Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad!

Joyeux Noel!

Bon Natale!

I wish each of you a joyful, safe, healthy and warm holiday season! And, I wish you delicious cookies to munch while you read a wonderful book!

This is my last cookie post! I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting authors and bloggers and finding recipes for new cookies! I know that the next time I’m in NYC I’ll be heading to Marche Madison. I’m not certain which of these recipes I’ll try next, but I’m glad to add to my recipe collection! The final one I’ll be adding is from Karen Simpson. Karen is the author of Acts of Grace. She’s a quilter, dog and horse lover, historian and food. She  blogs at Grace Notes . Thanks Karen, for sharing your cookie traditions!

Favorite holiday book

 The title of my favorite holiday book is the Velveteen Rabbit. The story starts on Christmas Day and the rabbit is given to the boy as a stocking stuffer. It’s a beautiful story of hope, miracles, love and faith.

 Names of holidays CDs I love listening to

 The Blind Boys of Alabama: Go Tell It On The Mountain

Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas

If On A Winter Night by Sting 

My Holiday Cookie: Spicy Ginger Bread

 Spicy Gingerbread has become my nieces and nephew favorite Christmas cookie. These cookies are easy to make and the addition of black pepper to the other spices adds a nice little fiery snap. I usually make them for our family’s Christmas Eve Dinner.

 Spicy Gingerbread Cookies 

6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1-1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs slightly beaten

1 cup unsulfured molasses

 In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder set aside.

 In an eclectic mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in spices and salt then eggs and molasses.

 Add flour mixture; combine on low speed. Divide in thirds; wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour.

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick( or ¼ inch for a thicker softer cookie) between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, decorate with raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies. Refrigerate about 15 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp but not dark. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, decorate with icing.