Spiced wine cookies

Spiced wine cookies sitting in the intense Melbourne summer sunshine!

Last year I began a self-imposed tradtion to make cookies as presents for many people. You know, the people to whom you aren't really close enough to buy a present (people from church, members of choirs etc.), but would like to give them something at Christmas. Each year after midnight mass I would watch everyone hand out little parcels of chocolates and trinkets to the crowd, and decided it was something I wanted to do as well.
Last year I made about a million lebkuchen, or German gingerbread biscuits in the shape of stars and Christmas trees. I thought they were just ok and threw out the recipe...later on I found that everyone who tried them though they were fantastic and has requested them again this year. Oops! I tried very hard to find the recipe again (if anyone has a December 2003 copy of the New Zealand magazine, Cuisine, I would be most appreciative!), but when the latest IMBB Cookie Swap revealed Cook Sister's Dutch/South African Spiced Wine Cookies I knew what I was going to try this year.

I made a double batch of the mixture and have made up about 40 packages with three cookies in each. They actually weren't nearly as chewy as the description described; they are more dense and cakey and I think I could add even more spices to really make them taste Christmassy - but they are certainly excellent as they are. I wonder if they'll be as popular as last year's effort? Time will tell...