My City December 2022

Marianne’s Nutty Cookies My good friend, Heidi, shared one of her mother’s Christmas Cookie recipes with me. Marianne Weirstahl immigrated from Germany to the U.S. in 1961 with her husband and two children. Her family loves these melt-in-your-mouth cookies! To Make

Ingredients ◆ 4 c. flour ◆ 1 lb. butter, softened ◆ 6 egg yolks ◆ 1/2 pint sour cream Mix well and refrigerate for 2 hours. Filling ◆ 1 lb. pecans, finely ground ◆ 1 c. sugar ◆ Beat 6 egg whites until stiff and add 2 T. rum. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll refrigerated dough into small balls (use a teaspoon for size) and refrigerate for 1 hour. Dust the dough balls lightly with flour so they won’t stick to the cutting board. Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls into discs. Add the filling to the center of the disc, form a ball again and “smush” it. Bake at 350 o F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Cheryl’s Gingerbread Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Rich in flavor, soft and delicious, this is one of my family’s favorite Christmas cookies – I make them only during the holidays.

Ingredients ◆ 3 c. all-purpose flour ◆ 2 t. ginger ◆ 1 t. cinnamon ◆ 1 t. baking soda ◆ 1/4 t. nutmeg ◆ 1/4 t. salt ◆ 2 sticks butter, softened

beat again until creamy. Slowly add flour mixture and combine well. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in white sugar until they are coated. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350 o F oven for about 8 minutes for chewy cookies. Cool, then top with frosting made from 1 (8 oz.) package of softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 1/2 stick softened butter, 1 t. vanilla and 1/2 t. salt. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, if desired. I top them with red and green sugar sprinkles.

◆ 1/4 c. brown sugar ◆ 1/4 c. white sugar ◆ 1/2 c. molasses ◆ 1 egg To Make

Mix flour, spices, salt and baking soda, set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy. Add molasses, egg and

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