cross culture cookies

new cookie, yesterday's cookie...they're goin' fast!

this year, i haven't yet tasted my favorite xmas cookie of all times, mexican wedding cookies or russian tea cakes - and i'm sure there are other cultures that partake in the making of these delicious holiday treats and have their own name. the basic principle of the cookie - walnuts, flour, sugar and more sugar! with extra dough from yesterday's sugar cookie recipe i thought i would try creating a spin on my favorite xmas cookie. i added some chopped walnuts to the dough, rolled them into one inch balls and when they were hot out of the oven, rolled them in confectioners sugar.....with a little orange zest, nutmeg twist, these cookies were super tasty! same dough - NEW COOKIE! enjoy.

chopped walnuts to add to yesterday's dough

original recipe from "twelve days of christmas a pinata for the pinon tree" 

*ingredients we substituted

**ingredients we added

1 cup of butter

3 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon aniseed (*we used nutmeg 2 teaspoons)

3 large eggs (*we used flaxmeal)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest (*we used orange  zest)
**1/4 cup chopped walnuts
**confectioners sugar (use enough to foll baked cookies in)
bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees 

ho ho ho, merry....cookies

mama and her little baker

this morning when we rose, diegas asked e, "do you know what you're doing today?" she looked at him with big sleepy eyes and answered "yeah"...which usually means you're about to tell me, right? "you're making cookies with cousin isei" (forget the word cookies she was concentrating on the word isei. her big boy cousin. at the age of four he's definitely her mini-hero!) the cuteness continued as diegas said "you come from a long line of cookie monsters." diegas and i pretty much eat more cookies than anyone should. we like cookies!!and after evia got to have her first cookie (a homemade coconut-cranberry, grandma t success) two nights before at tio gamz's bday dinner, we knew she liked them too!

bizcochitos recipe in "twelve days of christmas a pinanta for the pinon tree"

evia showed me a recipe in a book that her grandma lu just bought her called "the twelve days of christmas a pinata for the pinon tree," by philemon sturges. the story is the classic tale, but with a pinanta instead partridge and silver beads, kachina, mariachi and a host of other native american/southwest "gifts" for the tree. it's a absolutely gorgeous book. i hadn't noticed the recipe at the back for "bizchochitos" which reads: "this state cookie can be found in every new mexican home at christmas time." but evia had noticed the illustrations of the cookies. hmmmm sounds like mama "has" to make cookie dough. similar to a regular sugar cookie recipe the book's recipe includes anis seed and lemon zest. 

two batches:anis seed/lemon zest, nutmeg/orange zest (flax meal for egg)

for our sugar cookies this year, i was tempted to do something "healthy" you know substitute sugar for honey or agave nectar or use applesauce or bananas or something of that nature and then i thought, what?! for xmas?! no, i think the real thing will be just fine. i made one batch of the recipe from the book and one batch with coconut oil instead of butter and spiced my own concoction of nutmeg and orange zest. of course in our house we always do flax seed instead of eggs for little e. so the the nutmeg recipe wound up being totally vegan, kinda-fun until i added traditional frosting.

cellophane wrapped cookie dough balls ready for fridge

ingredients were put together the evening before, while my dad visited and e entertained us both! the batches were shaped into round balls and put in the refrigerator to cool and set for cousin isei's arrival the following day for our first annual "cousin cookie extravaganza." oh the fun! aunntie becca, tio gamz, isei and i listened to christmas music and got a few batches made. see photos below of our very merry family making these delicious treats! merry christmas!

ready for little bakers

auntie becca and cousin isei rollin'

my little quick learner

worker beees

our cuties with their beautiful cookies ready to frost (added cinnamon to traditional glaze)

e's hand at sprinkling the sugar

sometimes baking requires an adult drink: chilled vodka, cherry cider, fresh cherries and lemon

red + green = xmas

i haven't actually finished the crisp of the recipe i found, but here are a couple of my prep photos, season-appropriate in green and red. pomegranates and green apples are the main ingredients for this yummy holiday delectable. let the baking commence! (by the by, you're right, those are the very fruit used for the thanksgiving decor!)

update: i finished the crisp over the weekend and boy were we happy to have the smells of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, bubbling apple and pomegranates wafting through the air. our christmas tree was delivered at 5 and the crisp was done at 6 perfect timing for it to cool while we ate dinner. the little one even got to participate in a few bites as we hung ornaments on the tree. it was a festive and delicious holiday evening.

on a side note: we learned about goleta valley beautiful from a friend on facebook (thanks elizabeth!) although during the rest of the year the organization concentrates their volunteer efforts on planting beautiful native tree species to the urban areas of santa barbara and goleta, this year they decided during the holidays to rent those same trees instead of having them sit in the nursery. rina and i went on a nursery tour during our lunch hour and got an up-close look at coastal oaks, torrey pines and a slew of others. my personal favorite (most closely suited for xmas decor) was a redwood! how cool to have a 9' redwood in our house. according to the GVB executive director ken knight, this tree will later be planted at stow house. It is my understanding that redwoods can live up to a thousand years. pretty cool to have such an intimate few weeks with this tree that will be on our earth for hundreds of years to come! this purchase felt so good this year. it's money going to a eco-friendly cause, it's not a tree that come 1/1, we'll solely use for firewood or will go to mulch, and it was more affordable than our usual xmas tree. keep it in mind for next year. i believe they have traditional trimmed trees too (just limited). enjoy your holiday of family, food, giving and lovely holiday ambiance!