Other St. Nicholas Cookies
Painted St. Nicholas Cookies
St. Nicholas' Day Initial Cookies, variation on tradition
Spritz Crozier Cookies
Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies
Nutter Butter St. Nicholas Cookies
St. Nicholas Coin Cookies I
St. Nicholas Coin Cookies II
St. Nicholas Molded Fondant Sugar Cookies
Little Debbie St. Nicholas Brownies, simple & quick
Graham Cracker St. Nicholas, just assemble, no cooking
Edible Cookie Toppers
Traditional St. Nicholas Spice Cookies
Other Traditional St. Nicholas Cookies
St. Nicholas' Day Initial Cookies
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This recipe was in Sunset Magazine years ago. It makes a good chocolate-covered almond cookie which is especially nice if you don't have access to Dutch chocolate letters for St. Nicholas Day.
Beat together until creamy:
1 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
8 oz. almond paste, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
Beat in 1 egg
Gradually mix in 3 cups flour until thoroughly blended. Dough will be less crumbly if thoroughly mixed.
To shape dough into large initials, divide into 16 pieces, keeping dough covered while shaping a few cookies at a time. Using your hands, roll a piece on waxed paper into a snake about ½-inch in diameter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, shaping into desired letter; flatten somewhat. Bake in a 325º F. oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Cool. Makes about 16 4-5-inch cookies.
CHOCOLATE COATING FOR LETTER COOKIES:
In the top of a double boiler, combine:
9 oz. semisweet chocolate pieces
2½ tablespoons solid shortening
Place over hot (not boiling) water just until melted.
Place cookies bottom sides up on a wire rack over a sheet of waxed paper. With a flat pastry brush or small spatula, brush or spread chocolate over flat bottom side of cookie; chill 10 minutes or until firm, keeping remaining chocolate soft over hot water. Turn cookies over and cover remaining surfaces with chocolate glaze. Let stand at cool room temperature or chill until set. Keep cookies cool until they are served. Makes enough to coat 16 4–5 -inch initials.
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Spritz Crozier Cookies
A nice twist on traditional spritz cookies. This dough is softer than traditional spritz dough to make smooth crozier cookies.
2½ cups flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8-12 tablespoons milk
Cream butter with confectioners' sugar; add vanilla, stir in. Add flour. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time to make a soft dough that still holds its shape. Press dough onto ungreased baking sheet using the star disc (shown right) in a cookie press or a fluted tip with a pastry bag (the size of the tip will determine the size of the cookies). Shape the crozier as the dough emerges; pinch a bit to form crozier bottom. Let cookies rest uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Makes around 30 cookies.
Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies
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This recipe is easily doubled, as there are plenty of kisses in a package.
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
24 Hershey chocolate covered truffle Kisses
about 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350º.
In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together on low until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for 1 minute on low speed. Sift the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will look crumbly at first and then suddenly it will begin to blend together. When the dough forms into a ball it is ready. Lightly roll about a tablespoon of dough into a ball, press a kiss into the ball and mold the dough up to shape a cookie that looks like a cinched bag (they settle during baking). Place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350º oven until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit on pan for one minute before placing on a cookie rack to cool. When cookies are cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Optional:To further enhance the appearance of a bag, you may want to place mini chocolate chips like a tie around the cinched part of the cookie.
St. Nicholas Coin Cookies I
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This easy recipe incorporates and maintains the shape of the coins on top of the cookie. The flourless cookie is delicious and highlights the coin.
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
About 35 1-inch chocolate coins, removed from foil
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the peanut butter, sugar, and egg together.
Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls, slightly flatten tops
Bake about 10 minutes (do not overbake)
25 historical and contemporary recipes are included.
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St. Nicholas Coin Cookies II
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A variation on the popular peanut butter blossom cookies
35-45 chocolate coins, unwrapped
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup shortening
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk or milk substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling cookie balls
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat peanut butter and shortening until well blended; add granulated and brown sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beat just until combined.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place about 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Immediately press an unwrapped chocolate coin into the center of each cookie (the cookie will crack around the edges). Press the coin far enough in so it will melt a bit into the cookie. Remove cookies to wire rack. Cool completely—do not touch chocolate until it is completely cool and set.
Adapted from Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms.
Little Debbie St. Nicholas Brownies
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A quick and easy St. Nicholas treat!
Just use white dragees to make the cross on the "miter." (I tried frosting, but the dragees are easier and more successful.)
Graham Cracker St. Nicholas
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Just assemble—no cooking! Quantities depend on how many you want to make.
35-45 chocolate coins, unwrapped
Graham crackers (unfortunately they really aren't square anymore)
Can of vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
White writing frosting or gel (Betty Crocker Cookie Icing or Decorating Gel
Miniature marshmallows, cut in half crosswise
For nose: small gumdrop cut in half or red cinnamon decors/imperials
For eyes: Red cinnamon decor/imperials or any small round decor item you have on hand
- Put a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface
- In a small bowl, add red food coloring to 1/4 cup of the frosting, enough to make it really red for the miters
- In another bowl, add red food color to the rest of the frosting to make it pink; blend well
- Frost a 1-inch corner on each graham cracker to make the miters
- Use the writing frosting to put a cross on the miters
- Frost the rest of the cracker with pink frosting
- Put cut marshmallow pieces around two sides to make the beard
- Use gum drop pieces, cinnamon candies, or other decor to make the nose and eyes
Adapted from Betty Crocker Santa Grahams.
Links
Recipe for Speculaas and Springerle cookies with tips for using HOBI Picture Cookie Molds by Gene WilsonAn interesting site with recipes (including Taai Taai from the Netherlands and many other hard-to-find recipes for molded cookies from other countries) as well as information about wooden cookie and cake molds—with many beautiful pictures of cookie boards.
For lots of information on the history of spiced gingerbread cookies and Christmas, and recipes