It was fated...even back then...the kitchen is my favorite room in the house.
Everyone baked. Grandma, Aunt Joyce, my cousin Lori, Mom and I spent a great deal of time time baking. If we were in San Luis Obispo for Christmas look out for Aunt Mary and cousin Sherry and their pies. Mary's pies were AMAZING. (I never did get her crust recipe.) Come Christmas, wherever we were, the house was always filled with the most heavenly smells.
In every one of my treasured childhood Christmas memories my Aunt Joyce made these wonderful cookies.
Some years she'd put a surprise in the center, whether it was a nut like a pecan or walnut half, a Hershey's Kiss, or other chocolate treat. It was always a surprise and left you licking your fingers.
I want to try them this year and put a variety of nuts in the center: Macadamia, Cashew, Walnut, Pecan, and the usual Hershey's Kiss.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups finely chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)
1/4 teaspoon salt
(1 cup additional powdered sugar to roll them in when they're done)
Heat over to 400ºF.
Mix butter, powdered sugar and the vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts, and salt until dough holds together.
Shape into 1 inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.
I hope you enjoy and share your favorite memories with others.
deb
Oh my. These sound yummy, and easy. I like easy and I love yummy.
I will have to try these. Thanks for posting your recipe and memory.
These look great. I'm avoiding sweets but I tweeted and Facebooked so hopefully someone else will enjoy these!!
You have so many wonderful memories and recipes. My family used to get together for Christmas dinners and the women on my mother's side were legendary cooks. Such touching memories when I think of the ones who are gone now. Thanks for sharing you recipes with us.
Deb, these sound fabulous and I reckon they taste even better for you connected to such a lovely memory. Supposedly smell is one of the strongest retainers for memory. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!
Deb, you are a temptress! More beautiful goodies to try. Thanks!
Autumn, these cookies remind me of my favorite cookie...Scottish Shortbread Cookies...light, flaky, and delicious
Barbara, give them a try next time you have to bring a treat..easy to make, then you won't be tempted.
Scarlet, if I get around to it I'll post some of my funniest adventures into cooking...I swear, I'm lucky to be alive.
Cd, Smell is my strongest anything...if I'm mad as a hornet...give me a gardenia and I can't remember what I'm upset about. Give me smells in a kitchen and I'm instantly transported to another time. I'll be posting a recipe on Thursday with an example.
Mama Mary, my fondest wish would be to get together with my writer friends and bake holiday treats...maybe some day!
Let's put it at the top of our bucket list!