One word that shows up often among the 75 entries in the Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest this year is love. It’s the reason so many gave for baking holiday cookies: Love of family and friends, present and past. Love of traditions shared over generations. Love for the joy such simple sweets bring to others.
Sure, there’s lots of creativity stirred into the sugar, butter and flour in this year’s cookies. But it’s the love, from grandmothers, moms and dads and kids, that prompted our winners to enter this contest.
Consider Joy Tranel who captured first place with her recipe for Grandma Georgean’s gingersnaps. “Not only is my family large in numbers, we also have very large appetites. And my grandmother loves to feed us,” Tranel wrote, noting her mother, Patty, is one of Georgean’s 14 children and Joy one of 42 grandchildren.
At Christmastime each year, they visit Grandma Georgean at her home in East Dubuque, Ill. “Everything is homemade and nearly everything is prepared mostly by my grandmother,” wrote Tranel of the roasts and casseroles on the family’s groaning board. “She also makes hundreds and hundreds of cookies. We all have our favorites, but my favorite growing up was her gingersnap cookie. It had just the right amount of spice and half of it was dipped in white chocolate for a spicy/salty/sweet combination. Absolutely divine!”
Which is, perhaps, how 14-year old Sarah McLoud might describe the peanut butter buttons that won her second place. “Every year my grandma makes our family a cookie tray that has something for everyone on it,” wrote McLoud. “About two years ago, my grandma and I decided to make up our own unique cookie recipe. She would pick me up from school to go back to her house where we would experiment with different flavor combinations, on a quest to find the perfect cookie.” Which includes, it should be noted, McLoud’s favorite Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Pistachio thumbprints from Erin Huk won third place. The cookies transform her kitchen into “a non-stop, magical cookie-creating whirlwind” during the holidays, she wrote. “These are a light and delicious, melt-in-your mouth, favorite and I have yet to meet a person that doesn’t love these special treats.”
Two more bakers — Megan Hastings of Chicago and Carol Hanan of Frankfort — earned honorable mentions for their sweet stories and recipes. Hastings submitted a recipe for gluten-free snowflake sugar cookies, which had a satisfying crumb and delicate buttery flavor. Hanan shared dad’s almond tart bars, which reflect the German roots of her father and her family’s favorite almond tarts. She trimmed the tart’s preparation time by turning them into a delicious bar cookie.
Thousands of readers helped us choose the 15 finalists in this, the Chicago Tribune’s 29th Holiday Cookie Contest with 5,223 votes cast online. The 15 finalists (plus one extra, the “Food Editor Save”: Christmastides, a spiced cookie by Anna Miller of Prospect Heights) were baked by culinary students at Kendall College, then the top three winners and two honorable mentions were chosen by a panel of Tribune food writers and other staff members as well as guest judges James P. DeWan, a culinary instructor at Kendall and writer of the monthly Prep School column for the Food + Dining section, and Kim Shambrook, Kendall’s director of professional education and community outreach. Here are the winners’ recipes and their stories.
1st place: Joy Tranel
While growing up, Tranel would help her mother, Patty, and grandma Georgean in the kitchen. “It wasn’t really until in my 20s that I started to enjoy cooking and baking,” she said. “As far as baking goes, I really came into my own when I lived in D.C. A lot of my friends are foodies, so we had a lot of dinner parties, and I started baking a lot. And all of a sudden, I became the resident baker within our group. … I joked that the only reason I got invited to parties is because they knew I would bring cookies. I always showed up with baked goods.”
Several years ago, a friend hosted a holiday cookie party, and Tranel brought her grandmother’s gingersnaps. “I had always enjoyed it as a child. It was my favorite holiday cookie, but I’d never actually made it myself,” she said. “So I called her up and made her recipe for the first time, and everyone absolutely adored them.”
Tranel’s made them “hundreds of times” since then and, since moving to Chicago 2 1/2 years ago to work in a law firm, packs a big tub of cookies in her suitcase when she travels to visit friends in D.C.
Her tips for first-time bakers? “Become really comfortable with the basic recipe and, from there, experiment a little bit more with other flavors to make it more of your own.”
She entered the contest after a good friend shared those gingersnaps with her university study group, which prompted one of her friend’s classmates to suggest that Tranel enter. She did. And while explaining the contest to her grandmother, “I told her, ‘If I do end up winning or placing or getting any cash prize with this, I plan on giving you this money to put towards (traveling to) Arizona,'” where her grandmother has a home.
“It was just really nice to share that with her,” she added. “And to have this contest and have something that gives her some sort of recognition of all that she does for our family. And how she kind of inspired me to bake as much as I do and has left that kind of footprint with me and other members of our family.
“So, this contest means more to me than any kind of ego booster for my baking. It really is all about my grandmother.”
2nd place: Sarah McLoud
A high school freshman from Gurnee, McLoud may enjoy studying English and reading, but when it comes to baking, “I like that there’s no limit. You can do whatever you want with it,” she told us. “I like that it’s a way to be creative.”
