It's officially the Christmas Season...even though the stores have had trees and decorations up since August.  And in keeping with the season, the next few weeks of the Cooking With Hawk page will be filled with Christmas goodies including fudge, candy confections, divinity, almond bark, and of course...cookies!  My advice would be to print out a copy of each week's page and keep it on hand.  You never know when you might feel that holiday craving for peppermint, chocolate, cinnamon and the other Christmas flavors.  And no, "wet reindeer" is not an official Christmas flavor...

This week I'm going to kick off this Christmas recipe fest with one of my favorites...Oatmeal Gumdrop Cookies!  And you'll also find my recipe for Buckeyes, as well as Peppermint Meringue.  There's even a delicious version of a much-maligned holiday treat. Don't be afraid to try my Fruitcake Cookies!  So deck the halls and rock around the Christmas tree...because it's time to get Cooking With Hawk!!

Oatmeal Gumdrop Cookies

Ingredients~
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of butter, softened
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of quick-cooking oats (uncooked)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of chopped gumdrops

Directions~
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter and brown sugar. Beat until creamy.
Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Beat until mixed well.
Stir in the gumdrops, then roll the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches across.
Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Unwrap the roll and cut into 1/2 inch slices.
Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack.

Comments~
These are great cookies for kids! When I was growing up my mom would make these around Christmas and use only red and green gumdrops. Naturally I hung around the kitchen to snitch a gumdrop or two when Mom's back was turned...

Buckeyes

Ingredients~
1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
6 cups of powdered sugar
4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions~
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar.
Roll into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper.
Place a toothpick in the top of each ball (to use as a handle when dipping the ball).
Chill in a freezer for about 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips in either a double boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth.
Dip the balls in the chocolate until only a little bit of the peanut butter ball is showing.
Place them back on the waxed paper, remove the toothpick, and chill until the chocolate sets.

Comments~
Growing up in Iowa, we had lots of horse chestnut trees around, and the ground was littered with buckeyes. And these sweet little nuggets look very similar...but taste a whole heckuva lot better!!

Peppermint Meringue

Ingredients~
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of sugar
3 regular sized peppermint candy canes

Directions~
Preheat the oven to 225 (that's NOT a typo...) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a large bowl (metal or glass) whip the egg whites, vinegar and salt to soft peaks.
Gradually add the sugar until the peaks stiffen (about 5 minutes).
Fold in about a thrid of the crushed candy canes.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls on the paper, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the remaining candy canes on top.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then let them cool down on the baking sheet.

Comments~
Nothing like a little peppermint at Christmas. These meringues are light and airy, but pack a big taste! Not as heavy as divinity, the meringue has a nice little crunch when you bite into it, even though it looks soft as whipped cream. For added variety, try using multi-colored candy canes, or even some of the fancy flavored canes!

Fruitcake Cookies

Ingredients~
1 cup of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of chopped pecans
8 ounces of chopped dates
8 ounces of candied cherries
8 ounces of candied pineapple

Directions~
Preheat the oven to 325.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and add to the creamed mixture.
Fold in the dates, pecans and fruit.
Drop rounded spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, then cool on wire racks.

Comments~
People hear the word "fruitcake" and their gag reflex automatically kicks in. OK, I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of the traditional loaf of fruitcake. I'd rather use it as a doorstop or paperweight,or if I need to put the car up on blocks. But these cookies are different. They are delicious! So the next time someone mentions fruitcake, instead of cringing in terror, offer these little cookies in place of the traditional misfit of holiday treats.  

If you're looking for a way to put the Reason for the Season  back into your Christmas, bake a batch or two of these treats and give them to someone you know is having a rough time right now...donate some time at a local shelter or food pantry...or attend a church service.  I just so happen to know of a church that is putting on their annual Christmas Drama this weekend.  Four performances...free of charge!  Check out Evergreen Christian Center's production of "Silent Night - The Christmas We Never Expected."  It's the story of what Christmas could be like in America if it became illegal to say "Merry Christmas" and Christians weren't allowed to worship without government intervention.  Sadly, there are parts of the world that are like that now.  Take a look at ecc4.org for more details.  How do I know so much about this?  Because I play the bad guy!!  Me...who wouldn't hurt a fly...cuddly as a teddy bear...

There you have it...some new recipes to add to your collection.  If there's a recipe you're looking for, take a look at the Archive Page by clicking on the Recipe Archive button at the bottom of this page.  It will take you to a listing of all the items that have been posted here since the beginning.  Send me an email and let me know which recipes you'd like and I'll be more than happy to send them to you.

 
 
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