Wisdom From Grandma

It’s cookie time! This recipe for Snow Drop Cookies is perfect for whipping up when you’re short on time. It’s also great for times when the kids want to help you make cookies. Mix up the batter and put them to work shaping the cookies and then rolling the baked cookies in powdered sugar.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (powdered and sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix in vanilla. Sift flour and salt together and add to the sugar mixture. Gently fold in the chopped pecans. Shape mixture into golf ball sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes at 350F or until baked through and slightly golden.

While cookies are baking place a little extra powdered sugar in a bowl. Once the cookies are done baking roll through the sugar and set aside to cool.

With Thanksgiving now a fond memory, I begin collecting recipes to try for the next holiday, Christmas. This Festive Christmas Bread recipe seems interesting. Has anyone tried it?

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups flour
2/3 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter
½ cup chopped nuts
1 jar (10 ounce size) maraschino cherries

Directions:

Drain cherries and reserve 4 tablespoons juice. Roughly chop cherries and set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. In a separate bowl cream together butter, sugar, eggs and the 4 tablespoons cherry juice. Mix well until fully combined. Add the butter and sugar mix to the flour mixture and mix well. Then gently fold in chopped cherries and nuts.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan and scoop batter into pan, spread evenly.

Bake bread in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and baked through. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

This recipe for Spiced Apple Muffins is great for snacks or an on the go breakfast during the holidays.

TIP: Before adding walnuts, separate out enough batter to make a small pan of nutless muffins for friends and family who don’t like the taste of walnuts. In my family, several people actually have a sensitivity to these nuts.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 cup peeled and grated/shredded apple
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and butter. Mix well. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix (do not over mix). Fold in apples and walnuts (if using). Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and baked through. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.