Christmas and Cuckoo Cookies

While I was making yummy cakes for our land lord and my older sisters birthday, my mom stated how the family genes have been passed on. When I inquired about what she was getting at I was shocked with the explanation. Apparently my grandmother and great grandmother were excellent bakers. I had always assumed that this talent was a gift from the gods above however, I have since learned that I'm a fourth generation baker. I love baking and the one holiday that always reminds me of baking is christmas.

Every year my Mom, Jamie, and myself bake hundreds of cookies ranging from soft molasses cookies all the way to thumb prints and peanut butter blossoms. The last few years Jamie and I have kicked everyone out of the kitchen and have done all the baking our selves. Of all the cookies we make there is only one that is eaten within the first 24 hours of it coming out of the oven. This said cookie is as precious as gold in our household around christmas, and friends and family that come always expect a huge plate of them. The infamous cookie is known as the Cuckoo Cookie and are a delicious semi sweet chocolate cookie with a baked marshmallow on top drizzled in a chocolate glaze.

Equally as important to the cuckoo cookies for me was the Lamb Roast with Yorkshire Puddings and gravy. Along with sides like mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, broiled potatoes, green bean casserole and corn bread pudding were always pilled high on my grandmothers green china.

When ever I think of christmas her china is another thing that always pops up in my head. It was always perfect for christmas to because the whole set is green and gold trimmed and all you had to do was have red accents scattered across the table.

Now our older sister has been shunned from the kitchen because she just is not exactly a cook per say. Sarah is more of a place holder maker and every holiday she makes cute new place holders for our guests. She is very artistic when it comes to place holder cards.

Christmas has evolved a little bit over the years. We don't always have Lamb Roast and Yorkshire puddings but we always have the cookies my grandmother and great grandmother made and it is not likely to change.

The cuckoo cookies are a really easy cookie to make. It’s also a really fun cookie to make with kids. When we were little we were always in charge of cutting the marshmallows in two. And the most important job of all... licking the bowl.

To start off you must cream the sugar with the butter. For these cookies it doesn’t have to be as well incorporated and others but the creamer the better. creamier

Cuckoo Cookie Recipie

main ingredients

After creaming the butter and sugar you and the eggs(I did a double batch).

Whisk making sure everything is incorporated.

In a seperate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

Mix dry ingredient.

The alternatively add milk and dry ingredients.

Mix and repeat till milk and dry ingredients are gone.

Cut marshmallows in half.

spoon batter onto cookie sheet making the balls about a inch in diameter.

Make sure cookies are a least an inch apart then bake for 8 min.

After the 8 minuets smash marshmallows into the cookie.

Then bake for another 4 minuets.

Place cookies on cooling rack.

To make Glaze add 1 cup of coca powder, 3 cups of confectioner sugar and 2 sticks of butter.

Melt the butter in a microwave save dish.

Add melted butter to dry ingrediants

Then add at least 6 Tbs. of hot water to the mixture.

Whisk well till the chocolate mixture runs quickly off the whisk.

After cookies are cooled spread chocolate glaze on top of the cookie.

Allow chocolate glaze to set. Enjoy!

Cuckoo Cookies:

1 3/4 C Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 C Bakers Cocoa Power

1/2 C butter or shortening

1 C Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 C Milk

1 package of marshmallows.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix together. Alternatively add mild and dry mixture, mix well. When all is mixed together spoon cookies onto baking sheet at least an inch apart. Bake in over for eight minuets. Cut marshmallows in half. Smash the marshmallow into the cookie and bake another four minuets. Remove cookies from oven and place on cooling rack. Cover tops with Chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 C Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 C Confectioner Sugar

1 Stick of butter

3 tbs Boiling Water

Sift cocoa powder and confectioner sugar into a bowl. Melt butter then pour into dry mixture and mix well. Mixture will appear dry. Add boiling water and whisk well. Chocolate should run quickly off the whisk. If mixture starts to harden you can add more water till you get the consistency you desire.