When I was a little girl, my aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Child: In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Then mix in the eggs, brandy, salt, vanilla, and flour. Let rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Step 2
Adult with Child: Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3
Child: You can either use cookie cutters or use the point of a toothpick like a knife to cut out cookies in any shapes you want. Let your imagination run free; how about dreidels, Stars of David, candles with flames attached, the four Hebrew letters on the dreidel?
Step 4
Once you have cut out the cookies, gently place them on the baking sheet. Then either brush them with egg yolk and sprinkle with nuts and raisins or brush with egg white and sprinkle with blue sugar.
Step 5
Adult: Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a metal spatula to gently remove each cookie from the baking sheet to a cooling rack or flat plate.
