Half Moons

In Upstate NY we love our Half Moons and debate who has the best ones. We never call them black & whites! That's their downstate name. I prefer the buttery cookie with frosting as opposed to a sourdough cookie with icing.

1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 C. Buttermilk
1 1/2 teasp. vanilla
1 egg
1 teasp. Baking Powder
1/2 teasp. Baking soda
2 C. all purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350°
grease cookie sheet
Drop dough by 1/4 C. about 3" apart. Flatten slightly.

Bake 15-19 minutes until edges begin to brown and tops spring back when touched. Remove to wire rack.

(Can be made much smaller for a cookie exchange; shorten baking time as necessary.)

Frost cookies half white & half chocolate.

Noel Wreaths

December 8 - Christmas Cookies
Did your family make Christmas Cookies?
How did you help? Did you have a favorite cookie?

Every year we looked forward to making sugar cookies. We always used my mother's best friend's recipe. Growing up I didn't realize that people made other types of cookies. Our kitchen was tiny but we managed to squeeze in. I still use that recipe and the sugar cookies are usually the first cookies I make. This year I will be making them with my grandchildren.

Over the years I have participated in many cookie exchanges with co-workers and friends and from these exchanges I've gained a large number of recipes that I start going through about this time each year. Some of the recipes were duds but the memories of the people they came from are keepers.

These days I make many different cookies as each of us has our own favorites. I put together several trays for family and friends each year and each tray also includes some super easy fudge.

My favorite Christmas cookies are Noel Wreaths. I cut the recipe from a magazine years ago but I no longer remember which magazine it was.

Noel Wreaths

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 teasp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. finely chopped walnuts
1/4 c. finely chopped raisins
1/4 c. honey
Red and Green candied cherries OR
Dried Cranberries

1. Beat butter, sugar, egg & vanilla until fluffy. Stir in flour gradually to make a soft dough.
2. Measure out 1/3 c. of the dough; transfer to a small bowl. Blend in walnuts, raisins & honey; reserve.
3. Put remaining dough in a cookie press (or pastry bag) with a small star or round tip. Press out into 1 1/2" rings on ungreased cookie sheets. Fill center of each cookie with about a teasp. of the reserved nut mixture. Decorate with slivers of the candied cherries OR cranberries.
4. Bake at 350° for about 12 min.
   

An Advent Calendar count down
to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!