Greatest Holiday Cookie Recipes
Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies .......................................... 4 M&Ms and Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies ............ 5 Angel Wings .......................................................................... 6 Animal Cookies .................................................................... 7 Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles .................. 8 Brownie Crackles .................................................................. 9 Candy Cane Cookies .......................................................... 10 Candy Cane Cookies-2 .......................................................11 Cherry Pecan Gems ............................................................ 12 Chocolate Peanut-Butter No Bake Cookies .................... 13 Chocolate Rum Balls .......................................................... 14 Chocolate Sugar Cookies ................................................... 15 Christmas Cookies ............................................................. 16 Christmas Cut-Outs ........................................................... 17 Christmas Rum Balls .......................................................... 18 Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies ..................... 19 Cranberry Chip Cookies ................................................... 20 Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies ..................... 22 Easy Lemon Cookies ......................................................... 23 Fruit Cookie ........................................................................ 24 Grandma Wych’s Sour Cream Cookies ........................... 25 Gumdrop Cookies .............................................................. 26 Holiday Thumbprint Cookies ........................................... 27 M&M Cookies .................................................................... 28 Macadamia & Cranberry Cookies ................................... 29 Margarita Cookies .............................................................. 30
MeMe’s Chocolate Crinkles ...................................... 32 Molasses Honey Ginger Cookies ............................. 33 No-Roll Sugar Cookies .............................................. 34 Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies .............................................................. 35 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies ........................... 36 Orange Cookies .......................................................... 37 Paintbrush Cookies ................................................... 38 Peanut Butter Cookies .............................................. 39 Peanut Butter Cup Cookies ...................................... 40 Peppermint Puff Cookie ........................................... 41 Praline Heaven Cookies ............................................ 42 Ranger Cookies ........................................................... 43 Russian Tea Cakes ...................................................... 44 S’more Cookie Bars .................................................... 45 Sachertorte Cookies ................................................... 46 Sandies ......................................................................... 47 Soft Ginger Snaps ....................................................... 48 The Best Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies ................... 49 Vanilla Bean Macarons with Christmas Frosting .. 50 Vanilla Bean Shortbread ............................................ 52 Vegan, Gluten-Free Gingerpeople ........................... 53 Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies .............................. 54 Yummy Chocolate Nut Cookies .............................. 55 Yummy Christmas Snickerdoodle ........................... 56
Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies By: Heather Keiler-Green ¾ cup butter 1½ cups packed brown sugar 2 tbsp. water 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 large eggs 2½ cups flour ½ tsp. salt 1¼ tsp. baking soda Andes Mint Candies
Directions: Over low heat, combine butter, sugar, and water. Heat until melted and add chocolate chips until partly melted. Remove from heat and stir. Pour into large mixing bowl, let stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed. Reduce to low speed and add flour, salt, and backing soda. Beat until well-blended. Chill one hour. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. After baking, place an Andes mint on top (a half mint can be used). When melted, swirl to spread over cookie, letting some of the green show.
M&Ms & Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies By: Joni Bures 2¼ cups cake flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups (12 oz.) Ghirardelli chocolate chips (any type, but milk chocolate the best) 1 cup M&Ms
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and M&Ms. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
Angel Wings By: Deborah Wright 6 egg yolks ½ cup sour cream 1 tbsp. rum or whiskey 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt 3 cups flour (a pinch more if humid) Oil for frying Powder sugar
Directions: Beat egg yolks well; add sour cream, rum, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour. Mix all together. Let dough rest covered with cloth for 10 minutes. On a floured board, knead dough until it is easy to work with approximately 30 minutes. Roll dough out until thin and cut into rectangle strips about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. To add flair, cut short side straight edges on angle instead of leaving straight. Cut slit in center of each strip; draw one end of pastry through slit to form a twist or knot shape. Heat oil to 375 degrees and place pieces into hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. When completely cool, dust cookies with powdered sugar.
About the Recipe:
My mom would make these for us kids when Christmas was near. We would get to sprinkle the powdered sugar on them. We were too young to work with the hot oil, but we could help roll out the dough and get the powdered sugar ready. They are so tasty that you cannot eat just one. The secret is the alcohol which helps with the frying process. This is a Polish recipe passed down from generation to generation, but mine cannot compare to mom’s.
