Another very special cookie recipe for my Christmas cookies selection this year, are the Dycio Crescents.  These might look like a lot of work, forming crescents from cookie dough, but soon you will find out how simple these actually are.

I also would like to share with you a special story about this recipe.  I met a very sweet lady in my church, who made these crescents for a church function.  I loved them so much, and asked her if she would like to share her recipe with me.  Of course, as kind as she is, she graciously agreed, but told me that she did not have a written recipe, as she always makes these from memory (you will identify with this if you ever asked your grandma for any recipe).  So the next time I saw her, she brought in a meticulously hand written (in Ukrainian) recipe for Rohalyky (crescents), and in addition, offered many helpful tips to make sure I understood her written instructions.  I think this created a mutual satisfaction, so I decided to share this recipe with you, as I am sure you will not find it anywhere else.

These crescents are not very sweet, but light and flaky in texture, and the jam centers make them that much more delightful.

You need to  remember to only use special jam for baking, as the regular jams are not suitable, and will boil out during baking, making a mess out of your cookie sheets, plus leaving a hallow center in your crescents.
I use Baker Fine Dessert Filling in Apricot flavor, or Solo Cake and Pastry Filling. I also use these fillings for my very favorite Apricot Sheet Cake.

This recipe makes at least 5 dozen of crescents.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz of butter, softened
• 16 oz of cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for later use)
• Pinch of salt
• 4 ¼ cups flour, all purpose white
• 3 tsp baking powder
• Powdered sugar for topping
• 10 oz Baker Apricot Filling (1 jar), or Almond flavor if you prefer

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs yolks, salt, and extract.
2. Mix well.
3. Mix the flour with baking powder and gradually add into the mixture, and continue mixing, until well incorporated.
4. Divide the dough into 8 even balls, each the size of an orange.
5. Place in a bowl, cover, and keep refrigerated for a couple of hours, or overnight.
6. Take one dough ball at a time, and massage it by squishing it with your hands for 10 seconds, to soften it.
7. Flatten slightly, and place it on a floured work area.
8. Roll the ball into a large, 1/8 inch thick circle, like for pie crust.
9. Using a pizza cutter, cut it into 8 even triangles (like pizza).
10. Place 1/2 tsp of filling in the middle of the wide end of each triangle.
11. Roll the wide end over the filling, and keep on rolling all the way to the triangle point.
12. Slightly beat the egg whites, but not too much as not to get them frothy.
13. Fill a place with granulated sugar.
14. Dip the crescents (still in a straight form), in the egg wash, then roll them in the granulated sugar.
15. Place them on a well greased cookie sheet, with the tip end at the bottom against the cookie sheet.
16. Bent the ends of each roll, to form crescents.
17. Bake in a preheated oven, at 350°, for 20 minutes, or until the edges start getting golden.
18. Remove onto a cookie cooling racks, and cool completely.
19. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Tip:  I also use Almond filling, by Baker or Solo, for these crescents, which also tastes wonderful, and adds a nice variety to my cookie selection.

My next few posts will include the cookie recipes I have introduced to you in my Christmas cookie post.

I am starting with my most favorite cookies, the Cream Wafers.  If you read the ingredients, you might not be able to envision how decadent these really are. They are very light and flaky, resemble a puff pastry, and practically melt in your mouth.

For your convenience, I am also including pictures of the final step by step preparation instructions, which are very important for a successful outcome of this product.

This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen of cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup heavy cream (whipping cream, not sour cream)
• 2 cups flour, all purpose white flour
• Pinch of salt (tip of a tea spoon)
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Colored sugar (optional, for sprinkling on top)
  Granulated sugar (for dipping)

Directions:

1. Combine butter and cream, and mix thoroughly.
2. Mix in extracts.
3. Add flour and mix well.
4. Flour your hands, and divide the dough into, an orange size, balls.
5. Place balls in a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, or overnight.
6. Take out one ball at a time, and massage, by squishing it in your hands, for 8-10 seconds.
7. Flatten the ball, place it on a floured work area, and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.  (Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour as you are rolling it out.  But use flour sparingly as not to make the dough too dense, thus taking away from the flakiness of the cookies).
8. Keep remaining dough balls in the fridge.
9. Using a cookie cutter, cut out 1½ inch cookies (I use a circular shape).
10. Fill a dinner plate with granular sugar.
11. Transfer the rounds into the sugar.
12. Coat both sides of rounds with sugar, pressing them lightly with your fingers.
13. Gather the remaining dough from your work area, form into a ball and follow the above process until all the dough is done. (I try to work with all the fresh dough balls first, as these make the best cookies.  I keep the remnants of the dough from cut outs, in the fridge, until ready to use again.  At the end, I combine all the dough remnants, form them into a ball and follow the rest of the rolling/cutting out process.  These cookies will get denser with each roll out, as you are adding more flour during rolling.  So use as little additional flour as possible).

