More Cookies Please!

The Christmas holiday, besides being a time for giving, is inevitably a time for eating. I would dare say more good food is consumed in December than any other time of year without exception. We all have a favorite food that sparks a wonderful memory or screams "now this is Christmas!" Mine is most definitely COOKIES.

I think it all started with my Mom who would fill our freezer in the weeks leading up to Christmas with holiday inspired butter cookies. I remember that by the time Christmas Eve rolled around there were never many left for Santa, which was probably a good thing since my Dad had eaten almost half of the bounty by himself. These days it's my older sister who has taken on the role of family baker. She always arrives at our annual Christmas Eve feast with as many large platters of beautifully decorated cookies as she can fit in her car. More than enough for each family member to take home their own assortment to be enjoyed for days.

Baking is much more of a science than any other kind of cooking so be sure to measure your ingredients carefully. Here's one to get you started...

CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

3 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts

3 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1/2 cup rum

Combine crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, cocoa and nuts.

Blend in corn syrup and rum. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in additional confectioner's sugar.

Store in an airtight container for several days to develop flavor. Roll in confectioner's sugar again before serving.