Seasonal celebration cookies
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
It’s the season of many celebrations!
Harvest is done, snow is moving in and it’s just a little too cold to do much more than sit around a warm fire and celebrate.
Celebrate the return of the sun! Celebrate your culture! Celebrate with your religion! Celebrate with cookies and cocoa! Here are some recipes to help you along.
The word "Kwanzaa" comes from the phrase, "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first-fruits." Kwanzaa is a newly developed celebration for African-Americans to explore their heritage. This seven-day celebration revolves around seven principles: unity, self-determination, cooperative economics, creativity, collective work and responsibility, purpose and faith. The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green: black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for hope.
According to the creator, Dr. Maulena Karenga, Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday. And it is not an alternative to people's religion or faith but a common ground of African culture. Some celebrants see Kwanzaa as an alternative to the commercial aspects of Christmas.
Here is a recipe for a Kwanzaa cookie. "Benne" means sesame seeds, and these are deliciously crispy little cookies. They originate in Africa, and are common in arab and muslim cultures.
THE BEST BENNE WAFERS
1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 375º F. Mix the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, flour, salt, baking powder, and toasted sesame seeds together until well combined in a large mixing bowl. Drop cookie dough by half-teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet at least two inches apart; they tend to spread.
Bake for about six minutes or until edges begin to brown. They will be a little puffy when you take them out, but after about three minutes will flatten like a wafer. Remove them to a wire rack and allow to cool. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, and serve with spiced hot tea and milk.
Eid al-Adha is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael (or Isaac) for Allah. It is one of two Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate, Eid ul-Fitr at the start of the annual pilgrimage called the Hajj, and Eid ul-Adha at the end, when pilgrims descend from Mount Ararat. It is approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.
Eid al-Adha is called “Ciidwayneey” in Somalia This year it’s December 20. It includes prayer, sacrifices and donations to the poor over the course of four days. People are expected to visit their relations, starting with their parents, then their families and then their friends.
This is an awesome cookie for Eid al-Adha from Gourmet Magazine. It’s a little crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, just the perfect amount of spices. This cookie is similar to a gingersnap.
SOMALI SPICE SUGAR COOKIES
3/4 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
granulated sugar for dipping the balls of dough
In a bowl, cream the shortening with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the egg and the molasses. In a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add the flour mixture in batches to the shortening mixture, and blend well. Chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour.
Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls. Dip one side of each ball into the granulated sugar, and arrange the balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 375° F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffed and cracked on top. Transfer the cookies with a metal spatula to racks and let them cool.
Throughout Sweden the feast day of Saint Lucia is celebrated as a festival of lights. In the early hours of the morning of December 13 a young woman, dressed in a white gown, and wearing a red sash and a crown of lingonberry twigs and blazing candles, would go from one farm to the next carrying a torch to light her way, bringing baked goods, stopping to visit at each house and returning home by break of day. Every village had its own Lucia who was warmly received by all.
In Norway and Sweden it is still a custom on December 13 for a girl in a white dress (representing the Saint), to bring a tray of saffron buns and steaming coffee to wake the family. She is called the Lussibrud (Lucia bride) and her pastry (saffron buns) is Lussekattor. Today many families have a Lucia-Queen in their own home, often the youngest daughter, who wakes the rest of the family with song.
Lucia symbolizes light and growth for the world as it emerges out of the winter darkness. She is said to have been beheaded by the sword during the persecutions of Diocletian in Sicily. Her body was later brought to Constantinople and finally to Venice, where it now rests in the church of Santa Lucia. Her original feast day was the winter solstice, but after the Gregorian calendar was established it moved to December 13.
The town of Lindsborg, Kans. will be celebrating on December 8 this year, with the crowning of Lindsborg's Lucia, a procession, music and dancing and a Christmas bake sale. Here is a recipe for Swedish Christmas cookies from Isabell Gudmundsson.
PEPPARKAKOR (SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES)
7 oz butter (14 Tbsp.)
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. golden cane sugar syrup (or corn syrup)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/3 Tbsp. water
1 egg
3 1/3 - 3 3/4 c. flour
Melt with butter with sugar, syrup, and spices. Heat it up carefully until the butter has melted. Let it cool off. Dissolve baking soda water and add it to the butter mixture. Add egg, flour. Wrap the dough in foil, refrigerate overnight. On floured surface, roll out the dough very thin. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Bake on greased tray at 350° F 6 - 8 min. Keep under observation, they burn easily. Let the cookies cool off on the cookie tray. Share and enjoy!
Next week we’ll have some food gift ideas from area 4-H members. What a great project for your kids, to make something up and share with others. Let’s get cooking!
traceygraham (Tracey Graham) says...
I'm going to a cookie exchange party this afternoon and wanted to try something different. The Somali Spice cookies are DEEEEELICIOUS! If you like the taste of gingerbread, you'll love these!
December 9, 2007 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hillbilly (anonymous) says...
Who are you trying to impress with you seasonal somalio cookies. You forgot to include in the directios to go to the restroom and wipe with your left hand before you begin making them.
What happened to Christmas. When are all of you bleeding heart fools going to wake up. I know - when it is to late! This country was founded on a blief in Christ. Just look at dollar bills you have in your wallets. Remember 'IN GOD WE TRUST". When will you realize that somalia's are muslims and they believe that it is not a sin for them to lie and kill infidels. Remember infidels are anyone who is not a muslim. Infidels include: Catholics, Baptist, Methodist, Christian, Pentecostals, Lutherans, Presbyterian, Espicpols, Ammish, Mormans, Jews, Athists, etc. Remember Obama who is running for President and will not even put his hand over his heart during the National Athem, is a muslim too.
And I know someone is going to come back and say Jesus told us to love each other, but he also said to study the scriptures and be aware of false teachings. Wake up - do not be caught sleeping like the 10 virgins whose laterns ran out of oil. muslims are false teachings. So go ahead regina murphy and tracy graham and all you other bleeding heart fools, go eat you somalia cookies and remember DO NOT WASH YOUR HANDS before you make them.
I will be having my CHRISTMAS Cookies and birthday cake in celebration of JESUS's Birthday.
December 9, 2007 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
traceygraham (Tracey Graham) says...
Rant all you want... the cookies _are_ delicious.
December 10, 2007 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Spenser (anonymous) says...
Hillbilly,
I think you might be confused about where Christmas cookies come from. Christmas cookies come from the fact that you call if a Christmas cookie. You are celebrating Christmas. There is no Christmas cookie preordained by the Vatican or the by the LCMS. It's a recipe. Try it. I think Jesus would enjoy the cookie. Maybe He would break a Benne wafer and feed everyone in Emporia.
Just a thought.
December 10, 2007 at 11:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hillbilly (anonymous) says...
spenser - i do not care about the vatican, i sure am no catholic. and what on earth is the lcms. Let me guess, something related to the catholics.
News flash. - catholics are not the only religion.
December 11, 2007 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
equalrights (anonymous) says...
Hillbilly--
Your intolerance is unChristmas like as well as unChristian like. Christ is not a racist or hateful person. Just saying...
December 11, 2007 at 8:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
equalrights (anonymous) says...
ps... hillbilly. Hate doesn't win people to Christ.
December 11, 2007 at 8:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Spenser (anonymous) says...
Hillybilly,
I doubt you'll get this, but LCMS is the LUTHERAN CHRCH MISSOURI SYNOD. Good work on that Catholics aren't the only religion. You're apparently smarter than I originally presumed.
December 30, 2007 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )