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/12/seven-layer-cookies/

I try and give away 80% of the cookies I bake - the rest are for me and my son!

[Sharon]

Aunt Nan's Crescent Cookkies with 1 lb. of butter, walnuts, and powdered sugar, red velvet cake and pecan pie.

[Robin]

Mine is shortbread cookies from a recipe a friend gave me years before the internet.

[Judy Gates]

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Butter-Pecan-Roll-Ups

These butter pecan lace roll up cookies are similar to ones my grandmother used to make... very addictive (just like sock yarn!!) Happy Holidays to everyone at SSY!

[mary]

Kiefles. Dough is half cream cheese, half butter, flour. Mixed very thouroughly with an electric mixer. Rolled into 3in squares and filled with almond, apricot, cherry, poppy or prune fillings. Two corners are folded over. Baked at 350 until lightly brown.

[bunny dimmel]

My homeade chocolate cream pie is a "must-have" during all our holidays. Bunny

[Nancy]

There are several cookie recipes that I must make every year because my family loves them, but also because I have been making most of these same cookies since I was a little girl and Christmas is not Christmas without these cookies. My favorite is the Polka Dot Meringues. They are made with egg whites, sugar, cornflakes and chocolate chips.

[Allise]

I'm like you, Allison! I can't resist homemade cookies. My daughter likes to bake (I'm too busy knitting) and she made the classic peanut butter drops with the Hershey kisses in the middle. Even my husband who doesn't like cookies liked those!

[Jennifer]

My two favorite cookies probably are chocolate cherry cookies (that my mom has been making since I was a little girl) and then a few favorite, bourbon balls!

[Carrie Lee]

I don't think I could pick one recipe as my favorite. I would have to say it's not the holidays if we don't have cornbread dressing and sweet potato pie. (Can ya tell I'm form the South? LOL)

[Candi]

It's not the holidays until I make my Cranberry Caramel bars. Super yummy!

[Vivian Johnson]

My favorite cookie are the simple butter press cookies. I could never make them and they come out right. But others are simply fantastic.

[Patty McD]

I like to try new dessert recipes every holiday season, but we always have to have a pumpkin pecan pie!

[Sandy H.]

My must make dessert recipe for Christmas dinner is a panettone bread pudding with amaretto sauce created by Giada De Laurentis in her book GIADA'S FAMILY DINNERS. Oh my goodness - be prepared to faint from the richness of it!!!

[Suzy]

I like savory foods more than sweets, so I don't bake much. I know my husband will get his sweet tooth satisfied when he visits the moms during the holidays. His birthday is next week, though, so I might break down.

[Jane]

Yule log for Christmas dinner ...butter cookies usually spritz. Hard to stop eating them though. Jane

[ADRIANA CALDWELL]

Millionaire Pie...it has a graham cracker crust and a powdered sugar butter base layer and then the top layer is whipping cream and fold with pecan nuts and drained crushed pineapple....mmmmm

[Barbara]

I usually make Pecan Tassies. They're made in the tiny cupcake pans with a crust filled with a sugar/butter/pecan filling. Very similar to these http://www.joyofbaking.com/PecanTassies.html

[marimariknit]

oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies, my favorite recipe is on the back of the craisins bag. but i change the recipe and add lots of extra stuff that's good for you. like oat bran and whole wheat flour.

[ikkinlala]

I have several cookie recipes that I make every year. One of them is a shortbread with chocolate and nuts - it's the one that always disappears first.

[Julie]

One of out must dessert in Brown Sugar Pound cake and can't forget about chocolate chip cookies (with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips).

[Sara Lee Albright]

My favorite is a cookie bar that kind of goes like this :

graham cracker crumbs, nuts (I like black walnuts), melted butter, melted semi-sweet chocolate mixed together, then pressed in the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan. cool in the refrigerator.

2 8oz. packs of cream cheese (no need to go with the "light" variety as this is definitely not diet food !) , softened, and mixed with granulated sugar to taste. Press cream cheese mix onto top of graham cracker crust; put back into fridge to cool again.

melt 4-7 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate, granulated sugar to tase, and a couple of good-sized spoonfuls of butter (sounds like fudge, right ?) in a saucepan, and when thoroughly mixed, spread over top of graham cracker-cheese , and then cool again in fridge.

sorry about the vague measurements; that's the way I developed this recipe ! Ate the whole pan all in one whack the first time I made these bars ... yum !!!

[sprite]

We make spritz cookies right after Thanksgiving. And we make a raspberry trifle for Christmas dessert. Yum!

[Mary]

Every year my husband makes butter crunch toffee for Christmas gifts. It makes the house smell wonderful and is my connection to Christmas. The recipe is secret though, sorry!

