2002 was At Home‘s first season in the new “apple kitchen,” and this episode features Part 2 of Arlene’s annual Christmas cookie presentation! She’s baking jam-filled “red lips,” Mundel bread, almond butter fingers, and iced orange cookies. Sit back and enjoy these classic treats!
Iced Orange Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 tbsp grated orange rind
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup coconut or walnuts (optional)
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- orange juice
- 1/4 cup butter (softened)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheets and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream thoroughly shortening and sugar using mixer. Add eggs, juice and orange rind. Mix well. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in coconut or walnuts. Blend well.
- Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Frost with Orange Butter Cream Frosting. Makes 4 dozen.
- For the frosting, in a small mixing bowl, place the sugar and butter. Blend with mixer, adding enough juice to make frosting spreading consistency. Frost cookies. Enjoy!
Almond Butter Fingers
These crisp, buttery cookies have an elegant nutty flavor.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or walnuts)
- 1 1/2 tbsp white sugar (for coating nuts)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 egg white (slightly beaten)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, toss nuts in 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and set aside.
- In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together butter, 1/3 cup sugar and almond extract until smooth. Stir in flour. Gather dough into a ball and divide into 3 parts.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out each part to about 1/4-inch thick and about 2 or 3 inches wide. Even out edges with a spatula. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with nut mixture.
- Cut into fingers about = to 3/4-inch wide. Using a metal spatula, place fingers on an ungreased cookie sheet. In preheated oven, bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool briefly on cookie sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies. Enjoy!
Mundel Bread
This biscotti-like cookie has a Jewish origin. I enjoyed it because it's not as hard as a traditional biscotti and the flavor is delicious, especially with a hot cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- cinnamon and sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs and extract and mix well by hand.
- Then add flour and baking powder and continue mixing until dough forms. Make 2 logs and place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture reserving some for later.
- Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool slightly and cut into diagonal slices. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
- Place side down on cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture and bake 5 minutes. Repeat on other side for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Red Lips Cookies
These easy cookies look beautiful on a holiday table since they have a dollop of bright red jam in the middle.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 jar red raspberry jam or fruit preserves (15oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine sugar and butter and cream well. Add flour and mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Make a dent in each cookie using your thumb and place a spoonful of red raspberry jam in each dent.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely on wire racks. Enjoy!
I dearly love this show! it gives me such a warm, comforting feeling every time I watch. Arlene, you are a dear. I hope this wonderful show never ends. Merry Christmas everyone!
Thank you for sharing your recipes!!! It would be wonderful if you can do this with everything she cooks on At Home With Arlene Williams. I love her and her guests ❣️ I feel a nice warm comforting feeling watching Arlene cooking up a storm. Thank you for keeping her show airing. I love her shows.
I wish you could re-print all her cookbooks.
Have a great day!
I’m her number one fan 😉
Laura
Thank you for being part of the “At Home Family!” Be sure to tell your friends about our website!
I love love love At home shows. Watched Arlene for many years. I sure miss her. Thank the good lord you still air her shows. Please keep the shows running.
Bev
Thank you, Bev! We’re so glad you enjoy the shows!
I’m trying to find my wife Arlene’s cookbooks for a Christmas gift. Would anyone know where I could find them? We absolutely love At Home with Arlene and Cornerstone Television! This site is great!
Hello Anthony. We’re sorry, Arlene’s cookbooks are no longer in print, so the only way to find them is to buy a used copy. But we’ll continue to post recipes here on our website each week!