Three Different Christmas Bar Cookies

Make Gumdrop Bars, Brownie Raspberry Delights, or Gingerbread Bars

© Deborah Harding

Dec 1, 2008

It is that time of year when your mind wanders to what type of glorious creations you will prepare to give out to friends and neighbors during the holiday season. What kind of cookies should you make? There are thousands, possibly millions, of Christmas cookie recipes out there and it makes it difficult to choose unless you have the old family treasures. Those old recipes handed down from generation to generation are the best. After all, what would Christmas be without that favorite cookie. No matter how many recipes you have or cookies you back for the holidays there is always room for a new, untried one. One that excites you when you see the recipe and will either be adopted into the Christmas recipe file or discarded next year for not being good enough. Hopefully the following recipes will meet with approval and end up in the file.

The following are all bar cookies which are quicker to make than drop or cut out cookies:

Gumdrop Bar Cookies

If you like gumdrops, and who doesn’t, you will love this bar cookie. Use red and green gumdrops for Christmas then adapt it for other holidays by using yellow and purple gumdrops for Easter, red and blue for patriotic holidays and orange and yellow for Halloween, or use all colors for just any day.

Cookie:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup gumdrops, cut with scissors into small pieces (stay away from cinnamon and mint flavored if you can)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Icing:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl combine flour, gumdrops and pecans and set a side.
3. In a mixing bowl beat the eggs, water, and vanilla.
4. Add brown sugar and beat until light.
5. Add cinnamon and salt and combine well.
6. Gradually add gumdrop mixture.
7. Spread into a 15-1/2” x 10-1/2” pan treated with non stick spray.
8. Bake about 15 to 18 minutes or until slightly brown on top and edges pull away from the pan.
9. In a saucepan melt butter.
10. Remove from heat and add orange peel and orange juice.
11. Stir in enough confectioners’ sugar to make a thin icing.
12. Spread over warm cookies. Let cool and cut into squares.
13. NOTE: If you do use cinnamon or mint gumdrops (do not mix the two just use one or the other) just make an icing of Confectioner’s sugar and water and drizzle over top. The cinnamon ones are really good.

Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Delights

The combination of chocolate and raspberry is a good one. These are rich and delicious.

• ¾ cup butter or margarine
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 -1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 – ½ cup flour
• 12 ounce jar of raspberry jam
• 6 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a saucepan melt butter and chocolate squares.
3. Remove from heat and add sugar stirring well. With a whisk blend in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
4. Stir in flour with a spoon or spatula.
5. Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan with foil and spray with a non stick spray.
6. Spread batter in pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will raise up so check and deflate with a knife if necessary as you want the dough pretty flat)
7. Cool.
8. Spread the whole jar of jam on top.
9. Cut the pan full in half and stack one half on top of the other both jam side up.
10. Cut into 2 x 1 inch bars.
11. Place on a rack over wax paper.
12. In a saucepan melt chocolate chips and shortening.
13. Drizzle over bars using a fork and cool.

Gingerbread Squares

This is like an old fashion gingerbread; spicy and cake-like.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup light molasses
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 inch square pan with non stick spray.
2. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
3. In mixing bowl beat molasses, buttermilk, sugar, butter and egg until light and creamy.
4. Add dry ingredients gradually until well blended.
5. Spread in pan and bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely.
7. Dust with Confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Give these recipes a try during the holidays. They are a little different and tasty to boot. Also try Christmas Drop Cookies and Christmas Cut Out Cookies.

See other holiday recipes at my website 2008 Prymethyme Christmas

Christmas Bar Cookies

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