A friend was just asking for good holiday cooky recipes and these are a couple of my favorites! Both make quite a few and are fairly easy. (the two colored are a bit more difficult, but make a TON!).
First, as adapted from my vintage copy of Betty Crocker’s COOKY BOOK! (a 1950’s vintage cookbook – LOVE it!):
Chocolate Pinwheels:
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter (2 1/2sticks) or shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2oz unsweetened chocolate
Directions
With a mixer, beat together butter, sugar and egg and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and add flour baking powder and salt, mixing until a dough forms.
Form dough into a ball. Chill at least one hour. Divide dough in half.
Blend 2 Squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz) melted and cooled into one half (here’s good directions for melting chocolate). Be very careful to cool but not over-cool your chocolate or it will get chunky when mixing it with the dough. Chill again.
When chilled, roll dough into an oblong 12x 9 shape. I actually have a transparent cutting board and put a sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper underneath to gauge size. Then roll the other dough the same size. Lay one on top of the other. Roll together until 3/16 of an inch thick. Roll up tightly, cover in saran warp and chill again.
Heat oven to 400. Cut 1/8 inch slices and place on un-greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
Another family favorite that’s quick and easy is:
Chocolate Peppermint Kisses
(note, I have NO idea where this recipe is from. My Mother always made it and I have it on a stained recipe card)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Beat 2 egg whites until its foamy throughout.
Add 1/8 of a teaspoon cream of tartar and beat until eggs are stiff enough to stand in peaks but not dry.
Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat consistently.
Fold in 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.
Drop from teaspoon on to heavy paper (I’ve just always cut up a paper bag from the grocery store and put it words side down). Bake 25 minutes. Remove from paper while warm.
By the way, if you love Vintage cookbooks, I just found this site – it’s got some awesome vintage cookbooks at fairly reasonable prices!