Animal Cookies By: Patricia Vandervoort
½ cup (1 stick) butter ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 4 tbsp. milk ½ tsp. baking soda ¾ tsp. vanilla ⅛ tsp. salt 2 ¼ cups flour
Icing:
1 box confectioners’ sugar ½ stick butter 1 tsp. vanilla Hot water
Directions: Stir milk and baking soda together. Blend butter and sugar together. Add egg, milk with soda mixture, vanilla, salt and flour. Stir until well blended. Roll thin for crisp cookies. Roll thicker for more of a tea-biscuit type cookie. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown at the bottom. Frost with 1 box of confectioners’ sugar with ½ stick of butter cut in it. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and one tablespoon of hot water at a time until you get to the spreading consistency you like and frosting is smooth.
Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles By: Linda Monnin 2½ cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. cream of tartar ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter 1¼ cup dark brown sugar ½ cup sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into ¼’s ¼ cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon Coarse sea salt
Directions: In a medium bowl, mix first five ingredients. Set aside. To brown the butter, heat a medium pan to medium high heat. Add the butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will form. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. While the butter is cooling, cut the caramel squares into ¼’s. In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar and ½ cup sugar. (The ¼ cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies.) Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tbsp of dough and place a piece or the caramel square inside, wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered. Mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place cookies on a parchment lined sheet two inches apart. Press lightly and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 50 cookies.
Brownie Crackles By: Darenda Mallard 1 package fudge brownie mix (13- x 19-inch pan size) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 egg ½ cup water ¼ cup canola oil 1 cup (6 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips Confectioners’ sugar Makes 4½ dozen.
Directions: In a large bowl, beat the brownie mix, flour, egg, water and oil until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into sugar; roll to coat. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire cooling rack to cool.
Candy Cane Cookies By: Al Walker 1 cup unsalted butter ½ cup powdered sugar Ÿ tsp. salt 1 tsp. almond flavoring 1 cup chopped almonds 2 cups all-purpose flour
Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar 2 to 3 tbsp. milk Approximately. 4 to 6 crushed candy canes Food coloring
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Directions: Combine butter, sugar, salt and flavoring into large electric mixer bowl and beat until fluffy. Stir in almonds and flour until well blended. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a rope and form into a candy cane shape. Place on well-buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat using all of the dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until slightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Cook on pan until slightly firm, then carefully remove to a wire rack and cool completely. For icing: Stir powdered sugar and milk together. Add food coloring, if desired. Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Candy Cane Cookies By: Joe Smith
1 cup butter 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar 1 egg 1 ½ tsp almond extract 1 tsp vanilla extract 2½ cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 cup crushed peppermint candy
Directions: Mix butter, shortening, confectioner’s sugar, egg and extracts thoroughly; stir in flour and salt. Make ¾ inch balls of dough and flatten with a fork, criss cross pattern. Bake at 375°F for about 9 minutes, sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies while still hot.
About the Recipe: My great aunt used to make these for us.
Cherry Pecan Gems By: Maureen Engle 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp. maraschino cherry syrup ¼ tsp. almond extract 2½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. cream of tartar ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup finely chopped pecans Red maraschino cherries, halved
Directions: Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg, cherry syrup and almond extract. Sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir into creamed mixture with pecans. Shape dough into two 9-inch rolls. Wrap in wax paper. Chill well. Cut into ¼-inch slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press a well drained cherry half in center of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Chocolate Peanut-Butter No Bake Cookies By: David Ferguson 2 cups sugar 4 tbsp. cocoa 1 stick butter ½ cup milk
1 cup peanut butter 1 tbsp. vanilla 3 cups oatmeal Waxed paper
Directions: In a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute, then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cools and hardened.
Chocolate Rum Balls By: Chez Van Wagner
3¼ cups crushed vanilla wafers ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for coating ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa 1½ cups chopped nuts 3 tbsp. light corn syrup ½ cup rum Makes about 48 cookies.
