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Christmas cookies spread cheer

December 23rd 3:10 pm | Carey Restino Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

It all started innocently enough, Ron and Zona Hogan said. They had a sweet tooth and made a lot of cookies and candy to take to the Kotzebue schools where they worked during the holidays. But what started small grew rapidly, especially after the couple retired. Before they knew it, they were spending some three weeks preparing more than 100 trays of cookies and candy for everyone from the city water works department to the local hospital.

"It was a nice way to say Merry Christmas," Zona Hogan said. "We wanted to say thanks to a lot of people around town that have helped us."

While in recent years, the Hogans have significantly scaled back their cookie-baking efforts to the occasional tray of fudge delivered to those waiting their turn at the post office, the legacy of their cookie hey-day lives on.

"We always started out as good friends, but a couple days into it we'd be throwing dough balls at each other," said Zona Hogan.

With both sharing the dough duty equally, oven space was a premium.

"He'd have his cookies ready to bake and I'd have cookies in the oven," Zona said. "It really took a lot of planning and juggling to get everything baked."

The last few years of sweet sweat, Ron Hogan said he estimated he spent two full days just dipping things in chocolate. He'd set himself up in front of the TV with a hot plate and some melted chocolate and dip for hour after hour.

So how bad were the community cookie withdrawls when the Hogans closed up shop?

"We did get phone calls, people asking us when we were going to start delivering, but they were really good about it when we said we weren't doing it anymore," Zona Hogan said.

The Hogans say their scaled down version of the holiday sweet fest is good for everyone involved, especially the home harmony. Still, the couple has fond memories of their cookie-filled memories, and offers up these recipes to share:

BUCKEYES

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 sticks butter (butter should be at room temperature, but do not melt!)

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, but do not use low fat!)

Mix 3 ingredients at medium speed with electric mixer. Form into balls no larger than 1" diameter. Line baking pan or cookie sheet with wax paper, place balls on wax paper and place in freezer until firm.

COATING

Melt 1/8 lb. wax and 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave or in a pan over boiling water.

Using a toothpick, pick up candy balls one by one, dip into coating and drop onto another pan lined with wax paper. When all candy is coated, return to freezer.

To cover the toothpick hole and make the candy look like Ohio Buckeyes, follow these instructions.

Melt 3/4 cup peanut butter chips with 2 teaspoons shortening, then dip each ball by hand into the peanut butter mixture to cover the toothpick hole. Return to pan lined with wax paper, peanut butter side up, and place in refrigerator. After coating is firm, Buckeyes are ready to eat or store in air-tight container.

COCONUT-COVERED CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CANDY (or "6-C")

1-1/2 eleven ounce size boxes Vanilla Wafers

2 cups chopped walnuts

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/8 cup light corn syrup

1 cup orange juice

14 ounces flaked coconut

Crush vanilla wafers with potato masher (should be about 5-1/3 cups). Chop nuts and add to the wafers. Add powdered sugar to the wafers and nuts. Melt chocolate chips in pan over boiling water. When chips are melted, remove from heat and add syrup and juice. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, stir well, and let stand eight to 24 hours in tightly covered container. Then form into 1-inch balls and roll in cocoanut. Note: For Christmas, part of the coconut may be tinted red &/or green, with food coloring. Let formed balls ripen in covered container several days in a cool place. ENJOY!

 

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