Magic Celebration

Dec
24

Post by community member:

I really, really struggle with Christmas! In a good way, I guess. I love to bake and there are so many good cookie recipes out there with so little time that my ambition far exceeds my ability! I love the glitter and magic and spirit that surrounds Christmas–I really try not to let the material part of the season get me down.

One of my most wonderful, amazing, and memorable Christmases–the one that fills me most with the feeling of Christmas magic, occurred about 20 years ago. I was in the midst of a nasty divorce. I was still very close with my soon-to-be ex-in-laws although my heart had truly been broken by their son. My two children were 7 and 3 and the whole ordeal was definitely taking the Merry out of Christmas for us all. One evening shortly before Christmas, my kids and I were heading out to my ex’s store’s Christmas party (my ex-husband owned a video store downtown). It was a gorgeous night – painfully dark with just a sliver of a moon. It was blowing and snowing because it always blows and snows in the snow-belt of northwestern Pennsylvania. We trudged down our path to the sidewalk in front of our house and we heard the faint jingle of bells from up on the hill. When we looked, Father Christmas appeared in a whirl of snow illuminated by a streetlight–I am telling the truth. For a moment, time stood still. I heard both of the kids gasp in disbelief. Then Santa gave us a wave, hollered Merry Christmas and with another blast of wind and a blinding flurry of snow, he disappeared.

This was exactly the magic we needed. Our lives changed that evening and we truly enjoyed ourselves at the party surrounded by so many people–some who used to be family, and some who would always be family.

In celebration of this magic, I would like to share the recipe for my most favorite cookie ever: Cinnamon Crescents that I found in an issue of Yankee Magazine more than 20 years ago.

1 pkg (2.25 tsp yeast)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 cups flour, sifted
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs beaten lightly

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the water and stir to dissolve (I let it sit for about 5 minutes).

Add the flour, stir a bit. Add the sugar, melted butter, and beaten eggs and mix until well-blended. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days (or freeze).

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup or so of ground nuts – I use walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Divide pastry into 6 parts. Sprinkle a bit of the cinnamon/sugar mixture into a pie pan. Roll out one part of dough and press into the pie plate. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon/sugar mixture and ground nuts. Cut dough into 8 wedges and roll crescent style. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 for 12 – 15 minutes.

These are great–you can mix up the dough and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to make them. I usually make up several batches of the dough, then prep and bake them when needed. They are amazing with a hot cup of coffee.

Get the handy print page and save this to your recipe box here:
Cinnamon Crescents.


Beth blogs at One Old Goat.

Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
Read information here for Farm Bell blog submissions.

Want to subscribe to the Farm Bell blog? Go here.




Comments

  1. bonita says:

    Great story, oog. Just the kind of Christmas story that makes one believe. BTW, is that a stollen I spy next to the oranges?

  2. rileysmom says:

    Oh, what a heart-warming story! Yes, I,too struggle with the material obsessions of the holiday.
    I’m wishing everyone finds a bit of magic, too!

  3. Cin says:

    What a great story. I’ve got my dough in the fridge…..I can’t wait to try this:)
    Happy holidays

Add Your Thoughts



Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!