Soft Pumpkin cookies for Santa

There is something about these soft pumpkin cookies for Santa that will make any child smile.  I like this recipe because it is soft enough for Santa’s teeth, at least that is what I tell my grandson Owen.  They are easy to make and “Owen Chef” as he calls himself, will help make them when next we meet.

I love the smell of pumpkin, allspice and cinnamon in the winter.  It’s flavours warm up the house and it smells like Christmas. I want to talk about cinnamon for a bit.  Always use a good quality; I like Ceylon Cinnamon.  Did you know that most of the world’s cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka? Cinnamon has many health benefits.  I add it to my coffee and hot chocolate.  It adds sweetness without calories.A good article to read on Health Benefits can be found at:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266069.php

But today, it isn’t about health benefits, it’s about testing these cookies so that Owen and I can make them when I get to see him soon.  He is very excited about Santa.  This year Owen is almost three and he wants to make sure that we leave a good soft cookie for Santa.  These Soft Pumpkin Cookies for Santa are perfect.

All mixed up. 

In the pan and rustic looking.

All puffed-up for Santa.

You can’t just eat one!!

Print

Soft Pumpkin Cookies for Santa

These soft cookies are just right for Santa's teeth.  

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 45

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees F .  

   Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

   Beat the pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and egg. Use the paddle on your mixer.

   In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, and cinnamon.

   Add your dry ingredients to the wet. Don't over mix.

   Remove from mixer and add in chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon.

   Drop by the teaspoon on the baking pan.  Be generous.

   Bake for 15 minutes.

   Cool on wire racks.

   These may be also iced with your favourite icing.  

Recipe Notes

This recipe made 45 cookies for Santa. 

Anytime biscotti an italian tradition

There is something about dunking a cookie in milk and when we were little anytime was a good time for biscotti.  Nonna Emilia made them plain and sometimes added almonds.  It was the crunchy exterior and the flavourful interior that made them great.  We enjoyed them with our friends as an afternoon snack.  Sometimes when we went skating, nonna packed them in a bag for us and we dunked them in the hot chocolate at the skating shack.  I grew up in a neighbourhood that was community driven and our skating shack was a great place to dunk our biscotti in hot chocolate while we warmed our feet and hands by a wood stove.  My grandfather took us skating every week-end in Little Italy.  Our skates came from a second-hand store and every year we traded them in for a quarter.  Those were the days…..

My Anytime Biscotti are an Italian tradition.  Did you know that the Roman Legions carried them? Biscotti are sturdy and last long; they were a convenience food. associated with the Tuscan region of Italy today’s biscotti or Canutucci are found anywhere.  The original recipe made with almonds  is easily modified with a variety of flavours.  I like the crunch of these.

Having Fun

One thing I know is that as much as we try to avoid oil, it makes somethings good.  This recipe has 1  cup of oil.  I use Becel.

The dry ingredients are at the bottom and I am ready to whisk in the wet ingredients. 

The dough has an easy consistency. 

Two pieces with the yummy morsels ready for kneading. 

Oven ready.

After 40 minutes they come out of the oven.

Let them rest and then cut on the diagonal.

Back they go into the oven for 10 minutes on each side.  

Ready for the table.  You can dunk them in chocolate, but I like to eat them like this.  The rustic appearance of these Anytime Best Biscotti will make them an Italian Tradition in your home too.

Ok, couldn’t resist and drizzled a few with hot dark chocolate.

Anytime Biscotti-An Italian Tradition

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp slat
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp Anisette
• Additional 2 cups flour
• 1 cup slivered almonds divided
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup candied fruit
• White and dark chocolate for dunking

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. Mix the 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. Whisk together.
4. Add eggs, oil and anisette using the whisk on your mixer.
5. Take the whisk off and put on your hook.
6. Add the two cups of flour in 1/2 cup increments.
7. Remove from bowl on a floured surface.
8. The dough comes together easily.
9. Divide dough.
10. Put 1/2 cup almond and 1/2 cup cranberry in one piece
11.  Knead together and make a log.The logs I made are 16 inches long.
12. Put the 1/2 cup almonds and the 1/2 cup candied fruit in the next log.
13. Bake the logs for 40 minutes. I put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
14. Take out and let rest for 10 minutes.
15. Cut slices on the diagonal and place on cookie sheets.
16. Return to oven for 10 minutes on each side.
17. Dunk in chocolate if you like, but these are good just like this.

A mountain of goodness.  