Directions Combine crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and nuts. Blend in corn syrup and rum. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional confectioners’ sugar. Store in an air tight container for several days to develop flavor. Roll in more confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies By: Stephen Muras
2¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder ½ tsp. salt 2 large eggs 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1¾ cups granulated white sugar 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing using Egg Whites 2 large egg whites 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 3 cups confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted Food coloring
Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder 4 cups confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted 3 tbsp. meringue powder ½ tsp. almond extract (optional) ½ cup - ¾ cup warm water Food coloring
Directions: In a large bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Christmas Cookies By: Sara Erensoy 1½ cup sifted confectionary (powdered) sugar 1 cup butter, softened (leave out on counter overnight) 1 egg 1½ tsp. vanilla 2½ cup flour sifted together with 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar
Directions: Mix sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until completely mixed. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Remove dough from refrigerator and let warm up a bit before working it. Roll thin (to 3/16 inch). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Never put cookies on hot or warm cookie sheet. Before loading up cookie sheet after already used for baking, cool it down by running under cold water and then dry. Bake at 350°F about 7 minutes – when just turning golden on ends. Remove from sheet onto counter. It might be necessary to remove some cookies from oven and let remaining ones bake longer.
Christmas Cut-Outs By: Cynthia Sharpnack 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine 2 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar
Directions: Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Put in butter until mixture looks like corn meal. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; add sugar and beat well. Combine with fork with flour and butter mixture. Chill dough. On lightly floured board, roll dough to ⅛” thickness, cut with cutters and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 6 to 8 minutes. Remove immediately to wire racks to cool.
Frost with icing: 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tbsp. melted butter 1 ½ tbsp. hot water
Stir until well blended. Leave white, or color with drops of food color. Put colored sugar on before icing sets. If desired, colored sugar may be put on cookies before baking, this eliminating the need for icing. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.
About the Recipe:
My brothers & sisters & I (5 of us) made these with our Mom as we were growing up. Then my husband & I made them with our 3 daughters as they were growing up. Now my daughter makes them with her kids – and we go over to help. It is a great family tradition that keeps on going through the generations! One batch is never enough – plan to make several! The cookies freeze well.
Christmas Rum Balls By: Jeff Krug 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (fine) 1 cup pecan meats (chopped) 1 cup powered sugar
2 tbsp. dark cocoa 2 tbsp. white corn syrup â…“ cup dark rum
Directions: Mix well. Shape in balls (1 to 1 ½ inches). Roll in powered sugar. Store, tightly covered, at least 1 week before eating.
About the Recipe: This comes from the Requested Recipes From Our Famous Smorgasbord Dinners Killeen School Food Service Cookbook The food service was headed up by my Mother-in-law Miriam Bell, it was out favorite cookie and I miss her.
Cranberry Chip Cookies By: Patricia Ehler 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature) 2 eggs ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 cups oatmeal 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup white chocolate chips
Directions: Cream together the butter, eggs, both sugars, and vanilla, Than add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oatmeal, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies By: Sally Greis
1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup plus 1 tbsp. unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder (or substitute by adding ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon to unsweetened cocoa powder) ¼ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup plus 1 tbsp. packed light brown sugar ½ cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 3 tbsp. sweet butter, room temperature 3 tbsp. margarine ½ tsp. ground cinnamon Generous pinch ground black pepper Generous pinch cayenne pepper 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg white ½ cup dulce de leche (optional) ¼ cup almonds, finely chopped (optional)
Directions: Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps. You can combine in a food processor if lumps are stubborn. In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and mix until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated.
Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or until needed. Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant Ÿ-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from the top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months. To spice things up, after the cookies are baked, let them cool on a wire rack, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies By: Linda Andell ¾ cup butter, room temperature ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup sugar 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking soda ¾ cup white chocolate chips ¾ cup dried cranberries
Directions: 1. Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. 2. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. 3. Add flour, cornstarch and baking soda and mix until combined. 4. Stir in white chocolate chips and cranberries . Dough will be thick. 5. Chill for at about 2 hours or overnight. 6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. 7. For larger cookies make balls about 3 tbsp in size. Flatten them out a bit and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges look firm and slightly golden but the center is still soft. Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet, then finish cooling on a cooling rack. 8. For smaller cookies, make balls about 1½ tbsp in size. Flatten them out a bit and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges look firm and slightly golden but the center is still soft. Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet, then finish cooling on a cooling rack.
About the Recipe:
Yield: 12 large cookies or 24 small cookies NOTE: The colder the cookie dough, the less it will spread during baking.
Easy Lemon Cookies By: Meena Patel 1 lemon cake mix 2 eggs ⅓ vegetable oil 1 tsp. lemon extract ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cake mix into large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and lemon extract until well blended. Drop teaspoons of dough into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they are lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown and the insides chewy. Enjoy!
Fruit Cookie By: Guozhen Yue 1 cup apricot nectar ½ cup chopped dried apricots 1/3 cup packed brown sugar ¼ tsp. grated lemon rind 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 3 (3 ounce) bags dried sweet cherries 2 tbsp. chopped almonds ½ tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. butter, melted 2 tbsp. canola oil 6 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 serving cooking spray
Directions: Combine first six ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Stir in almonds and vanilla. Cool completely. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine butter and oil. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to prevent drying). Lightly brush phyllo sheet with 1 tablespoon butter mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon crumbs and 1½ teaspoons brown sugar. Repeat layers once. Top with 1 phyllo sheet. Gently press layers together. Lightly coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Cut stack lengthwise into 4 (3½-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip in half crosswise. Spoon 2 tablespoons cherry mixture onto 1 short end of each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of rectangle. Tuck edges under triangle. Place triangles, seam side down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; lightly coat triangles with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, butter mixture, crumbs, brown sugar, cherry mixture, and cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.
Grandma Wych’s Sour Cream Cookies By: Kyle Wych
Directions: 1 cup lard 1 tsp salt 2 cups sugar 2 egg yolks 1 cup sour cream
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1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp lemon extract (or any flavor)
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5-6 cups of flour (use 3-4 cups then roll out dough and add more flour as needed) use cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
Bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Do not let them get brown.
About the Recipe:
Growing up, grandma would always make sour cream cookie cutter cookies several times a year but particularly at Christmas. We had Santa, candy cane, wreaths, angles, gingerbread man, turkey, birthday cake, to name a few that we would make between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We would bake all day. I remember flour being everywhere. I was typically covered from head to toe in flour. We would roll out the dough, pick a cookie cutter, dip it in flour and press down into the dough. The cookies would bake, we would let them cool on newspaper and then decorate. Into the freezer they would go until Christmas Eve dinner. We would all gather and have Oyster Stew or Chili, ham sandwiches and then cookies and homemade ice cream for dessert. My sister and I have kept the tradition going over the years. I tend to make three sets of cookies; Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas. Over the years, I have collected several more cookie cutters. I particularly like the red plastic cookie cutters you can find on line as those are what I grew up in Iowa with and used with grandma when we made these cookies each year. I have several of the original cookie cutters that grandma and mom used as I was growing up. I particularly like the lemon extract flavor of the cookie with an almond extract frosting.
Gumdrop Cookies By: Beverly O’Brien 1 cup butter 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg 2½ cups sifted flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup small gumdrops (chopped)
Directions: Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually. Stir into cream mixture. Mix well and add chopped gumdrops. Chill one hour. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on pan slightly before removing.
Holiday Thumbprint Cookies By: Kathy Tourtellotte 1 cup almonds or pecans, coarsely ground in food processor 1 cup rolled oats, coarsely ground in food processor 1 cup whole spelt flour ¼ cup oil ⅓ to ½ cup maple syrup Strawberry or raspberry jam
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put almonds or pecans in food processor and grind, then add oats and grind until you have a coarse mixture. Add oil, flour and maple syrup to food processor and blend until mixed. Add water to make the dough somewhat moist. Form into walnut sized balls and place on an oiled sheet. Press thumb gently in center and fill indentation with jam. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown on bottom of cookie.
M&M Cookies By: Fabian Flores 2¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup vegetable shortening 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1½ cups M&M plain or peanut candies
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt, mixing well; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars together with electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour mixture and candies until combined. Do not over mix. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, a couple of inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges just begin to turn golden brown.
