Holiday yumminess....

so the topic today at  Wives of Faith  is your favorite Christmas dessert .... there's just soooo many to choose from!! :) Marzipan, Chocolate, Ginger cookies, the list continues.....

My favorite Christmas time treat is Weinachts chocolate (spiced chocolate that's soooo good) -- I think a trip  to World Market is in order, since I can't get to Germany this year, I do miss Christmas in Europe--- but I digress...

We are supposed to say our favorite dessert and add a recipe ... so here's one we make every year and only at Christmas....

These are some of our favorite cookies to make and to give ... we get raves every year. They are somewhat time consuming but worth it, buttery, crisp and delish! As we are off to Colorado this Christmas we will have to make some either beforehand or after -- we always give out plates of cookies to the neighbors Christmas Eve/time so this year it'll be for a Happy New Year!     (tons of work but fun and a great memory -- normally around 2 dozen plates of variety cookies, you do the math...)

The first Christmas we were married (and together, long story ) I found a recipe for these in a Pillsbury cook book, my German neighbor gave me her recipe instead and it's gone from there - I never use the other one anymore, these are so much better! ... I remember being in her kitchen and learning to make these along with coffee, conversation and marzipan! (Books and recipes I've seen call them Linzer cookies, Sabrina called them Helga Platz)

Linzer Stars/Helga Platz

• 250grams (1 C + 2Tb)  Butter  (NO substitutions!)

• 250g  Sugar (1C+2Tb)

• 2 eggs (preferably organic, pastured)

• 1 Package Vanilla Sugar ( you can get this at the commissary or specialty shops, you can make your own but I've never had it come out quite the same)

• 500g (31/2-4C) flour 

• Red Currant Jelly (if you can't find it Raspberry will work ... Schwartau brand is the BEST!) 

Cream together all but flour & jelly until light and fluffy, pale in color. Add in flour 1 cup at a time mixing well after each addition. Divide dough into small portions,wrap in saran wrap and place in freezer or fridge to chill well (you want the dough pretty much solid). Preheat oven to 375, roll out thin on a lightly floured surface working quickly (The dough will be really hard to roll at first but once it warms up to much it will stick to the rolling pin, return to fridge at this point and get another lump! You can also use a combo of flour/vanilla sugar for your rolling surface) -- you want these as thin as you can get and still get them off the counter! Cut out centers of 1/2 of the cookies with a canape cutter, bake until slightly golden. You want them just barely done or they will be to hard -- don't worry it takes practice, be prepared to burn a few, have some underdone, have a few break! Cool slightly. Place 1/4-1/2 tsp of jelly in the center of the bottom cookie, place top over smushing slightly (again be careful they break easy), dust liberally with powdered sugar. These are even better after a day or so! 

These are our together time cookies as it is easier to work with someone once your oven is hot,etc ... I usually roll and cut out centers, dd's watch the oven, jelly and sugar! Conversation , Christmas Music and a messy kitchen abound ...

Enjoy -- Frohe Weinachten!