Christmas Cookies from the Experts

By D’Ann Dreiling

South Kansas City is blessed with plenty of cookie bakeries to help keep Santa happy this Christmas eve. We’ve asked the experts from The Classic Cookie, Cookies & Creamery and Santa’s Bakeshop to share their favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Cookies and Creamery

Cookies and Creamery is still hoping to open its doors at 533 East Red Bridge Rd. before the holidays.  “We’ve got all of our “i ‘s ” dotted and are almost ready to go,” says owner Steve Bosserman.  He and his wife, Kiffany, operate the cotton candy company, Cottontale K.C. Their tricked out tricycle is filled with 14 varieties of organic cotton candy. At their brick and mortar store the Bossermans will sell locally made ice cream and creamwiches, homemade cookies, popcorn treats,  fresh Shatto milk, and handcrafted Mexican horchata, a dairy free rice drink seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.

        Kiffany’s fondest memory of Christmas is baking cookies with her grandmother when visiting in Ohio.  Grammy  found an old recipe for sugar cookies in a cookbook from the 40’s, and the young Kiffany was delighted to cut out and decorate these cookies alongside her grandmother. The tradition carries on as Kiffany bakes these same cookies with her three little boys. In memory of her grandmother she offers this recipe for sugar cookies. 

Grandma Dudley’s Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon REAL vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Milk – add  teaspoon by teaspoon until desired consistency 
• Add food coloring as desired

Combine butter and sugar in bowl.  Beat at medium speed scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add milk, egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add flour and baking powder.  Beat at low speed until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with your favorite cookie cutters.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake 5 to 7 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.  Roll out remaining dough and repeat process.  When cooled, frost with  icing and add sprinkles of your choice.

The Classic Cookie

     Closed from August to November, the Classic Cookie is back! New owners Ellen Klem and Bob Rosson bought the works at 409 West Gregory Blvd. and have retained the “Classic” cook, Rodrego Barrios to ensure their delicious breakfast and lunch cuisine continues. 

      “We offer four variations of eggs Benedict,” says Rosson, “always a customer favorite, and cinnamon toast French toast.  For lunch, the chicken salad sandwich is a real crowd pleaser.  The menu has not changed.  All of our luncheon guests are presented with a small basket of baked goods much like chips in a Mexican restaurant.”

     Rosson suggests the perfect Christmas gift is one of their Christmas tins filled with cookies. “Cookies tell people you care”.

      Klem offers her own favorite Christmas cookie recipe:

Eggnog Buttercream Sandwich Cookie

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/4 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Preheat oven to 350*.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).  Add eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth.  Gradually add flour mixture. Using a 1 inch scoop, drop batter onto lined baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Cook 8 to 10 minutes.

Eggnog Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup butter @ room temperature 
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening 
• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 3-4 oz. eggnog

Beat butter and shortening on high until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Continue beating until combined.  It will look lumpy.  Add eggnog and combine until smooth. Spread one heaping tablespoon of buttercream on one side of cookie, add second cookie to first creating a sandwich.  Continue until all cookies are used.

Santa’s Bakeshop

No Grinches will be stealing the Christmas spirit in Martin City this year.  In the midst of this restaurant district is Santa’s Bake Shop, 411 East 135th,  complete with music, animated lights and, every 30 minutes, snow! The shop serves hot chocolate with toppings, homemade cookies and ice cream in holiday flavors from The Scoop. 

 Picnic tables are available outside or in the sheltered eating area. The Shop will be open from now until December 23rd, Monday thru Friday from 4 til 9, Saturday and Sunday from 12 til 9.

      Manager Lynne Pierce recommends her own favorite Christmas cookie recipe.  “Try the Double Chocolate Snowball Cookies. I’ve heard that if you eat them as fast as you can, your Fitbit will think you’re jogging!”

Double Chocolate Snowball Cookies

• 1 1/8 cups butter (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups cocoa 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter, sugar, then add eggs and vanilla. Blend in the cocoa and add the baking soda, salt and blend well. Add the flour into the creamed mixture and fold in the chocolate chips. 

Drop cookies on lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 8 to 9 minutes. Once cookies are cool, use a sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Yields 24 to 48 cookies