Sweet Treats: Recipes From 'The Moonglow Christmas Series'

by Deborah Garner

  SWEET TREATS

  Recipes from the

  Moonglow Christmas Series

  Deborah Garner

  Copyright © 2019 Deborah Garner

  Cranberry Cove Press / Published by arrangement with the author

  Sweet Treats: Recipes from the Moonglow Christmas Series by Deborah Garner

  All rights reserved. Except for brief text quoted and appropriately cited in other works, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photocopying or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the copyright owner/author.

  Excerpts in this book are from works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cranberry Cove Press

  PO Box 1671

  Jackson, WY 83001, United States

  Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication Data Available

  Garner, Deborah

  Sweet Treats: Recipes from the Moonglow Christmas Series / Deborah Garner—1st United States edition

  Non-Fiction 2. Holidays 3. Cooking

  p. cm.

  ISBN-13:

  978-0-9969961-6-7 (paperback)

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Books by Deborah Garner

  The Paige MacKenzie Mystery Series

  Above the Bridge

  The Moonglow Café

  Three Silver Doves

  Hutchins Creek Cache

  Crazy Fox Ranch

  The Moonglow Christmas Novella Series

  Mistletoe at Moonglow

  Silver Bells at Moonglow

  Gingerbread at Moonglow

  Nutcracker Sweets at Moonglow

  Snowfall at Moonglow

  The Sadie Kramer Flair Series

  A Flair for Chardonnay

  A Flair for Drama

  A Flair for Beignets

  A Flair for Truffles

  A Flair for Flip-Flops

  Cranberry Bluff

  To the amazing readers of the

  Moonglow Christmas Series who share recipes for others to enjoy, and to all those who love sweet treats

  Table of Contents

  Recipes from Mistletoe at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Mistletoe at Moonglow

  Glazed Cinnamon Nuts

  Cook’s Nut Balls

  Melting Moments

  Ginger Crackle Cookies

  Lemon Bars

  Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

  Potato Chip Cookies

  Chewy Coconut Cookies

  Pumpkin Squares

  Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  Yolanda’s Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  Ricotta Cookies

  Pecan Melts

  Peanut Blossoms

  Grandma's Shortbread Cookies

  Holiday Eggnog Snickerdoodles

  Spiced Apple Cookies

  Almond Thumbprint Cookies

  Salted Double Chocolate Chili Cookies

  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Amish Ginger Cookies

  Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

  Mother’s Sugar Cookies

  Bourbon Balls

  Recipes from Silver Bells at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Silver Bells at Moonglow

  Cranberry-Orange Cookies

  Swedish Dream Cookies (Drömkakor)

  Pecan Cookies

  Candy Cane Brownies

  Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

  Thumbprint Cookies

  Gluten-free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  Jumbles

  Eggnog Cookies

  Peppermint Candy Canes

  Divinity Puffs

  Snickerdoodles

  Sharon's Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Odessa’s Pumpkin Cookies

  Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

  Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Snowball Cookies

  Grandma's Opera Fudge

  Dutch Sour Cream Cookies

  Soft Raisin Cookies

  Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

  Recipes from Gingerbread at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Gingerbread at Moonglow

  Gingerbread Cookies

  Cherry Pecan Holiday Cookies

  Gingerbread-Eggnog Trifle

  Homemade Eggnog

  Cocoa Kisses

  Lois Tallman’s Ginger Snaps

  Santa's Whiskers Cookies

  Angel Crisp Cookies

  Kourabiedes

  Kitchen Sink Cookies

  Ginger Orange Cookies

  Christmas Swirl Fudge

  Grandma's Kringles

  Vegan Sugar Cookies

  Mint Chocolate Macarons

  Chocolate Mint Ganache Filling

  Easy Cookies

  Khrustyky

  Peanut Brittle

  Swedish Coconut Cookies

  Recipes from Nutcracker Sweets at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Nutcracker Sweets at Moonglow

