Sweet Treats

Faculty, staff and students share meaningful recipes for cookies, doughnuts and more this holiday season.

By Ryan E. Smith
Date

There’s no need to sugar-coat this news: Campus cooks are ready for the holidays. 

’Tis the season, after all, for flour-covered aprons to be hung by the oven with care. This December, several faculty and staff, as well as a student, have shared their most beloved recipes associated with this time of year.

Often passed down from generation to generation, these delicious spritz cookies, gingerbread treats and other holiday desserts will have you shaking in ecstasy like a bowl full of jelly (doughnuts).

Want even more holiday recipes from the Kenyon campus community? Check out these offerings that were shared last year.

Spritz cookies
Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies

Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies

Although this recipe is very simple, it is a classic Christmas cookie and my very favorite and reminds me of my childhood Christmases the most! My mom (retired Kenyon employee Mary Frazee) would make these every year, allowing my siblings and me to “help.” (We would mostly just decorate each cookie with an obscene amount of sprinkles.) Once they came out of the oven, we would start portioning off our stash, as they were a coveted cookie and one that was only made during the holiday season. Now that I have children of my own, I carry on the same tradition and allow them to help just as I did. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does

 — Tyler Hoobler, receipt coordinator for Advancement Information Services

1 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar until creamy.

3. Add egg, milk, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until combined.

4. Add flour and baking powder and mix until a nice dough is formed. Dough will be thick and slightly sticky.

5. Follow cookie press manufacturer’s directions to fit your cookie press with a decorative plate of your choice. Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet and press out the cookies about 1 inch apart. If desired, decorate the shaped cookie dough with sprinkles.

6. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes. 

7. After cookies are cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze and take out to serve as needed.

Gingerbread building
Chocolate Gingerbread House

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

When I first started out as a local private chef, I made it a practice to always include a custom cookie designed specifically for each event. These cookies were unique to each customer but all were executed in this distinctive dark brown cookie with a contrasting white royal 
Icing. The recipe was found during the usual clean out when my father passed away. The ingredients are simple and old fashioned, but the addition of dark cocoa powder results in a rich fragrant cookie that goes well with coffee or red wine. I am fortunate enough to have two daughters who are more than happy to help when it is time to bake cookies, and in 2020 we used this recipe for the structure of the gingerbread house that won first place at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ annual competition in Columbus. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

— Jauna Burke, administrative assistant in the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened non-alkalized dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup solid Crisco shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsulphured molasses

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, gently stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger until well blended; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat together Crisco and sugar at medium speed until well blended and light, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the molasses, egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. As the dough begins to stiffen, remove the bowl from the mixer stand and add remaining dry mixture. Knead with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes before cutting into shapes.

4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Bake the shapes for 12-14 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch.

7. Allow to cool completely before decorating with royal icing.

Makes 3 dozen medium-sized cookies

Soufganiyot
Sufganiyot

Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts)

We saw this a few years back in the December 2017 issue of Food & Wine that had them as the cover story. It was so nice to see a Hanukkah recipe that we had to try it. I never thought I really liked jelly doughnuts until we made them. The great thing about homemade is that you can pick a legitimately delicious jam instead of corn-starchy goop. Maybe one of these years I’ll even be brave enough to put something a little savory inside (fig, walnut and blue cheese?)

— Yutan Getzler, Pamela G. Hollie Endowed Chair in Global Challenges and professor of chemistry

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/3 cup superfine sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

1 large egg

4 teaspoons Armagnac or apple brandy (or any 80 proof, mildly flavored spirit)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

5 cups canola oil, plus more for brushing

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 cups strawberry jam

1. In a small microwavable bowl, warm the milk at high power to 110 degrees, 1 minute. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. (I measure the temperature with a meat thermometer and make sure the yeast settles in a little. It may not be “foamy” but if it has a strong yeasty smell, it’ll work.)

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour with the superfine sugar. Add the milk mixture, the butter, egg, Armagnac, vanilla and salt. Knead at low speed, scraping down the side of the bowl, until the dough starts to come together, about 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is soft and pulls away from the bowl, about 10 minutes.

3. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Lightly brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with oil. Punch down the dough and cut in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch log. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the cinnamon.

5. In a large saucepan, heat the 5 cups of oil over moderate heat to 325 degrees. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Using a set of tongs, transfer the doughnuts briefly to a rack and then to the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Let cool on a rack, until they can be handled (3 to 5 minutes).

6. Spoon the jam into a pastry bag or small resealable plastic bag with 1 corner snipped. Pipe about 2 tablespoons of jam
into 2 opposite ends of each doughnut and serve as soon as possible.

