HOLIDAY COOKIES
By Sally Pasley Vargas Globe Correspondent,Updated December 16, 2019, 12:00 p.m.
Makes about 8 dozen small (1 1/2-inch) cookies
My grandmother, Catherine Barkhorn, was famous for her assortment of teeny tiny Christmas cookies. Each family received a plate mounded high with cookies to take home at the end of Christmas dinner. Her recipes -- for Auntie Rose's Brown Sugar Cookies, Dolly's Cherry Winks, and Maria's Almond Crescents, among others -- came from her sisters, friends, and her own mother. My mother, Jeanne Pasley, liked a cookie that came from my great-grandmother, called "Grandma's Rocks." They are bursting with walnuts and raisins, and the buttery, brown sugar batter is just an excuse to hold them together. I added the word "butterscotch" because that describes their flavor. Their name and their appearance won't win any beauty contests, but you can't eat just one. As a bonus, they keep a long time, and get even better after a week or so. When tackling a number of different holiday cookies, I often make the batter on one evening, and spend another evening baking cookies. Grandmother used two teaspoons to dispense her batter, but I like to use a small cookie scoop, dipping it in a cup of warm water every once in a while when the batter starts to stick.
| 2½ | cups flour |
| 1 | teaspoon baking powder |
| ¾ | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1½ | cups dark brown sugar |
| 3 | eggs |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 2 | cups walnuts, coarsely chopped |
| 2 | cups raisins |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend them.
3. In an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until it is incorporated.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a sturdy spatula, fold in the walnuts and raisins until they are incorporated. The batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days at this point. Bring to room temperature before scooping and baking.
5. Using a small cookie scoop or 2 teaspoons, drop the batter onto the baking sheet in 1-teaspoon mounds, setting them 1 1/2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the baking sheets from back to front, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Shape and bake the remaining batter in the same way.
7. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Makes about 8 dozen small (1 1/2-inch) cookies
My grandmother, Catherine Barkhorn, was famous for her assortment of teeny tiny Christmas cookies. Each family received a plate mounded high with cookies to take home at the end of Christmas dinner. Her recipes -- for Auntie Rose's Brown Sugar Cookies, Dolly's Cherry Winks, and Maria's Almond Crescents, among others -- came from her sisters, friends, and her own mother. My mother, Jeanne Pasley, liked a cookie that came from my great-grandmother, called "Grandma's Rocks." They are bursting with walnuts and raisins, and the buttery, brown sugar batter is just an excuse to hold them together. I added the word "butterscotch" because that describes their flavor. Their name and their appearance won't win any beauty contests, but you can't eat just one. As a bonus, they keep a long time, and get even better after a week or so. When tackling a number of different holiday cookies, I often make the batter on one evening, and spend another evening baking cookies. Grandmother used two teaspoons to dispense her batter, but I like to use a small cookie scoop, dipping it in a cup of warm water every once in a while when the batter starts to stick.
| 2½ | cups flour |
| 1 | teaspoon baking powder |
| ¾ | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1½ | cups dark brown sugar |
| 3 | eggs |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 2 | cups walnuts, coarsely chopped |
| 2 | cups raisins |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend them.
3. In an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until it is incorporated.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a sturdy spatula, fold in the walnuts and raisins until they are incorporated. The batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days at this point. Bring to room temperature before scooping and baking.
5. Using a small cookie scoop or 2 teaspoons, drop the batter onto the baking sheet in 1-teaspoon mounds, setting them 1 1/2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the baking sheets from back to front, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Shape and bake the remaining batter in the same way.
7. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
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