December 23rd, 2010
Christmas Cookie Traditions
There’s an amazing bakery in my city called Tall Grass Prairie. I used to live close to the original bakery and could barely wait for their big whole wheat cinnamon buns that dripped with real butter and brown sugar filling. Every time I’m in the area it’s impossible to resist! Earlier this week I remembered that their limited time christmas cookies were out and I couldn’t help but drive straight there. I have them every year, and they’re my favourite cookies on the planet: Russian Tea Cakes- also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes!
They’re out of this world! They’re crumbly like shortbread, but not so rich you can’t have two. They’ rolled in powdered sugar and will let off a tiny puff of sugar if you’re not careful when you go to bite them. They even have little chopped walnuts in them, just to make them even more decadent.
When I eat them I imagine myself as a Russian princess, where any powdered sugar that fell off them would blend in with a giant white fox muff I would have, or as a Mexican bride with beautiful long hair, celebrating in warm sweet night air, having as many cookies I want because it’s my wedding and no one can tell me otherwise. Because good baking is magical, and I never grew out of playing pretend :)
I’m excited to try my own batch next week, using one of these recipes… but on the other hand, knowing I can make these myself will be dangerous!!
Do you have a favourite Christmas Cookie?
I would love a link to the recipe if you have one! I’m adding to my recipe binder this weekend :)
Tall Grass makes the best EVERYTHING! Their cinnamon buns are absolutely to die for. We always have about a million loaves of their bread kicking around my work…so good for PB toast lunches. ;)
When I was a little girl, my sisters and I always looked forward to making spritz shooter cookies- we loved it each year! We used this machine- they pressed out of a tube and came out like different shapes- trees and flowers- they were delicious and we would tint the dough different colors. It was a tradition that we adored! -e
This is awesome! Someone else who knows the Bliss of Russian Tea Cakes!
I just blogged about the exact same thing, except my tea cakes are round balls. I have my well-loved recipe (of which came from my grandma) written out in the post:
http://www.teachickadees.com/2010/12/christmas-cookie-love.html
Nothing says Christmas like a little ball of white melt-in-your-mouth goodness. :)
We call these Mexican Wedding cookies, too! And they’re delicious!
My fave holiday cookies are hershey kiss cookies. Yum!
oooh, those look delish. One of my goals for next year is to bake more, because I love it but I barely do it. It’s too easy to get caught up in everyday life.
here from FN..I have soo loved getting to “know” you since it was announced you are part of the FN wonderfulness……………my fave cookies are the almond candy cane shaped ones…a mess to make but since I made em with my g-ma when i was little, it’s a little piece of her ea christmas :) also, just discovered christmas crack….ooh addicting!
I’m a much better cook than baker, so I guess my favorite Christmas cookie would be the one that someone else makes! I am a sucker for old-school gingersnaps. Merry Christmas! Hope your cookie baking goes well!
Tall Grass makes the best EVERYTHING! Their cinnamon buns are absolutely to die for. We always have about a million loaves of their bread kicking around my work…so good for PB toast lunches. ;)
I love me some sugar cookies during the holidays! In fact, I just baked some yesterday, recipe courtesy of Pillsbury ;)
I do love butter tarts too, but have no idea how to make them.
super cute blog!
My first job was at an Italian bakery. I only like their Italian wedding cookies at Christmastime, when all the almond & pine nut flavors feel appropriate & cozy. I’ve never tried to make them myself – but now I want to head over to that bakery to buy some!
Those cookies look mouthwateringly delicious. You’ll have to tell us how they turn out (and pass along the recipe please). I don’t have any Christmas cookie recipes on me, but I just posted a good Vegetarian stuffing recipe on the blog (shameless plug).
When I was little my mom used to make “holiday hideaways” for Christmas. They are like chocolate/cookie covered cherries and they are AMAZING. I found this recipe online (but we didn’t use pecans): http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1622,150185-249193,00.html
Merry Christmas Kyla!
Oh, I’ve had those before and love them!! How dangerous to have the recipes at my disposal now ;)
Oooo, those look different and so delish! I’m all about the butter spritz cookies. So mini and cute!