Genetti: Special Occasion Cookies

Genetti Special Occasion Cookies always show up on our table.  They are simple cookies to make and are popular because the ingredients are found in every kitchen.  Some people prefer not to twist and fuss with the genetti. My version is a no-fuss one; it is a drop cookie; there is no intertwining of the dough.   My hometown when I immigrated from Italy to Canada was Sault Ste Marie,Ontario. Everyone from the Soo knows that Aurora’s is the best place to savour the genetti. This isn’t their recipe, but pretty good. If you are in the Soo, go to Aurora’s for their version. http://www.aurorasrestaurant.com/

The dough will be quite sticky.

I drop it with my small scoop which holds about 1 1/2 tbsp, because I like big cookies.  You can make them smaller.  They don’t look pretty at the moment, but don’t worry.

They are out of the oven after 10 minutes.

Turn one over to check the bottom of the cookies.  See the little golden brown marks?

Genetti special occasion cookies are similar to the Italian Christmas cookies, but the recipe has oil instead of butter, and the cookies are softer.  Covered in an anise glaze that gives them a little pop, they disappear quickly.  I like to play with the flavours of the glaze and this recipe uses orange flavours to give them that warm festive pop.  My children and now my grandson love these cookies at any time of the year.  You can change the liqueur and spices to match the occasion.  Recipes at my table are family favourites.  

Let them cool and Ice them.Look at how fluffy these are:  Melt in your mouth goodness.  

Print

Genetti: Special Occasion Cookies

The genetti special occasion cookie always shows up on our tabl

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 sup orange juice
• 2 tbsp spiced rum
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Beat eggs well until that golden froth appears.

    Add the sugar and continue beating.

   Add the oil and orange juice.

   Mix the dry ingredients and add those into the wet 1/2 cup at a time.

   Use up all the flour mixture.

   Drop by scoop full (I use a small scoop that holds 2 tbsp) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.

2. ICING

   1 cup icing sugar

   1 tbsp butter

   1 tsp milk

   1 tbsp spiced rum

These Polish family Butterhorns are dedicated to my mother-in-law Erika Solski who suffers from Alzheimer’s.  She made the best and I can only hope to duplicate that melt-in-your-mouth pastry.  I found a pile of her recipes and I am trying to duplicate them.  Granny made hers tiny and dainty; some of my butterhorns are small croissants.  I like to have them with afternoon tea.

Take a Break

This recipe is time-consuming.  It took me one hour and 15 minutes to roll out dough and make the crescents.  I got up early in the morning when the house was quiet.  Even my dog was asleep. I poured a coffee and had some leftover roasted chestnuts pictured here.

For an easy crescent recipe on my site go to https://recipesatmytable.com/crescent-moons-with-jam-and-nuts/

Mix the dough for the Polish Family Butterhorns as written in the description below and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

I put the dough on my counter with about a 1/2 cup of flour for dusting and kneading.  It is quite sticky, but it worked.

I cut the dough into six pieces.

Parchment paper is a necessity.  Dust generously with flour and use your hand to pat down the dough and spread in a circular motion.  Then dust the top of the dough and place another piece of parchment paper over the dough.

Use a rolling-pin and gently roll out from the centre to the edges.  I have had this rolling-pin since 1979.  It is a nice wooden one; although, I have tried others, this is my favourite.

It was easy to take the parchment paper off.

Brush the dough with egg whites and add the mixture of walnuts, brown sugar and spices.

I use an Ulu to cut the dough into wedges.  A pizza cutter will do, but my Ulu from Nunavut, where I lived for 16 years, is one of my favourite tools in the kitchen.

Roll each slice from the outside towards the centre. This was also easy to do.  Please take note of the extra flour: be generous with your dusting.

Oven ready.

Out of the oven and cooling. As you can see, I cut some a little larger.  

Note to self:  my mother in law says they should be smaller.

Ingredients for the Dough

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 4 eggs
• 4 1/2 teaspoons rapid acting yeast
• 1 tbsp lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 cups sour cream
• more flour for dusting and rolling

Ingredients for the filling

• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cups brown sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp allspice

Other Ingredients

• egg whites to brush before baking
• white and coloured sugar

Directions

1. Start by mixing the flour and butter until it is crumbly
2. Take 1 tsp of warm water and put the yeast into it and let it stand.
3. In another bowl  blend the eggs, salt, sugar,and sour cream.
4. Add the yeast mixture to this.
5. Now mix in the flour and butter mixture.
6. Put it all into a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate overnight.
8. Divide the dough into four
9. Roll out in circles.
10. Brush with egg whites.
11. Add the filling and cut like a pie with a pizza cutter.
12. Roll into crescents.
13. Brush with egg whites before baking.
14. Some white sugar and/or coloured sugar may be added on top now.
15. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.