  Christmas Crack

  White Christmas Fudge

  Cathedral Cookies

  Molasses Sugar Cookies

  Peanut Butter Fudge

  Lemon Crinkles

  Krum Kake Cookies

  Cranberry Drop Cookies

  Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

  Granny’s Butter Rolls

  Christmas Hard Candy

  Lingonberry Macarons

  Lingonberry Buttercream Filling

  Yummy Dates

  Twenty-first Century Peanut Brittle

  Healthy No-Bake Apple Energy Bites

  Grandma Chauncey's Date Nut Bars

  No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

  Cinnamon Refrigerator Cookies

  Mocha Candied Nuts

  All-In-One-Pan Cookies

  Date Balls

  Recipes from Snowfall at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Snowfall at Moonglow

  Peanut Butter Cookies *gluten-free and low-carb

  Norwegian Kringla

  Jo’s Fudge

  Wunderbar Ginger Bar Cookies

  Orange Sablés

  Lemon Nut Cookies

  Cinnamon Cookies

  Chocolate Peppermint Bark

  Mrs. Prager’s Cry Babies

  Choco-Mint Puffs

  Pecan Pie Cobbler

  Meringue Chocolate-Chip Cookies

  Eve’s Apple Pecan Pound Cake

  Pumpkin Cookies

  Polka Dots

  Pfeffernüsse Fruitcake Cookies

  Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies

  Pecan Dreams

  Aunt Shirley’s Oatmeal Cookies

  Lone Ranger Cookies

  Mystery Bars

  Recipes from

  Mistletoe at Moonglow

  Excerpt from Mistletoe at Moonglow

  Marge was the first to arrive for the cookie exchange, bringing a plate of snickerdoodles, which she placed on the buffet. Mist had heard that Marge’s cookies were legendary, a town favorite. She eyed them with interest as she set out a pot of freshly brewed coffee. She’d make a point of trying them.

  A few minutes later, Maisie arrived, a tub of chocolate chip mint cookies tucked under her arm. She handed Betty the container before taking off her coat, knit cap and thick, emerald green scarf and hanging them on the lobby rack.

  “These look decadent, Maisie!” Betty exclaimed. “We’d better watch these carefully. We have a five-year-o
ld chocolate fanatic running around here this year.” She added the cookies to the buffet arrangement.

  The variety of cookies mounted, one by one, some holiday favorites, others simply beloved family recipes. The owner of the beauty shop brought Melting Moments, a recipe she’d begged a local client for after receiving a batch as a gift one year. Soon after, Millie, the town librarian, showed up with a plate of ginger crackle cookies. She poured a cup of coffee, and joined Betty, who was in conversation with the curator of the local historical society, who had just arrived with a tin of powdered sugar concoctions.

  “Cook’s Nut Balls, you say?” Betty eyed the tin with delight. “I do believe I’m gaining two or three pounds every time someone walks in.”

  “That’s what the holidays are for, Betty!” Marge laughed.

  Glazed Cinnamon Nuts

  (A family recipe)

  Ingredients:

  1 cup sugar

  1/4 cup water

  1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

  Heaping teaspoon of cinnamon

  1 tablespoon butter

  1 1/2 cups walnut halves

  Directions:

  Boil sugar, water, cream of tartar and cinnamon to soft ball stage (236 degrees.)

  Remove from heat.

  Add butter and walnuts.

  Stir until walnuts separate.

  Place on wax paper to cool.

  Cook’s Nut Balls

  (A family recipe)

  Ingredients:

  1/2 cup butter

  2 tablespoons sugar

  1 cup flour

  1 cup chopped nuts

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  Directions:

  Mix all ingredients together and form into small balls.

  Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes.

  Cool and roll in powdered sugar.

  Makes about 18 cookies.

  Melting Moments

  (Submitted by Elisabeth Conley)

  Ingredients:

  1 cup brown sugar

  1 cup butter

  2 cups flour

  Pinch of salt

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

  3 teaspoons vanilla

  Directions:

  Cream together sugar and butter.

  In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar; add to creamed mixture; add vanilla.

  Drop on cookie sheet by teaspoonful.

  Gently press flat with a fork dipped in milk.

  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 10 minutes or less.