Macadamia & Cranberry Cookies By: Ryan Dobbs ¾ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar ¾ cup butter ½ tsp. salt ¾ tsp. baking soda
2 whole eggs 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts ½ cup dried cranberries
Directions: Cream the butter with the sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs one at a time; beat until fluffy, scraping down the bowl periodically. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until just incorporated (make sure you don’t over mix or the dough will become tough). Add the nuts and cranberries, and gently combine. Form the dough into a 3- x 2- x 14-inch rectangular log. This will be easier if the dough is first chilled for a half hour. Chill the rectangular log until firm (it can be kept frozen, wrapped well, for up to a month). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice cookies ¼-inch thick and place them on a greased cookie sheet one inch part. Bake until lightly brown and firm, about 12 to 15 minutes. They will stay fresh for several days after baking if stored in an airtight container. Variations: Substitute any type of dried fruit or nut, such as tart cherries, apricots, raisins, papaya, mango, pineapple, coconut, almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts or pine nuts.
Margarita Cookies By: Christina Meckley 2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2 large eggs yolks, room temperature Pinch of salt Grated zest of 2 limes 2 tsp. tequila Grated zest of half an orange Coating ½ cup clear sanding or other coarse sugar 2 tsp. flaky Maldon sea salt* Makes about 50 cookies
Directions: Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky. Beat in 1 of the egg yolks, followed by the salt, tequila, grated lime and orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. It is better to underbeat than overbeat at this point; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, that’s OK - just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula. Turn the dough out onto a counter, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1Ÿ inches thick. Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. While the oven is preheating, work on the sugar coating. Whisk the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl until it is smooth and liquid enough to use as a glaze. Mix the coarse sugar and flaky salt well and spread the mixture out on a piece of wax paper. Remove the logs of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap them, and brush them lightly with a little egg yolk. Roll the logs in the sugar, pressing the sugar/salt mixture gently to get it to stick if necessary, then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about Ÿ-inch thick. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about ½-inch space between them. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. Keeping: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature. Because the sugar coating will melt, these cookies are not suitable for freezing. *If you choose to use regular table salt, use less. Much less; about half or less.
MeMe’s Chocolate Crinkles By: Michael O’Shea ½ cup vegetable oil 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted 2 cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions: Mix together the vegetable oil, melted chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in the mixture one egg at a time. Mix until well blended. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Molasses Honey Ginger Cookies By: Adam Hammick 1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar ½ cup molasses ½ cup honey 2 egg yolks 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. ground cloves 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tbsp. melted butter 1 tbsp. milk ½ tsp vanilla extract Liquid food colorings Colored sugars
Directions: Cream together the shortening, sugar, molasses, and honey in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; stir into the shortening mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill well. Roll in dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with Christmas tree and/or other holiday cookie cutters; transfer to lightly greased baking sheet. Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes (do not over bake). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they are firm, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth, adding more sugar or milk as needed. If desired, divide icing among smaller bowls and tint with different food colorings. Decorate cookies with colored icing and sugars.
No-Roll Sugar Cookies By: Rodolfo Reyes 1 cup sugar 1 cup margarine 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2½ cups flour 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. baking soda
Directions: Cream sugar, margarine, egg and vanilla together. Sift flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda together. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture gradually, mixing well after each addition. Pinch off dough and form into walnut-sized balls. Place on greased cookie sheet and flatten with bottom of greased or sugared glass. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Dough may be chilled before forming into balls, if desired. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies By: Jessica Pollard 2¼ cup all-purpose flour 1¼ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter 1¼ cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. plain greek yogurt ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup milk chocolate chips ½ cup dark chocolate chips 1 jar Nutella, chilled in refrigerator Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Directions: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on lowspeed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if you are super eager, although I cannot promise the same results if you do this. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1½ tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled Nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball - it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled. Make sure that the Nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand very gently. (Really, only the tops need to be flattened a bit!) Bake the cookies 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies By: Casey Mulcihy
¾ cup butter, softened ¾ granulated sugar ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats ¾ tsp. salt 1 (12 oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
Directions: Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour, soda, oats and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 14 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Orange Cookies By: Nancy Smith
⅔ cup shortening ¾ cup sugar 1 egg ½ cup orange juice 2 cups flour ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt
Icing:
2½ tbsp. soft butter 1½ cup powdered sugar 1½ tbsp. orange juice
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine together shortening, sugar, egg, orange juice, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well blended. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Icing:
Combine the butter, powdered sugar, and orange juice. Mix until you get the consistency desired. Spread over cookies. Keep frozen after cooked.
