Cream Wafer Cookies

Cream Wafer Cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. They are melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, tender, and shouldn’t be baked only once a year. I have started a new tradition; they are now to be served at tea parties as well!

Food has always been more than just…. food to me. It’s more than something to be consumed because our bodies need it to survive or we crave it because we had a bad day. Food has always been an experience for me. While healthy food sustains my family and is the bulk of what we eat, I can tell you exactly where I learned the recipe or why I have chosen each piece of the meal that evening.

Now, we absolutely eat our fair share of traditional/fun family meals for holidays and birthdays as well. Holidays, in particular, always have a story behind why each piece has been chosen. For instance, my father always prepares a meal with seafood for Christmas Eve dinner following the Italian tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. I can still picture my father and older brothers shucking oysters in the kitchen.

The first meal my husband and I shared at my parents house (when we were still dating) was on Christmas Eve, a pasta with octopus in it. I still remember the look on my husbands face of utter fear, but then quickly switched to utter disbelief and amazement. He loved it! I am not sure how many plates full he had that night!

This past year, I knew I wasn’t getting an invite from my parents for Christmas Eve dinner (I guess I am grown up and I am supposed to make my own meals now), so I decided to take on the task myself and I made a Mixed Seafood (with octopus) Fra Diavolo with Linguine. My husband was super excited and it brought back so many fun memories of us dating.

For Christmas, my mother baked all the delicious cookies that we have every year when we gather at her house to celebrate and brought each one of the children a huge platter of cookies to share with their families. Among the cookies were my father’s favorite, butterballs, and now my daughter, Clara’s, favorite as well and the unbelievably delicious Cream Wafers. This recipe came from my Great Aunt Clara who I feel a personal connection with, so much so that we named our daughter after her (and St Claire of Assisi). Aunt Clara was a beautiful woman so full of life with so much faith in Christ and an amazing love for her husband (my Great Uncle Joe).

Now, I am not certain if this recipe is my Aunt Clara’s or where she got it from. I searched my Nana’s old 1950s Betty Crocker cook book to see if I could find it and couldn’t. So I will mark it down as Aunt Clara’s Cream Wafer’s for now or until someone tells me otherwise and will credit the correct person.

When it was time to have a tea party with my children, I knew I wanted the Cream Wafers to be a part of our day. The Cream Wafers were my children’s favorite! I didn’t make nearly enough and will ensure that I at least double the batch next time. For Christmas you will want to add a red and/or green filling. I chose pink for a little bit more of a girly, tea party feel.

Cream Wafer Ingredients

For Cookies:

• 1 Cup Soft Butter
• 1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar to Coat dough

For Butter Icing:

• 1/4 Cup Soft Butter
• 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• Food Coloring

Instructions for Cream Wafers

For Cookies:

• Mix thoroughly 1 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup heavy cream, and 2 cups flour.
• Chill dough in plastic wrap for 1 hour.
• After chilled, roll out to 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/2″ rounds.
• Place each round on plate with granulated sugar to coat both sides of dough.
• Put on ungreased cookie sheet and prick with a fork four times.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until slightly puffy, but not brown.
• Remove cookies from sheet while hot and place on cookie drying rack immediately or they will crumble.

For Butter Icing:

• Blend together 1/4 cup soft butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add food coloring and blend.
• Once cookies have cooled, put two rounds together with butter icing to form wafer.