Tradition, Nostalgia and Storytelling All in One Bite
The sweet convergence of traditions, new and old; family, present and passed; friends, close and afar; and oh, fabulous storytelling — most agree, Christmastime is magic. The holiday season subtly encourages us to reflect on what is and what was, and that thoughtful pause in between is where nostalgia whispers to us all. It is a song that scoots us right up to the foot of our childhood Christmas tree as we admire the sparkling lights. It is a familiar movie that plops us back on the couch, sandwiched between family with matching pajamas adorned in red and green. It is the smells, tastes and sounds that lovingly tip their hats to the past and grant us full permission to recreate those same memories for those we hold dear.
There is nothing like a Christmas cookie that can wrap up tradition, nostalgia and storytelling in just one bite. The warm smell of vanilla. The perfect sound of crunchy chewiness. The way salt and sugar do-si-do so beautifully in your mouth. Delicious cookie recipes shared between family and friends can be a tender nod to the past and have the power to connect every generation at your table. So let’s get baking!
I recently spent time with some of the Rio Grande Valley’s phenomenal bakers, and together we collected five cookie recipes that are sure to leave your family and Santa swooning.
Grandma’s Originals, Please
Spiked Snickerdoodle Sugar Cookie
“When it comes to gingerbread, I am a purist. I want it simple but flavorful,” shared Rebecca McBride of Batch Please Cookie Co. based in Harlingen. This is no surprise as McBride spent her holidays baking bread from scratch with her grandma in a house that was built with her grandpa’s own weathered hands. Growing up in coastal areas of Virginia, McBride had an occasional white Christmas but even more memorable were the twinkling lights of Juniper Street and her grandma’s phenomenal baking. “Almost all of my recipes are from her original recipe book, with some special tweaks.” Take, for example, her spiked snickerdoodle. The original recipe makes cinnamon the heavy hitter, but McBride’s version makes Screwball Cookie Dough Bourbon the shining star, with a depth of flavor that bursts through with the first bite. There is no need to worry because the alcohol content burns off in the oven, so Santa will stay nice and sober on his flight around the world.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (450 grams) softened butter
- 2 cups (402 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons (29.5 milliliters) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59 milliliters) bourbon, Screwball Cookie Dough Bourbon preferred (optional)
- 6 cups (750 grams) flour
- 3 tablespoons (23.4 grams) cinnamon
- ¼ cup (30.5 grams) cornstarch
- For the topping
- 1 tablespoon (8.3 grams) cinnamon
- 2 cups (400 grams) brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs, extract and, if using, bourbon. Mix until well incorporated.
- Blend dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup. Dough should cleanly pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. If not, add ¼ cup of flour.
- Take a generous portion of dough out of mixing bowl to roll out between parchment paper. Fluff the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture with a fork to evenly incorporate.
- With the dough rolled out, generously sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture over it by hand. Roll dough upon itself like a cinnamon roll. Then re-roll the dough, sprinkle again and cut out your preferred shapes. Repeat this process until all dough is used.
- Bake cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 9 to 12 minutes as ovens may vary. Baking time is based upon dough flattened to a 3/8-inch thickness. If rolled thinner, reduce baking time.
White Chocolate Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Completely self-taught, Rebecca McBride is every decorated-cookie lover’s absolute dream. What started as a quest to bake a cookie that held its shape has evolved into a thriving business, including regular themed cookie decorating classes and Instagram-worthy masterpieces. If icing cookies is a craft to be perfected, McBride is a master. This Christmas season, she wants you to take a turn. Her gingerbread cookie recipe is excellent for holding the shape of those festive little guys, and what a twist to taste savory white chocolate with each bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) softened butter
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) molasses
- 3 teaspoons (14.8 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons (9.8 milliliters) orange juice
- 4 cups (480 grams) flour
- ¼ cup (32 grams) cornstarch
- ⅓ teaspoon (2 grams) finely ground salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder
- 4 teaspoons (11.24 grams) ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons (5.52 grams) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (2.2 grams) ground cloves
- 4 ounces (113.4 grams) Ghirardelli white chocolate bar or squares, chopped, or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream together butter, sugar, molasses and vanilla extract. Whisk the egg and orange juice together then add to mixed wet ingredients.
- In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Add them
- 1 cup at a time to those in the mixer, blending between each cup.
- Dough should begin to pull away from the bowl. If not, add ¼ cup of flour.
- Roll out dough between parchment paper then place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Bake for approximately 8 to 12 minutes (ovens vary) based upon dough thickness of 3/8 inch. If rolled thinner, reduce baking time.
My Abuela’s Kitchen
Popular Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
My abuela birthed seven sons. SEVEN. I was the first grandchild, a girl. Needless to say, I was raised with ZERO humility in her home. “Apaga la luz! Ya llego el sol!” The translation is, “Turn off the light! The sun has arrived!” This was how my abuela welcomed me into her home every holiday season.I would sit on her brown-pegged dining chairs with shiny lacquer, my feet in laced socks and tennis shoes dangling, and she would serve me a cup of Popular hot chocolate. The gritty chocolate sugar crystals were fantastic. The way the fat from the thick whole milk layered itself on the top was a dream come true for every taste bud I’ve been gifted. I became curious about food and flavors at a very young age, and forever deep-rooted in my food memory bank is the first time I smelled Mexican vanilla. With my bare toes gripping the rubber of the step stool and my shoulders barely grazing the countertop, my mom held the dark bottle up to my nose. Even as a young child I remember wondering how something could smell so good that it felt as if I was tasting it, too. With my newfound fascination, baking in my home became a roaring force especially at Christmastime. Flour and sugar would powder my hair and my nose. I would sneak frequent handfuls of chocolate chips and then carefully select the right Christmas baggie. My favorite time. Hands down, favorite childhood memory. I am thrilled to share this delicious recipe that combines three kinds of chocolate and is sure to transport you back to your sweetest childhood holiday memories in your abuela’s kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 9- ounce (255-gram) package Popular Authentic Mexican Chocolate
- ¼ cup (59 milliliters) heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (21 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.4 grams) salt
- 5 tablespoons (72 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.9 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (135 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan on low heat, slowly mix heavy whipping cream with Popular chocolate beverage until completely melted. Stir continuously and remove from heat immediately once the chocolate is dissolved. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, Dutch processed cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add cooled Popular chocolate mixture.