Paintbrush Cookies By: Sonia Lubeck 1½ cups powdered sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. almond extract 1 egg 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar Fun holiday cookie cutters
Egg Yolk Paint: 1 egg yolk
¼ tsp. water Food coloring
Directions: In a large bowl, mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate two to three hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half 3/16-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. On cookie sheet, place cookies about two inches apart. In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and water. Divide mixture among several small custard cups. Tint each with a different food color to make bright colors. If paint thickens while standing, stir in a few drops of water. Paint designs on cookies with small paintbrushes. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool.
Peanut Butter Cookies By: Michael O’Shea
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy 1â…“ cups baking sugar replacement (recommended: Splenda) 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar replacement, egg and vanilla. Stir well with a spoon. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. With a fork, dipped in sugar replacement to prevent from sticking, press a crisscross design on each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining sugar replacement. Cool slightly before removing from pan.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies By: Isabelle Ervin 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup white sugar ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. milk Makes about 40 cookies.
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.
Peppermint Puff Cookie By: Bonnie Nichols ¾ cup margarine 2 cups sifted flour 1 egg, separated 1 tsp. vanilla ¼ cup sugar ½ cup crushed peppermint stick candy
Topping: ½ cup sugar Chocolate chips
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream margarine and vanilla. Add the ¼ cup sugar gradually, creaming thoroughly. Stir in egg yolk. Add flour gradually, ¼ cup at a time. Stir in peppermint candy. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper. Beat egg white. Dip about ¾ of each cookie with egg white and then sugar (keeping the bottom free of coating, keeps the cookie from sticking to the cookie sheet). Place a chocolate chip in the center of each cookie. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheet immediately.
Praline Heaven Cookies By: Marianne Rodriguez Preparation 20 minutes. Bake 25 Minutes. 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour Âź tsp. salt 1 egg white 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 cups of chopped pecans
Directions: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Whisk sugar, flour, and salt; set aside. In separate bowl, beat egg white until stiff. Fold sugar mixture into stiffened egg white. Add pecans and vanilla. Stir gently. Drop by teaspoonful’s onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Heaven!
Ranger Cookies By: Elizabeth Speights ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg ½ tsp. vanilla 1 cup flour ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup Rice Krispies® or corn flakes 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions: Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Mix in the oatmeal, cereal, and nuts. Drop by teaspoonful and slightly flatten on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool a little before taking off the sheet.
Russian Tea Cakes By: Judy Waisath
Cookies:
1 cup salted butter ½ cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. salt
Topping:
½ cup fruit preserves or ½ cup (2 oz.) chopped walnuts ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar using on electric mixer. Add vanilla, scraping down bowl as needed. Blend in flour and salt mixing until thoroughly combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into small balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place dough balls on lightly greased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Press down the center of each ball with a spoon forming a depression. Fill each with a teaspoonful of preserves or nuts. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool, flat surface. When cookies are completely cool, dust them lightly with confections’ sugar.
About the Recipe:
I got this recipe from a friend several years ago, and I now make them every Christmas as they are a favorite with my family. Because of the current “political” issues our country has with Russia, I was tempted to rename the cookies USA Tea Cakes! Please don’t let the name keep you from trying this recipe!
S’more Cookie Bars By: Sandra Entjer ¾ cup of butter 3 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup of butterscotch chips 1 cup mini marshmallows Makes 2 dozen bars.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. In baking pan 13x9 inch, combine butter and crumbs and press to form a layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and mini marshmallows then pour condensed milk evenly over mixture. Bake until bubbly about 20 to 25 minutes. Refrigerate to cool completely and cut into squares to serve and enjoy.
