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| Surprise Cookies Photo: Julia the Child |
Christmas is a time of family traditions. One of my family traditions is making Nana's surprise cookies and my Great-grandmother Rose's sugar cookies with my cousins. Both recipes were passed down to my grandmothers from their mothers. Today my cousins came over and we made the surprise cookies. We call them surprise cookies because you hide a treat inside the dough and you never know what you may find when you take a bite. We use gumdrops, maraschino cherries, Hershey kisses and almonds. They are really easy and fun to make. You roll the dough between your hands, make a thumb hole for the treat, then wrap the dough around the surprise. After they're baked we decorate them and leave some for Santa. I wonder which ones are his favorite?
SURPRISE COOKIES
from the kitchen of Eloisa Gomez
(adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook)
1/2 cup soft butter
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup King Arthur flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1-2 Tablespoon milk (if dough is dry)
food coloring
In a bowl, cream butter & sugar until light and fluffy
Add vanilla, beating until well mixed
Stir in sifted flour and salt
Divide and add food coloring as desired
Take small pieces of dough and put a cherry, kiss, nut, gumdrop, date or dried apricot in the center.
Roll between the palm of your hands into ball - covering treat completely.
(I like to roll the ball first and use my thumb to make a well to put the treat in - then cover it completely.)
Place on cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for for 15 mins.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until firm about 12-15 mins.
Remove rack from the oven and cool.
Dip tops of the cookies in different colored royal icing.
Sprinkle with colored sugars, sprinkles, etc...
ENJOY!