Remove and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  You do not need to spread these far apart, as they do not spread out, but rather puff out upwards.

Prick each cookie, about 4 times, with a fork (it lets the steam out during baking, helping it to puff out).

If you choose to sprinkle these with colored sugar, this is the time to do it.

Place in a preheated oven at 375o for 7-9 minutes, or just until set, but not browned (these remain at a very light color, even after baking).

Remove and cool on cookie racks.
You can use them plain, or with colored sugar, if you sprinkled them before baking:

or make them into sandwich cookies, with the following filling (I love them the best with the chocolate filling).

Filling Ingredients:

• ¼ cup soft butter
• ¾ cup confectioner (powdered) sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I prefer rum extract)
• 1 ½ oz unsweetened baker’s chocolate, melted (I melt it in a microware for 1 ½ minutes, stirring halfway through).
• Few drops of food coloring (optional, and only if you do not use chocolate)

Directions:

1. Cream all ingredients well, to spreading consistency.
2. Add a drop of water, one at a time, if needed.
3. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
4. Spread filling on the bottom side of each cookie, and cover it with another bottom side cookie (sandwich like).
5. Repeat until all are filled.

TIP:  Thicker cookie rounds will need longer baking time, and will result in lesser total quantity.

photo credit: timparkinson

So, there are only few more shopping days remaining until Christmas, and Hanukkah already began, but  you are still running around looking for some great gift ideas.  Also, your budget is running dry, yet the list is not complete….well you can always complete it with some great homemade gifts, or gifts from the heart.

Here are some ideas:

• Homemade cookies or cakes
• Homemade candy
• Cookie lollipops
• Festive popcorn (popcorn mixed with melted pastel chocolate mints)
• Coupon book filled with things you can do for that special person on your list:

• Take them shopping
• Treat them to lunch
• Take them to the movies
• Help them clean their house or their car
• Invite them to your house for dinner
• Get together for a tea or coffee and offer a shoulder to lean on

I used the coupon idea for my daughter’s 30th Birthday, and presented her with a book of 30 different coupons.  She loved it, and we had fun fulfilling these throughout the year.

Everyone has a creative side, so I know you can come up with some more ideas, which I would love you to share with me, and our readers.

If you have exhausted all your ideas, please check out these:

“12 Best Inexpensive Gifts for Christmas” (click here ), and of course for any other occasion.

Hopefully now you can relax (at least with brainstorming), and get ready for the HOLIDAYS!!!!

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Saint Nicholas, was the “gift giver” I was familiar with during my childhood.  He had a white beard, was dressed in bishop’s garbs, carried a crozier, and arrived on a white horse. On December 6th, he was visiting well-behaved children, and placing candy and cookies under their pillows. If you were really good, then he would drop off more goodies on Christmas Eve. You also were expected to know your Catechism, in case he decided to quiz you, before leaving you a gift.  We recited prayers and songs dedicated to St. Nicholas, instead of leaving him milk and cookies.

I was not familiar with “Santa” the chubby, jolly old man with white beard, dressed in a red suit and an elf‘s hat, with deer pulling his sleigh. Oh well, those were the days, when Christmas was about the Birth of Christ, rather than Christmas shopping, and children were happy with whatever they received, even if it was not exactly what they wished for.

My children grew up knowing both “gift givers”; St. Nicholas on December 6th, and Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. You would think that it couldn’t get better than that…..until, one year they asked if we could celebrate Hanukkah, so they could receive gifts for eight days….…..figure that!!

St. Nicholas was a bishop, who was born in a small city in Greco-Roman Lycia, an area known now as Turkey. He was a bishop of coastal city of Myra. He was a man of great caring and generosity, and gift giver to children and the needy. There is an urban legend that St. Nicholas dropped gold coins into the hanging stocking of three young ladies, who were too poor to get married, as their father did not have enough money for a dowry. St. Nicholas  is also known as the father of Orthodoxy. He lived a long life and died on December 6th, 343 A.D.

