Christmas Cookies

This is the time of year to make Christmas cookies.  Knowing that if there are any gatherings during this pandemic the size will be small, we are not making as many cookies this year.  For the past few years my wife and I have jointly worked on the varied types of sweets we make for the holiday season.  Well, she did most of them herself this year.

Snowball (left) and Brandy ball

I get back from my daily walk, of about 50 minutes, a week ago to find out she had pretty much completed two types of cookies.  She then made more when I was working on a project for the Fitchburg Historical Society (FHS).  One day, after I had completed much of my work for the article for the FHS, she was making what are called snowball cookies.  She did not want my help on the snowball cookies, but suggested I make the brandy balls.   

Add Oreo Truffle coated in White Chocolate

Making snowball cookies must be quite the chore since she said she was in the first of many steps, and that it was going to take a long time. I wondered if that meant she, as efficient as she is, will have them pretty much done in ten minutes. Then she added something to the effect that: "The snowball cookies are the only cookies on the list that I wanted to make, all of the other cookie types were suggested by you. Well, I am not sure what other cookies she may like, but she must find some other types enjoyable. Of course, this is from a woman who likes herring, and sauerkraut, and many other foods I find rather distasteful. So she went on making her snowballs, in the first of many steps, while I started work on the brandy balls.

Add Ginger Snap, with some White Chocolate
Coating on part, and drizzle

It was kinda of cute working on the brandy balls with her commentary.  For example, you need to crush chocolate graham crackers for the main ingredient, and she suggested I use the food processor.  Now, I see the advantage of using a food processor, but to crumble graham crackers by use of a food processor seemed like overkill. I mean, in the big scheme of things it would take longer to clean than to simply do who I broke them up. I placed the first of three packages the box contained in a plastic bag and started to break them apart using a rolling pin.  I pride myself on being a master of destruction. I am, my wife would probably agree, very good at breaking things, most particularly things I usually do not want to break. I would think that if you purposely want to break something, it is not breaking, but taking it apart, a purposeful destruction. Thus, tackling a couple bags of graham crackers would not cause much of an issue for me. I weigh the amount from the first package and realize that a second package will be more than I need, but why waste time trying to calculate how many of the graham cracker squares to put in, so I simply do a whole other bag thinking if I have more, I can always put them on ice cream. She then noted about how long we had crumbs from past cookie projects contained in the cupboard.  She must have hid them, as I am not one to allow crumbs, particularly cookie crumbs, go to waste.

Add Peanut Butter Bar with Chocolate top

Brandy balls also have some chopped nuts put in them.  I think I needed a quarter (or maybe a half)cup of finely chopped nuts so I measured more than the required amount.  The baking expert, my spouse, tells me to make sure I measure out more, which I had already done, as a quarter cup will not be enough when finely chopped. I think the amount I stuck in was just more than needed, but I threw them all in.

When it came time for the brandy, I was to use a quarter cup, but I measured out more.  She then said, you will end up with too much moisture, to which I countered, if I do, I can add more of the left over graham cracker crumbs.  I then melted the requisite amount of butter, and mixed it all together.  I saved, or as expert cooks like to say, reserved, some of the crumbs, as called for, in which to roll and coat the balls.  I thought I would make it less sugary than using the other option, powdered sugar.  After all, I had already added a wee bit more brandy than called for.  The wife's snowball project must have been going quite well as she sure had time to watch over my making of brandy balls. Or, perhaps it is her multi-tasking ability to make the highly complicated snowball cookies and at the same time to provide astute commentary on my making brandy balls. They were made without the use of a food processor.

Add Peanut Butter Blossom

A couple nights later, she suggested that perhaps we should make the Oreo truffles.  Like the brandy balls these do not have to be cooked.  Well, she got out the food processor and whirred the Oreo's into crumbs.  I realized, with the moist filling of the Oreo, my destruction method of a plastic bag and rolling pin would not work. Hence, I let her dirty the food processor.  When people use food processor's it always makes me wonder what was done before the invention of a food processor?  I think we made the Oreo truffles before we got a food processor, but I don't know how we crumbed them down. 

After destroying the Oreo cookies to crumbs with the food processor, the hard part came.  Mixing in the cream cheese.  I tried at first to mix it in with a fork, but it was difficult so Land Girl suggested she use the food processor, which made it a much more simple chore. She did this part, too.  I am not sure that she would fully trust me in using the food processor without a watchful eye, after all I might destruct it. After forming balls, and letting them refrigerate some more, it came time to melt the white chocolate.  I took it upon myself to cut apart the chocolate hunks after measuring the bulk chocolate and deciding how much was required to be melted. I am not positive, but I am sure she cringed each time I brought the knife down on the bulk chocolate wondering if a trip to Urgent Care would interrupt our Oreo truffle making. It is kind of like when I am driving, and she grabs the door handle and holds on for dear life while gasping when I enter a roundabout. Now, I learned the hard way on melting chocolate a few years ago, you need to add shortening, or peanut butter.  She was about to add shortening, when I suggested peanut butter.  I added, at her suggestion, two tablespoon, or there about, to the melted chocolate and mixed it in. I was told, a little too late, that I should have used the more shallow tablespoon measuring device. The addition of the peanut butter provided a slight off-white color to the white chocolate and the covered crumbled Oreo cookies. More important than looks is the flavor. This great idea provided for a subtle hint of peanut butter to complement the rich flavor of the white chocolate thereby further enhancing the flavors of Oreo crumbled shaped balls. After all, is there anything that cannot be made better with peanut butter?  Probably herring and sauerkraut. 

Add Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

Land Girl suggested that with the Oreo filling perhaps the cream cheese is not needed.  I suggested we get the double filled Oreo cookies to try next year in lieu of the cream cheese.  Then, I hit on an even better idea, instead of using cream cheese, simply mix in some peanut butter. I think this is a genius idea.  Now, I just have to remember it. Our Christmas cookie baking has come to and end, although with my wife's inability to relax, I get the feeling she may conjure up another batch or two, and something not on the list.