Well, what a start to our Holiday Countdown yesterday! Hope you enjoyed our Messiah Singalong on Saturday night. And if you missed it … well, stay tuned. We have some other treats to share with you as we enter the holiday season.
Warm up your home on Day 2 of our Bach Elgar Choir Holiday Countdown with these BEC Favourite Holiday Treats!
FINNISH GINGERBREAD (Maija Saari, alto, board member)
Ingredients:
- 2 blocks (14 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dark syrup (sweet baking syrup made of sugar beets)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out cookies
For decorating:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, dark syrup and cream – mix well. Add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda and salt. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, until completely incorporated.
Divide dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. (Note: you can also freeze half the dough and save for a later date.)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. (A scalloped edge round cookie cutter is traditional.) Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet or covered in parchment paper for 5-7 minutes until set. Be careful not to allow the edges to burn. Cookies will crisp as they cool.
If you want to decorate the cookies, combine powdered sugar and milk and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a narrow tip. Decorate as desired.
Makes about 10 dozen cookies.
Source: https://finlandiacheese.com/cheese-recipes/finnish-gingerbread-cookies-piparkakut/
CHERRY SNOWBALLS (Susan Arena, alto):
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almonds, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 lb candied cherries (red & green mixed)
Instructions:
Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients except cherries, mixing well with your hands.
Flatten a small amount of dough in the palm of your hand.
Place one cherry in the centre of dough and cover by pinching dough up and around it.
Roll until smooth. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 F for 30-35 minutes (slightly brown on bottom).
While still warm, roll in granulated sugar.
Makes 3 dozen.
SKOR BARS (from community Board member, Lisa Beattie):
A recipe stolen from her mother, best served with coffee…or tea…or cocoa…or Irish coffee…or…OK, best served with absolutely ANYTHING!
Ingredients:
35 salted soda crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups chocolate chips
Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with foil and grease.
Lay crackers salted side up to cover the whole sheet.
Melt brown sugar and butter and boil for 3 mins.
Remove from the heat and add vanilla.
Pour over crackers and bake at 350 for 5 mins or until bubbly.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and either spread when melted or pop back in the over for 1–2 mins then spread when melted.
Chill in the fridge until hardened before cutting into squares.
Happy Holidays and Happy Holiday baking from our BEC kitchens to yours!
Please spread the love and share on your Facebook page.
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s posts!
Please consider donating to the Bach Elgar Choir and help support one of the country’s oldest arts organizations!