grandma stuecken's speculatius cookies...

Today is a special day. I will be sharing my absolute favorite of all time Christmas cookie recipe...my Grandmother Stuecken Specaltius Cookies. I do this in honor of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap of 2011 hosted by the fabulous Julie of The Little Kitchen and the lovely Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil. Ladies...it has been a privilege to take part in this awesome event!

To take part in the event I was given three names of other food bloggers and I was required to send them a dozen of my favorite cookies. I chose my Grandmothers Specalatius. In return, I received three dozen cookies from three different food bloggers. 

The three cookies I received were (from left to right) Cranberry Rocky Road Cookies from Emma at Emma Clare Eats, Chocolate Snowballs from Jey at The Jey of Cooking, and Chocolate Milk Cookies from Kathia at Pink Little Cake. They were fantastic. All three dozen disappeared in a matter of hours. Thank you my fellow foodies for sharing your baking treasures with me. 

Today I am sharing a recipe that has been passed down in my mother's family for the last four generations. These cookies are traditionally made in time for St. Nicholas Day, December 6. This particular recipe makes about 20-25 dozen cookies. They are meant to be given away to neighbors and friends and back in the day they would hang on the Christmas tree by a ribbon as ornaments and the children would pick them off the tree. 

I have baked these cookies every year for as long as I can remember. My mother tells stories of her mother teaching her and her sisters to bake them. My Grandmother would tell stories of her mother making them and hanging them on the tree. I love traditions like these. The ones handed down from generation to generation. 

So head into the kitchen and enjoy baking with your family. You will make memories to last a lifetime. 

Happy Baking!

Mary

(for more treats head over here...click)

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Grandma Stuecken Speculatius

(recipe transcribed by Mary Lenaburg)

5 lb flour

3 lb sugar

2 lb butter (no margarine)

5 eggs

3/4 lb finely ground unblanched almonds

2 T baking powder

2 heaping tablespoons cinnamon

1 heaping tablespoon ground cloves

1 heaping tablespoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Mix together all ingredients with your hands in a large bowl or dish pan.  Mix very well.  Form into six balls.  Put on a platter, cover with a cloth and let stand overnight in the refrigerator.  Roll dough, one ball at a time in thin sheets and cut with cookie cutters.  Keep reserve balls in fridge until ready to roll.  Place cut out cookies on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned on edges.  When cool store in airtight container.