So....Christmas cookies

Winchester · Nov 19, 2015

Are you making any? What kind(s)?

I'm working on a (hopefully) short list of cookies:

Rick wants snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies
My niece wants snickerdoodles
My contribution to the family Christmas cookie swap is old-fashioned gingersnaps (Mom always made them for Christmas and my niece loves them, but she can't make them like Mom did)
My granddaughter wants chocolate crinkles
Grandson wants peanut butter
I like those white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies. But I also like brown sugar-cinnamon biscotti. And orange-cranberry biscotti. Both are delicious.
I should have some cut-out cookies in the mix somewhere. According to my brother, it's not Christmas without biting off Rudolph's head or drowning a gingerbread man (sorry). He and Rick get together to eat cookies; my brother sticks the gingerbread man's head in hot cocoa and makes all kinds of gurgling sounds (why, yes, we become seven years old!

).

I do want to make some almond brittle and some marshmallows for our hot cocoa on Christmas morning. My sister has requested marshmallows, too, which isn't a problem. One batch will make enough for both families.

And I'm hoping that will be it. I do take cookies into work, but there are only five of us in my department and we can only eat so many cookies. Although, I will say that we eat our share (or more).

sivyaleah · Nov 19, 2015

Paying attention to thread

. My office is going to do a cookie exchange, or something baking related. I don't typically make sweet things at home so I hope to find some good ideas here! I only have about 2-3 "go to's" - the usual Tollhouse cookies and a soft ginger one that I picked up off Bon Appetit years ago. I'm looking for something a bit more out of the usual for the event.

Kat0121 · Nov 19, 2015

I'll be making snickerdoodles as well. I bought the vietnamese cinnamon from King Arthur Flour and it smells amazing. I think it will take the snickerdoodles to a new level.

One of the reviewers on their site said that if her house was on fire, it would be one of the things she grabbed on the way out.

I make white chocolate macadamia cookies a lot so I'm sure I'll make those. Maybe some peanut butter too.

KAF has a recipe for gluten free shortbread that can be made with vegan butter. I think I'll make some for DD's BF. I bought an extract from them called Fiore di Sicilia which is a vanilla/orange and it also smells incredible. I think it will add something special to a shortbread or sugar cookie.

Edited to add- I found a Wilton cookie press on clearance at WM a while back. I might have to break that in.

larussa · Nov 19, 2015

You know darn well I don't bake cookies

The only home made cookies I will be eating is from my great-niece who makes them every year also. Nothing like home baked.

jcat · Nov 19, 2015

Over the years I've really cut down on the types of Christmas cookies I bake. This year it'll be the usual chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies (though brownies sound good right now).

swampwitch · Nov 19, 2015

I would really like to bake and decorate some sugar cookies this year. It's been a few years since my husband's dairy allergy came to light and I have a delicious rolled sugar cookie recipe, but of course, it has dairy.

Last year our daughter cut out and baked some sugar cookies using a vegan recipe and they were extremely tasty! She substituted soy eggnog in them instead of nut milk, and they had a fantastic taste and a real delicate crunch. (I liked them so much she made them again on Mother's Day but she said they "taste like Christmas" lol.)

Columbine · Nov 19, 2015

I don't think I'll have the energy for cookie baking this year. I made tons last year for gifts, and it just about wore me out...especially on top of scratch made mincemeat, mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake (2 kinds...) and all the savoury stuff :thud:

Dad's a real traditionalist, and everything HAS to be made to his mother's recipes (well...these days my gluten free adaptations of them). We don't generally have people over, so it's silly to have too many sweet things hanging about anyway.

AbbysMom · Nov 20, 2015

I always have to make Chocolate chip cookies, but I'm not sure I will bother with any others this year.

I've made these before and they are delicious, but my family isn't fond of cranberries:

Chocolate-Cranberry White Chunk Cookies
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Dutch process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 4-ounce good-quality white chocolate baking bar, cut into small chunks (about 3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Add flour mixture one cup at a time and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in white chocolate, nuts, and cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 11 to 12 minutes, until cookies have risen but centers are soft. Let cool slightly, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

catapault · Nov 20, 2015

Good timing! Yesterday I went with my fribling (that's a friend who is as close as a sibling, but by choice rather than birth) to The Larder in Doylestown, Pennsylvania where I bought candied lemon peel, orange peel, citron melon, pineapple, and red cherries for fruitcake.

Citron will also go into lebkuchen, a bake-ahead honey cookie that's baked in a rectangular layer cake pan, cut into squares, given a lemon icing, and individually wrapped in wax paper. Better when it has aged than fresh out of the oven.

