MEALS WITH MARGE

Whether you’re baking cookies for your family or friends or for a cookie exchange at your place of work – now is the time to get started. I like to start by making a list of the cookies I want to bake and getting all the recipes together.

This Saturday, my daughters Melissa and Monica and my granddaughters are making cut-out cookies. We’ll do the sugar and molasses cut-outs. I’ll have everything organized when they get here – tables covered with plastic tablecloths, drying racks, cookie sheets, rolling pin and of course, all the colored sugars and sprinkles.

Melissa is going to make the dough on Friday. On Saturday, we’ll decide who’s going to roll out the dough, who will take cookies in and out of the oven and who’s going to decorate. I have a feeling it’s the children, Christine 10, Julia 5, and Lily 3 who’ll opt for the decorating job. Next year we might have a third girl (or a boy) helping us with cookies as Melissa is expecting her fourth child. You can never have too many grandchildren!

Traditions are important and this is one of those get-togethers that I wouldn’t want to end.

The following week, I’ll make cookies for our cookie exchange at The Review. We have done this for years. At the end of November we put up a “cookie sign-up sheet.” This year we have seven people exchanging cookies – not too bad. We each bake a dozen cookies for each person on the list; cookies are packaged in a box, tin or festive bag, to make it feel like a gift. Genevieve Beenen and Pat Pibal, text editors at the Review, were the first to give me their cookie recipes to share with readers.
• • •
Almond Puff
Genevieve Beenen

Ingredients:
Base:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons water
Middle
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs
Glaze Topping:
1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-to-1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla)
1-to-2 tablespoons warm water
1/2-to-3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Round into ball; divide in half. On ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip, 12x3-inches. Strips should be about 3 inches apart.

In medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at one time, until smooth. Divide in half; spread each half evenly over one strip, covering completely.

Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and brown. Cool. Frost with sugar glaze, and sprinkle generously with nuts.

• • •

Pat says she’s shared these bars with The Review cookie exchange for many years.

While earning her room and board as a freshman at Northern State College, Aberdeen, S.D., she was given this recipe by the family she worked for (1963-64). (President John Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year). Pat says these unique bars have been a Christmas culinary tradition in her life ever since.

• • •
Christmas Bars
Pat Pibal

First Layer:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions: Mix and spread in buttered 7x11-inch glass pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, being
careful not to over-bake.
Second Layer:
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white unbleached flour
Directions: Beat eggs and sugar. Blend in all ingredients. Spread over first layer and bake at 350
degrees for 15 minutes.
Third Layer:
Cool and frost with –
1 cup semi- sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
chopped walnuts.

Directions: Melt chocolate chips in kettle over low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently. Blend in syrup and water. Spread on second layer and sprinkle with chopped nuts. (Lightly press nuts down with spatula to prevent them from falling off when bars are cut and served.) Leave in pan, refrigerate overnight. Cut into 36 pieces.

• • • Please share your cookie or other holiday recipes with us. Mail to The Review, P. O. Box 317, Plymouth, WI 53073. I can be reached on Wednesdays or Thursdays at 893-6411, ext. 32.