Shirley Temple Reading Room

The Christmas Cooky Jar
by Martha Gray
unidentified 1936 newspaper feature

There are certain things without which Christmas just isn't Christmas, and one of these is cookies. Down the years cookies have belonged to Christmas as truly as Santa Claus.

Since the Yuletide is marching steadily in our direction, I cannot resist presenting to you several holiday cooky recipes. They may, for the most part, be made in advance. Put them in an airtight container and they will stay crisp many days (unless some little boy, or big one, discovers the supply).

Crisp, tender, home-baked cookies make a hit with everyone. Why not plan to use some of them as gifts? Pack them in attractive boxes or tin containers which are so easily obtainable. Wrap them in your own inimitable style. And there you have a remembrance gift that has a truly personal touch!

And here is a recipe for old-fashioned cookies which works wonderfully with a new method of handling. It's simple, too, as you will note.

Holly Wreaths
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. evaporated milk
2 tbsp. vanilla
1 scant tsp. soda
1 scant tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Stir until well mixed. Sift flour, then. measure. Resift with soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into first mixture. Chill dough and press through a pastry tube, in the shape of a holly wreath, onto a greased baking sheet. Decorate tops of wreaths with bits of angelica and candied cherries. Bake in hot oven (400 deg. F.) for 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Christmas Cookies
1/2 lb. cream cheese
1/2 lb. shortening
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup nuts, finely chopped

Blend together the cream cheese and shortening. Add the flour gradually and mix until thoroughly blended. Place mixture in refrigerator over night, or for several hours. When thoroughly chilled roll very thin and cut with cooky cutter in any desired shape. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nuts, and sprinkle the cookies with 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees F.

If you like, make poinsettias on the cookies, cut round. Use candied cherries for the red leaves, pistachio nuts for the green leaves, angelica for the stems, and candied orange peel for the centers. Press the fruit down into the cookies and bake. There are so many styles and shapes you can make your cookies that it should be a simple matter to have a varied assortment.

And for the fruity, crunchy accent for your cooky assortment, try these plum-pudding bars. They're very easy to make, too:

Plum-Pudding Bars

1/2 cup candied orange peel
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
Confectioners' sugar

Put the fruit through a food chopper, using the medium blade. Moisten the chopped fruit with sweetened condensed milk. Dust the confectioners' sugar over a pan 8 inches square. Press the fruit mixture firmly into the pan. Dust the top with the confectioners' sugar. Allow to stand overnight in the refrigerator and cut into bars.

What is more pungent and traditional than Mince Pie? How its fragrance predominated the Christmas gatherings of our grandmothers' day! This old-time favorite, in the modern manner, comes to the table in individual pie form. Just the right spicy accent on which to conclude the "dinner of dinners."

If the individual mincemeat pies have tops laid on cut out of the pastry in "Christmasy" style – stars, Santa Claus, conventional tree design, or a turkey – you'll find it enormously intriguing. You might cut these forms out of cardboard, lay them lightly on the rolled-out pastry, and then cut around them.

Whether you make your own mincemeat or buy one of the excellent brands which your grocer offers – do give some thought to this traditional dessert. It is always such a favorite at holiday time.

Mincemeat
1 lb. lean boiled beef
1/2 lb. finely chopped suet
1 qt. boiled cider
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tbsp. mace
1 cup grape juice
1/4 cup brandy
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 qts. chopped apples
1 cup currants
1 cup minced citron

Put the boiled beef through a food chopper and combine with suet, apples, sugar, raisins, currants, citron and seasonings. Add boiled cider and grape juice and cook two hours if the product is to be canned; if not, just long enough to cook the apples. If the mincemeat is cooked two hours, more grape juice may need to be added. Add the brandy to the amount to suit your taste the last thing.