That came into play with the peanut butter buttons and her grandmother Georgia’s coaching. “We were trying to come up with the flavor combinations. And because Reese’s are my favorite, we started off with the chocolate peanut butter. It was just a matter of figuring out the right flavor combination of chocolate versus peanut butter. To make it not, like, overpowering, so you could still taste everything.”
McLoud also likes stirring up oatmeal raisin cookies, snickerdoodles, cakes, cupcakes and macarons.
“My whole family decorates cakes. I was raised up doing that,” said McLoud. “It was probably like fourth grade when I started getting into baking. I would go over there (her grandmother’s house), and she would help me make stuff. I would spend the night at her house, and we would make pie.”
With so many sweets in the house, are there problems finding someone to eat them? Well, besides her two sisters and a brother, plus mom and dad, McLoud said, “a bunch of my dad’s co-workers are expecting them for Christmas. So I’ll make a big batch of them.”
3rd place: Erin Huk
For Huk of Des Plaines, who won with pistachio thumbprints, baking is a form of stress relief. “I absolutely love baking anytime,” she told us. “There’s nothing more relaxing to me than baking a fresh batch of cookies or a loaf of pumpkin bread.”
Huk has been baking as long as she can remember. “My mom (Patricia) was always baking cookies, and I just always loved it,” she told us. “She’s actually the one who pushed me into entering my cookies. She was the one (who) started baking them, and I just kind of took over.
“When we first started off, we made the dough and then coated them in nuts. And then I took the nut part out because I just didn’t really think it was necessary,” she added.
She served the pistachio thumbprints at her first now-annual cookie exchange. “They were the winners of our group of friends’ cookie exchange. I haven’t topped them since then.”
She does have a few tips:
“I always use a cookie dough scoop before I put them on the pan. I like them all the same size.” The size: a 40 mm (1 1/2 tablespoon) scoop.
“I also use it to make the thumbprints in each cookie. Just flip it over and press.”
“When I think they’re just about done, I take them out and let them cook on the cookie sheet for a minute extra.”
“When drizzling the chocolate … a small pastry bag or zip-closing plastic bag with the corner snipped off works best. I like to line them up on a sheet of parchment paper and drizzle away.”
Huk’s husband, Albert, makes crepes for their three children, and Huk occasionally gets help from her 8-year old daughter. “Last fall we made a really beautiful apple pie, and after we got done and were about to put it in the oven, she said, ‘I don’t even like apple pie,'” Huk said. “She loves to be in the kitchen, and she always wants to help.”
Cookie baking tips
Faced with baking 16 cookie finalists for the Holiday Cookie Contest judging, a Kendall College team of bakers, including students Nikhil Bendre, Sara Martin, Leonardo Moselmian, Velton Saldanha and Beth Schaefer plus coaches Jen Nordstrom, the school’s events chef, and Mallory Swanson, a pastry fellow, used some 20 pounds of flour, 12 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of sugar and six dozen eggs. They mixed, chilled and baked for more than eight hours.
Any cookie baking tips for success, we asked Nordstrom? Her suggestions:
Measure carefully: “Baked goods, in general, tend to turn out better if the ingredients and procedure are accurate.”
Butter temp is crucial: “When you are trying to cream butter and sugar, if the butter isn’t soft enough, or too soft, the consistency of the dough will be off and won’t react with the other ingredients as it should.”
Control the sugar: “Just like savory ingredients can be too salty, cookies can be too sweet. Burnt sugar is also a very unpleasant taste.”
Parchment versus pan spray: “I prefer parchment paper over pan spray. Even the slightest amount of grease can sometimes affect the quality of your cookie. It can make the edges of the cookie greasier and make burnt, crispy edges. But that doesn’t apply to every recipe.”
Some cookies need to set a spell: “I find it works well to let cookies sit for some time after baking for a few reasons. Cookies may be too fragile to handle coming right out of the oven. Allowing them some time to rest will make it easier to move them without breaking. And some recipes turn out best after coming out of the oven when they may seem a little undercooked. Cookies that are slightly undercooked coming out of the oven will have some carry-over cooking once removed from the oven — meaning the heat inside the cookies will continue to cook your product.”
Twitter @judytrib
1st place
Grandma Georgean’s gingersnaps
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes
Makes: 42 cookies
Joy Tranel of Chicago says this cookie from her grandmother was her favorite as a child.
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces white chocolate chips or white almond bark
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. With a wooden spoon or your hands, mix together all of the ingredients, except the white chocolate/almond bark (no need to separate the wet from the dry). Roll into small balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons in size).Roll ball in more sugar.
2 Place balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and space out to give them room to expand. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
3 Melt white chocolate/almond bark in the microwave in 30-second intervals, until melted, or in a double boiler over simmering water. Dip half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate or white almond bark. Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool and harden.
Nutrition information per cookie: 217 calories, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 188 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
2nd place
Peanut butter buttons
Prep: 45 minutes
Chill: 2-3 hours
Bake: 11 minutes
Makes: 40 cookies
Sarah McLoud of Gurnee loves Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: She uses three sizes of the candy in her cookie, which was developed with her grandmother.
