*This post is part of The 3 Seas Literary Agency Holiday Recipe Contest! You can find a link back to their Facebook Page at the bottom of the post.*
What could be better than a mere cookie? Not much…Except for a cookie with a surprise in the middle!
Sugar Plum Surprises!
I asked my Mom about these cookies…
Abbie: Where did you get the sugar plum surprise cookie recipe?
Mom: It was Grandma’s recipe.
I was surprised by this. I was very close with Grandma and don’t ever remember her making these cookies. Mom is the only one who ever made them.
Abbie: What did Grandma put in the middle of them?
Mom: A red candied cherry. Grandpa, Joe (Mom’s brother), and me ate these cookies by the ton. If Grandma ran out of cherries, she used a walnut. We only went to Marion (the nearest town) once a week. If we ran out of an item, we figured something out. And you never—no never—had store bought cookies. Grandma and me spent all day baking Christmas cookies every year.
Over the years, the sugar plum surprise recipe has evolved beyond candied cherries and walnuts. When I make them you never know what you’re going to find in the middle! I always use some candied cherries, but this year I tried Snickers for the first time and Hubs loved them! I’ve used Hershey’s kisses, Andes Creme De Menthe Thins, caramels, walnuts, and pecans! These are such a fun cookie! Who doesn’t love a surprise?
Sugar Plum Surprises
1 c. soft butter
½ c. powdered sugar
1 ½ t. vanilla
2 c. flour
½ t. salt
1 c. oats
candies of your choice
Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Stir in oats. Dough will be stiff. Shape heaping teaspoon of dough around the candy. Bake on 325 for 20 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden brown and the dough is firm. While warm roll in powdered sugar.
Do you have a Christmas cookie that’s been in your family for years? Are you a store bought cookie lover? Or a lover of the homemade?