One of the best gifts I get each year is biting into a sugar cookie. It’s a recipe I used to make with my mom and grandmother as a child. In fact, I still make them with my son and grandson.
Every cracked egg, stir of the flour, cookie cutout, then bite of the finished product reminds me of my mom and grandmother. I’m not alone in my memories. So many Just A Pinch members have shared holiday recipes that hold special memories.
“This recipe has been in our family for a long as I can remember, at least 55 years or more,” shares Rose Mary Mogan (Sauk Village, IL). “We would pick the pecans from the trees, shell them and save them for mama to make this cake.”
Rose Mary’s Mama’s White Fruit Cake (Family Favorite) is not your ordinary fruit cake. The addition of lemon extract gives a different flavor to this fruit cake. Spicy and crunchy, guests will be asking for a second piece of this.
A chocolate chip cookie meets a snowball in Rosemarie Zub’s (Clark, NJ) Dolly’s Chocolate Snowballs. A dream come true!
“This recipe was from my mom and I would watch her as a child make these cookies around the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas,” reminisces Rosemarie. “They simply melt in your mouth.” A lovely recipe, they’re simple enough your kids or grandkids can help make these.
“My mother always made these Holiday Gifting Ricotta Egg Biscuits on holidays and would wrap them in festive cellophane paper,” says Sandra McGrath (Harrisville, RI). “My husband Anthony, who has now passed away, loved to give these delicious cookies to all our friends and neighbors and I have kept the tradition going.”
These are very similar to a tea cake but a whole lot easier to make! The icing on these fluffy and cake-like cookies is not overly sweet. This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Package and give to your holiday company as a fun gift.
“Growing up in an Italian family, our kitchen was always filled with family, food and fun, but during the holidays, it was simply magical,” reveals Nancy A. “My favorite cookies were my grandmother’s Vanilla Anisette Christmas Cookies, which I would help her make every year. To this day I make her cookies, carry on the traditional and transform my kitchen into that very special magical place I always loved as a child.”
What a wonderful memory and tradition. Soft and buttery with a hint of anisette, the cookie itself is not overly sweet. The frosting on top adds the perfect sweetness. Your kitchen will smell amazing while these are baking.
Susan Feliciano’s (Oak Ridge, TN) Grandma Ann’s Iced Oatmeal Spice Cookie brings back memories of her childhood and her father. “It took a while for me to develop the exact recipe, as my mother did not leave this one with us,” explains Susan. “She may have gotten her recipe from my father’s mother because he once said he used to eat cookies like these as a boy.”
We fell in love with these spice cookies in the Test Kitchen. Packed with holiday spices like cinnamon and ginger, molasses and brown sugar, I see why Susan’s dad loved them so much.
Is there a cookie on your tray every year? Or a dish that makes your family Christmas dinner complete? Share your recipe and story … I’d love to hear it. Happy Pinching and Merry Christmas!