Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2012

My mother got this recipe out of a sack of flour when I was a child. I am 60 years old. She would make them every Christmas,(and only Christmas). My siblings and I didn't know what the name of them were, so we called them "Favorite Kind of Cookies". We still do. I always said when I was old enough to cook, I would make them anytime I wanted. After realizing how labor intensive they were, I cut back to only at Christmas! I am the designated "Favorite kind of Cookies" maker now and I have to make them every Christmas for my family and my husband's family! They are the best cookies in the world, and still our "Favorite Kind of Cookies!" It's just not Christmas until they are on the table!

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Reviewer:

jaypea

Reviewed: Feb. 1, 2012

Time consuming, but yummy little dainty treats. This is 'tea party' food at its best.

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Reviewer:

KRICKYR

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2012

I have a love/hate relationship with these cookies. Once you make them, you're hooked for life! Everyone will want you to make them for the next event! I don't use the egg yolk & increase the amount of filling. Have also used almond extract in place of vanilla. Don't make them on a humid day. I use a children's Tupperware cookie cutter (very small) & also had a friend put four forks together (with proper spacing to fit on the cookie) so I only have to prick once - a REAL timesaver (told you I make them a lot!!) Always the most popular cookie on a mixed tray.

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Reviewer:

mare

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Oakdale, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 3, 2012

This is the same recipe my grandmother has been making for years and now we continue the tradition every Christmas. As others have said it is very time consuming, you should roll out the dough in batches to keep the dough cool and easier to work with. I skip the wax paper and just flour a clean, flat surface as the paper moves around too much. I also cut them out with a child's medicine cup. This is not a complex tasting cookie so if you are looking for lots of candy filling, etc this is not the cookie for you. But it makes a delicious creamy butter cookie

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laurn

Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2011

This has been a Christmas favorite for many years. Make sure the dough is chilled. I roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time. I use a plastic medicine cup for a cookie cutter. These cookies are VERY breakable, and will stick to your pan. Spray your cookie sheet with Pam first, let them cool slightly, and they will come off easily. I make them without the egg yolk.

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MARYB8

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 18, 2011

These are time-consuming, but always well-received. FYI, I own a first-edition Betty Crocker Cooky Book, and the egg yolk IS included in the frosting recipe. I used the egg yolk for years and never thought about it (and never poisoned anyone!). But I don't use it now, and the frosting is fine.

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jenni

Reviewed: Dec. 4, 2011

Best. Cookies. Ever! BUT...there is no way in the world this would make 5 dozen cookies. I was lucky to squeeze out 2 dozen. I doubled the icing and I'm so glad I did. This recipe takes forever because the dough gets too warm so quickly that I had to put the "scraps" back in the fridge to set up for 15 min at a time to be able to work with it. It's a pain, but oh so worth it! I believe mine were a little too big (I used a shot glass to cut them), but they're still awesome. My mom used to make them waaayyy back in the day and mine tasted (and smelled) just like hers. They brought me right back to my childhood.

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Mandy

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Southgate, Michigan, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2011

This is a GREAT cookie. First published in Good Housekeeping Magazine, November, 1956. There has to be 1 change made for today's food supply and that is to eliminate to raw egg yolk in the frosting/filling. Just try to keep your filling a little softer and it will be okay, but the raw egg yolk poses real trouble. I have been making this cookie since 1956 and started leaving out the egg yolk about 20 years ago. That egg yolk gave the filling the most lucious , rich flavor, but the salmonella problem is not worth it to me. But enjoy these cookies...they are perfect for teas and I think adults really like them because they are light and flaky. cawoman50

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cawoman50

Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2011

This is my Grandma's old recipe! I made 100 of these in advance for my wedding. I do refrigerate the dough divided into quarters, shaped into 1" diameter logs so that you just have to slice and bake (I tried doing this with only 2 logs, but by the time you cut the last bit of log, your hand has warmed up the dough enough that it squishes down into a rectangle shape instead of a circle). ALSO - please use a good pan to bake...or put a baking stone in the oven to even out the heat distribution. These cookies are so thin and delicate, you can easily end up with half the cookies dark brown and the other half barely starting to tint...and because I cut them log-ways instead of rolled out, using a cookie cutter, mine are not a uniform thickness, and so they naturally bake unevenly. Finally, make these well in advance and freeze. They thaw out beautifully, but they're also perfectly delicious straight out of the freezer ;)

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Reviewer:

FlyingMatilda

Living In: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2011

We've made these cookies almost every Christmas since I was a kid. The most AWESOME extract to use in the filling is Almond Extract! Give it a try!! Mint and lemon can be some variations as well!

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