Growing up, I loved to wake up everyday in December and pin a new ornament on our advent calendar tree. I think my sister made this one, plus a few others to sell at craft fairs. A few years ago I stole it from my parents house so I could have one of my own. Dave thinks it’s kind of an ugly piece of burlap, but it holds a close place in my heart! Only 5 more ornaments until Christmas!

I’ve been busy baking Christmas cookies, since our first Christmas celebration is this weekend. I made cowboy cookies (I’m currently obsessed with this recipe – you must give it a try!), sugar cookies (from an old family recipe), and brown sugar and walnut rugelach (I made these for the first time. I learned from Wikipedia that they are a German Jewish sweet. They are quite good!). See the recipes below the cut.

I also read this NY Times article about butter, and have made the vow never to microwave butter again.

Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1.5 minutes.
4. Blend in the vanilla extract.
5. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture one half at a time.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
7. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours. (and taste some – the dough is delicious!)
8. Heat the oven to 350*. (Here it says to line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil. You don’t have to do this if you are using a stone.)
9. Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place them on the cookie sheet sheet about 2 inches apart.
10. Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick.
11. Bake the cookies n the center oven rack for 13-14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they’re done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don’t overbake them.
12. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Sugar Cookies

Recipe from my Great Aunt Jeanette.

Ingredients

4 1/2 sticks butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cups powdered sugar, packed

1 tbsp. Vanilla

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

5 cups flour, unsifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375* F.
2. Cream butter and sugars together.
3. Add vanilla and nutmeg.
4. Add flour.
5. Form into small balls and roll in sugar and flatten with glass dipped in sugar.
6. Or roll dough 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick and use cookie cutters.
7. Sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes on ungreased pans.
9. Do not brown. Makes about 7 dozen.

Brown Sugar and Walnut Rugelach

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

Directions

1. Using a pastry cutter, blend butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined.
2. Add flour and continue to mix until a dough forms.
3. Divide dough in half. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
4. Preheat oven to 350*
5. In a small bowl, combine egg with 1 tsp. water to make an egg wash.
6. Working with one disk at a time, roll out to an 11-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick), dusting with flour as needed. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut around dough to make a perfect circle: trim off and discard scraps.
7. Brush circles with egg wash.
8. Sprinkle with walnuts and brown sugar.
9. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut each cirlce into 16 equal triangles.
10. Starting from the wide end, roll up each triangle of dough. Place on cookie sheet seam side down. Brush with egg wash.
11. Bake until golden brown, 30-32 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.