[Carolyn]

A family favorite for us is the Tuxedo cookie.

[Jeannie]

I don't know if I have a favorite cookie recipe. I like all of them! ;-) My kids and I like the molasses cookie recipe from our old Betty Crocker cookbook. We like to decorate ours with redhots. There's just something yummy about the spices in the cookies with those candies on top.

[Pam]

Oh this is easy peasy! Must make snickerdoodles and Italian Anise Pizzelles.

[Haifa]

Well that is a hard one since there are so many. I love Russian Tea Balls (or cakes), which my mom makes. I always try something new. Every year I make sugar cookie cut out but have yet to be able to decorate them as they are eaten before I get there.

[Melissa]

I've become known for my sweet and spicy nuts. Other people have tried, even when I tell them how I do it, but apparently nobody else has gotten them quite right yet!

[Becky B]

It's not Christmas unless we have Cardamom Coffee Cake - a family recipe. It's a bread dough flavored with cardamom, swirled with cinnamon, and iced with cream cheese frosting! I'd better get baking!

[Rebecca]

I make Puppy Chow. It's very similar to the recipe on the back of the Rice Chex box called Muddy Buddies but the recipe I've used since I was a child is far richer. 6oz of semi-sweet choc chips, 6oz of milk-choc chips, 1-c peanut butter, 1 stick butter, 6-c Rice Chex cereal and 1 box of powdered sugar. Melt all stuff together and pour over cereal. Make sure it's all covered. Then (go outside) take an unused brown paper bag and pour 1/2 the box of powdered sugar inside, pour cereal mixture in then the rest of the sugar on top. Close the bag but leave room for stuff to move. Shake vigorously until all cereal is coated and has broken down to single piece size - try to avoid clumps. Left over sugar will drop off as mixture drys.

[Conni Christensen]

My favorite is Anis Platzchen...if you like licorice and merrengue you'll have to try these delicate and super easy to make German cookies. You can find a great recipe at www.canadianliving.com/food/anis_platzchen

[Evie]

I make a peppermint cookie that I love. It has pieces of candy cane in it and it is so pretty to look at. I do not have a link for it as it is an old recipe but I am sure one could be found on the internet somewhere.

[Sharilyn]

I have my mom's manual cookie press from the early 60's so each Christmas we make the almond flavored press cookies from the recipe on the box. And of course we decorate them and dye them with lots of food coloring.

[Paulette]

Love Snickerdoodles (with red and green sprinkles), cut-out cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, those little Pecan pies.......I guess there isn't a Christmas cookie I DON'T like.....unfortunately, *sigh*... They sure do taste good!!

Each day you keep offering such beautiful yarn gifts!! That's the great thing about yarn, love it --- no calories!! :)

[Susan C.]

I'm searching for a good roll & cut recipe I ca use this year!

[Ruth]

We have to have peanut butter balls aka buckeyes...peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar, then roll in melted chocolate mixed with parafin. Yum!

[Sue]

It used to be little mincemeat tarts for me, but I've gone gluten free so they are out. My husband makes rum balls, and fortunately we've found a grain free version, so that's still on!

[NancyN from Texas]

The cookies I cannot do without at Christmas time are Russian Tea Cakes (or Mexican Wedding Cakes, depending where you grew up!) Here is a recipe:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/russian-tea-cakes/3af8664b-6c3e-4022-b686-cd961521e59b

[Nancy]

Our favorite Christmas cookie is called "chocolate mints". The dough is a fudgy chocolate made by adding melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. You chill the dough, then roll it into little balls and bake it. When they come out of the oven, you top them with a mint wafer or chips (like Trader Joe's UFOs or Ghiradelli mint chips). Let the topping get melty, swirl with a spoon, and then add colored sprinkles. We love this cookie, and always make a double batch.

[captainsharmie]

my favourite are these two-colour swirl cookies. half plain dough, half chocolate, and then you roll them together and cut the log so they are swirls! i love them dearly!

[Bev]

I think my favorite is the 7 Layer cookies. I haven't made them in a while so I don't remember the recipe exactly, but it has layers of cornflake crust, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut and Eagle Brand milk. A million calories and fat grams, but it is so good!

[Megan]

My mom always makes cream puff dessert for the holidays, and I have come to associate over-indulging on this dessert with Christmas! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

[Anna]

I always make a couple of batches of "Sees" fudge--very simple AND I make lot of batches of basic shortbread in a beautiful ceramic shortbread pan so each of the 8 pieces come out with a design.

[Lee Ann]

Our must have treat for Christmas is:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizzelles-IV/Detail.aspx

Easy to make and they are so pretty!

