Give something personal this year

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

Christmas, as we all know, is about giving and sharing our gifts with one another. During the holidays we can’t always buy the biggest, best, most expensive items on everyone’s wish list, but we can give from our hearts and share our time with the people we love.

Marla Herrmann, who grew up in Boardman and recently moved from North Jackson to a new home in Deerfield, has always made Christmas special by making gifts in her kitchen.

“People appreciate homemade food more than something out of a box,” she said. “I cook everything from scratch, and I shop at health food and bulk food stores.”

Because her father was a chef, Herrmann also developed a love for cooking. “I was a kitchen brat,” she said. “My mother was more into the entertaining end of it.”

“Cookies are easy to send long distance, and fruitcake is a family tradition,” she said. “My father and I exchange fruitcake every Christmas to see who can make it better.”

Herrmann also makes breads and rolls to give as hostess gifts whenever she and her family are invited to holiday celebrations.

Although cookies are her specialty, Herrmann recently took an interest in baking pies, so she asked her mother-in-law, Linda Jenkins, to teach her.

“She makes the most delicious pies,” said Herrmann.

Once she thought she had the hang of it, Herrmann began making pies and set up a table at a local craft show to pass out samples and take orders. She is now busy filling those orders.

Because pumpkin pie is easy to come by this time of year, most of her orders were for apple, lemon meringue and coconut cream, because that’s not something people can just run out and pick up fresh from the grocery store.

She and her sons, who are now 17, 20 and 22, have been making Christmas cookies together since the boys were quite small.

Herrmann would make a large batch of cookie dough and colorful icing and let them have fun.

“Every Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa,” she said. “I always made each of the boys a large Christmas tree cookie so that they could decorate it themselves. By the time they were done with that, they were pretty much done. It kept them occupied while I finished everything I needed to do.”

According to Herrmann, although her boys are grown, they still come to mom’s house, along with other family members and friends, to make sugar cookies every Christmas Eve.

Because of her love for baking, Herrmann has accumulated enough baking paraphernalia to fill three rooms. She even has a special cabinet that holds more than 200 cookie cutters.

“Cut-out cookies are a family favorite,” she said. “I use a basic sugar-cookie recipe and add almond extract to give it a different flavor.”

Peanut butter cookies are my kids’ favorites,” she said. “They love to eat them right out of the oven.”

She has always baked for other people, so the boys had to learn that they weren’t to touch anything without asking first.

When they were still in school, Herrmann would always send cookies and special treats for holiday parties. Her “Killer Brownies,” made with chocolate chips, pecans and caramel, were always requested by friends, families and teachers. “I guess that’s my favorite because that’s the one thing I get the biggest reaction from.”

Herrmann suggested packing cookies in tall round tins with wax paper between layers. “I try to make cookies as close to the width of the tin as I can, so they don’t get crushed,” she said.

She likes using various sizes of ice cream scoops to make drop cookies so that they are uniform in size.

“Big round tins are also good for packing varieties of cookies. Then you can have stacks of cookies about five high. I usually fill it in with brownies and shortbread.”

Herrmann said she finds a lot of recipes in professional cookbooks. She also enjoys sharing recipes with friends and family.

Peanut Butter Cookies

11‚Ñ4 cup flour

3‚Ñ4 teaspoon baking soda

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ2 cup butter

1‚Ñ2 cup peanut butter

1‚Ñ2 cup sugar

1‚Ñ2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, soda and salt. In mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and sugars; beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture and beat until blended. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking pan and crisscross top with fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool about 1 minute before removing to wire rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

Recipe from Marla Herrmann.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

2 cups flour

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon baking powder

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ3 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter

3‚Ñ4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter, sugar until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating well. Cover. Chill at least 3 hours. Working with 1‚Ñ2 of the dough at a time, place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to 1‚Ñ8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.

Recipe from Marla Herrmann.

Marla’s Killer Brownies

2 boxes of the cheapest, off-brand brownie mix you can find

1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (6-ounce) bag chopped pecans

12 unwrapped caramels

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Follow instructions on box. Cook until fork comes out clean. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of brownies, to cover. Sprinkle pecans over chocolate chips. Pour whipping cream into small saucepan. Add caramel. Warm to melt. Stir to combine. Once melted, drizzle over brownies. Cut and serve.

Recipe from Marla Herrmann.

Ginger Oatmeal Cookies

1 package gingerbread mix

1 cup applesauce

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped nuts

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped raisins, if desired

Mix all ingredients. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet about one inch apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

Recipe published in “Holy Trinity Mother’s Club Cookbook.”

Christmas Nut Rolls

1 pound butter

1 pound cream cheese

4 egg yolks

1‚Ñ2 cup sugar

5 cups flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

Dash of salt

Filling:

3 pounds ground walnut (approximately 6 cups), shelled

1 sweet apple, chopped fine

1 cup sugar

4 egg whites, beaten

Vanilla

Salt

3 tablespoons cream

Cream butter, cream cheese, egg yolks and sugar. Add flour, 1 tablespoon vanilla, baking powder and salt.

Mix as for pie.

Roll dough into balls about the size of a walnut. Refrigerate

Combine filling ingredients.

Roll balls flat in powdered sugar and spread with nut mixture. Roll up and shape into crescents. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle baked rolls with powdered sugar.

Recipe contributed by Wilma Stewart to “Our Daily Bread,” St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, published in 1974.

Holiday Fruit Cookies

31‚Ñ2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or shortening

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1‚Ñ2 cup buttermilk

11‚Ñ2 cup chopped nuts

2 cups candied cherries or dried mixed fruit, chopped

2 cups dates, chopped

Sift flour with soda and salt. Mix shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Blend in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Stir in nuts, dates and fruit. Refrigerate at least one hour. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool on rack.

Recipe contributed by Mildred J. Drake to “Favorite Recipes from our Best Cooks,” compiled by The Trumbull Baptist Neighborhood Ministries Board and Christian Friends, published in 1981.

Pecan Pie

3 eggs

1 cup dark corn syrup

1‚Ñ2 cup sugar

1‚Ñ4 pound butter, melted

1 cup pecans

1 (9-inch) pie crust

Beat eggs and add other ingredients. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

Recipe contributed by Frances Moore to “Our Daily Bread,” St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, published in 1974.