Christmas baking
wouldn't seem complete without a batch of gingerbread men. Fragrant with
ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves the amount of which can be
adjusted to suit your own individual taste.
more
Rum balls are the
perfect adult indulgence for as their name implies, 'rum' balls
contain rum and since we do not bake these cookies the alcohol taste
and content are not lost during baking. more
A slice and bake
shortbread that is wonderfully crisp, buttery sweet, and full of
chocolate chips.
more
These cute French Macarons
are shaped to look like Snowmen. The filling is a delicious peppermint
flavored Chocolate Ganache.
more
These melt-in-your mouth,
shortbread-like cookies go by many names; a Russian Tea Cake, a Mexican
Wedding Cake, an Italian Butter Nut, a Southern Pecan Butterball, a
Snowdrop, a Viennese Sugar Ball and a Snowball.
more
Shortbreads are
traditionally a Christmas cookie that blends butter, sugar, and
flour to make a rich and delicate tasting cookie.
more
Candy Cane
Cookies
are dressed for
the holidays with their red and white stripes that are
tender crisp with a buttery sweet almond flavor.
more
These sweet and buttery
cut-out cookies are always a favorite. You can dress them simply with
granulated or colored sugars or make them very decorative with royal icing. more
This festive cut out
cookie takes a Sugar Cookie and fills the center with colorful hard
candy which, when baked, looks like colored glass.
more
The latest Christmas Cookies Videos
Catch up on all the latest Christmas Cookies videos
by clicking
Chocolate Chip Cookies
are made with butter and a combination of white and brown sugars
which produces a rich and chewy cookie with caramelized edges.
more
These are known as
Chocolate Crinkles or Black and Whites. Both are perfect names for
this deliciously soft, fudge-like chocolate cookie that is encased
in a coating of confectioners sugar.
more
Melting Moments are a
delicious shortbread-like cookie covered with confectioners sugar that
literally melt-in-your-mouth. more
A seasonal favorite,
buttery balls of dough are rolled in toasted nuts and filled with jam.
They get their name from the fact you use your "thumb" to
make an indentation into each ball of dough for the jam.
more
Scottish Shortbreads would make a fine Christmas cookie with
their
rich and buttery flavor and tender and crumbly texture.
more
Cake Pops
are cake crumbs mixed with frosting,
formed into balls, and covered with a crisp outer shell of colorful
candy coating. more
Loaded with oats, this
version produces a crisp and chewy cookie that can be filled with
chocolate chips (white or dark chocolate), dried fruits, and/or
chopped nuts. more
This cute hat shaped cookie combines a
soft and tender chocolate peanut butter cookie with a Hershey's
Chocolate Kiss sitting on top.
more
Linzer Cookies use the same ingredients
as the Linzertorte but present them in a different way. Two cookies are
sandwiched together with a layer of preserves.
more
Pumpkin Cookies have a
wonderfully soft and spongy texture and taste of pumpkin and its
complementary spices (ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves). Absolutely
delicious with a cream cheese frosting.
more
Ginger Cookies are aptly
named, as they are both ginger colored and ginger flavored. They have a
sugar coated crackly surface and when you bite into one you will find
the texture soft and chewy with a flavor that is buttery and spicy.
more
Nanaimo Bars are British
Columbia's best known confection. They are wonderfully rich with two
layers of chocolate that are separated by a layer of buttercream
icing. more
Spritz Cookies, also
known as Swedish Butter Cookies or Pressed Butter Cookies, are a
very popular Christmas cookie. They have a lovely vanilla flavor and
a rich buttery texture that is tender crisp.
more
Brownies are America's
favorite bar cookie and these are rich and dense with chocolate.
more
Peanut Butter Cookies
are instantly recognizable by their crisscross pattern. They have that
'sweet and salty' flavor combination that make them irresistible.
more
Ginger Snaps are a
highly addictive, sugar coated cookie that gets its chewy texture and
spicy flavor from adding brown sugar, molasses, and spices (cinnamon,
ginger and cloves) to the batter. more
Royal Icing is a pure
white icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish. Besides its
lovely finish it also colors beautifully and it is used as a
frosting for cakes and cookies and also for intricate piping of
decorations. more
This cookie is a
chocolate lover's delight. Not only are they made with a whole pound of
chocolate, but they also contain both white and dark chocolate chips.
more
Meringue Cookies are so
airy, sweet and crisp that they seem to almost melt in your mouth.
