Hi there CSI Project readers! This is Leslie from Pampers, Play Dates & Parties! Last October, I shared with you the Painted Pumpkin Planter, and I’m very excited to be back again to share a fantastic Cookie Exchange recipe.
I remember looking forward to the neighborhood cookie exchange every year as a kid, and still make a lot of the recipes we collected from those parties way back when. One of the best cookies I remember from my childhood is my mother’s Christmas Horns. (It turns out that this recipe originally came from my stepfather’s mother, but they’ll always be my mom’s cookies to me!)
I’ve never seen another cookie recipe like this anywhere else, and it’s pretty simple. The most difficult part is actually in rolling the cookies up…so I enlisted the help of my stepfather (master horn roller!) to help with the process.
Christmas Horns
Dough:
1 lb butter
1 carton cottage cheese (1 lb.)
3 ½ cups flour
1 lb butter
1 carton cottage cheese (1 lb.)
3 ½ cups flour
Filling:
2 cups ground walnuts or pecans (I use the ready-made pecan pieces)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Method:
Using a stand mixer (don’t attempt this by hand or with a hand mixer, the dough is too stiff), mix together the dough ingredients. Form dough into balls between 3/4 and 1 inch in diameter. Refrigerate overnight.
After the dough balls are well refrigerated, prepare a surface and rolling pin with plenty of flour. I recommend rolling out the dough on a floured silicon baking mat – it makes all the difference.
One at a time, roll the dough balls into an oval shape, pat flat, and roll very thinly into a crescent shape. Place about 1/2 to 1 tsp of filling into one side of the crescent.
Next, from the side with the filling, gently roll up the dough. Pinch the ends once or twice while rolling to help seal in the filling. When you reach the end of the dough, fold the ends over to create a little crescent.
Bake the cookies at 375 until golden brown. The original recipe calls for baking the cookies between 18 and 20 minutes, but they only take about 10-15 minutes. When cooled, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Even the little one could barely give me time to take photos before swiping a cookie!