About the Recipe:
This easy and delicious recipe has been in our family for a long time but I don’t know where it came from.
Sachertorte Cookies By: Scott Botchek
1 cup butter, softened 1 (4 ounces) package instant chocolate pudding mix 1 egg 2 cups flour 3 tbsp. sugar ⅔ cup apricot preserves or ⅔ cup cherry preserves ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 tbsp. butter Makes about 4 dozen.
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup butter and pudding mix; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg; blend well. Gradually add flour; mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool for 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Fill each indentation with ½ teaspoon preserves. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cookies.
Sandies By: Shawna Belvins 1 cup butter or margarine ⅓ cup sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 2 tsp. water 2 cups flour 1 cup chopped pecans Makes 3½ dozen cookies.
Directions: Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and water. Add flour, mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape into small balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool slightly. Roll in confectioners’ sugar.
Soft Ginger Snaps By: Cari Galloway ž cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs ½ cup light molasses 4 cups flour 4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. ginger 2 tsp. cinnamon Granulated sugar for coating Makes 5 dozen.
Directions: Beat butter, sugar, egg and molasses together. Stir in dry ingredients into mixture. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Form into balls and roll in sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be puffy when removed from the oven, but will flatten as they cool. Tops will look cracked. Cool on rack.
The Best Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies By: Lisa Foret 1 cup sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla 1 egg yolk (save egg white) 2 cups all-purpose flour Colored sugar or sprinkles for decorating
Directions: In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients except the flour & colored sugar with electric mixer on medium speed. Add flour until well combined. Divide dough into three (3) portions into a disk. Wrap dough individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or longer. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Take one portion of the dough out of the refrigerator at a time & using a floured surface with a rolling pin, roll out 1 disk of dough at a time to ⅛” thickness. Cut the dough with lightly floured cookie cutters & place at least 1” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush each cookie with egg white before decorating with colored sugars or sprinkles. Bake 6 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove cookie immediately from cookie sheets and allow cooling. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.
About the Recipe:
I love to bake & when I found this recipe, I now use no other sugar cookie recipe but this one. It is well loved by my family & friends and always requested by my coworkers that I often bring in bake goodies almost every month. It is a way to share my talents with others and my favorite cookie cut-out for this recipe is a snowflake for Christmas ‘cause I am always hoping each year for a “White Christmas” here in Austin, Texas. These cookies are always requested by my coworkers & family each year.
Vanilla Bean Macarons with Christmas Frosting By: Martin Rodriguez 3 aged egg whites, minus 1¾ tablespoons ½ cup almond flour ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 vanilla bean 1¾ tbsp. white granulated sugar 1 tsp. cocoa powder or powdered food coloring (optional)
Eggnog Marshmallow Fluff: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 3 cups powdered sugar 1 (7 oz.) jar Marshmallow Fluff ¼ cup eggnog 1 tsp. Tahitian vanilla extract
White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream:
½ cup butter, softened 1½ cups powdered sugar 3 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature 1 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. Tahitian vanilla extract ¼ cup crushed soft peppermint candies
Spicy Milk Chocolate Mocha Ganache: ¾ cup milk chocolate chips ½ cup heavy cream ½ tsp. Mexican vanilla extract 1 tbsp. instant coffee powder ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ¼ tsp. freshly ground allspice ¼ tsp. freshly cloves ⅛ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Directions: Up to 5 days before making macarons, separate the egg whites, cover loosely with a paper towel, and store in the refrigerator. The night before making macarons, set them out on the counter to come to room temperature. The next morning, place almond flour, powdered sugar, and the contents of the vanilla bean into a food processor and process until fully combined. Move to a large bowl and whisk in one teaspoon of cocoa powder for chocolate macarons, or one teaspoon of powdered food coloring for colored macarons. Leave plain for vanilla macarons. Whisk to combine, then sift and set aside. With a mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add in granulated sugar and continue whisking until the egg whites have stiff peaks. Add the egg whites to the flour and fold to incorporate until the mixture is just smooth, using no more than 50 strokes. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and fill with macaron batter. Pipe approximately 1-inch circles onto a baking sheet lined parchment paper. Let the batter rest on the pan at least 30 minutes before baking to form a strong skin that helps keep the macarons from cracking in the oven. Bake the macarons at 280 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes directly in the middle of the oven. To test for doneness, gently touch the top of a macaron to make sure it’s dry. Then gently try to lift the macaron from the parchment paper. If it comes away pretty easily, they’re done. If it doesn’t come up and the top breaks away, they need to cook longer. Keep checking on them every two minutes until the bottom is dry. Once removed from the oven, allow the macarons to rest on the pan for 10 minutes to finish cooking before trying to remove. Cool completely before frosting.