Another holiday favorite is springerle, an anise cookie that's rolled with a special rolling pin, then left overnight before baking to set the embossed pattern.

And a Scandinavian almond cookie, icebox roll that's sliced, then baked..

Mamanyt1953 · Nov 20, 2015

OH, sugar cookies. Some plain, for cookie cutters and icing, some with red tint & peppermint to make those starlight mint looking things. Just sugar cookies.

BUT...I'll also be making tons of barks, chocolate, white chocolate, and peppermint, as well as sugared and spiced pecans.

miagi's_mommy · Nov 21, 2015

We make a lot of cookies throughout the year, so we don't really make many Christmas cookies since they are enjoyed through out the year so we sort of get sick of them.

But I wouldn't be opposed to chocolate chip walnut cookies along with the butter cookies. But we really don't need all the sweets as my mom is diabetic. But she enjoys making the stuff, she can have a nibble here and there. And we don't frost some of the butter cookies so she can have them for her morning cookies with coffee if her blood sugar is low cookies always help. We might make buckeyes this week for Thanksgiving as well because my brother who doesn't like sweets too much likes the buckeyes. And they're really not sweet... but they are heaven because you know pb and chocolate. But we'll see as we have to prepare a lot of stuff for Thanksgiving. They are no bake any way so would be perfect.

So we usually make fudge with nuts and without since my dad usually takes some to work and some people have a nut allergy or intolerance to nuts, peanut butter balls (called buckeyes but it's just easy to explain them as pb balls but they are amazing), peppermint bark and fruit and nuts dipped in chocolate and white chocolate.

My mom will make butter cookies that melt in your mouth. I personally like them better than your typical sugar cookie. Well, we'll make them together as we have a cookie press. After they cool after being baked, we'll decorate them with frosting and sprinkles. I'm very excited to make the cookies this year. It's fun with the cookie press!

Also we might make jam cookies (butter cookies with jam in the center) as my parents bought me my favorite jam from Costco (rhubarb, raspberry & cherry) and I can't eat all of it.

Kat0121 · Nov 21, 2015

Miagi's_Mommy said:
We make a lot of cookies throughout the year, so we don't really make many Christmas cookies since they are enjoyed through out the year so we sort of get sick of them.

But I wouldn't be opposed to chocolate chip walnut cookies along with the butter cookies. But we really don't need all the sweets as my mom is diabetic. But she enjoys making the stuff, she can have a nibble here and there. And we don't frost some of the butter cookies so she can have them for her morning cookies with coffee if her blood sugar is low cookies always help. We might make buckeyes this week for Thanksgiving as well because my brother who doesn't like sweets too much likes the buckeyes. And they're really not sweet... but they are heaven because you know pb and chocolate. But we'll see as we have to prepare a lot of stuff for Thanksgiving. They are no bake any way so would be perfect.

So we usually make fudge with nuts and without since my dad usually takes some to work and some people have a nut allergy or intolerance to nuts, peanut butter balls (called buckeyes but it's just easy to explain them as pb balls but they are amazing), peppermint bark and fruit and nuts dipped in chocolate and white chocolate.

My mom will make butter cookies that melt in your mouth. I personally like them better than your typical sugar cookie. Well, we'll make them together as we have a cookie press. After they cool after being baked, we'll decorate them with frosting and sprinkles. I'm very excited to make the cookies this year. It's fun with the cookie press!

Also we might make jam cookies (butter cookies with jam in the center) as my parents bought me my favorite jam from Costco (rhubarb, raspberry & cherry) and I can't eat all of it.

Could Mom be convinced to share that butter cookie recipe with a grateful new relative? I'm available to be adopted as a niece or cousin!

I have a cookie press!!

misterwhiskers · Nov 21, 2015

Where do you all get the energy to make all this homemade stuff? I haven't made a batch of homemade in years. My favorite is my moms old oatmeal cookies, made with the 20 minute oats. The fast oats just aren't as chewy or good.

My next favorite are Kroger's cranberry walnut cookies. You just bake them. They are ridiculously good.

natalie_ca · Nov 22, 2015

I don't do cookies at Christmas anymore. I used to bake all kinds of cookies and squares. Sometimes for bake exchanges, and other times to give as gifts. It's far too expensive to do a lot of baking.

I made a mocha chocolate cake to have for dessert at Christmas. It's in the freezer.

