JENNIFER ALEXANDER RUPLE
The holidays are a time for traditions and sweet memories – two features that make the season truly special. For my final Sizzle column of 2025, I want to thank downtown businesswomen, Lori Colenzo of Hip to the Groove Boutique and Tracey Tober of Bandits Main Street Eats, for generously sharing their beloved family cookie recipes. Both recipes were created by grandmothers and were handed down through their families for years – the cookies are still making appearances on their holiday cookie trays today! I hope you enjoy reading these recipes and baking their cookies.
Happy holidays from our kitchens to yours.
Sweetie Pies
“These cookies remind me so much of my granny, who was my best friend. I think by going through all the work to make them, it showed the love she put into making Christmas special for us.” – Tracey Tober
Yield: 22-24 cookies
Shells
½ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ cup flour
Filling
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup nuts
2 tablespoons coconut
4 maraschino cherries, chopped
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add flour. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients. Set aside. When the dough has chilled, press it into a well-greased mini muffin pan, creating a well for the filling. Spoon in filling.
Bake in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
Grandma’s Soft Italian Wedding Tray Cookies
“When I reflect upon past holidays and loved ones who are no longer with me, I feel so blessed to come from a from a family of incredible cooks and bakers. Here is my favorite cookie recipe from my great grandmother, Victoria Ferraro Colenzo.” – Lori Colenzo
Cookies
¾ cup butter
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of choice – vanilla, anise or lemon extract
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Frosting
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon of one of the above extracts
2-3 tablespoons of water
Sprinkles
Heat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix all cookie ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for around 8-12 minutes until the tops look dry and the bottoms are brown. Allow cookies to cool.
With a mixer, beat frosting ingredients until smooth, adding more water if frosting is too thick to spread. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin.
Frost cooled cookies and top with colored sprinkles.