Butter, flour, and sugar are the main ingredients in these Blue Christmas Butter Cookies. Your Christmas will be anything but blue though after you bite into these cookies! They are the type of cookie that just melts in your mouth, and before you know it, you’ve eaten way more than your share!
Do you know what today is, Dear Reader? Yes, it is the second last day of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas, which is why we are going to talk about these Blue Christmas Butter Balls. But, today is also something else. Yes, it is Christmas Eve’s Eve, otherwise known as Tibb’s Eve!
TIBB’S EVE – KNOWN BY ALL NEWFOUNDLANDERS
Tibb’s Eve is most likely something you’ve never heard of, and if that’s the case, it’s okay. It’s not a national or world-wide celebrated day like Christmas Day, for example. Tibb’s Eve originated on the south coast of Newfoundland and is still widely celebrated there today.
It known outside of Newfoundland only by means of the tales and stories of Christmases pas. These are told by Newfoundlanders’ who have moved away from home for one reason or another.
Tibb’s Eve, sometimes referred to as Tipsy Eve, is a celebration held on December 23. It is widely recognized across the province. The festivity started in the mid-20th century. It was the first night during Advent and it was appropriate to have a drink.
Advent was a sober and religious time of year. Traditionally people would not drink alcohol until Christmas Day at the earliest. The day emerged as an excuse to partake in the consumption of alcohol two days earlier.
MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES!
Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!
CHRISTMAS IS NEVER BLUE IN NEWFOUNDLAND!
Very rare is there an instance for one to feel blue around the holidays in Newfoundland. Christmas is embraced by the young and the old, and is celebrated by nearly everyone. Family and friends gather together for yuletide merriment. The exchanging of modest presents takes place. And, of course there’s eating and drinking. More importantly, tall tales of years gone by. The best Christmases of my life were spent in Newfoundland!
Speaking of blue, take a look at these Blue Christmas Butter Cookies! Again, there’s nothing blue about them, but like most Christmas cookies, sprinkles are always a great way to make cookies look more festive. John.e had purchased a four-pack of Wilton blue candy sprinkles, which I knew would be perfect for these butter cookies.
Probably one of my favourite Christmas songs, and even though many artists have recorded it, none compares to the version released by Elvis Presley in 1957. The song is about an unrequited love during the holidays; sad, but still a great tune!
CHRISTMAS OBSERVATIONS
I often wonder where things come from, and the term Blue Christmas is no exception. Okay, a song, yes, but is there anything else it could be? I can recall hearing my grandfather on my mom’s side say, “Today is blue Christmas,” but had no idea what it meant. (I dared not ask him, because he scared the hell out of me! That’s a story for another time.)
Blue Christmas is a name given to the longest night of the Advent season. It is a day on which some churches hold a service that honours people who have lost loved ones that year. The Holy Eucharist is traditionally a part of the service of worship on this day. The day falls on or about December 21st, the Winter Solstice.
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS ARE IMPORTANT
I think nowadays though, we are losing sight of Christmas traditions and the meanings and origins of things like Blue Christmas. I know in my particular case, I have a 15 year old daughter who doesn’t relish in Christmas traditions and celebrations like I do. She likes the food and the presents, but the traditions are not that important to her. I do hope that changes as she gets a little older.
I remember Christmas being celebrated for what seemed like a very long time. Decorations were never put up too early, but the houses had their Christmas lights on the first week of December. My classmates and I would be busy learning our lines and preparing for our school-wide Christmas program weeks in advance.
There was the Christmas Sing-A-Long at church; and there was the Dinner with Santa at the Town Hall; and I can’t forget about last Saturday before Christmas day when the whole town took part in the Santa Claus parade. Oh, and there was also the annual tossing of the Christmas candy by Santa who was standing in the back of a decorated pick-up truck! Those days were magical and I will never forget them!
What about you, Dear Reader? What are your fondest Christmas memories? Do you still keep up with some of the celebrations and traditions that you remember from when you were a kid? Share your stories with me; I’d love to hear them!
MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!
In some cases, we want more than a cookie. That’s why I have two more Christmas-themed collections you might want to consider. The first, is my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas, and the second is my 12 Biscotti of Christmas. Click on the image below to see each collection all on one page with links to each recipe!
STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING
These cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days in a covered container and in a cool place. But, if you plan to freeze these cookies, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that cookie freshness locked in!
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them.
CONCLUSION:
If you’re feeling extra festive, make a double batch and share these with your friends and neighbours. I cannot tell you enough times how much people love to receive homemade Christmas cookies. And it feels so good to do so!
Just as an FYI, you don’t need to make this cookie only at Christmastime. That’s the one thing that I never understand about special occasions! Why do we insist of saving a Christmas cookie for just Christmastime? If we love them so much, shouldn’t we make them year round? Why deprive ourselves of such deliciousness. I’m here to tell you that Blue Christmas Butter Cookies can be eaten anytime. Just change up the colour to fit any special day in your life!
Blue Christmas Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the condensed milk and beat into the butter until well combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder. Mix into the butter mixture until well incorporated.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside. Lastly, pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl for rolling the cookie dough into. (If you are using more than one type of sprinkle, use a separate bowl for each type.)
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and using a small cookie scoop, portion out 1 tablespoon of the cookie dough. Roll it into a smooth ball and then roll it into the sprinkles.
- Place the cookie balls on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each one.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
Kam says
I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about blue cookies that really appeals to me.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Same here, Kam. They just look so pretty.
Brenda says
My oldest daughter has a blue and silver tree…you know where I am headed! My youngest daughter loves Mickey and Minnie. My granddaughter loves the Grinch. She is 20. One of my grandsons is military, can you say cammo? One grandson is getting married in February…no not red. I will use the colors of the wedding for cookies for the shower.
The possibilities are endless. Thank you for getting me started!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Endless colour combinations, Brenda! 🙂 Good luck and have fun!