Makes 2 dozen doughnuts

Raisin cookies
Raisin-filled Cookies

Raisin-filled Cookies

I thought that I would share my mom's filled cookie recipe from the 1940s. Honestly, these are more like little pies than cookies, although I would not have said that to her! She usually filled them with a raisin filling as the recipe suggests, but any pie filling works (strawberry and cherry are favorites). I cannot make these without seeing my mom in the kitchen with her apron on — covered with flour. My mom made enough of these so that we could take some to each of our elderly neighbors. We would take the cookies and visit their homes — I remember chatting with them for hours. I still make them each year, and these take me back to my childhood.

— Alice Teall, senior director of wellness

1 cup butter or shortening, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 large eggs

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 cups boiling water

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 1/2 cups chopped/ground raisins (I use a food processor)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the filling, mix all the filling ingredients together in a medium-size pan; bring to a boil and cook 3 to 4 minutes until mixture is thick, stirring as you do so. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm before adding to cookies.

3. For the cookies, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a mixer. Stir in the eggs one at a time, until blended.

4. Sift and then measure the flour in a separate bowl. Add the baking powder, salt and baking soda, and then sift again.

5. Add the dry mixture and buttermilk, alternately, to the sugar and butter mixture. Next, add the vanilla. The dough will be nice and soft.

6. Roll the dough on a slightly floured countertop or board and cut into approximately 3-inch circles. I like to roll about ⅛-inch thick (a little thinner than a normal sugar cookie since you will have two together.

7. Place 1 circle on a cookie or baking sheet. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the lukewarm raisin filling in the center of the cookie. Over the top of the raisin filling, add another round circle made from cookie dough. Seal the edges with a fork, spoon or your fingers. Make a vent in the top of each cookie with a fork or knife, and place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies are nice and brown. Remove the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 24 cookies

Syrniki
Sýrniki

Grandpa’s Sýrniki

Syrniki are a popular Eastern European dish. Sweet, fluffy pancakes made from farmer’s cheese, they’re typically enjoyed with tea or jam, as well as a group of close friends and family. (Or by yourself!) Every time I come home, I always ask my grandpa to make these for me. They taste like a warm, sweet hug and, thus, are perfect for the holidays and the cold weather.

— Jackelyn Samandas ’25, vice president of the Eastern European Club

1 container of tvoróg or 14 ounces of farmer’s cheese (ricotta cheese may be substituted)

1 egg

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

2 tablespoons of sugar

150 grams of wheat flour

Vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, use a fork to mash up tvoróg or farmer's cheese until fairly smooth.

2. Add egg, salt, baking soda, sugar and wheat flour and mix with a fork.

3. Put some oil in a pan and turn the heat to high. Lightly wet hands with cold water, then take 3 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball by circling it between both palms. Flatten the ball between your palms.

4. Place 3 of the sýrniki in the pan. When the oil starts to bubble, turn heat to medium. 

5. Check the sýrniki for slight browning on both sides, then transfer to plate and allow to cool.

Makes 8 - 12

Peanut butter temptations
Peanut Butter Temptations

Heather Eckhardt’s Peanut Butter Temptations

Before I was married, my relatives from back East threw me a bridal shower. In addition to mixing bowls, spatulas and an omelet pan, the best gift I received was a recipe binder with contributions from my cousins and aunts, great-aunts and grandmothers. There were a few savory recipes, but the majority were baked goods: Aunt Ruth’s knobby apple cake, Aunt Loi’s blueberry tea bread, Aunt Judy’s mound bars. My cousin Heather’s peanut butter temptations have become a holiday favorite in our household. They are a twist on the peanut butter blossom cookie with the Hershey’s kiss in the middle. I think these are even better — a peanut butter cookie baked in a mini muffin tin with a Reese’s miniature peanut butter cup dropped in the center while the cookies are still warm. Enjoy!

— Abigail Serfass, editorial associate in the Office of Communications

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package (at least 40) miniature peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt and blend into the creamed mixture to make a stiff dough.

4. Shape dough into 40 1-inch balls and place in ungreased mini muffin tins.

5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. While cookies are baking, remove the foil and wrappers from 40 Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups.

6. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie while they are still hot. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 40 cookies

Peanut butter candy
Peanut Butter Candy

Peanut Butter Candy

This recipe has been in my family for at least five generations!  Probably since they started making hippolite (marshmallow cream)!

— Bruce Hardy, J. Kenneth Smail Professor of Anthropology

5 ounces evaporated milk

16 ounces confectioners sugar

12 ounces peanut butter

7 ounces marshmallow cream

1. Mix evaporated milk and confectioners sugar in a heavy medium-sized pot? and cook over low heat, bringing it to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Stir all the time; easily scorched. Does not need much cooking. Timing is difficult — cook it too much and your candy will turn out crumbly, too little and it won’t set.) 

2. Remove from heat and beat in peanut butter and marshmallow cream.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop the mix onto in spoonfuls or pour the whole thing onto it and cut into squares.

Makes 48 candies