Saint Nicholas Day is a commemorative celebration of St. Nicholas,  and is celebrated on December 6th, according to the Gregorian calendar, or on December 19th by the Julian calendar.

I have great respect for Saint Nicholas, and would like to introduce you to this celebration around the world, but mostly in  countries nearest to my location. As for the jolly old man in a red suit, that will have to be another story, later on.

I came across a site which alphabetically lists 34 different counties, from Aruba to United States, describing their traditional celebration of St. Nicholas Day.  I will share a few inserts with you, but for more detail and countries of your interest, you should check out this  site.

Ukraine
St. Nicholas, Sviatyij Mykolai, comes to Ukraine on December 6th (or the 19th in the Orthodox/Julian calendar). It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts. St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus.

Poland
St. Nicholas, called Sw. Mikolaj, is a saintly, dignified figure in Poland; he comes as a bishop, carrying crosier. Descending from Heaven with an angel helper, he travels on foot or in a sleigh pulled by a white horse as he visits homes in the countryside. When he appears, the eager children cry, “He has come! He has come!” St. Nicholas’ presence fills the room with his smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his welcoming, booming voice. Children recite their catechism and prayers.

St. Nicholas rebukes or praises, as appropriate, before distributing holy pictures, red apples or oranges, and pierniki (saint cookies made with honey and spices). If he doesn’t come in person, treats are put under sleeping children’s pillows or left in freshly cleaned and polished shoes left out for the saint. St. Nicholas acts in his traditional religious role as a protector and patron saint while encouraging Polish children to be well-behaved, as there are switches for naughty children.

United States
Bishop St. Nicholas is celebrated by many churches and by communities which have a Dutch heritage. On the Advent Sunday closest to St. Nicholas Day, December 6, some churches have St. Nicholas festivals, large or small, with the good saint himself appearing to greet children, give instruction and encouragement, and hand out treats for children of all ages. In some places he is a focus in worship and in others he is part of a special fellowship event. St. Nicholas may also be the inspiration for a special Advent project—one which shows his concern for justice and relief of suffering. These observances are most prevalent in Orthodox and Episcopal churches, though not uncommon in many others, as well.

Canada
Many immigrant groups brought treasured traditions to Canada; Ukrainians and Dutch are among those who celebrate St. Nicholas. For Ukrainians, Christmas begins with St. Nicholas Day, when young children receive small gifts from their patron saint, Nicholas.

Parishes and schools remember Nicholas’ providing dowry money for needy young women by giving small bags of gold-colored coins to children. The children sing to welcome the saint, louder and more enthusiastically as they wait. The saint, on foot or by sleigh, comes dressed as a resplendent Byzantine bishop, accompanied by a troupe of angels. The angels help distribute goodies and small gifts.

Hopefully he’ll place something nice under your pillow on December 6th, or December 19th, depending on the calendar you follow.

Happy St. Nicholas Day.

If you love chocolate, and want to impress your guests with very yummy looking, yet easy to make truffles, this is a recipe for you!

It requires very few ingredients and not much fuss to prepare.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 regular size package of Oreo cookies (NOT double-stuffed), finely crushed in a food processor
• 8 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 12 oz bag of chocolate morsels, melted

Mix the crushed Oreo cookies with the cream cheese to form cookie dough.  Use a teaspoon, or small meatball scoop, and form into balls of 1 inch in diameter, until all mixture is used up.

Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate morsels in a pot on the stove top (or in the microwave), and keep it warm at all time during the dipping process.  Place one ball at a time on a teaspoon, roll it in warm chocolate mixture, and place it on the lined cookie sheet, spaced out so they do not touch.  Sprinkle tops of truffles with colored sugar, or colorful sprinkles.  Cool completely. Store truffles in a container with parchment paper separating each layer.  Keep it in a cool place until serving.

No need to worry about having these out at room temperature throughout your entertaining time, since they still keep their great taste and shape.

These also make a wonderful addition to a cookie tin to share with friends and coworkers.

(Makes about 40 pieces)

Tip:  I would not recommend the Double Stuffed Oreo cookies, as they make the mixture too rich, thus that much more difficult to coat them with chocolate.  At least, that is what I found out and experienced.