8 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 bag (10 ounces) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Minis
1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
1 bag (12 ounces) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Melt chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, or in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring often. Set aside to cool.
2 Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
3 With an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed, 2-3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla and then the melted chocolate.
4 Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, in portions, alternating with the milk.
5 Stir in peanut butter cup minis and peanut butter chips.
6 Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate, 2-3 hours; dough will be soft.
7 Remove the peanut butter miniatures from their individual wrappings; place in freezer while rolling the balls.
8 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Portion dough into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then the powdered sugar, making sure to fully coat in each.
9 Place balls 1-inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake, 11-13 minutes. Remove from oven; press frozen miniature peanut butter cup into the centers. Bake for an additional 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely.
10 To make cookies look like buttons, use frosting of choice (such as royal icing or icing in a tube) to pipe four small dots onto the peanut butter cups.
Nutrition information per cookie: 266 calories, 11 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 19 mg cholesterol, 40 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 121 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
3rd place
Pistachio thumbprints
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 10-12 minutes
Makes: 26 cookies
Erin Huk of Des Plaines suggests using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough and turning it over to make the thumbprint.
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 package (3.5 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Filling:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add vanilla and almond extracts, pudding mix and egg; mix well. Gradually stir in flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Form into walnut-size balls, and place a “thumbprint” in the center of each ball. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.
2 Meanwhile, prepare filling: Combine confectioners’ sugar, butter and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Add milk by the tablespoon, mixing as you go, until mixture gets to about toothpaste consistency. Fill each thumbprint with a dollop of filling.
3 Pour melted chocolate into a small plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.
Nutrition information per cookie: 150 calories, 9 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 59 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Honorable mention
Dad’s almond tart bars
Prep: 45 minutes
Bake: 30-45 minutes
Makes: 50 bars
Carol Hanan of Frankfort turned her family’s favorite almond tarts into these bar cookies.
Pastry crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces seedless raspberry jam
Frangipane filling:
8 ounces almond paste
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons light rum, optional
Lemon drizzle:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper, the paper extending a few inches up two sides like a sling. (This will make it easier to remove bars after baking.)
2 For the pastry crust, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed (or high speed with a hand-held) until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
3 Pat the dough into the prepared pan, and prick all over with a fork. Bake until the top is golden, 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the cooked crust.
4 For the frangipane filling, using a food processor or mixer, combine the almond paste, sugar and lemon zest until well mixed. Mix in the butter. Then add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the vanilla and rum. The mixture should be smooth and homogenous. Pour the filling over the raspberry preserves; even out the layer to completely cover the crust. Bake until the top is golden, 20-30 minutes. (The mixture may bubble in the oven, but it will flatten as it cools.) Remove from the oven, and cool completely in the pan on a rack.
5 For the lemon drizzle, place the confectioners’ sugar, water and lemon juice in a small bowl; whisk until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled bars, and let sit for 1-2 hours until the glaze hardens. Slice into 2-by-1 1/2-inch bars.
Nutrition information per bar: 134 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 28 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 36 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Honorable mention
Gluten-free snowflake sugar cookies
Prep: 45 minutes
Chill: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Bake: 10-12 minutes
Makes: 15 large snowflake cookies
Megan Hastings of Chicago decorates these cookies to celebrate other holidays, as well as Christmas. Most tasters didn’t realize the cookies were gluten-free.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon white rice flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 In a medium bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, cornstarch and xanthan gum. Set aside.
2 Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix in egg, almond and vanilla extracts, and salt; beat until mixed well. Gradually add in flour mixture (1/2 cup at a time), and mix after each addition. Be sure not to overmix. Put dough in the refrigerator for an hour or so, or until the dough firms up.
3 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with confectioners’ sugar. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on a greased cookie sheet; chill in freezer, 10-15 minutes.
4 Bake until set and the edges are slightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before decorating.
Nutrition information per cookie (for large cookies): 243 calories, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 163 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Royal icing
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons meringue powder
5 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon almond extract
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and water. Mix until the ingredients are well blended and the icing has a matte finish, 7-10 minutes.
This icing has the base consistency. Add about 1 teaspoon more water for a good outline icing (a 10-second icing). For flood icing, add more water until you reach a 4-second icing. (The 10-second or 4-second icings mean that when you drizzle the icing over the bowl, it will flow back into the bowl in 10 or 4 seconds. If you need to thin it out more, then add more water. If you need to thicken it, add more confectioners’ sugar. Tint the outline and flood icing blue, if you like.
To decorate the cookies, outline the shapes with outline icing (10-second icing), then flood the inside with 4-second icing. After the icing dries, use white outline icing in a pastry bag fitted with a No. 2 tip to pipe the snowflake designs. Allow to dry before storing or eating. (For Hastings’ designs, go here http://bit.ly/1LRthpt.)