more
Combining the subtle
flavor of Dutch-processed cocoa powder with dark and white chocolate
chips produces a chocolate filled cookie that is chewy yet has nice
crisp edges. more
Florentines are a delicious
mixture of toasted nuts and candied fruit that are coated with a sweet
sticky mixture of honey and sugar. They are finished with a layer of
melted chocolate. more
Magic Bars simply layer
six ingredients; melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sweetened
coconut, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and a can of sweetened
condensed milk in a pan and the bars are baked. There is no mixing.
more
Rugalach is a Eastern
European cookie that is made with a cream cheese flavored dough that is
cut into triangles and rolled around a filling to form a crescent. This
recipe makes Rugalach in bar form which is much less work.
more
For this recipe we add
Dutch processed cocoa powder to a basic shortbread dough to give it
a smooth chocolate flavor and cornstarch has replaced some of the
all purpose flour to produce a delicate melt-in-your-mouth texture.
more
This popular British
shortbread consists of three delicious layers; a buttery shortbread, a
smooth caramel, and a shiny layer of melted chocolate.
more
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
are bursting with flakes of sweetened coconut and have a wonderful deep
chocolate flavor. more
While browsing
through the website it suddenly occurred to me that there wasn't a
recipe containing both chocolate and mint. I decided the perfect
dessert to feature these ingredients was a three layer square,
really a Nanaimo Bar, only peppermint flavored
more
Cream Cheese Brownies
combine a dense and fudgy chocolate brownie with a cheesecake-like
topping. more
This recipe is one I have
adapted from 'Windmills in my Oven' as it still gives you that wonderful
spicy flavor of the commercial product only with a softer texture.
more
Sables, also known as French
Butter Cookie or Breton Biscuit, is a classic French cookie originating
in Normandy France. more
This highly addictive, sugar
coated cookie gets its chewy texture and spicy flavor from adding dark
brown sugar, molasses, and spices (cinnamon, ginger and cloves) to the
batter. more
These Butter Tarts
consist of flaky pastry shells that are filled with a sweet mixture
of butter, brown sugar, and eggs. more
Spice cookies are a great
tasting spicy almond cookie that is crisp and crunchy.
more
If you are in the mood
for a crispy buttery chocolate chip cookie this recipe fits the
bill. more
Amaretti is the Italian name
for macaroons, which means little bitter things. Crisp and crunchy on
the outside and soft inside, these small domed shaped cookies originated
in Venice Italy during the Renaissance period.
more
Although this recipe is very
similar to a plain shortbread, it differs in that it uses not only all
purpose flour but also rice flour and almond flour which subtly changes
both its flavor and texture.
more
These fruit and nut bars are
chewy and crunchy and loaded with flavor. They are healthy for us as
they contain lots of dried fruit and nuts and the batter has no butter
or oil in it. more
These wedge shaped cookies
are a delicious
combination of crisp and buttery shortbread, topped with chopped nuts
and chocolate chips.
more
Cheesecake Squares are a
wonderful combination of a graham cracker crust and a thin layer of
creamy smooth cheesecake.
more
Cranberry Shortbread Bars
have two layers of buttery shortbread with a lovely tangy cranberry
layer in between. more
These little gems
are baked until the crusts have nicely browned and the filling has
set. They are excellent warm from the oven, at room temperature, or
even chilled. more
Pecan Squares are the
perfect combination of a shortbread crust topped with a chewy and gooey
pecan filling. more
M&M's cookies have
wonderfully crisp edges and soft and chewy centers. Kids absolutely love
these candy topped cookies. more
Although there are many
chocolate cookies to choose from, I love to snack on these Chocolate
Wafers. Their texture is wonderfully crisp and crunchy and their
chocolate flavor is rich. more
Chocolate Sugar Cookies are
a sweet and buttery cut-out cookie with a mild chocolate flavor that are
frosted with royal icing. more
Butter Cookies are sweet and
buttery with wonderfully crisp edges. Serve them plain with a bowl of
fruit sorbet or a fruit salad. These cookies can also be iced with a
Confectioners Frosting.
more
Brutti ma Buoni is a
delicious Italian cookie that has a wonderfully crisp exterior with a
texture that is soft and chewy. Very similar to a meringue cookie only
with nuts. more
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies take two round
domed shaped chocolate cookies and sandwich them together with a soft
and tangy cream cheese filling. more
This delicious
candy-like square is made with rice cereal, melted marshmallows, and
margarine. more
Low-Fat Brownies have a wonderfully moist
and chewy texture and a
deep chocolate flavor. They
are wonderful plain or topped with fresh berries and/or a scoop of
low fat vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or a fruit sorbet.
