My mom would start early in the morning, baking hundreds of Christmas cookies that took all day long to make. She added every board to extend her kitchen table and covered it with cloths so she could spread her cookies out to cool. Soon the delicious scents of peanut butter blossoms, fudge puddles, pecan tarts, chocolate crinkles, and magic bars filled the air. And what a festive sight to see them lined up in rows across the table!
As she got near the end of her baking spree, she began to “plate” them. Most of the cookies were given as gifts so she loaded an assortment of cookies onto each paper plate and slipped them inside Ziplock bags. The next day began the deliveries to neighbors, friends, and family. We always put a plate of her delicious cookies in our deep freezer to take out and enjoy Christmas Eve after church service, usually while watching a classic Christmas movie. What a treat!
If I had to pick a favorite, I would say peanut butter blossoms. (Although magic bars are a close second!) The funny thing is, as I got into baking, my peanut butter blossoms turned out better than hers, barely. I perfected the perfectly shaped, small round ball of dough, dipped in sugar and baked into a perfect round circle, then placed the Hershey’s kiss directly in the center. So, truthfully, they didn’t taste better, just looked a little more perfect.
Do you have favorite Christmas cookies you love to make, or ones your mom or grandma made? (My grandma made molasses cookies and they are NOT my favorite.) I would love to hear about your favorite cookies!
The photo is from my mom’s handwritten cookbook – my treasure. It is yellowed and aged. Notice how she calls them “Hershey Kiss Cookies”. Here’s the official recipe if you would like to make them to enjoy this season!
https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/peanut-butter-blossoms.html
