When my girls were little we loved watching and reading the Little House on the Prairie series. One of our favorites was from the Little House pilot which included the scene where Mr. Edwards walked through a snow storm to deliver Christmas presents to the Ingalls. The story ends with Ma finally warming up to the uncivilized Mr. Edwards and Laura and Mary finding heart shaped Christmas cakes in their stockings.
Heart-Shaped Christmas Cakes
“Mary and Laura pulled out two small packages. They unwrapped them, and each found a little heart-shaped cake. Over their delicate brown tops was sprinkled white sugar.”
– Little House on the Prairie
You will need:
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Flour for sprinkling
Granulated (white sugar) sugar for sprinkling
Measuring cup and spoons
Large mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
Floured board
Heart-shaped cookie cutter, about 2 or 3″ across
Cookie sheet
Pot holder
Wide spatula
Wire rack
Heat the oven to 325°.
Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until they are light and fluffy. Stir in the flour.
On a floured board, pat the dough out in a circle about 1/3″ thick. Cut out shapes with the cookie cutter. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar. Put the heart shapes on the cookie sheet and bake them for about 15-20 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle more granulated sugar on the tops. Carefully remove the cakes from the cookie sheet with the spatula and put them on the wire rack to cool.
Makes about 12 cakes.
Recipe taken from The Little House Treasury by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Erikson.
I love you Mom!!!
Sarah
I just watched that the other day, it was great. They really had it right. Love Norma
I have so many precious memories of our two families playing Little House on the Praire, complete with our calico dresses. My mom always read those books to us in the evenings…we would beg for her to read just one more chapter!
Yes, I remember you and Sarah playing in those dresses.
I grew up with Little house and still in my 40’s if Im having a bad day and I watch a episode I instantly feel better. I am so going to make these cookie cakes and make them a new family tradition.
[…] Heart-shaped Christmas Cakes from Little House on the Prairie (with recipe!) […]
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the last part 🙂 I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular information for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
[…] your friends to all bring a layer & have an afternoon tea ) * Or perhaps they would have had a special cake like this one from Little House on the Prairie (recipe […]
I’m curious since this call for any liquid what does the cake end up like? Is it more cookie/biscuit like or is it still soft like actual cake?