White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:
Place the butter, sugar, melted white chocolate, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add crushed peppermint and beat until fluffy.
Eggnog Marshmallow Fluff Frosting:
Place butter, sugar, marshmallow fluff, eggnog and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Spicy Milk Chocolate Mocha Ganache Frosting:
Place chocolate chips in a glass or heat-proof bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk the heavy cream, vanilla, instant coffee powder, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg; bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate chips, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until the ganache reaches a thick, frosting consistency.
Simple Syrup:
Bring the sugar and water to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Brush over the tops of the macaron shells with a pastry brush and sprinkle with edible glitter.
Vanilla Bean Shortbread By: Bob Mathews 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup butter, softened
½ cup canola oil ½ cup sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray and set aside. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed for two minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil, beat with a mixer at medium speed for three minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add seeds to butter mixture; discard bean. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon dough into a prepared pan. Place a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap over dough and press to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Bake for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan for five minutes on a wire rack. Cut into 32 pieces. Carefully lift foil from pan. Cool squares completely on a wire rack.
Vegan, Gluten-Free Gingerpeople By: Ara Irigoyen ⅓ cup canola oil ¾ cup sugar (unrefined) ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup plain rice milk 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt
Spice Mix:
½ tsp. ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. ground cloves (optional) ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger
Makes 12 to 16 cookies
Directions: Whisk together canola oil and sugar. Add molasses and milk. Sift in dry ingredients (including spice mix) and mix about halfway through. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll dough about ¼-inch thick and cut out gingermen/women shapes. Bake for 8 minutes (watch them, they burn easily!). Let them cool before enjoying or icing.
Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies By: Yingchi Chen 1⅓ cup cocoa powder 4¼ cups powdered sugar 1 cup walnuts 5 egg whites
½ tsp. salt 1⅓ cup darkchocolate (chips or pistols) 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray. Then place a sheet of parchment paper on top and spray with cooking spray. 2. Place Chocolate and Walnuts in 2 separate zip top bags. Use a rolling pin to crush Walnuts and Chocolate into crumbs. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, and Salt until all lumps are eliminated. Stir in the Egg Whites, Vanilla and the reserved Walnuts and Chocolate. Mix until well combined. 4. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on sheet tray. Serve warm, room temperature or put in the refrigerator overnight and serve cold!
Helpful Tips:
1. No oil and flour used in recipe. 2. Let cookies cool completely on sheet tray. 3. This can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Yummy Chocolate Nut Cookies By: Carmen Keithly 2 cups flour 2 large eggs 1 cup butter, plus a little more for cookie sheets ¾ cup brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 1½ tsp. Mexican vanilla 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Directions: In a large bowl, sift the flour. Add baking soda and salt. Mix. In a blender, beat both sugars and vanilla extract, until creamy. Add eggs to blender slowly, one at a time. Beat a few more seconds. Then, begin adding the flour mixture, a little at a time, until it is all mixed in. Turn off blender. Add chocolate chips and nuts with a spoon until well combined. Use a tablespoon size measuring spoon to drop cookies onto a lightly buttered baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden, on the middle rack. Please cool before enjoying. Makes about 3 to 4 dozen, depending how big you make them.
Yummy Christmas Snickerdoodle By: Melanie S. 1½ cups white sugar ½ cup butter, softened 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 eggs 2¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 2 tbsp. white sugar 2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine 1½ cups white sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar/ cinnamon mixture and place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.