Can we share holiday cookie favorites?

[IfIOnly]

I'm hoping to find some more cookie recipes to try this year.  I've found only two to three kinds that are total favorites and absolute must haves. Would love some more recipes to consider and try this year!

 

Our must haves are:

 

Peppermint Holiday Cookies: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/235104/peppermint-holiday-cookies/ - These are so good. I can't wait to make them again! I call them peppermint crack.

 

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10222/raspberry-and-almond-shortbread-thumbprints/ - Yummo. A favorite among neighbors and others we bake cookies for.

 

Peanut butter blossoms are something I crave every other year or so, but they are a favorite, too.  l use less sugar and dark chocolate kisses though.

 

ETA: Oops, I forgot one. DH especially likes lace cookies. Lot of variations to choose from, but chocolate dipped/drizzled Florentine is his fave.

Edited December 7, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[Amira]

I love cardamom cookies at Christmas. There are lots of recipes, but the easiest one is to make snickerdoodles but instead of rolling the dough in cinnamon and sugar, use bruised cardamom seeds and sugar instead.

[Ali in OR]

Our standard holiday cookie--the one we give to teachers, etc.--is the Andes Mint cookie recipe I found on the old board I want to say about 10 years ago. I've shared this recipe quite a bit. We only make it this time of year. In fact, I'm making a batch of dough now to chill overnight and I'll make the cookies in the morning. I've got to get to the next step, but if I have time I'll come back to this thread and post more.

 

Andes Mint Cookies

 

• 28 Andes Mints (1 box), halved
• ¾ cup butter
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

In saucepan, heat and mix butter, sugar, and water. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until all chips are melted. Pour into bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Beat in eggs at high speed. Add remaining ingredients and beat to blend. Chill dough for 1 hour. Line baking sheets with foil. Roll dough in 1" balls and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Place an unwrapped half mint on each cookie as you remove them from the oven. As soon as the mints have softened, spread them over the cookies with a knife.

 

[heartlikealion]

Sour cream sugar cookies are nice if frosted. The frosting is the fun part

[AK_Mom4]

Gingerbread hands down. I have an old recipe that calls for blackstrap molasses and brown sugar and are wonderfully chewy (not hard).

 

Second runner up is a spritz cookie - lots of butter so small cookies go a long way.

 

Third up isn't really a cookie - I make mini pecan pies in cupcake pans. These are so rich and yummy and fit nicely on a cookie plate due to the size.

 

We've tried lots of cookies over the years, but these are the three that have "stuck".

[Kareni]

...DH especially likes lace cookies. Lot of variations to choose from, but chocolate dipped/drizzled Florentine is his fave.

 

The above sounds tempting.  Would you have a recipe to share?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

... I make mini pecan pies in cupcake pans.

 

This sounds tempting, too.

 

Can you share your method?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[AK_Mom4]

This sounds tempting, too.

 

Can you share your method?

 

Regards,

Kareni

I've tried quite a few mini pecan pies over the years, including the pecan tassies made in mini muffin pans. Our favorite is just to use regular pie crust dough cut out in circles and pressed into the cupcake pans, then filled with normal pecan pie filling. You have to watch as the crusts brown easily, but it makes a hand-sized version of a pecan pie.

 

My grandmother used to make pecan hand-pies. Same idea - small circles of pie crust dough, fill half with pecan pie filling, then fold over and bake. These were amazing.

Edited December 7, 2016 by AK_Mom4

[Kareni]

...

 

My grandmother used to make pecan hand-pies. Same idea - small circles of pie crust dough, fill half with pecan pie filling, then fold over and bake. These were amazing.

 

Thanks for the guidance.  Now I'm drooling at the thought of those pecan hand-pies.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[littlebug42]

If I don't make these cookies at least at Christmas time, I risk being disowned by friends and family.  My MIL has even been known to just buy me some butterscotch chips as a not very subtle hint.

 

Amazing Butterscotch Crispies

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/amazing-butterscotch-crispies-cookie-117424

Edited December 7, 2016 by littlebug42

[KatieJ]

Butterballs, AKA as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes, is my all time favorite and I have made them all. It is requested for the last 5. Years at my cookie exchange.