[KathyN]

We have just finished 3 days of christmas baking! First up were pumpkin loaf and pumpkin pie biscotti, then oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies. After that,the danish cookies start - vanilla kranse, and the crowning glory, klijner - a cardomum flavoured deep fried twisted cookie that is a little bit of heaven on earth. Good thing I am diabetic, or I would be munching every time I am in the kitchen.

[Carole]

It wouldn't be Christmas without Polish Tea Cakes. I put the recipe on my blog a few years back. http://caroleknits.net/2005/12/22/cookies-and-stuff/

[Kay]

My favorite recipe for the holidays is caramel popcorn!

[Robin Clark]

I don't make cookies at Xmas becoz if I do, I'll eat them. Especially when they are warm! And I eat ALL of them. Not good. So I restrict myself to eating cookies at work and parties where I have to be polite and leave some for other people.

[Arian]

I bake cookies every year, but it's changes every year.

What I DO make every year is a two part dessert.

First, about 4-5 days before Christmas, I make Bannock. (Make two loaves - force yourself and your family to eat only one of them.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Irish-Bannock/Detail.aspx

Then, on Christmas morning, take the second loaf of Bannock, and make bread pudding out of it. Omit the raisins, because you've got currants in your bread already. Maybe add a little cinnamon or nutmeg, but not too much.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bread-Pudding-II-3/Detail.aspx

We eat the bread pudding for Christmas breakfast while watching the cats "open" their stockings. (What? We put catnip in the toes. Christmas morning should always start with laughter.)

[Christine]

I make my grandmother's butter cookies pretty much every year. The recipe is a family secret so I'm not allowed to tell.

[Betty]

I like the chocolate cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar before baking. Those are the hardest for me to resist so we have them at Christmas time.

[Stephanie]

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-toffee-ever---super-easy/Detail.aspx

Toffee! I use this recipe, but put chocolate and nuts on both sides! Yum!!!

[Abby]

It has become a tradition to do Mexican on xmas eve, so I make Mexican wedding cakes. Mmmm... butter!

[Susie]

My family's favorite recipe is White Chocolate and Cranberry Rounds - yummy cookies made with white chocolate chips and whole cranberries. They not only are delicious but look so Christmasy too.

[vikki]

I make Buckeyes every Christmas. They are more of a candy than a cookie with a peanut butter center dipped in chocolate and a bit of the peanut butter center showing so it looks like a buckeye. We called buckeyes horse chestnuts where I grew up. Not a native to Ohio I had a friend insist I try them and have been making them ever since. This year we are living in Virginia and I made some to take to a neighborhood cookie exchange where they were a big hit.

[Sarah]

All kinds of shortbread--cutout cookies, walnut balls rolled in powdered sugar, traditional wedges, you name it!

[julie]

That is an easy one for me - I just made these yesterday! They are what we call "tarts" in my family but I am sure there is another name for them. They are a yeasted dough cut into diamonds then filled with preserves and baked. Mmmm. A family favorite for a very long time!

Hope everyone enjoys whatever special treats they eat this holiday season!

[Kathy]

Old family recipe. Brandied Fruit Cookies. Even if you hate fruitcake, you'll love these! No link except in my recipe box!

[Toby]

Cranberry Salad - a sweet and fruity version that is essentially the same as this one: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/262/Cranberry_Marshmallow_Cream22667.shtml

[mellenknits]

My mom makes Italian pizzelles only at Christmas time - I always associate the anise/licorice flavor with the holidays :)

[Vicki]

My husband is the chef/baker of the family, but I love his pound cake.

[Chris]

I make lots of sugar cookies,candycane cookies,nanaimo bars and tarts. Too many good things to eat this stime of year.

[Elaine]

I buy snickerdoodles from a local upscale grocery store. They are as good as homemade. I think they use almond paste in them. I love to bake cookies but don't bake anymore because I eat too many so I only buy one or two snickerdoodles for my husband and myself.

[cate]

I don't have a favorite recipe. I wish I did. looking forward to reading the suggestions!

[Sarah]

I'm simple, Christmas cookies with frosting and my grandmother's apple pie.

[Janet Miller]

We're really boring. The only requirements at our house are green bean casserole (the one with French's french fried onions and mushroom soup) and pumpkin pie. And some variety of stuffing. We figure, why mess with perfection?

[Joyce]

I think my favorite cookies are still the good old fashioned iced cut out cookies. My sister-in-law makes the best ever.....so I don't usually attempt them myself.

[nina]

I always love makin whipped shortbread squeezed out of a pastry bag... the boys always love to put the sprinkles (way too many) on! Rolled shortbread is fun to make with kids too, with all the different Christmas shapes.

