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BIRDS NEST COOKIES

Kate Schat, Muck® Field Team Member, homesteader and educator, is sharing her favorite holiday recipe to make with her family, with her sentiment on managing all of the things to do this season. Her recipe and more are featured in our exclusive Holiday Cookbook, Recipes from the Team that Works (and Lives) in the Muck.

IG: @VENISONFORDINNER | NOV 2023

LEARN MORE ABOUT KATE

Something our family values during the holidays is stepping away from the “should do’s” and embracing what matters to us: making memories as a family in a low stress way.

Last year we went away to a remote cabin at the time when most people would be panicking over last minute shopping. We spent New Year’s Day fishing instead of sleeping off the night before. Marius and his siblings were often given the choice growing up of “fancy dinner or ice fishing” on Christmas Day and they always chose the latter!

On Christmas Eve we had a real dump of snow and the elders in our wee community church called to see if we could go shovel the church clear for the carol service. Because we hadn’t overpacked and over scheduled ourselves, we had the time and space to say YES to something that exactly met our family's values.

So friends, don’t be afraid to say “NO” to anything that doesn’t fit your family during the holidays, so that you can leave space for a resounding “HECK YES” to the things that matter most.

While I’ve seen many iterations of this recipe, there’s nothing like the way my Mama and Grandma make them, rolled in walnuts! If we want to be really classic, it’s blackberry jam we’re using, as I grew up on an island covered in wild blackberry vines! Kids really love to make the thumbprints and over the years we’ve done all sorts of fun tweaks like rolling in almond flour instead (no chopping the walnuts!) or using dulce de leche instead of the jam.

If holiday baking with kids is as exhausting for you as it is for me, you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge up to 3 days, then roll and bake another day when you’ve gathered your wits about you again. Remember, holiday baking with kids is as much about the finished product as it is about making memories as a family. So keep it simple, don't over extend yourself, and don’t be afraid to walk out of the kitchen, take a deep breath, then come back in.

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or almond meal)
  • Jam of choice

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix butter, brown sugar, and egg yolk together. Add flour to make a cohesive dough (be sure to add a touch of milk if the dough is too dry to stay together).
  3. Roll dough into tablespoon size balls.
  4. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl and roll each dough ball through the egg whites then coat in nuts. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Press a little thumbprint sized dimple (kids’ thumbs are the perfect size!) in each dough ball. Fill the hole with jam.
  6. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Let cool, then transfer to a container to store. They freeze very well!

About KATE:

My name is Kate Schat, and I’ve always enjoyed living a homemade life whenever possible. In 2017, my family of seven moved 1,000 miles north to Northern BC, Canada, which upped our game even more! Together we live on a 34-acre homestead and get a kick out of things like raising our own meat, dairy, and vegetables. Find her on Instagram @venisonfordinner.

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