 

I might make some almond bark pretzel rods to send to,work with my Hubby as his guys seem to like those.

[alisoncooks]

White chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies.  I add walnuts, too, cause...yum.

 

We also dip pretzel rods in chocolate (Santa molds and such) at Christmas.

[kiana]

Rugelach. Really more of a Jewish treat than a Christmas treat but we always made them at Christmastime. Dough is equal parts by weight cream cheese/butter/flour, chilled, rolled out in circles, sliced like a pizza, spread with jam, fruit/nuts, and cinnamon sugar, then rolled up and baked. 

 

Norwegian butter cookies -- recipe from an old Fannie Farmer cookbook, but they are a rather delicate cookie-press cookie. 

[happypamama]

On my list to make this year because at least one person in my family insisted on each of them:

White chocolate cranberry cookies

Chocolate mint cookies

Caramel filled chocolate cookies

Coconut macaroons

Peanut butter kisses

Gingerbread men

Triple chocolate brownie cookies

and possibly peppermint candy canes and apricot filled triangles

[IfIOnly]

The above sounds tempting. Would you have a recipe to share?

 

Regards,

Kareni

This one I just Google and pick a recipe with high ratings. Sorry, that's not much help. This one uses marmalade instead of candied or regular orange peel: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7485-florentine-lace-cookies

 

This one uses fresh orange peel: https://www.google.com/amp/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/florentines-italy-recipe.amp.html

 

They can also be rolled up after cooling a bit and dipped half way or so in chocolate.

Edited December 7, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[IfIOnly]

There are so many delicious sounding cookies mentioned here. I'm really going to enjoy trying these!

[Kareni]

This one I just Google and pick a recipe with high ratings. Sorry, that's not much help. This one uses marmalade instead of candied or regular orange peel: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7485-florentine-lace-cookies

 

...

 

Ooh, those do look good.  Thank you for the links.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I make the Smitten Kitchen Intensely Chocolate Sables.  They are great exactly as given in the recipe, but they are also awesome because I've found I can substitute a gluten free flour mix (containing xantham gum) one for one for the regular flour and... they taste awesome, even to gluten eaters.  They are also cool because they are roll out and cut cookies, but actually taste like "grown up" cookies.  :-)

[Ali in OR]

This is our other holiday favorite. It's basically a peanut butter cookie dough ball placed into a mini muffin pan, and when they come out of the oven you press a mini Reese's peanut butter cup in it. Yum!

 

Peanut Butter Temptations

 

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 36 mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; beat until creamy. Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Chill dough 1-2 hours. Divide dough into 36 equal parts. Roll each part into a roughly 1" balls. Place in well-greased mini muffin tins. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes. When done, press 1 Reese's into each cookie.

 

[Twolittleboys]

We really love Cinnamon Swirl Cookies - only disadvantage is that they taste best while still warm from the oven so they aren't great for keeping longer. However, they get gobbled up anyway so it doesn't matter much.

 

We also make butter cookies as they are a family tradition (only cookies we made when I was a child). I don't especially like their taste but they are lots of fun to cut out and decorate.

[school17777]

Ginger Rosemary crisps have become a new favorite.

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1024835/brown-sugar-ginger-rosemary-crisps-recipe

[SebastianCat]

Brickle 

 

40 saltine crackers
1 c. butter 
1 c. brown sugar
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

Arrange 40 saltine crackers in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with a lip) lined with aluminum foil. Melt butter and brown sugar in pan, bring to a boil, and boil 3 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven at 400 degrees. Pour chocolate chips over and let stand 3-5 minutes to melt. Spread around with knife. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in refrigerator until hard. Break up into bite-size pieces.  Best if kept in the refrigerator. 

[HollyDay]

thumb print cookies!!!

[Lady Marmalade]

 

Brickle 

 

40 saltine crackers

1 c. butter 

1 c. brown sugar

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

Arrange 40 saltine crackers in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with a lip) lined with aluminum foil. Melt butter and brown sugar in pan, bring to a boil, and boil 3 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven at 400 degrees. Pour chocolate chips over and let stand 3-5 minutes to melt. Spread around with knife. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in refrigerator until hard. Break up into bite-size pieces.  Best if kept in the refrigerator. 

