Santa's Helpers - 3 ways

maggie2094

18 years ago

I am not sure this reads well in the picture - to the right regular oven 350 for 15 minutes and to the left convection 325 9 minutes. The convection are lighter in color and higher.

{{!gwi}}

Here is the 3rd batch - back to regular oven at 350 - by this time the dough has softened. I think these look the most like yours, Sherry? Or the one that Stacey posted? The plates for you, Sherry:)

{{!gwi}}

So, I had some filling left - I must have been cheap or something - so we had "cookie toast" for breakfast.

{{!gwi}}

I like the 3rd batch best. Although my son likes these I think of them as more of a grown up cookie. Sending them in today for my son's holiday party as a teacher treat. Thanks for the recipe. Very unique!

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Comments (8)

woodie
18 years ago
Thanks, Maggie! I'm making these tomorrow. Your son must have loved his special toast :)
lindac
18 years ago
OK....where's the recipe?!!
Linda C
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Santa's Helpers cookies question
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Welp, I must tell you. I did make them. Lots of them. And they are probably one of the best tasting cookies I've ever had and guess what? Hubs agrees; he loves them. The first batch looked very similar to Monique's picture above; same size same amount of filling etc., so what did I do? I decided to make them bigger and with more filling. And so proceeded to make up several cookie sheets with the bigger versions and had both ovens going and baked them all at the same time. BIG MISTAKE. I couldnt lift the cookie without it falling apart. Couldn't get them off the cookie sheet. The ones that I did get off the sheet in one piece, I cooled and then gently placed into a tupperware container. Then all the cookies stuck together and you can't get them apart in one piece, you get chunks of cookie. I saw hubs with a tiny spatula last night eating the cookies out of the container. hahahaha! Here is what's left of the smaller ones that I should have just left alone and not tried to make them bigger: And here is what the bigger ones look like, I see hubs left the little spatula in there! haha! These little cookies are wonderful and to me, they taste like a really good coffee cake. So, I did not take these to the cookie exchange; I made regular plain old butter cookies with the cookie press. Made some of the dough green, some red and left some uncolored. Put sprinkles on some of them and left others plain. My cookies won 3rd place after all that! (Only out of 11 entries) Such a plain little cookie with such big butter flavor; everyone really loved them. Sherry, I know I'll be making the Santa's Helpers again; maybe for xmas eve! We loved them. Thanks for the recipe.
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maggie2094
Original Author
18 years ago
He did, Woodie!

Here you go Linda. It is like having a coffeecake in a cookie.

This is Sherry's original reci-pe.
"Santa's Helpers."
Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth
Add:
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Beat until smooth
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Stir until smooth and then add:
1 cup chopped walnuts

Divide dough into quarters. Form each quarter into 6 balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. With finger, make a wide deep depression in each cookie, clear to the edge. Fill with topping. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, (or in a convection oven, about 9 minutes)
If you undercook these, the filling is so heavy that it will break through when you pick them up, so I make them crunchy. You could also not make the depression in them as deep and there would be more dough to suport the filling so that it did not break through. These are my family's favorite cookies, and we have never ever seen them anywhere else. (They were my secret weapon)
Also, if I make a huge depression in them, I sometimes make half again as much filling so I don't run out.
Makes 24 cookies
sheshebop
18 years ago
Glad you liked them. I have done them in a convection oven also, but preferred them in a regular oven. Yours all turned out beautifully!
Merry Christmas!
dgkritch
18 years ago
OK, so how come mine came out really flat?
Yummy, but flat! They are soft too. Are they supposed to be? I mean the dough part is more cake-like. From the photos I expected them to be a little firmer, like a sugar cookie. Mine really want to stick when stacked (yeah, that was fun to say, wasn't it?).

My butter was at room temp and so were the eggs. I made balls, then made the "thumprint" and filled them. They were probably about 2 1/2" diameter. After baking, they are closer to 4" or 4 1/2" and FLAT!

Any ideas????????

Deanna
maggie2094
Original Author
18 years ago
Hi Deanna - according to Betty (my cookbook - lol).

Reasons for flat cookies:

Butter was too soft or partially melted
undermeasurement of flour
Dough placed on hot or warm cookie sheet

I know your a great baker so you probably know all that...the batch I did convection was almost cake like and the regular oven batch was more sugar cookie but more substantial - hard to say - they are unique!

I thought mine were supposed to be flater - LOL.
msafirstein
18 years ago
I made Sherry's SHs for my cookie baskets this year. I, too, had leftover filling so I just ate it with a spoon...YUM!

Michelle
homesforsale
18 years ago
I have to make more! We love them..And your plate is PERFECT!

Santa's Helpers - 3 ways

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woodie

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Santa's Helpers - 3 ways

Comments (8)

woodie

lindac

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