I may make Almond Crunch bars. So simple, and quick....maybe 10 minutes. Recipe can be found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/almond-graham-cracker-cookies-233688

exps12959_QC10129C55.jpg

natalie_ca
Nov 22, 2015

Winchester · Nov 22, 2015

Miagi's_Mommy said:
We make a lot of cookies throughout the year, so we don't really make many Christmas cookies since they are enjoyed through out the year so we sort of get sick of them.

But I wouldn't be opposed to chocolate chip walnut cookies along with the butter cookies. But we really don't need all the sweets as my mom is diabetic. But she enjoys making the stuff, she can have a nibble here and there. And we don't frost some of the butter cookies so she can have them for her morning cookies with coffee if her blood sugar is low cookies always help. We might make buckeyes this week for Thanksgiving as well because my brother who doesn't like sweets too much likes the buckeyes. And they're really not sweet... but they are heaven because you know pb and chocolate. But we'll see as we have to prepare a lot of stuff for Thanksgiving. They are no bake any way so would be perfect.

So we usually make fudge with nuts and without since my dad usually takes some to work and some people have a nut allergy or intolerance to nuts, peanut butter balls (called buckeyes but it's just easy to explain them as pb balls but they are amazing), peppermint bark and fruit and nuts dipped in chocolate and white chocolate.

My mom will make butter cookies that melt in your mouth. I personally like them better than your typical sugar cookie. Well, we'll make them together as we have a cookie press. After they cool after being baked, we'll decorate them with frosting and sprinkles. I'm very excited to make the cookies this year. It's fun with the cookie press!

Also we might make jam cookies (butter cookies with jam in the center) as my parents bought me my favorite jam from Costco (rhubarb, raspberry & cherry) and I can't eat all of it.

Rick and I used to make tons of Spritz cookies with our cookie press. I don't have the patience to deal with a cookie press, so it's always Rick's job. I make the dough, he presses the cookies, then we both decorate them. We make cream cheese Spritz, an old Betty Crocker recipe. Pink, green and chocolate.

I just made a pan of buckeye brownies a couple weeks ago to take to a friend's house for dessert. Yum

I bought King Arthur's Sift magazine because it's the holiday issue; they have a recipe for Linzer cookies....and now I'm wanting Linzer cookies.

Kat0121 · Nov 22, 2015

I love spritz cookies. I found this recipe on King Arthur Flour's website. I already have the Fiori di Sicilia and I have the cookie press. I think I need some of these in my life.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/fiori-di-sicilia-spritz-cookies-recipe

miagi's_mommy · Nov 22, 2015

Kat0121 said:
Could Mom be convinced to share that butter cookie recipe with a grateful new relative? I'm available to be adopted as a niece or cousin!

I have a cookie press!!

Sorry the forum was down earlier! Here is the recipe she uses.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7g6li4uq/old-fashioned-butter-cookies.html

Sure you can join the family.

The more the merrier!

See, @Winchester my mom doesn't have the patience, but I do!

Some of the cookies turn out ugly but they are going to be eaten any way so who cares?

That recipe sounds good!

Ooh I bet they were amazing! What are Linzer cookies?

Winchester · Nov 23, 2015

Yum, they look good, Miagi's_Mommy. Thanks!

Linzer cooked are rolled-out cookies. You put a dollop of raspberry preserves on the top of one cookie, then cover it with the top cookie that has a hole in it for the preserves to show through. Usually the top cookie is sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. I love them. I love, love, love them.

Hey Kat, I'll trade you some Linzers for some of those KA Spritz cookies. Same with you, Miagi's Mommy. I'll make the Linzers and trade off. That way I don't have to deal with the darn cookie press. That works!

Natalie_CA, those Almond Crunch Bars look decadent!

There's a REASON I look this way!

(I think I'm going to put that on my signature line.

)

miagi's_mommy · Nov 23, 2015

You're welcome!

Oh my gosh those sound good!

Ok deal.

natalie_ca · Dec 1, 2015

Winchester said:
Yum, they look good, Miagi's_Mommy. Thanks!

Linzer cooked are rolled-out cookies. You put a dollop of raspberry preserves on the top of one cookie, then cover it with the top cookie that has a hole in it for the preserves to show through. Usually the top cookie is sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. I love them. I love, love, love them.

Hey Kat, I'll trade you some Linzers for some of those KA Spritz cookies. Same with you, Miagi's Mommy. I'll make the Linzers and trade off. That way I don't have to deal with the darn cookie press. That works! :nod:

Natalie_CA, those Almond Crunch Bars look decadent!

There's a REASON I look this way!
(I think I'm going to put that on my signature line. )

They're devine.

So....Christmas cookies

In the kitchen with my cookies

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In the kitchen with my cookies

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In the kitchen with my cookies

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