Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Each year, we ask readers for their famed family cookie recipes and are delighted not only at the delicious recipes to add to our holiday repertoire, but the touching traditions shared in our community.
Kimman’s Easy Toffee Cookies
“We have one recipe that we use in my store, Kimman’s, for the holidays–an addictive toffee cookie. It’s very easy to make. The recipe comes from my good friend Gayle Cluck. If you’re crazy about caramel and sea salt, like me, you can sprinkle a bit of salt on top before you refrigerate the cookies.” –Caroline Morris, York
Ingredients: 35 (store bought) shortbread cookies 1 cup butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips Note from Caroline: I use the darkest I can find; Hershey's Special Dark is my preference. 1 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, then spray
the foil with cooking oil spray.
3. Place cookies on foil in five rows of seven.
4. Microwave butter on high for 2 minutes.
Add brown sugar and stir. Microwave on
high for 2 additional minutes, stirring
every 30 seconds.
Note from Caroline: Don't skimp on time; it will bubble like a volcano but it needs to do so.
5. Pour the butter and sugar mixture over
the cookies.
6. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until cookies bubble, but don’t burn.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot cookies, then spread the chocolate out after two minutes when it has softened.
8. Sprinkle sea salt on top, if desired, and then pecans.
9. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then break into pieces and serve.
Nanny's Italian Ricotta Cookies
“My Nanny and Nonno always made these cookies. They are no longer with us, but their love through these ricotta cookies lives on! I'm sure every Italian family has their variation, but I hold in my heart my Nanny's recipe as number one. My Nonno was from South Tyrol, which is in northern Italy. I associate these cookies with my relatives… You'll find them at every holiday, baby shower, bridal shower and wedding, brought by someone in the family. Whenever we get an excuse to make them, we do." –Tracey Scheitrum, Mechanicsburg
Cookie Ingredients: ½ pound butter (2 sticks) 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 pound ricotta cheese 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Icing Ingredients: ¼ pound butter (1 stick) 1 pound confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix ½ pound butter, sugar, eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla well in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking
soda and salt.
4. Combine both bowls of ingredients, mixing well. Chill dough in the fridge until firm.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
6. While cookies are baking, prepare icing. In a mixer, combine ¼ pound butter and powdered sugar. Add teaspoon of milk, or more as needed to reach desired consistency.
7. Remove cookies from oven, and once they have cooled, ice, add additional toppings if desired and enjoy.
Note from Tracey: You may add almond extract or vanilla to flavor the icing, or dye with food coloring for a different color. Also try dipping into coconut or sprinkles after icing.
Compiled and styled by Keely Childers Heany
