Milk Cookies #DairyMonth

 Enjoy these milk cookies with a big glass of cold milk.  They are crispy, delightful and fun to make.

The Festive Foodies are celebrating National Dairy Month this week.......

Spring Cut Out Cookies #SpringSweetsWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Cut out cookies are always so much fun to make.  Turn the quarantine into some precious family time with these easy and delicious cookies.

This is my final day of Spring Sweets Week but don't worry.......

Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies #ChristmasCookies

This post is sponsored on behalf of #ChristmasCookiesWeek. The generous sponsors, YumGoggle, Sprinkle Pop, Silpat and Adams Extracts have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.  

Tender, simple sugar cookies kept soft with the addition of sour cream. These cookies come together quickly, roll out easily and bake up beautifully.

Today is the final day of Christmas Cookie Week.....

Let the Baking Season Commence!!

These cookies are flavored with pure almond extract provided by #sponsor Nielsen-Massey who sent me one of their wonderful Holiday Flavors Bundle.  To thank Nielsen-Massey for their generosity, I agreed to create a recipe using their product and to post my honest and personal opinion regarding the product on this blog.

These tender shortbread cookies decorated with edible glitter will melt in your mouth.  They are the perfect start to the Holiday Baking Season.

Christmas Around the World. Bullas (Caribbean Spice Cookie) #ChristmasCookies

This is it....the 12th Day of #Christmas Cookies, where I have traveled the globe and shared a different country's cookie each day.  We have gone to Italy, Poland, Lebanon, Germany, Denmark, Czechoslovaki, USA, Greece, Russia, France and Japan.  Today is our last stop, the final leg of our journey.

We had our Santa Party yesterday in the middle of a huge snowstorm...the first snowstorm of the year.  I was worried when the forecast came out that, perhaps, the family would decide to not travel out.  Those fears were unfounded and everyone arrived safely if a little late.  Santa being all knowing, didn't arrive until the very last child was safely tucked into the fold.

I will be sharing more about the party in the next couple of days but suffice it to say....everyone had a good time and Santa was very generous.  When Santa left, we had pizza and salad for lunch and then watched the Lions beat the Bears while some of the young ones went out to enjoy the snow.

Now, the kids had a lot of fun in the snow and it is very beautiful but it is also very cold so I decided that for this last day of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies to head to the Caribbean where the sun is shining, the water is warm and the cookies are scrumpdillyicious.

These lightly spiced Caribbean cookies are called Bulas.  I found the recipe at a blog written by Julie, called The Red Headed Traveler.  I had to make some adjustments to the recipe. I added some butter and water because I had found that it was too dry to roll out for cutting.  Once I made these adjustments they rolled out beautifully and baked to a crisp cookie that reminded me of the windmill cookies my Mom used to buy when I was a kid.

These cookies, along with all the others were a great hit at the Santa Party.  12 Days of Cookies disappeared pretty quickly.

Welcome to the 12 Days of Cookies, hosted by Family Around the Table and Cooking With Carlee. We have been filling the season with all kinds of delicious cookies.  Be sure to check out some of the recipes below or you can follow along on Facebook or Twitter by searching #ChristmasCookies.  We also have a 12 Days of Cookies Pinterest board where you can see all of the goodness!  May your holidays be sweet!

I want to thank you, dear readers, for joining me on the fun World Tour.  I have enjoyed it very much and I appreciate your company.  

Bullas
adapted from The Red Headed Traveller

3 c flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
4 T. butter

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Place the brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and mixture is slightly thickened.  Turn heat to low, stir in butter until melted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Turn the stand mixer to low speed and gradually add the cooled sugar mixture to the flour mixture until moistened.  Increase speed and mix until thoroughly combined.  Roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness, cut into desired shapes, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with colored sugar and bake in a preheated 375* oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Print Recipe

Make sure you stop by to see what the others are sharing on this last day

• Bullas (Caribbean Spice Cookie) from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Cinnamon Bun Cookies from Cooking With Carlee 
• Cranberry Bliss Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks 
• Eggnog Snickerdoodles from Palatable Pastime 
• Gingerbread Crinkles from Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• Minty Dark Chocolate Delights from Family Around the Table 
• Norwegian Pecan Cookies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures 
• Pecan Balls from The Chef Next Door 
• White Chocolate Gingersnaps from Making the Most of Naptime

Christmas Around the World. Classic American Sugar Cookies #Christmas Cookies

Today I have decided to stay right in the good ol' USA and am bringing a recipe for Classic American Sugar Cookies provided by Betty Crocker.  

