A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com: Filling the Christmas Cookie Jar

Filling The Christmas Cookie Jar

Okay, True confession. I don’t actually have a Christmas Cookie Jar.

The cookie jar Mike and I have is clear glass and used for any occasion. It is usually filled with store bought lemon cookies or gingersnaps.

But…

* My grandmother baked dozens of cookies in preparation for the holidays.

* My oldest daughter and her husband’s family have long engaged in a cookie bake this time of year.

* When I was a teacher, I baked cookies with my students…or rather made some of those “no-bake” creations.

* My mom always made fudge which is technically not a cookie, but I’m willing to “settle” for creamy chocolate any day of the week.

For this post, I decided to share a couple of favorite recipes for your holiday consumption.

Mike willingly sacrificed himself to taste test these holiday treats. Thank you, Mike.

Break-Away-Bars

This first one is from my sweet sister-in-law, Jackie Waters. I have the recipe written in her own hand tucked in my cookbook. Jackie has been celebrating Jesus in heaven for the past few years, but tasting these holiday treats brings back fond memories.

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

1 stick butter

1 stick margarine

1 C. sugar

2 packages Hershey Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a small cookie sheet with the graham crackers.

Melt the butter and margarine.

Stir I sugar and bring to a boil.

Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour mixture over graham crackers.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place Hershey bars on top.

Wait a few minutes then spread the chocolate over the entire pan.

Put in the refrigerator to chill.

Then… break apart and enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

Breakaway Bars

Gingersnaps

I am actually not sure where I got this recipe. I have it scrawled in the back of a church cookbook. Since I can’t always read my own handwriting, I wasn’t all that sure the recipe would turn out right, but according to my taste tester, they are “just right” and “really good.”

Ingredients:

2 C. Sifted flour

1 T. ground ginger

2 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

½ t. salt

¾ C. shortening

1 C. white sugar

1 egg

¼ C. dark molasses

2 T. Cinnamon & 2 t. Sugar mixed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Flour mixture: Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt TWO times, stirring between.

Shortening mixture: Beat the shortening until creamy, then beat in the white sugar adding the egg and molasses and beating until the mixture is fluffy.

Sift one third of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture.

Blend. Sift remaining flour mixture into the dough and mix thoroughly.

Pinch and roll the dough into 1” balls. Coat with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Gingersnap Cookies

I’m also making Oatmeal Raisin cookies. You may not think of them as Christmas cookies, per se, but they are Mike’s favorite so they’ll be in the jar for sure.

So what favorite cookies will fill your jar this Christmas? I really want to know!

Here are a couple of pictures of the baking process in the Tyler household: