Grandma's Christmas Cookie

5.0
(1)

My Grandmother used to make these for my mother and me for years. We took it for granted that she would always be here to do so. My mother and I played with the ingredients until we think we have duplicated Grandma's recipe. The light coating of powdered sugar makes these stand out from the other cookies in the tin.

Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
8 mins
Additional Time:
27 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:
96
Yield:
8 dozen cookies
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 96 servings

  • 4 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup margarine, softened

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups white sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 cups ground pecans

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar, or more as needed

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

  2. Stir the sifted flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together in a bowl.

  3. Beat the margarine, butter and sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add one egg, and continue beating until completely incorporated; add the remaining egg along with the vanilla extract, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Gently mix the pecans into the dough with your hands.

  4. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls; arrange onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden-brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Place confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and lightly dip both sides of each warm cookie into the sugar. Tap of excess, and allow cookies to finish cooling.

Cook's Note

The dough is sticky, and may work better if chilled between batches. My mother and I usually use 2 smaller bowls to chill the dough quicker and add more from the main bowl of dough as needed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

86 Calories
5g Fat
9g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 96
Calories 86
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 62mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g 2%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 27mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.