Welcome to the 12 Days of Cookies, hosted by Family Around the Table and Cooking With Carlee. We are filling the season with all kinds of delicious cookies.  Be sure to check out some of the recipes below or you can follow along on Facebook or Twitter by searching #ChristmasCookies.  We also have a 12 Days of Cookies Pinterest board where you can see all of the goodness!  May your holidays be sweet!

Classic American Sugar Cookies
source: Betty Crocker

1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 c.. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
colored sugar

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract and egg.  On low speed stir in the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar until moistened, increase speed and mix well.  Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll the dough, on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4" thickness.  Cut into desired shapes and sprinkle with colored sugar. Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375* oven for 7-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Print Recipe

More #ChristmasCookies as we celebrate the 12 Days.

• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies from Cooking With Carlee
• Classic American Sugar Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Double Chocolate Snowball Cookies from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Gingerbread Man Cookie from The Freshman Cook
• Gluten-Free Maple Chestnut Cookies from Caroline's Cooking
• Maple Sugar Cookies from A Palatable Pastime
• Nutty Triple Chocolate Cookies from Family Around the Table
• Tangerine and Dark Chocolate Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Simple and Savory

Christmas Around the World. Susenky (Czech Foundation Cookies) #ChristmasCookies

We are halfway through the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies event.  I decided to travel the World and I am having a blast.  I hope that you are as well.

Welcome to 12 Days of Cookies, hosted by FamilyAroundTheTable and CookingwithCarlee. We'll are sharing delicious cookie recipes all week long in celebration of the holiday season. Perfect for your holiday cookie trays or party dessert table. Search #ChristmasCookies to see all the goodies these 12 days. Follow the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Pinterest board for more cookie ideas. 

Today I am off to the birthplace of my maternal Grandmother, Czechoslavakia.  I don't remember my Grandma ever making cookies.  I remember her raisin bread and her blueberry pie.  I remember head cheese and tongue.  I remember stews and soups.  But I don't ever remember homemade cookies.

Not having a "hand me down" recipe from Grandma's home country, I did the next best thing.  I headed over to About.com where Barbara Rolek, Eastern European Food Expert posts all kinds of great recipes. That is where I found this recipe for Susenky.

This recipe is perfect today, December 6th, as it is St. Nicholas Day.  Today is the day when those of us who have Czech heritage, begin the celebration of the Christmas season.  We are going to my daughter, Amy's, for dinner tonight as we have for the past 3 St. Nick Days.  I am bringing these cookies to share.

This cookie is, thus far, the most time consuming. Mostly because it is a butter cookie that need to be rolled thin and then cut into your desired shape.  The cookies are very buttery so you....

• Roll them between 2 sheets of parchment
• Remove the top parchment
• Cut into desired shape
• Remove scraps from between cookies
• Add a "window" to half of the shaped cookies
• Bake
• Cool
• Sprinkle the window cookies with powdered sugar
• Spread jam on the bottom cookie
• Top with the window cookie

Each batch was only 6 -8 cookies so this took a while.  It was not difficult, just time consuming, so plan it on a day when you have a lot of free time, turn on the Christmas music and enjoy.  I chose to make mine with a window and jam but you could also sprinkle with colored sugar or frost them with cookie icing.  The only adaptation I made to this recipe was to add a pinch of salt as I used unsalted butter. 

Susenky 

slightly adapted from Barbara Rolek, Eastern European Food Expert

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

4 c. flour

Strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Powdered sugar

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add the salt and 1/2 c. of the flour, mix at low speed until combined. Gradually mix in remaining flour until you have a smooth dough.

Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper to a thickness of 3/16" if sandwiching cookies and/or 1/8" if sugaring or icing the cookies.  Remove top piece of parchment and cut cookies into desired shapes.  Remove scraps from between cookies and return to unrolled dough.  Cut a window into half of the cookies. Place the parchment onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350* oven for 8-10 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle the cookies with a window with powdered sugar.  Smear a small amount of jam onto each bottom cookie and top with the sugared cookie.  

Repeat until all dough is used.  Print Recipe  

Here are the other offerings on Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies

• Cherry Kiss Cookies from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies from Making the Most of Naptime
• Jewelled Fruitcake Bars from A Palatable Pastime
• Oatmeal Raisin Almond Cookies from Feeding Big
• Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Family Around the Table
• Soft and Spicy Molasses Cookies from Cooking With Carlee
• Spiced Pretzel Walnut Cookies with Chocolate Chips from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Susensky from A Day in the Life on The Farm