One of my favorite traditions for Christmas is my grandma’s brandied cookies. Every year, she fills a Christmas tin with those cookies and ships them off to me. Nothing says CHRISTMAS quite like them, as they’ve been in my family since my great grandma, who started the cookie tradition.
My grandma, who is inching her way to 89, still lives in her own house (where she’s lived since my dad was a baby) and manages her life. She’s slowing down some and doesn’t remember things like she used to, but she still holds her own. Last time I went to visit, I asked if we could make the famous brandied cookies together. Although the recipe is easy, I’ve never actually made them myself. I wait for them to arrive in the mail each December (making them even more special).
Grandma certainly isn’t ready to hand the torch to me, but I wanted to create the memory of baking these cookies with her while she’s still here. And mmmm. They were delicious, like always!
How to make Grandma’s Brandied Christmas Cookies: Printable
1 C butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup pecans
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup candied cherries
1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup brandy
Cream butter, add sugar and eggs. Mix well. And all other ingredients in order given, adding brandy a little at a time.
Cover, let stand overnight. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 18 minutes. Store in an airtight container.
Kerrie blogs at CIty Girl Farming. Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
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bonita says:
Your Grandma looks great! The cookies sound yummy and easy enough to try. thanks for posting. Oh, and love the McCoy bowl, bet it’s real!
On December 13, 2011 at 2:27 am
CindyP says:
Your Grandma does look great!! How wonderful you were able to make your favorite cookies with her…and document it!
The cookies look and sound wonderful, too. I’m putting them in my box…wonder how those would do frozen?
On December 13, 2011 at 9:08 am
Kathi N says:
Your Grandma is precious. And the cookies look good, too!
I LOVE the photo of the recipe card, and seeing the word “oleo” WHOOSED me back in time.
Thank you!
Kathi
http://granddadscorner.blogspot.com
On December 13, 2011 at 9:25 am
Anita says:
Oh honey, those look AWESOME! Thanks for sharing this.
On December 13, 2011 at 9:35 am
pirate96 says:
Great looking cookies! I bet they tasted even better than just waiting on the mail. Cherish the time with Grandma, but I am not telling you anything you don’t already know.
On December 13, 2011 at 9:38 am
Kerrie says:
Thanks everyone! My grandma is sweet. She even posed for these shots the day before she was going to get her hair done. 🙂 I’m very fortunate to have made it to my old age (over 40!) and still have a grandma around. I don’t take it for granted!
And Cindy P. They freeze wonderfully. When the tin arrives in the mail, I gobble down about half and then put the other half in small containers in the freezer to pull out and savor throughout the winter. For years now, I’ve never known if it will be Grandma’s last shipment, so I try to make them last as long as possible!
On December 13, 2011 at 11:48 am
Mary says:
These look and sound wonderful. I love anything that has a bit of a fruitcake vibe to it. I was all excited about making them and then I read the dreaded “Let stand overnight.” Are you kidding me? Let’s see. I usually go to bed at eleven and get up at six, that’s only seven hours. So if I make the batter now, I can refrigerate it until after dinner and bake them then. Oh, and my refrigerator gets really cold and freezes my vegetables so I can deduct a couple of hours for that. Maybe I’ll refrigerate half the dough overnight and do a comparison study. Don’t tell your Grandma! 🙂
On December 13, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Linda Goble says:
What a sweet story. It brought tears to my eyes. I certainly cherish the time with my grandma which just turn 90 in Nov. and Grandpa just turn 96 and they still get around pretty good.
On December 13, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Lana says:
My grandmothers are long gone, and I have wonderful memories, but now is the time for my seven-year-old granddaughter and me to start making cooking memories. This looks like a perfect place to begin!!!
On December 13, 2011 at 8:50 pm