Cookie Extravaganza: Spiced Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Photo: Madison Leiren
With warming spices and studded with nuts and raisins, these spiced slice-and-bake cookies are a nice counterpoint on the cookie platter.
CHRISTY OLSEN FIELD
This recipe has been passed down through my family for at least five generations and likely longer. It was a favorite of my Grandpa Perry, and my Great-great-grandmother Inger Holseth Grambo made them for him every visit. My aunt Karen Olsen is the true keeper of this recipe, and she faithfully bakes these every Christmas.
I like these cookies, because they are a nice counterpoint on the cookie platter with flecks of dried fruit and nuts. (I haven’t tried it yet, but I think whole-wheat flour could be an excellent substitute for a more wholesome cookie.)
The original recipe calls for a meat grinder to put the raisins and nuts for optimal texture, but we use a food processor for 21st-century ease. Speaking of ease, I have adapted this recipe to be made in a single bowl to cut down on the number of dishes to wash. I melt the butter in a 5-quart pot, and whisk in the ingredients.
Spiced Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Recipe can be halved nicely
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. table salt
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used pistachios!)
1 cup raisins
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Special equipment:
Food processor
- In a food processor, pulse the nuts and raisins 5-7 times to break them into smaller bits.
- In a 5-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and then remove from the heat. Whisk in the sugars, salt, baking soda, and spices until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Alternate the flour and the nut/fruit mixture, whisking until smooth.
- Using wax paper or parchment paper, roll into small, long rolls and refrigerate overnight. Slice thin and bake at 375°F, 5-7 minutes, until golden brown on the edges.
But you mustn’t stop with just one kind of Christmas cookie! Browse our recipes to fill your holiday table with at least syv slags!
The Great Norwegian Christmas Cookie Extravaganza
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 27, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
