How to keep the cookie jar filled

...all through the holidays!

It's the time of year again, ladies and gents. Time to don favourite apron, give the electric beaters a good work out, tint frosting red and green, and go to town on whipping up scads of holiday cookies.

Like many people, I have a certain set of Christmas cookie recipes that have been a part of my holiday celebration throughout my entire life. They're beloved classics that were handed down from my mom and grandmothers, and which (though I now make gluten-free versions for myself) I could scarcely imagine December without.

There are others as well that have hopped on board over the years from various sources, and a few I created myself, too. I'm always open to adding new additions to the line up and vintage sources are certainly one of the first places I turn to if I'm in the mood to christen a new holiday cookie recipe.

With Christmas just twenty days away, I felt that more than one recipe was called for, so today's vintage recipe page from 1961 features three different Christmas cookie recipes, all of which include molasses to help give them an extra deep flavour and beautiful aroma that instantly puts one in the mood to curl up in front of the Christmas tree and listen to your favourite Burl Ives or Bing Crosby holiday album.




{Whether you fancy stars, gingerbread men, or Christmas trees, they're a festive cookie shape for one and all to be had amongst these delicious early 1960s recipes. Image via kristineroy on Flickr.}



These three recipes are, admittedly, quite similar to one another, though they do differ a tad (chiefly when it comes to which spices are used and the shapes they're cut out into). If you adore molasses or really need to bake up a mountain of cookies, you could certainly give all three a spin, if not, try out one or two this year and perhaps the others during holiday seasons to come.

I've always loved the flavour of raisins and molasses together, so if I was going to whip one of these tasty Christmas cookie recipes up, I'd be quite inclined to throw in a handful (particularly with the Swedish Crisps), but otherwise really wouldn't tamper with these recipes much at all.

The baking fest hasn't quite begun on this end yet, but soon enough it certainly will, and the days of a kitchen warm with the sublime aroma of sweet holiday treats will soon be here once more. I love cooking and baking for the holidays, so this point sets me smiling just thinking about it - not to mention the fact that it easily gets the ol' tummy rumbling, too!

Hmmm, perhaps I better go see if we have any molasses in the pantry and do a little pre-official Christmas baking cookie making.