Who doesn’t love a good holiday cookie? For the next six weeks, we’re going to bring you some of our favorite recipes, and recipes from our chambanamoms contributors. We also asked all of our writers to share why these cookies are so important to them and how they fit into their families’ holiday traditions.
We will share these recipes every week on Monday, right up to Christmas Eve. If you have a recipe (and a story to go with it!) submit it here and we’ll publish it!
by Erin Tarr
I am very “all or nothing” type of person, and thus struggle with my compulsive nature on a weekly basis however… I just give into it when it comes to my mom’s Brown-Eyed Susan Cookies.
Although my mother (who received her BA in Home Economics in the late 70’s from the University of Illinois) makes every kind of cookie under the sun, if I spot a couple of these on the tray … God help the hand that attempts to grab them before I get there!
Strangely enough, it wasn’t until last year that my mother told me how easy they were to make, and now I keep the ingredients on hand almost year round (in case of a cookie emergency).
SIDENOTE: A cookie emergency may be constituted by any of the following conditions: too much laundry, too many kids, not enough sleep, basement flood, snowed in, rained in, too much sun, day off work, long day at work, friends coming over, fight with husband, car accident, too many clean dishes, child home sick from school, favorite TV show canceled…(FYI: This list is not inclusive)
I must warn you, though, I have seen a variety of imposters that imitate this most amazing of cookies! First, there is the classic Peanut Butter Blossom with a Hershey’s kiss adorning it… no offense to the classic PB cookie, but it is no match for the Brown Eyed Champ. Occasionally, someone will also try to replace the Hershey’s Kiss with a “candy star” on top – NO THANK YOU. (Full Disclosure: this is how my mom made them when I was younger, but the Hershey’s are MUCH better, TRUST ME.) And finally there is the shortbread “thumbprint” variation of which there are several iterations of all over the internet and which LOOK remarkably similar, but don’t be fooled – they are NOT the same (and the recipes for these are a lot more complicated than mine!).
Here is the tried and true, best Holiday Cookie (IMHO)
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Brown-Eyed Susan Recipe:
NOTE: I double and triple this recipe since each “batch” only yields about a dozen cookies.
• 1 package instant pudding mix, Vanilla (you can experiment with other flavors, but vanilla is my fave)
• 3/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• Hershey Kisses
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Drop by rounded teaspoonful (I ALWAYS use my Pampered Chef tsp. scoop) on ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten ever so slightly. Bake 7 to 8 minutes at 375° F.
As soon as you bring them out of the oven, push a Hershey’s Kiss (unwrapped, duh!) into the center of each cookie and let set for 10 – 15 minutes. The chocolate will soften and melt into the cookie. I often pop them in the freezer or fridge to reconstitute them more quickly … up to you!
EXTRA BONUS: NO SUGAR in the dough! So they are practically health food… right?