Book Club Tuesday: A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook

For something that happens only once a year, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about cookie boxes. It’s only been in the last handful of years that I’ve gotten serious about what goes into the boxes – normally, I choose a combination of recipes from cookbooks I’ve received during the past year, from the annual NYT Cookie Week lineup, and usually something from the fine recipe developers at King Arthur. But, what I’ve been noticing is that the cookie selection I’ve been seeing on social media lacks the holiday spirit. It’s like what writer Tim Mazurek said in his post What we talk about when we talk about Christmas cookies (link here): “First of all, not every cookie is a Christmas cookie. Christmas cookies are like porn, you know them when you see them.” He is 10000000% correct! The holidays are a time for wheeling out the recipes that don’t get made at any other time during the year and, I know when I hand over a box of cookies in December, the recipient better feel that Christmas spirit and an oatmeal cookie ain’t going to cut it. Luckily this year, Appetite by Random House sent me a copy of Karlynn Johnston’s (aka The Kitchen Magpie – find my review of The Prairie Table here) A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook, so I made the bold move to choose all the recipes I would make from this book.

Maybe you’re wondering why I’m so taken with Johnston’s book? While flipping through the pages, I was hit with a deep sense of nostalgia – these are the recipes of my childhood. When we would pile into the family car (a beautiful metallic beige 1979 Buick Riviera), we would make the rounds and visit our friends and relatives during the holiday season. And, at these visits we would be offered the most plentiful trays of gorgeous cookies, candies, dainties, and treats. I know when I posted photos of what I made, many of you felt this nostalgia too – one of my friends said it reminded her of the treats that would be served at church when she was a kid. Another woman on Instagram commented that her mom made the Marshmallow Yule Logs when she was a child. These are the feelings and memories I want to invoke with my holiday boxes, and I adore Johnston’s attitude too! For her, living in that beautiful prairie city of Edmonton, the winter brings a time when people slow down and keep cozy indoors. It’s also a time to enjoy “the food that we only have during the holiday season! The glorious, once-a-year baking fest where we pull out all the stops.” (1)

In case you’re wondering, A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook is more than just cookies! The 120 recipes are organized into 8 chapters: 1) Shortbread and Sugar Cookies, 2) Gingerbread & Festively Filled Cookies, 3) Candies, 4) Confections, 5) Dainties, Bars & Slices, 6) Cakes, Dessert Salads & Puddings, 7) Icings, Frostings, Sauces & Garnishes, and 8) Cocktails & Punches. Over these chapters, Johnston offers everything to make your holidays warm and festive (there’s even an extra section on Ukrainian Christmas Favourites – recipes that speak to Johnston’s Ukrainian heritage). For those of you who are new to The Kitchen Magpie universe, Johnston is a prolific collector of vintage and retro, which is also beautifully showcased throughout the book.

What I appreciate about these recipes is that they accomplish a lot without home bakers selling their souls to the Bulk Barn. Ingredients are used sparingly but to good advantage. And, out of the nine recipes I made, I didn’t have to source anything from the internet. No expensive “specialty” ingredients either. The other thing that I noticed about the recipes I chose is that the processes for making the treats was simple and succinct – the recipes I used weren’t stretched over multiple pages. With modern recipes, it seems like the authors expect people to bake cookies that will be eaten almost immediately, whereas Johnston tells home bakers that many of the goods can be frozen (up to 3 months in some cases). This is helpful if you can’t bake everything in one go. In my case, I took one Sunday and made 9 recipes! With previous boxes, it took me as long as 3 days to complete all the baking (doughs often needed to be chilled over night, etc.). So, I am sitting here, middle of December with all my baking done and my holiday boxes delivered.

I can tell you right now that it was difficult to choose what to make because everything looked so wonderful! I made sure to go with some obvious classics: the Traditional Whipped Shortbread and the Gingerbread Press Cookies. I love that the shortbread cookies are topped with glace cherries – this is something I remember from childhood. They have such a beautiful light texture – I’m thinking that Santa would appreciate having these on his cookie plate this year. Then there’s the gingerbread – I’m not sure I could enjoy this time of year without making them! While the recipe for the press cookies requires the use of a spritz cookie extruder, Johnston also gives directions in case you don’t have one. I’ve already heard back from a friend that these are “THE BEST” gingerbread cookies they’ve had.

There’s something about using everyday ingredients such as saltine crackers or cornflakes and turning it into a holiday star. Just ask my neighbour – The Saltine Toffee Bark is to die for (and I’m fairly certain she didn’t share with her kids – no shade because I would keep it to myself too). Saltine crackers are layered with buttery toffee and chocolate – I garnished mine with roasted nuts, festive sprinkles, and flakey sea salt. And, if you’re looking for a great gluten free recipe to add to your repertoire, then give the Chocolate Meringue Corn Cereal Cookies a try. A whipped, vanilla-infused meringue batter is mixed with cornflakes, chocolate chips, and flaked coconut, then topped with a halved glace cherry. Once baked, this crispy cookie is a fantastic addition to any cookie platter.

My daughter preferred the candy-based cookies – the Peppermint Candy Chocolate Cookies, Gumdrop Cookies, and the Chocolate-Kissed Snowball Cookies. I like the gumdrop cookies because they remind me of my best friend Kate who originally introduced these cookies to me (for those unfamiliar with gumdrops, they’re smaller-sized bits of jujubes). My daughter marveled at the chocolate cookies topped with the peppermint kisses because she wondered how they didn’t melt in the oven (the secret is to add the kisses once the cookies are immediately out of the oven). Even plain chocolate kisses get some love when they are stuffed inside buttery cookie dough that contains finely chopped toasted hazelnuts.

No cookie box or holiday treat platter could be complete without some fudge or some type of marshmallow-laced slice. I went with Peanut Butter Fudge and the Marshmallow Yule Log. Both recipes are no bake/made on the stovetop and are quick to make. I tend to shy away from fudge recipes because, like Johnston, I’ve had a few seize up on me. But with Johnston’s “foolproof” method (this recipe uses a jar of marshmallow fluff), the Peanut Butter Fudge turned out with the perfect texture. And, all it took for me to try the yule log recipe was that, unlike most versions, Johnston’s version omitted the use of raw egg yolk! As you can see from the photo, once sliced, the rainbow marshmallows give such a festive holiday effect.

I am so pleased to add A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook to my shelf because it’s one that I’m already looking forward to using again next year (and all the years after that). Johnston’s book so perfectly hits on that vintage holiday vibe while bringing all the nostalgia from the Christmases I enjoyed as a kid. Festive and celebratory, this is exactly the book I needed this holiday season.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Any links provided are intended purely for informational purposes.