Butter spritz? I swear, with every comment I realize that I need to widen my cookie repertoire! I just googled them and they looks like what I’ve always heard called “Cookie Press” cookies – I wonder if that’s a regional way that we Manitobans refer to the same thing! :)
hahahaha…ya, “cookie press” probably is a more logical name. It’s literally just butter a little sugar and some flour but they’re so good. Probably mostly fun cause you make them by putting the dough in a tube shaped cookie press that has different “nozzle shapes”….essentially the cookie version of Play-Doh Fun Factory. ;)
Good old sugar cookies in Christmasy shapes and sizes are my tried and true favorite, although these ones look deliciously simple!
Ummm yum! Those look and sound delicious!
I adore sugar cookies and buttertarts at Christmas!
I love finding great Canadian bloggers!
I love melomakarna. They’re traditional greek Christmas cookies. I got my MIL’s recipe, so I might try them this year, but greek cookie making has never worked out for me!
melomakarna? Okay, I’m definitely googling that one- you’ve completely intrigued me :)
They’re so good! They taste almost like gingerbread, only they’re softer and soaked in honey.
YUMMMMMMYYYY… I love this time of year simply cause of the excuse to eat cookies! It’s Christmas after all!!!
Visiting from Freckled Nest!!!
Those look really delicious! I love small, independent bakeries. They always seem to have the best sweets + atmosphere. My favorite holiday cookies are simple chocolate chip cookies. I also like to have coconut macaroons. Neither of which are very Christmas-y, but they always seem to taste better this time of year ;) <3rachel
These look so delish! They sound like the Danish Wedding cookies we have in the US…I think they come in a pink box at the store…but I know your homemade version has to be ten times better!!! I’m also admiring the plate under the cookies…such a pretty color! My favorite Christmas treat is my Glonny’s Old Fashioned English Toffee…it’s seriously the best toffee ever…and I’ve tried more than my share, haha. ;o) I can email the recipe to you if you like!
Oh wow, I’ve never tried making toffee! I would love if you e-mailled me the recipe, I would love to blog about trying that!
Oh my gosh! You are so cute. Those look delicious! And I am totally one to imagine things in my head too, I think having an imagination is one of those things you are never too old for! <3 My holiday cookie are ginger snaps/or really, any kind of delicious ginger cookie concoction. I love finding new recipes each year and trying out different kinds. Yum!
I love ginger snaps too! If you like the ones at Starbucks I have a great recipe that I posted last year here – they’re so. ridiculously. tasty. :)
Oh Kyla, what a dangerous request! :) I’ll see what I can dig up.
I made 5 different things this year but the ones that are turning out to be the crowd favourite are the pistachio white chocolate chip cookies. I linked to the recipe on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/#!/trec_lit/status/16249198861099008
PS. I tried the whole wheat cinnamon bun when I was there (on your recommendation) and it was quite good but I think my favourite is still from Solly’s in Vancouver.
Those sound so exotic! I can’t wait to try them- thank you! I’ll have to try Solly’s when I’m there next, I haven’t heard about theirs. I’m excited to have a mission :)
my friend’s dad is one of the owners of tall grass prairie! oh i love reading your local blog…
No way!! That’s so cool – I love how I’m finding more local readers, there are so many amazing connections like this :)
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Yum! You are more than welcome to send some my way of course! :) I don’t know if these are my favorite Christmas recipe, but they’re my favorite to make period, so here you go! Pumpkin chocolate chip – yum!
http://www.loveeverydaylife.com/2009/10/mmm-cookies.html
Aaaand now you have me daydreaming I’m in Narnia :)
I still haven’t been to Tall Grass! I’m adding that to my new year’s resolutions list!
You’ve never been?? We should go on a field trip to the forks for cinnamon buns and skating :)
Yum! Those sound divine! My favorite treat are peanut butter balls! They are balls of peanut butter (and other things, like powdered sugar and butter I think) and then they are dipped in chocolate! I didn’t make them this year, but my friend did and shemailed some to me last week!!!!
Oh my goodness, mail order cookies?? I need to sign up :)
ups.. forget something, i didn’t have any fave chrismas cookies because i din’t celebrate chrismas. :’)
hmm..looks very delicious..
i think my country didnt have this kind of cookies.
i would love to wait for your recipe and try to bake it ! ;)
ahahahha you read my mind! if i was eating these i would totally imagine myself as anastasia romanov, daintily eating them in the parlor room :)