 

 

:drool5:

 

We call this "Crack"- I will eat half the pan in one sitting.  I'm resisting the temptation to head to the kitchen and make some right now. 

[SamanthaCarter]

So fun! It's a virtual cookie swap. :)

[Farrar]

My recipe comes from a cookbook, but I think this is more or less it:

 

Peppermint Chipsters

 

The kids think of this as a New Year's cookie honestly - I make them after we take the candy canes off the tree.

[SamanthaCarter]

We're planning on doing cut-out sugar cookies. We tried this before and I swore I would NEVER EVER do cut-out cookies again. So Lord help me, I'm doing them again. If you hear cussing, you know where it's coming from. Nothing like your kid having fond Christmas memories of his mother yelling every four-letter word under the sun while she made cookies.

I want to do what someone called "Brickle" above, but we know as crack, too. And Oreo balls, which aren't exactly cookies. Ah, neither is crack. Oh well, same category, right? 😂

 

 

Cut out cookies. Use a recipe with no liquid (aside from egg and vanilla) and no shortening. All butter. Divide your dough into three globs and wrap them up in plastic wrap in a disc shape. Smoosh them thin and chill. Get only one disc out of the fridge at a time and put the scraps back into a disc and back in the fridge as you work with the next disc. The key is to not let the dough warm up as you work with it, so the smaller piece you work with the quicker you can be. 

[kiana]

This is awesome advice! Thank you! I think last time I let the dough get too soft. It was a disaster. I like the idea of three separate discs. I think that will make a huge difference.

 

Also if you can chill the place you're going to roll them out or roll them in a cold room it really helps. I do fancy rolled cookies on a nice big slab of marble that's been in the freezer for a while but even a cold cutting board would probably help. 

[IfIOnly]

So fun! It's a virtual cookie swap. :)

Yes! So many yummy recipes to try.

[Tree Frog]

We're planning on doing cut-out sugar cookies. We tried this before and I swore I would NEVER EVER do cut-out cookies again. So Lord help me, I'm doing them again. If you hear cussing, you know where it's coming from. Nothing like your kid having fond Christmas memories of his mother yelling every four-letter word under the sun while she made cookies.

I want to do what someone called "Brickle" above, but we know as crack, too. And Oreo balls, which aren't exactly cookies. Ah, neither is crack. Oh well, same category, right? 😂

 

I roll the dough out on parchment paper, cut out the shapes, and remove all the extra dough. I then slide the paper onto the cookie sheet and bake. The paper can be reused. Much easier than trying to move raw cut outs!

[Ellesmere]

Once, I brought these Soft Molasses cookies to someone for the holidays. I was lazy and did not bother with the ginger syrup. I gave them to someone at the office who told me it was incredible and just like the cookie recipe one of her relatives refused to share.  Remembering how happy she was about them makes me wonder if I should start baking for outside the family again. I have not done so in years because I am so disorganized and dislike holiday stress.

Anyway I still make those at the kids' request because I use mini cookie cutters  to cut out the middles and they look so cute. It is the only cut out type of cookie that I do because I don't have the patience to do real ones.

These chocolate crinkles went over well last year. And I always do shortbread.

[kiana]

What!?! That may solve my issue completely! Oh my word, I might actually conquer those stupid cookies this year! I wonder if putting the parchment in the freezer (like kiana does with her cutting board) might make it even easier. I'm so glad I posted about those cookies! I've wanted to do cut-outs every year, but since that one horrible Christmas I haven't had the heart to try again. I hope they turn out well!

 

Freezer is not optimal usually because it gets a bit too cold but popping the parchment paper back into the fridge halfway through rolling out if it gets too warm can definitely make it a lot easier. 

[Tree Frog]

What!?! That may solve my issue completely! Oh my word, I might actually conquer those stupid cookies this year! I wonder if putting the parchment in the freezer (like kiana does with her cutting board) might make it even easier. I'm so glad I posted about those cookies! I've wanted to do cut-outs every year, but since that one horrible Christmas I haven't had the heart to try again. I hope they turn out well!