- Combine both dry and wet ingredients and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 350° F. Grease cookie sheet and line with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, create and place balls of dough on sheet, about 12 per sheet.
- Bake for 11 to 12 minutes max. It is very, very important to not overbake these cookies. If they don’t look baked at 12 minutes, trust me, still take them out and let them sit a while on the baking sheet before transporting them to a cooling rack or parchment paper. If these directions are followed, these cookies will have the consistency of an awesome chewy brownie.
CC’s Sweet Memories
Linzer Cookies
The memories of Roberta Castillo, owner and baker extraordinaire of CC’s Sweets & Treats in McAllen, are enveloped by and sealed with the love and recipes of her mom and grandma.A curly headed little girl running up and down her grandparent’s ranch in Edinburg, Castillo grew up loving the kitchen and loving the land. “There was an abundance of grain, cotton, maize, chickens and cows and plenty of fruits. Some of my sweetest memories are canning and pickling with my Grandma Florence,” Castillo shared. For Castillo, her memories of baking with her grandma extend far beyond the Christmas season because Grandma Florence was the biscuit maker for Castillo’s elementary school. Little Roberta had quite the swagger as she strolled through the cafeteria line, fully aware that the baker behind the counter had a biased heart and heavy hand when serving her. Kolaches cooling on the dryer and bread proofing every weekend are the core memories engrained throughout her childhood.Adulthood led Castillo into a career in mortgage lending, but after 10 years and a huge housing crash, she returned to her passion. Now, she has owned and operated CC’s Sweets for 12 years and is working on opening a second location in 2023. Cupcakes, cookies and brownies adorn her cute storefront but the macarons, boy oh boy, those are the stars. Drawing lines out the door for themed days like Harry Potter and Hocus Pocus, Castillo and CC’s Sweets are thriving in all things sugar. Every single jam used at CC’s Sweets is named after Grandma Florence, which led to the creation of the confectioner’s best seller: linzers. These cookies are composed of a scrumptious mixture of flavors including soft shortbread and real butter and filled with varieties of Grandma Florence’s Christmas berry jam. They are definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (360 grams) butter
- 7/8 cup (180 grams) sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
- 3¼ cups (400 grams) flour
- 1½ cups (140 grams) almond flour
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Jam, any flavor, for filling
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl, and stir until evenly combined.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the zest to the butter mixture and beat on low speed for 30 seconds until combined.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture and beat on low speed for 1 minute or so until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl at any point if needed.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until chilled.
- Heat the oven to 300° F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll it out until it is about ¼-inch thick.
- Cut out your desired shapes with your cookie cutters (half solid shapes, half with cut-out “windows”) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Re-roll out any dough scraps that remain and repeat the process to make use of all of the dough. At this point, if the cut-out cookie dough seems soft and warm, pop the entire cookie sheet in the fridge for 10 minutes to re-chill the dough. Otherwise, proceed immediately to the next step.
- Bake the cookies for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Different cookie sizes and shapes may require a different time in the oven , so I recommend keeping a close eye on the cookies during the final minutes of baking to be sure they do not overcook.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack until they have cooled completely to room temperature.
- Transfer the cut-out window cookies back to the baking sheet. Using a fine mesh strainer, dust them with powdered sugar. Then spread a dollop of jam on a solid cookie. Gently place a window cookie on top to form a cute little linzer cookie sandwich.
- Repeat with remaining cookies and enjoy!
Old Fashioned Divinity Cookies
This special recipe that baker Roberta Castillo’s mom made for her each Christmas season, featuring a unique mixture of meringue and marshmallow paired with the salt and richness of toasted pecans, is sure to please.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) light corn syrup
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) water
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons (1 milliliter) pure vanilla extract
- Pecan halves
Instructions
- To make sugar syrup, mix together sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Cook the mixture on low heat, stirring continuously until sugar is dissolved.
- Turn the heat up to medium high and continue to cook the mixture without stirring until it reaches 250° F on a candy thermometer.
- As the syrup approaches 240° F, start whipping the egg whites.
- To make the divinity mixture, in a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until hard peaks form. Reduce the speed to low, and slowly and continuously pour the hot syrup mixture into the egg whites.
- Stir in vanilla extract. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat the mixture until it loses its gloss and holds its shape, about 15 minutes. Check the consistency after 15 minutes. If the mixture is stilly runny and shiny, beat for another 5 minutes and check again.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spray 2 spoons with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using the greased spoons, drop spoonfuls of divinity mixture onto the prepared sheet.
- For colored divinity, prepare a piping bag with a large round tip and draw a few lines with red and green gel food coloring inside the piping bag. Then transfer the divinity mixture into prepared piping bag and pipe out 2-inch rounds on prepared sheet.
- Rest divinity at room temperature for at least 2 hours to set, or overnight. (The candies should set in about 2 hours though.)
- In an airtight container, store them at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for up to 2 months.
