Dec 30, 2009

"Tiny Tim" Cookies



I first tasted one of these “Tiny Tim” cookies at the home of friends of ours in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1965 and I have been making them ever since. The tasty mix of spices with currents, mixed fruit, and nuts is delicious. Of course, there is also the aroma when baking. The wonderful smell of spices spreads throughout our home. Part of the tradition for me is put on a favorite Christmas CD while mixing and baking.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/3 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cream (sour or sweet)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup currents
1 cup nuts
1 cup glazed mixed fruit

Cream butter and sugar. Add unbeaten eggs, beating well after each addition. Add flour sifted with soda, salt and all the spices. Mix well and add cream. Add currents, raisins, glazed fruits and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet allowing room for spreading. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with glaze.

Glaze

1 and 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp soft butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 and 1/2 tbsp hot milk

Beat until creamy. Half recipe of glaze is enough.

Enjoy.

Erna Neufeldt,
Toronto, Ontario

Dec 25, 2009

Dec 19, 2009

Fleischperischki (meat pastries)





It is interesting how traditions begin in a family. One Christmas Eve many years ago when our children were small, I decided to make these meat pastries and freeze them for an easy Christmas Eve supper after the church service. Together with a fruit salad, dill pickles, and carrot sticks they provided us with some nourishment before we brought out the cookies and candies. Our children loved them with ketchup “dip” and insisted that was the only way to eat them. (We still argue about whether a ketchup bottle belongs on a nicely decorated table, so now we put ketchup into a beautiful little bowl for that special Christmas celebration!)
Together, with listening to Heinrich Schutz’ Weihnachts Historie, a German cantata telling the story of Jesus’ birth, these Perishki form one of our most treasured Christmas traditions. However, our children have also asked for these for those other special occasions such as at the rehearsal dinner for their wedding. They make great finger food for potlucks as well.

Fleischperischki (meat pastries)

Pastry:
I tbsp. yeast (let stand in a cup water for 10 minutes)
2 eggs
1 cup butter or margarine
Flour

Mix as for buns, to make a soft dough. Chill.
Roll out and cut circles using a large round cookie cutter. Fill with the mixture below, pinching the edges together to form a half circle.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Filling:
1 pkg. onion soup mix (dry)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups left over roast beef or hamburger fried.
1 cup mashed potatoes

Lydia Neufeld Harder,
Toronto, Ontario

Dec 17, 2009

Mom's Cream Cookies



I am a grandmother of 2 wonderful boys. I am also a farmer’s wife and a retired teacher.

It always warms my heart when my grandson’s come into my kitchen and exclaim about what they can smell - or see - or taste! I love the query, “Grandma, when are we going to bake cookies?” That always takes me back to my childhood. My mom set aside a special time - especially at Christmas time to do “the baking”. There were the traditional things - Christmas Fruit Cake, Peppernuts, Shortbread, Chocolate Brownies and several kinds of cookies. My favourite cookie was and still is the Cream Cookie.

Here is my Mom’s recipe. Eating this raw cookie dough was the best treat. Mmmm!

Mom’s Cream Cookies

3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 cups sour cream
4 cups flour (scant)
4 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and chill. Roll out on lightly floured board. Cut into favourite shapes.
Bake at 350 until bottom is light brown.
Ice with vanilla icing and sprinkle with coconut.


Even writing out Mom’s recipe evokes wonderful nostalgic emotions for me!

Donna (Lobe) Driedger,
Osler, Saskatchewan

Dec 14, 2009

Egg-White Puffs (Schaum Kuchen)


As three friends and I sat and reflected on Christmas and our childhood days we all agreed that even though our parents were not financially well off, Christmas was about providing well. The kitchens had sweet aromas, tables were laden with many varieties of cookies on many days. They then filled tins to store all these cookies in a cold porch or summer kitchen. The cookies were ready now for Christmas, for family and guests. We also all remembered our fathers bringing home 100 pound bags of peanuts, crates of oranges and apples and old traditional candies purchased at “Candy Epp” in Saskatoon or “Riedigers” in Winnipeg. These orders supplied church, schools and homes. Giving and having enough was not stifled. Our memories brought us to how God always saw fit to supply and we were blessed.

I am a grandmother to 7 grandkids and love to prepare meals for my family. I prefer to do the meal and leave the dessert for someone else, but favourites are always fun.

I retired from teaching in 2000 and started a food serving business, “Made Just For You”.
I provided meals to many people and served Wednesday lunches at Mennonite Central Committee Sask. Donna, Elva, Hedie and I worked together at different times over a period of 8 years and became very fond of providing food.

Together, we 4 Grandma’s are experiencing the joy of sharing these recipes with you, the reader.

Enjoy our thoughts as well.

Egg-White Puffs (Schaum Kuchen)

4 egg whites, beaten
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
Mix cocoa in egg white and sugar mixture.
Bake at 325 on parchment lined cookie sheet.
They rise, separate and are puffy and dried.

Marlene (Koop) Froese,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Dec 11, 2009

Peppernuts (Pfeffer nuesse)




I am a grandmother to 7 fantastic children ages 3 to 17. They all enjoy home baking, be it bread, cinnamon buns, monster cookies and especially at this time of the year, peppernuts (pfeffer nuesse). As soon as the first snow falls (and this could be as early as October) one grandson is sure to call and remind me that it is time for the peppernuts to be baked.

This is my mother Tina Regier’s recipe. She would bake enough peppernuts to fill large flour sacks, and then hide these from my brothers. Thus we would still have peppernuts for Christmas.

Being a great granddaughter of Peter Regier who was a member of the group that planned the very first Canadian Mennonite Conference of Canada, I feel it is a privilege to be part of the Mennonite women’s organization in Canada, if only through this blog.

Ingredients

2 cups syrup (Rogers Golden)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1 tsp soda in 1/2 cup sour milk
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp star aniseed
Approximately 6 1/2 cups flour

Heat syrup and add sugar and melted margarine and spices.
Cool and add eggs, soda in sour milk (you can add a little vinegar to regular milk).
Add flour gradually.
Cover and refrigerate.
Make long rolls of dough, chill and cut into peppernuts.
Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes, until brown.
For harder, crunchier peppernuts, bake slightly longer.

Elva (Regier) Epp
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Dec 5, 2009

Brown Peroschki


Hi! I’m a grandma of 5 grandsons and 5 granddaughters. The oldest is in his second year at University of Saskatchewan and the youngest two in Grade 1. We have great get-togethers when they all come to our home in Hanley, Saskatchewan. Christmas is particularly special.


In preparation for Christmas I love baking, and Brown Peroschki are the first cookies I make. Here is the recipe. I hope you will try them and enjoy them as we do. Merry Christmas.

Ingredients
2 cups syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup lard and 1 cup butter-soften
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp star anise
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
8 - 10 cups flour or whatever is needed
to make a soft dough

Chill overnight (easier to work if cold). Roll dough to 1/8” thickness. Cut with 3 inch round cutter. Put a dollop of tart jam, Not Jelly, (I use gooseberry jam) in center of cookie dough. Fold in half, pinch edge into arc. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes till done. When cool, ice with white icing. They are scrumptious!

Makes 10 - 13 dozen.

Other jam options: raspberry, damson plums.

Hedie (Koop) Harder
Hanley, Saskatchewan