By Jolene Goodman | Lake Panorama Times
Sara Goodman and her grandmother, Lois Porath, spent time baking cookies and other treats at a past Christmas.
When our daughters were young, we spent several weekends in December preparing an assortment of goodies to enjoy at home, share with friends, send to the office, and bring to dance, choir and wrestling events. You name it, we brought treats there. The undisputed favorite, though, has been the frosted sugar cookie. And, honestly, they are the most fun to make. We roll out batch after batch, mix up four to six colors of frosting and equip our helpers with plenty of creative tools — sprinkles, candies, sugar crystals and, of course, Red Hots for Santa’s and Rudolph’s noses. Most everyone joins in. Some family members have even been known to frost a few cookies strictly for their own snacking enjoyment.
Despite all these years of baking, I still have not settled on one “perfect” sugar-cookie recipe. I try a new version every year, which keeps things interesting. Beyond cookies, our holiday platter includes fudge (Shane’s favorite), Russian tea cakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, spritz and almond bark. Our family added peanut butter blossoms, and, sometimes, we throw in chocolate crinkle cookies, snickerdoodles, biscotti, or Rolo pretzels.
While one daughter lives nearby, our other two now reside out of state. Yet, each Christmas — something I consider a true blessing — they all make the trip home. And, without fail, they request a scheduled time to bake cookies together, even if it is only for a few hours. It is not just baking. It is tradition. It is connection. It is home.
Today, I’m sharing two simple recipes that have stood the test of time. The first is our fail-proof fudge. Just buy the 7-ounce jar of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme and follow the Fantasy Fudge recipe on the back. It debuted in 1957 and has remained a holiday classic for good reason. My second recipe, Butterscotch Peanut Butter Clusters, is easy and has been on my cookie trays since childhood. If you love peanut butter and butterscotch, they will quickly become a tradition in your home, too.
Enjoy — and happy baking!
Jolene Goodman is the advertising director for Lake Panorama Times and vice president of Big Green Umbrella Media.
FANTASY FUDGE:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups sugar
- ¾ cup butter or margarine
- 1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
- 3 packages (4 ounces each) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Line 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil with ends of foil extending over sides. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234 F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.
- Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into 1-inch squares.
BUTTERSCOTCH PEANUT BUTTER CLUSTERS:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 bag of butterscotch chips (11 ounces)
- 4 cups of corn flakes cereal
Directions
- In a saucepan, melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter together over medium heat.
- Remove pan from stove and add corn flakes. On wax paper, drop by spoonfuls. Chill to harden, or they will harden on their own if left out, but it will take longer. These can be stored in or out of the refrigerator and will keep for three weeks. (I do not refrigerate mine).