 

The recipe I use doesn't require refrigeration and makes very soft thick cookies. It's a smaller recipe so it doesn't make a lot, which requires less time. It's from 1998 Taste of Home.

 

Sugar Cookies

 

1 c. softened butter or margarine

1 c sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

3 c flour

2 t baking powder

 

Combine the dry ingredients. Cream butter; add sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, 1 c at a time, mixing well after each addition. Roll out half the dough to 1/4 inch; cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400 for 7-9 min. for small cookies, 8-12 for large.

 

Yield 2 doz small cookies or 1 doz large

[FriedClams]

Big soft ginger cookies -

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17165/big-soft-ginger-cookies/

[StartingOver]

 

Brickle 

 

40 saltine crackers

1 c. butter 

1 c. brown sugar

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

Arrange 40 saltine crackers in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with a lip) lined with aluminum foil. Melt butter and brown sugar in pan, bring to a boil, and boil 3 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven at 400 degrees. Pour chocolate chips over and let stand 3-5 minutes to melt. Spread around with knife. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in refrigerator until hard. Break up into bite-size pieces.  Best if kept in the refrigerator. 

 

We call this Crack at my house, everyone is addicted. LOL

[shukriyya]

This recipe for dark chocolate clusters is about as simple as it gets. I haven't made them for years but this is pretty much exactly how I remember them though we doubled the amount of butterscotch chips. They'll disappear in no time.

[Cecropia]

Not making cookies this year due to the new baby, but these are the traditional family standbys which must always be included:

 

Pecan Nut Cups (uses mini muffin tins)

 

Sugar Cakes and/or Rolled Sugar Cookies (similar recipes that use buttermilk and make a sticky finicky dough, very soft, puffy, cake-like cookies, and I am a raw dough addict with the rolled cookie dough above all other doughs)

 

Cinnamon Chip Tarts (uses mini muffin tins)

 

Kolache with prune or apricot filling

 

Chow Mein Clusters

 

and last priority:

Gingerbread (soft)

 

I also found a great recipe for chocolate-covered cherry cookies, but do not always get around to making them.  I prefer to replace the cherry juice in the frosting with cherry Kijafa wine.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I roll the dough out on parchment paper, cut out the shapes, and remove all the extra dough. I then slide the paper onto the cookie sheet and bake. The paper can be reused. Much easier than trying to move raw cut outs!

MY LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED. How has this never occurred to me?

 

Shortbread:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/amazing-scottish-shortbread/

 

And sugar cookies:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/my-favorite-sugar-cookies/

 

Now. I have never been a big sugar cookie fan. I'll eat them, but meh. Never worth the work to me. This recipe has made me a believer. I didn't use almond extract (not a fan) but the lemon zest gives them a light lemony flavor and they are so soft and delicious. My kids swarmed me when I was making them. It's amazing there was dough left to bake. BTW, this recipe made almost 4 dozen 3" cookies. I'd halve or freeze some if you don't need 4 dozen frosted sugar cookies calling your name from the cupboard. Honestly, you could even forgo the frosting and top them with some coarse sugar.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Forget-me-not

[alisoncooks]

My children think that Monkey Munch is the quintessential holiday sweet treat, LOL.  (They're so easy to please.)

We travel a lot over the holidays and often make a batch to take with us to nibble on.  Nothing screams HAPPY HOLIDAYS like powdered sugar spilled all over the car as you're flying down I-95...

 

 

I'm thinking of making these Eggnog Truffles for DH, who loves eggnog.

Edited December 8, 2016 by alisoncooks

[Pippen]

Pecan Cups
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Chocolate Revel Bars
Rum Balls
Spitzbuben (almond shortbread sandwich cookies with jam filling and lemon glaze)
David Lebovitz Blondies
Orange Glazed Pecans

Lemon Bars

Edited December 8, 2016 by Pippen

[SparklyUnicorn]

I have a good cheater cookie recipe. 

