Peanut Blossoms -- Another "stollen" Moment

425 ml  flour                                         125 ml. peanut butter                                     
125 ml. white sugar                                 30 ml. milk                           
125 ml. brown sugar, packed                     5 ml. vanilla
5 ml baking soda                                       75 ml. sugar                                 
2.5 ml salt                                                  72 hershey kisses or neilson rosebuds
1 egg
125 ml. butter, softened

Measure ingredients through to vanilla into a large bowl.  Beat on low speed until mixed.  Shape into 2.5 cm. balls.  Roll in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Do not press down.  Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.  Top with chocolate kiss, as soon as you remove from the oven, pressing down until cookie cracks around the edges.  Makes 6 dozen.

Chocolate Squares --No Baking Required

This is a more recent addition to the stollen goods family, but seems to have avid followers among the inner circle.

250 ml butter
175 ml Lyles Golden Syrup (British product similar to corn syrup)
250 ml. chocolate chips
300 g. digestive cookies made into crumbs and chunks

300g. good quality chocolate, toblerone, or any favourite
(I use Lindt Milk Chocolate)

Line an 8 x 8 square pan with plastic wrap, ( I would double it)  up the sides, leaving an overhang.

Melt butter and combine with syrup over low heat.  Add chocolate chips, stir until melted. Stir in cookie crumbs.  Pour mixture into prepared 8 x 8 pan, and refrigerate until set.  Melt chocolate bar(s) over low heat and pour over base.  Refrigerate until set. Remove from pan using plastic wrap overhang, and cut into small squares. 
You can use other types of cookie, ie. Peek Frean shortbread, etc.

This recipe could probably be made using a microwave to melt the butter and chocolate, so as long as there is somewhere cold to put the pan to set up, this definitely has dorm room possibilities. ;)

THE Gumdrop Cake

250 ml. sugar                   10 ml. baking powder                
125 ml. butter                   5 ml. nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten           5 ml. cinnamon
250 ml. milk                     625 ml. flour   (2 1/2 cups)
454 g. baking gum drops

Blend butter and sugar, beat in eggs.  Alternately add milk and sifted dry ingredients, then gumdrops.  Bake in greased tube/bundt pan, at 350 F for 50 minutes, check with skewer to see if it comes out clean (no sticky bits) could take longer depending on oven.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove. Cool completely, and sift icing sugar over cake before serving.

Nothing Says Christmas Like Pfeffernüssen

Pfeffernussen are among the original "stollen goods", and so, for the clamouring masses, here is the recipe:

300 ml. confectioners (icing) sugar                       125 ml. softened butter
550 ml. all-purpose flour                                      175 ml. firmly packed brown                                            
1 ml. freshly ground pepper (1/4 tsp.)                   sugar
5 ml. cinnamon                                                     50 ml. molasses
2.5 ml. allspice                                                     1 large egg
1 ml. cloves                                                          2.5 ml. vanilla
1 ml. nutmeg
1 ml. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment, and place the confectioners sugar in a brown paper bag. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and baking soda.  Set aside.

Cream together butter, brown sugar and molasses, and beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla, and then on low speed, add the flour mixture until just combined.  Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts, roll into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Arrange balls on baking sheet, 7 cm. apart. (Can freeze at this point).

Bake until cookies are golden and firm to touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes, rotate sheets 1/2 way through.  Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool slightly, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Working in small batches, place cookies in paper bag, shake until well coated.  Let cool completely on wire racks and store in airtight containers.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Harlequins

Making the Chocolate Dough
60 g unsweetened chocolate                           125 ml butter, softened
175 ml granulated sugar                                  1  egg
425 ml all-purpose flour                                  2 ml each salt and baking soda

Melt the chocolate in bowl over a saucepan of hot water, stirring occasionally.  Let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy, beat in egg. Stir in chocolate.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions.
Divide in half; shape into rectangles. Wrap each and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Making the Orange Dough
Omit chocolate.  Add 15 ml finely grated orange rind and 2 ml vanilla along with egg.

Two-Tone Harlequin
Half Orange Dough, Half Chocolate Dough, 1 egg white, beaten.

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease.
Divide orange dough in half. On lightly floured surface, form each into 20 cm long logs.  Repeat with chocolate dough. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
With sharp knife, cut each log lengthwise into quarters; brush cut sides with egg white. Alternating orange and chocolate strips, resembling logs. Reroll gently to seal and form 4 logs.  Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Cut each log into generous 5 mm thick slices. Arrange 2.5 cm apart, on prepared pans. Bake in centre of 350 F oven until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 1 minute. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Makes about 80 cookies.  Unless dad is helping.

The Iconic Gingersnaps

Ginger Cookies

2 cups of sugar                   1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups marg or butter    2  tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses                1 tsp cloves
2 egss                                 1 tsp ginger
4 1/2 cup flour                   1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 tsp baking soda                  sugar

In large bowl beat sugar, marg, molassess & eggs until light & fluffy.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup.  Stir flour and rest of ingredients into wet.  Cover with plastic, refridgerate 1 HR. Shape into 1" balls and roll in sugar.  Place 2" apart on cookie sheet.  Bake 8 - 12 mins at 350.  Cool 1 minute.

The Story Behind the Name

Stöllen Goods – Gifts to be shared     

With the flight of the first born away to University, the tradition began.  The much anticipated care packages arrival to nourish the body and soul in time of need.  Satisfying both a late night craving as well as rekindle the memories of the past. As awareness of the mythical powers spread, the hordes awaiting its arrival grew in numbers.  A gift from afar is always one to be shared. Until that fateful day when it was declared that the Stöllen had arrived.  At last, the truth had emerged.  The source of this never ending bounty was the product of larceny: stolen goods.  And they were all accomplices. Quickly destroying the evidence, the urban elites faded into the shadows, awaiting the call to reappear.  

And forever more, all care packages are now known as Stollen goods. Wherever friends may gather, Stöllen goods will appear.