  Ginger Crackle Cookies

  (Submitted by Kim McMahan Davis, from her blog, Cinnamon and Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder)

  Ingredients:

  2 1/4 (10 ounce) cups flour

  3 teaspoons ground ginger

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature

  1/4 cup (2 ounces) vegetable shortening

  1 cup (8 ounces) granulated sugar, plus 2/3 cup for rolling

  1 large egg

  1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) molasses

  1/2 to 3/4 cup crystallized ginger pieces, finely chopped

  Directions:

  Position oven rack to the middle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment or Silpat.

  In large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk until well blended.

  In another large bowl, combine butter, shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat with mixer on medium-high speed until well combined. Add egg and molasses and beat until well blended. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended. Add crystallized ginger and blend in.

  Pour remaining 2/3 cup sugar into shallow bowl. Using a small scoop, make 1-inch balls with dough. Roll each ball in sugar and set 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. (If dough seems too soft to work with, place in refrigerator for a couple of hours.)

  Bake one sheet at a time until puffed and slightly browned around the edges, about 10 - 13 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then place cookies on wire rack to cool completely.

  To make ahead:

  The dough can be made, shaped and rolled in sugar through step 3, then frozen for up to 2 months before baking. For best results, position the shaped dough snugly on a small cookie sheet and freeze until very firm. Then pile the frozen balls into a heavy-duty freezer bag and store in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, remove only the number of cookies you need, place them on the prepared cookie sheet and leave them on the counter while the oven heats up. Bake as directed.

  Lemon Bars

  (Submitted by Carol Anderson)

  Ingredients:

  Crust:

  1 cup butter

  2 cups flour

  1/2 cup powdered sugar

  Lemon layer:

  4 eggs

  4 tablespoons flour

  2/3 cup lemon juice

  2 cups sugar

  Directions:

  Cream ingredients for crust together and pat into 9 x 12 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

  Mix ingredients for lemon layer together. Pour over baked crust.

  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

  Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

  Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

  (Submitted by Beth Britain, originally from Mollie Katzen’s “Still Life with Menu”)

  Ingredients:

  3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

  1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  1 egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon peppermint extract

  1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1 cup chocolate chips

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

  Cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer at high speed. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts.

  Sift together dry ingredients and add them to the butter mixture along with the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.

  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

  Remove from sheet immediately after baking and cool on a wire rack.

  Potato Chip Cookies

  (Submitted by Erika Bonham Kehlet)

  Start with:

  1 cup butter

  1/2 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  Cream above ingredients together.

  Add:

  1/2 cup crushed potato chips

  1/2 cup chopped pecans

  2 cups flour

  Roll into walnut sized balls.

  Flatten with a glass dipped in granulated sugar.

  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

  Chewy Coconut Cookies

  (Submitted by Valerie Peterson)

  Ingredients:

  2 cups sugar

  1 cup shortening

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon soda

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  2 cups flour

  2 cups oatmeal

  1 1/2 cups ground raisins

  1/2 cup coconut

  Directions:

  Cream together sugar and shortening.

  Add eggs, salt, soda and vanilla. Beat well.

  Add flour, oatmeal and raisins. Add coconut last.

  Roll in balls the size of a walnut.

  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

  Pumpkin Squares

  (Submitted by Carol Ann Kauffman)

  Crust:

  1 cup flour


  1/2 cup rolled oats

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  1/2 cup melted butter

  Mix together. Spread on bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

  Filling:

  1 pound can pumpkin

  1 can evaporated milk

  2 eggs

  3/4 cup sugar

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  Pinch of nutmeg

  Mix. Pour over crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

  Topping:

  3/4 cup walnut

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  2 tablespoons melted butter

  Mix and spread on top of cooked pumpkin mix. Put back in oven for another 15 minutes.

  Note: Double recipe for a cookie sheet size.

  Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  (Submitted by S.A. Molteni, author of I.T. Geek to Farm Girl Freak)

  Ingredients:

  1 cup butter (2 sticks)

  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  1 cup packed brown sugar

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda