New Year’s Cookies

I know, I know….these look like donuts. And, I guess technically they are BUT they've been dubbed New Year’s Cookies and that’s how they will be staying with me. This is a very traditional recipe for my maternal Grandfather’s side of the family. They all gather together and make mounds and mounds of these- or so I am told. I've never actually been able to be at one of the blessed days. Someday though, someday.

Since my Grandparents lived here in Oregon and the rest of their family was scattered across the plains and south, my Grandma would make these very year. My sister and I almost always spent New Year’s Eve at their house, staying up late and eating huge bowls of ice cream. We would try to make it to Midnight (I don’t think we ever did) and the next morning we would get to have these. Our job was to shake them in the bags of sugar or powdered sugar, and I always requested mine to be made without raisins! My Grandpa may be gone but the memory of those mornings will last forever, and now I’m making memories with this recipe and my own family.

This is a recipe out of my family cookbook and it makes a TON of them. I would guess that it makes close to 5 dozen, if not more. The best part is that they freeze beautifully so if you are going to go to the effort to make them, make the big batch and freeze what you don’t eat for later. They re-heat beautifully in the microwave and taste just as good as fresh. Have a little New Year all year long!

New Year’s Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons yeast
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons shortening or lard
• 3 cups warm milk
• 1 cup raisins (I leave these out!)
• 4 beaten eggs
• approx. 8 cups flour

In a LARGE bowl, stir together the water, yeast and 1/4 cup sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then add everything except the flour to the mix. Stir in enough flour to make a soft but not sticky dough and knead for a few minutes. Place into a greased bowl and cover loosely; let sit until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Punch down and let raise again. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot 1/2 full of oil (or a counter-top deep fat fryer) and scoop or pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough. Drop into the oil and fry until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Let them drain on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet. Roll in sugar, cinnamon/sugar or powdered sugar.

Eat massive amounts with good, strong coffee and be prepared to feel perfection. Make some and make them your own family tradition, there are memories to be made with this recipe for sure.

May your New Year be filled with love, hope and promise. Welcome 2013!