December 2025

Baking for the Holidays

Do you bake cookies for the holidays?
I do...well sort of...I'm not the best baker, but I try! 
😀
I have my favorite list of cookies that I bake during the holiday season almost every year. Each cookie has a story attached to it.

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They're:

• Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (I've modified this recipe over the years with my own version)

• Spritz Butter Cookies (This was the only cookie my mom baked during the holidays when I was growing up.)
• Gingerbread Cookies (These cookies are from when my daughter was a Junior Apprentice at Old Bethpage Village Restoration.During her five-day summer program, she had the opportunity to dress in 19th-century clothing, participate in trades and crafts of the time period, and experience what it was like to be a child hundreds of years ago. They baked these cookies in their Bee Hive Ovens.).
• Raspberry Thumb print Cookies (This recipe was developed by a friend of mine and her mom about 20 years ago!)

(I've included the recipes for each at the end of this blog)

In addition to the cookies above and their history, for the past two years I've had a cookie baking and decorating party with my kids and grandkids. ​It was so much fun! I actually prepared the cookie dough ahead of time and rolled the dough out between parchment paper. I refrigerated the dough sheets until the kids were ready to use the cookie cutters of their choice for their cookies. Each of my kids and grand kids got a sheet of dough and had fun cutting out their own cookies. I made sure that the decorating icing was ready along with all of the sprinkles and anything edible to decorate I could find at the craft store! Of course, you can find kits with cookies already baked. The kits usually have royal icing bags and sprinkles included. I just like the aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies permeating throughout the house during the holidays. I also like the kids to have fun...there are a lot of laughs and chuckles as they decorate their cookies.

I like to begin my baking a few days before I'll be serving my cookies or giving them out as gifts. I know a lot of people that start baking their holiday cookies weeks ahead of time. I like them to be the freshest they can be! It's probably the only thing I wait to do the last minute in my life. Hee! Hee!

If you happen to have at favorite tried and true cookie recipe you'd like to share with me please email your recipe to me at:
​[email protected]
or
Click the "Contact~ bark Up Our Tree" tab and leave me a message😊

I wish everyone a happy, joy-filled, and peaceful holiday season
Happy tales to you,
​xoxo Yvonne

RECIPES BELOW
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​​Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(My modified version of the original)
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I have a convection oven so I lower the temp to 350degrees)
Combine flour,, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, Set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl nd mix well until creamy. (I mix this by hand) Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls on uncreased cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 8-9 minutes (They sort of look light brown on the edges and light tan on the overall cookie. The look like their undercooked but they not)
Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

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Spritz Cookies
(My Mom's Butter Cookie Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 salt
                                             2 tsp. vanilla
                                                          2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour
Heat oven to 400 degrees ( I use my convection oven for baking and cooking...if you do use you convection oven decrease the temp to 375 degrees
Mix butter, sugar, egg, salt and vanilla thoroughly. Sift flour into the wet ingredients. Using 1/4 dough at a time, force dough through a cooky press on ungreased baking sheets in desired shapes. Bake 6 to 9 minutes, or until set but not brown.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
​

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Gingerbread Cookies
(From Old Bethpage Restoration Village photo: circa 1986)
Ingredients:
​2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
                                                    2 tsp. baking soda
                                                    1 tsp. cinnamon
                                                    1/2 tsp. salt
                                                    1 tsp. ginger 
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the butter/egg mixture.
Mix the whole together. Roll into balls; put them on iron sheets. (I put them on cookie sheets lined with parchment)
Bake them in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 10-12 minutes. 

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Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
​(Marie & her mom's Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies)
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Seedless Raspberry Preserves 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees for a convection oven)
Cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add flour to butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Shape into jumbo olive size balls, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press with thumb in center of the ball to create a "thumbprint" ** (I press my thumb in each ball as I create the balls...or else I've found that the dough will dry and crack if you wait until you've filled the cookie sheet with the balls.)
Gently fill the "thumbprint" with the seedless raspberry preserves.  
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until light brown on edges and set.
​Remove from cookie sheets to wire rack to cool.

This photo was taken last year during our Christmas Celebration