As you probably have noticed, I am not a big baker. I would be more enthusiastic except my kitchen is so tiny. I have very limited counter space and I usually store most of my pans in my oven. When I need to use my oven, the pans need to go somewhere. My place turns into balancing act and an obstacle course until my baking is complete.
With fingers crossed that I would not lose power again, I tackled a very ambitious (for me) project this weekend, baking three different types of treats: Cheesecake Bars, Keiffles, and Russian Tea Cookies. My motivation for this baking project came from all the wonderful food blog posts I have read this past year.
After finding so many wonderful cookie recipes on Food Blogga’s Eat Christmas Cookies blogging event, including the Russian tea cake cookie recipe I made this weekend (which I found on Food Blogga’s 2007 Eat Christmas Cookies event), I wanted to contribute by entering a my keiffles recipe. Here is a roundup of entries already submitted. Click on the Food Blogga link above to see how to submit your own favorite Christmas Cookie recipe.
My great aunt, Auntie Edith, shared this keiffles recipe with me many years ago. Although these are technically not Christmas cookies given that my aunt was Jewish and did not celebrate Christmas, I have often made these cookies at Christmas time.
Here are the steps:
Cream two sticks of butter and one 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
together. Then add 3 cups of flour. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll into little balls the size of walnuts. Roll the balls flat in powdered sugar in the shape of ovals and then put a drop of jelly on each oval.
Fold the two sides over and then pinch the ends.
Place on cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly
brown. Cool on cooling racks.
YUM!!
KEIFFLES
3 cups flour
2 sticks butter (8 oz.)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
powdered sugar
jelly or jam
Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the flour. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll balls flat in powdered sugar in the shape of ovals. Put a drop of jelly on each oval and roll up pinching the ends.
Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.
This recipe makes approximately 45 keiffles.
shave ice & gelato 
I’ve never heard of a keiffle – they look great! Sounds like some ambitious holiday baking going on at your house! I hope to find some time to make at least one kind of cookie this weekend (though I still have shopping and all my wrapping to do). I may end up only making my annual cheese ball, LOL, because it’s so easy and my family loves it.
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Family recipes like this one are always the best. And they’d be delicious for both Christmas and Hannukah celebrations. Thanks a bunch!
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Girasoli, I hadn’t heard of keiffles either but they look fantastic (and not terribly complicated!) I love the idea of cookie dough that includes cream cheese; these must taste unique (and delish)
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I also never heard of keiffle before. This recipe sounds very delicious and easy to make. I’ll be doing my holiday baking this weekend and will give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing this delicious treat and for the lovely step by step photos.
It’s now raining here and snow is expected in the high country. We need all the rain we can get.
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Hi Girasoli, I have not heard of Keiffle before also. But they look really delicious and your great aunt’s recipe looks very simple and easy to do. I lack cooking and baking skills but have recently I have had a little spark of trying something this weekend after reading so many great cooking and recipes from everyone. Let’s see, if it rains this weekend I just might give it a try . . .
Thanks for sharing and posting your photos.
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Excellent recipe – they remind me of my Ruglach recipe – one of these days I’ll have to post it.
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Annie, you will have to post your cheeseball recipe someday. Keiffles are sooo good! They have to be one of my favorite cookies.
Susan, thanks for commenting! I am not sure if my aunt made these cookies for Hannukah. My mom was raised catholic (Italian father/Jewish mother/priest came to the house one day when my mom was little and scared my grandmother into having my mom start going to church). I remember being told not to talk about our being catholic to my great aunt when she came over for Christmas, but I always pointed out that the Christmas tree sort of gave away the fact that we did not celebrate Hannukah. Religion was never discussed at family gatherings. Blintzes from my grandmother and Keiffles from my great aunt are the only two family Jewish recipes I have (I am guessing Keiffles is a Jewish recipe). All my other family recipes are Italian or “American”.
Sandra, the dough is easy to make but rolling them out is a little tedious. The end result is worth it though. The are definitely deelish!
Maria, I hope you enjoy them. Make sure to not put too much jelly/jam in the middle or it will all ooze out.
Kathy, these don’t take great skill, just patience and time.
Kim, I googled Ruglach. They do look similar. I would love to see you version when you get the chance.
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