Swedish No Names

 

These pastry type cookies have been a part of our Christmas traditions since the 1970s. Our recipe is a version of a large pastry recipe from a church cookbook that we make into cookies. They keep well in the refrigerator or freezer if you need to keep them longer. They're a time consuming labor of love and very much worth every minute!

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4 sticks butter (cold)

4 cups flour

1 pound small curd cottage cheese (large curd won't work)

Combine and mix like a pie crust with a butter knife or pastry knife. Make into 6 balls and wrap in waxed paper and then store in a baggie or container to keep from drying out. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 10 days.

Topping:

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

Roll out a ball like a thin pie crust. Use a dinner plate for sizing and trim off extra and set aside these scraps, or as my mom calls them, "utches", in refrigerator. Top the circle of dough with brown sugar mixture (about 4+ Tablespoons) Depending on how much topping you use, you may need to make another 1/2 recipe of the topping.

Cut into 16 wedges with pizza cutter and roll up in crescent rolls.

Bake at 375° for 10-14 minutes. Turn cookie sheet half way through baking. Repeat with remaining dough.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons water

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

Boil 1 minute, then cool. 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 pound (3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar

Add vanilla to cooled sugar mixture. Add small amount of sugar mixture to egg to temper before adding to the pan with remaining sugar and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add teaspoon of water if needed.

 

Put gallon baggie in large cup and pull opening over edge of cup. Pour frosting into baggie and snip off a corner to frost cookies. Allow to set.

Almond Paste Cookies

These are some very addicting family favorites. Dangerous to have around too often as you can't stop after just one. Thankfully, almond paste is expensive so that alone limits how often I make them.




Almond Paste Cookies
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup almond paste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter and sugar then add almond paste. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Form into small balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 325 until just slightly brown on edges (11 minutes on silpat, 7 minutes on dark cookie sheet.) Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing. This dough can be refrigerated and kept for a couple of weeks if covered well. A few can be baked each day or whenever needed.
In an attempt to cut fat, I tried to use a half cup of applesauce to replace 1/2 cup of the butter. That did not work. The cookies were much too soft.
Makes about 40 cookies

Glazed Apple Cookies

These cookies are especially wonderful because they make me think of my Grandma Ann whenever I make them. They are a family favorite and we eat a batch so quickly I have to promise to make more as soon as they're gone.

Glazed Apple Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup milk

Cream butter, brown sugar and egg, add 1/2 of dry ingredients, nuts and raisins. Blend in milk and add remaining dry ingredients and apples.
Drop by teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet (I use a silpat)
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. light cream or milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. butter

Mix together and drizzle over cookies. I like to wait till the cookies cool off to glaze and the best way to do it is to mix it all in a quart size baggie and cut off the corner to control how much and where the glaze goes. My Grandma used margarine but I only use butter when I bake. This recipe makes about 52 cookies

Black Forest Biscotti

I came across a chocolate biscotti recipe that I had to try. I made a few adjustments and this is the delicious outcome:


1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar together until smooth, then beat in eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cherries and chocolate.

Divide dough in half. Shape into log 10" to 12" long by 2" wide and 1/2" thick.
I place mine in plastic wrap and shape it while wrapped up and then unwrap it and place in on a silpat on a cookie sheet (parchment paper works great too)

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes; cool 20 minutes.

Slice into 1/2" thick cookies at an angle. Place them cut-side down on the silpat and bake for 15 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature.