Photo Caption: Pictured is a Succarini Cookie. The recipe comes from Jack Rooney in honor of his mother, Mary Marchetti Rooney of Holy Trinity Parish, Cherry.

It would have taken at least eight more pages to include all of the recipes that The Catholic Post received in the 2011 edition of “A Taste of Christmas.” Since they were too good to hold for another year, we are sharing a few more of them with reades here.

Happy baking — and Merry Christmas!

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This recipe for Succarini Cookies comes from Jack Rooney of Springfield in honor of his mother, Mary Marchetti Rooney of Holy Trinity Parish, Cherry. His sister, Jane Byczek, also submitted a recipe for Mom’s Sour Cream Twists, which appears on page B10 of the print edition of The Catholic Post.

Succarini Cookies

FOR THE COOKIES
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons anise seeds
7 eggs, beaten
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 cup whipping cream

FOR THE ICING
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon anise flavoring

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookies sheets and set aside.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the anise seed. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract, lemon, anise extract and whipping cream. Mix until a soft dough forms. (It will be like a soft noodle dough.)
3. Roll into little balls, then roll the balls into ropes. Twist the dough ropes into knots and place on the cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Make the icing: Place the sugar and water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 6 minutes. Add the anise flavoring and boil until the mixture forms a thread. This is intended to be a very thin glaze.
5. While the cookies are still warm, gently roll a few at a time in the sugar mixture. Cool on a wire rack.

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This recipe for Rum Balls was submitted by Dolores Passwater of rural Ottawa and was printed last year, but bears repeating. This year she sent a recipe for Oyster Stew, which can be found on page B14 of the print edition of The Catholic Post.

Rum Balls

1 cup vanilla cookies, crushed
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup rum
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
2. Roll into 1-inch balls. May be refrigerated for up to a month and will become more potent the longer they sit.

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Mary Anne Spannagel of Villa Grove and a parishioner at St. Mary’s in Pesotum, submitted several family recipes in honor of her mother, Bernardine Spannagel, and her niece, Rebekah Volk, both of whom died this year. Her mother’s recipe for Cherry Delight appeared on page B8 of the print edition of The Catholic Post.

What follows are recipes for Mrs. Murphy’s Cookies by Mary Anne Spannagel and Vanilla Nut Icebox Cookies by her grandmother, Celia Mitsdarfer.

Mrs. Murphy’s Cookies

1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut flakes
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 cup raisins, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until completely mixed.
3. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

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Vanilla Nut Icebox Cookies

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, your choice

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together three times. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the nuts and vanilla. Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing well after each addition.
3. Shape into rolls that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and roll into wax paper. Chill overnight (or freeze) until firm enough to slice.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the the dough and place the slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until very lightly browned, about 9 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.