[Janelle]

I love making cutout sugar cookies and frosting them. Sprinkles are also a must. I have the same problem about eating them all, though, so I try not to bake until the last minute, when there will be more people around to help consume them!

This Beach Glass colorway is really beautiful...

[Tammy]

Frosted sugar cookies - no special recipe, just the ones that are cut out with cookie cutters and frosted with icing made from powdered sugar, butter, and milk. My sister makes the best ones!

[Stephanie M]

I didn't have a favorite until 4 weeks ago, mini pies. http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/tinypies/

[Bev Roberts]

Years ago, when my son was young, I made pecan tarts (and tons of other sweet, pastry items)for Christmas. Sorry, I haven't made them in years and don't know what I did with that recipe. A bit of Bailey's will be my substitute this Christmas!

[Jess]

I love bischochitos which are the "state cookie" of New Mexico. I've never made them myself - I should try it one day.

[Lesa M]

We always have to have a pecan pie or two and, if at all possible, some homemade divinity.

[Connie Kinsman]

I always make the simple sugar cookies and put red or green sprinkles on them. Very festive...I'm like you though, I am trying to loose some weight so I have to limit my baking because I walk in the kitchen and always have to grab a cookie...that doesn't help my hips!!

[Patricia Richardson]

I'm not a big sweets baker or eater, but the holiday season is not complete without Sweet Potato Pie!!!

[Lisa P.]

Since I was a little girl, my sister and I and Mom made gingerbread cookies from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Frosting them was the even bigger treat. I still make them with my kids (ages 19, 17, 13).

[Vicki]

Pecan pie from the recipe on the Carrow syrup jar.

[Melissa Cherney]

My absolute favorite sounds odd to people...until they taste one. Then they're simply amazed at how delicious they are! Easy to make, light and flavorful, Ricotta Cookies are a perfect addition to any cookie tray.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1918,156172-232204,00.html

Oh and I LOVE the colors in that yarn too. ;)

[Charlotte]

I make a steamed Christmas pudding and lots of sauce ...great!

[Lauria]

Sugar cookies always feel like Christmas to me! We use my husband's recipe that his mother used to make when he was a kid. But he's newly diabetic, so I think I might have to branch out and try something different this year.

[Tammy]

Usually we make batches of chocolate fudge, but this year I didn't even think of fudge until this last weekend. We make sugar cookies and paint them. We do scotcharoo bars. Last year we went gluten free and it's been hard, but we are getting back into the baking now. We have a thumb print dough in the fridge now. We also always do cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning and didn't do that last year. I haven't perfected them yet, but I am going to try it for this year too.

[marianne]

cinnamon cookies! I also make nuts and bolts based on a traditional recipe, but with my own changes.

[marianne]

hm, I don't think my link worked. trying again:
http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-cookies-48241

[Karen Sheldon]

Love the spritz butter cookies that my hubby makes. But my indulgence is a small white Christmas cake from the grocery store with Marzipan icing.

[Melanie]

I love those Russian Tea Cake/Mexican Wedding Cake/Butterballs cookies. The ones with nuts and covered in powdered sugar. For some reason, those scream holiday to me. I wouldn't even CONSIDER making them at any other time of the year. lol

[Renee']

Pumpkin Nut Bread (makes 3 loaves)
Renee’(from Connie M. in the 80’s)

4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)
2/3 cup water
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins
3 ½ cups flour

Add ingredients in the following order:
1.Eggs, sugar & oil
2.Salt, soda, baking powder,nutmeg &cinnamon
3.Pumpkin & water
4.Nuts & raisins
5.Flour

Grease & flour pans. Spoon ingredients ½ way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes then turn oven back to 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until done.

DELICIOUS….AND EASY!!!

[Mary T]

I like the basics - sugar cookies, tollhouse cookies & snickerdoodles.

[Rachel]

Triple ginger snaps. I cobbled a recipe together one year after my sister gave me some triple ginger cookies from Trader Joe's and I ate the whole box with out sharing. I gave some from my recipe to her and she says they are better then the original. A plus is they are slice and bake and tiny (between a quarter & half dollar in size) so you can have 3 or 4 before you equal a regular size cookie.

[Sarah]

Whether I like it or not, I end up making at least a batch of Night Before Christmas Mice from A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies. (If you check the "Look Inside" link at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Field-Guide-Christmas-Cookies/dp/1558322639 -, you can see the mouse peeking out from the upper left corner of the second page.) They're adorable, but take a fair amount of effort. Which reminds me, I need to go make the dough so I can make the cookies tomorrow.

[stacey]

bourbon balls are a must!