Traditional foods and cookies bring joy to the season

Christmas brings so many joys and memories, but for me, the No. 1 treasure has always been the carols. The classics are my favorites — “Joy to the World,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” and “Away in a Manger.”

Sadly, you don’t often hear these songs in the grocery store or at Walmart anymore. Maybe Hobby Lobby will play a few, but for the most part, the true heart of Christmas music is found in church. If you want to experience the timeless beauty of these songs, I encourage you to head to a Christmas service. At our church, Crossroads Baptist Church, you will hear them ringing out with joy.

And, of course, what goes hand in hand with Christmas carols? Traditional foods and sweets of the season! This year I’ve brought you one appetizer and three cookies to add to your holiday table.

Our appetizer is a simple classic you may not have tried yet: marinated cheese. With incredible local cheese houses like Pearl Valley Cheese and Walnut Creek Cheese right here in our area, this recipe is a perfect way to showcase their award-winning flavors.

Next, cookies! Flaky peppermint crème-filled cookies are festive and refreshing yet surprisingly easy. The cream filling uses marshmallow crème, which makes them come together quickly, but your guests will never know it wasn’t an all-day effort. While peppermint is perfect for Christmas, you could switch the filling to chocolate, caramel or raspberry for a delicious variation.

I also love thumbprint cookies during the holidays. These are filled with jam and drizzled with rich ganache (yum!). And, of course, we can’t forget a perennial favorite: soft molasses cookies. Spiced with ginger and rolled in sparkling sugar, they’re the perfect way to round out your Christmas cookie offerings.

Here in Coshocton, Christmas is full of community joy. From drive-thru nativities and festive music to the Christmas parade on Main Street, candlelighting at Roscoe Village and even children’s crafts at church, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate.

But in the middle of it all, I hope you’ll take time to lift your voice in a Christmas carol and thank God for sending his son. That is the true meaning of this season.

MARINATED CHEESE

2 blocks (3 ounces each) white cheddar, monetary jack or pepper jack cheese

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

¾ cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers

½ cup olive oil

 ¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon dried or fresh minced basil or oregano

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Toasted French bread or assorted crackers

Sliced apples

Slice each block of cheddar cheese into 20 ¼ inch slices. Cut each block of cream cheese into 18 slices. Sandwich between cheddar slices using a knife to spread evenly. Create four 6-inch-long blocks of cheese. Place in a 13-by-9-inch dish.

In a small bowl, combine the roasted red peppers, oil, vinegar, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over cheese.

Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning once. Drain excess marinade. Serve cheese with bread or crackers and sliced apples.

(Adapted from Taste of Home All New Church Supper Recipes.)

FLAKY PEPPERMINT CREAM-FILLED COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cubed

2/3 cup marshmallow crème

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Crushed peppermint candies

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in cold butter and cream cheese until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape into a disk: wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F. On a lightly flour surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 1 ½ inch cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake 7-10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream marshmallow cream and softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Stir in peppermint extract. Spread peppermint cream on one cookie. Top with another cookie. Roll in crushed peppermint candies. Repeat with remaining cookies.

(Adapted from Taste of Home All New Church Supper Recipes.)

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH GANACHE AND PRESERVES

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (measure by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup packed light brown sugar

⅔ cup white sugar, divided

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract

2 teaspoons milk or nut milk

Filling

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon chocolate extract

1 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar and ⅓ cup granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract and chocolate extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute more.

Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the milk and mix on low until combined. The cookie dough will be thick.

Roll balls of dough, approximately 1 tablespoon each, and roll each into remaining ⅓ cup granulated sugar. Place cookie dough balls onto a large, lined baking sheet. Using your thumb, make an indent into each cookie. Chill the shaped cookies for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove chilled and shaped cookies from the refrigerator. Divide between both baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are set.

Remove from the oven. The indents will have lost some shape or have puffed up, so use the end of a spatula to make an indent again into the warm cookies. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before filling with ganache.

For the Filling

Place chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to gently simmer. Pour over chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Stir in the chocolate extract. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of the preserves into the cookie indentation, followed by 1 teaspoon of ganache. Let the ganache harden before serving.

(Adapted from www.whatsgabycooking.com/double-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies/.)

SOFT MOLASSES COOKIES

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup white sugar, plus extra for rolling

1 egg

⅓ cup dark molasses

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (measured by scoop and leveling)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

In a large stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, egg and molasses. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Combine the flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and baking soda and sift together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Once chilled, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls. Roll them around in a small cup of sugar and set onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool.

(Adapted from www.whatsgabycooking.com/molasses-cookies/.)