 

Crispy Thumbprint Cookies

 

1 pkg 18.5 oz yellow cake mix

1/2 c veg oil

1/4 c water

1 egg

3 cups rice crispy cereal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

6 tblsp preserves (whatever flavor you like)

 

Preheat oven to 375.

 

Combine cake mix, oil, water, and egg in large bowl.  Beat with electric mixer on medium until well blended.  Stir in cereal and walnuts and mix well.

 

Drop by heating teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Use thumb to make indentation in each cookie.  Spoon about 1/2 tsp of preserves into center.

 

Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown. 

 

 

[Lady Marmalade]

I had to come share because we have a notebook sitting out for people to list the Christmas cookies and treats they are hoping I will make this season.  In great big letters DS wrote CRACK.  Followed by (not the drug).   :laugh:

 

I'm making some this afternoon.

[Jane in NC]

Last year in a similar thread, Lady Florida shared this recipe for cranberry icebox cookies.

 

 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cranberry-icebox-cookies

 

What I love about these festive cookies is that you can freeze the rolls of dough for later use. So my plan is to bring some to a gathering this weekend and some to a different gathering the following.

[kiana]

Oh, these are not really Christmas cookies but they go well with most Christmas cookies and are super easy. 

 

https://hungrynovelist.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/old-school-butterscotch-brownies/

 

All the recipes I see have a higher proportion of flour which I find unnecessary. 

[IfIOnly]

I had to come share because we have a notebook sitting out for people to list the Christmas cookies and treats they are hoping I will make this season. In great big letters DS wrote CRACK. Followed by (not the drug). :laugh:

 

I'm making some this afternoon.

Lol! Yum.

[IfIOnly]

Last year in a similar thread, Lady Florida shared this recipe for cranberry icebox cookies.

 

 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cranberry-icebox-cookies

 

What I love about these festive cookies is that you can freeze the rolls of dough for later use. So my plan is to bring some to a gathering this weekend and some to a different gathering the following.

Oh, those look good. Almond flavor, cranberry, and nuts sound like a great combo.

[Ellesmere]

I am thinking of making the Dorie Greenspan Coffee Cardamom recipe at the bottom of this link because I have a kid that has been asking for cardamom recipes.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/07/504581691/not-for-you-cindy-lou-these-tasty-holiday-treats-are-for-grownups

[Mimm]

I make raspberry thumbprint every year and they are a huge hit. Learn from my mistake and refrigerate the dough for a couple hours at least and don't over handle them when you are rolling them into balls. https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/19753/raspberry-almond-shortbread-thumbprints/

 

I made these are they were incredible. (Bonus! Blog post includes a picture of squeezing a lemon into a bowl... in case you didn't know how that looks.) ;)  http://www.iheartnaptime.net/raspberry-cookies/

 

These vanished super fast last year and we're definitely making them again. And they were pretty on the tray. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-gooey-butter-cookies-recipe.html

 

Last ones. These pecan bars were to die for. :) I cut them in little one inch squares and could not stop eating them. http://www.justataste.com/pecan-pie-bars-recipe/

[Tree Frog]

I make raspberry thumbprint every year and they are a huge hit. Learn from my mistake and refrigerate the dough for a couple hours at least and don't over handle them when you are rolling them into balls. https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/19753/raspberry-almond-shortbread-thumbprints/

 

I made these are they were incredible. (Bonus! Blog post includes a picture of squeezing a lemon into a bowl... in case you didn't know how that looks.) ;)  http://www.iheartnaptime.net/raspberry-cookies/

 

These vanished super fast last year and we're definitely making them again. And they were pretty on the tray. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-gooey-butter-cookies-recipe.html

 

Last ones. These pecan bars were to die for. :) I cut them in little one inch squares and could not stop eating them. http://www.justataste.com/pecan-pie-bars-recipe/

 

I'm going to try those pecan bars! They look wonderful!

 

The chocolate-gooey-butter cookie recipe looks similar to one we use for making whoopie pies.

[Pippen]

Bumping this thread as I'm looking for some new tried and true cookie recipes. Not going to abandon our favorites, but it's time to shake things up a bit.