more
S'mores are deliciously
sweet and gooey. They take roasted marshmallows and pieces of chocolate
and sandwiches them between two graham crackers.
more
Linzer Squares have a
beautiful golden brown lattice crust made with ground nuts (almonds
and/or hazelnuts) and spices and filled with ruby red raspberry
preserves. more
Checkerboard cookies
are appealing not only because they look beautiful but also because they
combine both the flavors of chocolate and vanilla.
more
Chocolate Peanut Squares are
a delicious combination of peanut butter, cocoa powder, marshmallows,
rice cereal, and peanuts.
more
This is a traditional
biscotti, for it does not contain butter or oil, and its moisture
comes from the eggs. more
Raisin Cookies have a soft
and chewy texture and a buttery sweet flavor. These homey raisin-packed,
old fashioned drop cookies are a busy mother's friend.
more
Raisin Shortbreads take soft and chewy raisins and sandwich them between
two layers of tender and crumbly shortbread.
more
Rocky Road Brownies
are amazing, with their deep chocolate flavor and dense fudge-like texture
topped with gooey melted marshmallows jumbled together with
chocolate chips and nuts.
more
These rich and buttery
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads are dressed for the holidays with their
chunks of green pistachio nuts and dried red cranberries.
more
Chocolate Mint Shortbreads take
two chocolate shortbreads and sandwich them together with a dark
chocolate ganache flavored with pure peppermint extract.
more
A stack of these sweet
and buttery Icebox Cookies, dotted with flecks of red candied
cherries, makes you think of Christmas.
more
Peppermint Whoopie Pies
takes two round domed shaped chocolate cookies and sandwiches them with
crushed candy canes in a marshmallow filling.
more
Bourbon Balls
are a sweet and chewy,
no-bake confection made from a combination of crushed vanilla wafers,
confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, chopped pecans or walnuts, held
together with a little corn syrup and bourbon.
more
Chocolate Shortbreads
take a
buttery rich round of shortbread and covers it with a chocolate
glaze and pieces of crunchy nuts. Delicious.
more
These sweet and buttery
cut-out cookies are always a favorite for not only can you tailor the
shape of the cookie to the occasion but you can also dress them simply
with granulated or colored sugars or make them very decorative by
frosting them with royal icing. more
Gingerbread Biscotti are not
overly sweet, have chunks of hazelnuts,
lots of sweet and juicy raisins, lovely flecks of rolled oats, just a
hint of molasses, and are warmly spiced with ground cinnamon, ginger,
and cloves. more
Hermit Cookies
have a soft and chewy texture, are nicely spiced with ground cinnamon,
allspice and cloves, and are jammed with raisins, dates,
and nuts. more
Black and White Cookies,
also known as Half Moon or Half and Half Cookies, are
large, sweet and buttery, dome shaped cookies, that are iced with both
vanilla and chocolate fondant frostings.
more
Shortbreads are a
buttery cookie (biscuit) that taste absolutely delicious when
sandwiched together with raspberry jam and grated white chocolate.
more
These Chocolate Cream
Cookies have a buttery crisp texture and are filled with a sweet and
buttery cream. A sandwich cookie at its best.
more
Turtle Brownies consist
of a fudgy brownie that is topped with a layer of caramel mixed with
toasted pecans, and finished with a drizzling of melted chocolate.
more
This recipe contains
all the necessary S'more components; chocolate, marshmallows, and graham
crackers only presents them in bar form.
more
Cocoa Brownies are made with
unsweetened cocoa powder which gives them a deep chocolate flavor, and a
cake-like texture that is wonderfully moist and chewy.
more
Homemade Graham Crackers
(Wafers), are a slightly sweet and grainy whole wheat cracker that I
think looks and tastes as good as store bought.
more
Like a shortbread, this Streusel Cookie
has a crisp and crumbly, yet chewy
texture, with a buttery sweet flavor. And its full of crunchy almonds.
more
These Lemon Cookies have a
buttery sweet lemon flavor and a crisp texture. Excellent when drizzled
with a lemon glaze. more
It's hard to beat this delicious
square, with its fluffy marshmallow filling sandwiched between a buttery
shortbread base and loads of toasted coconut.
more
These slice-and-bake
cookies are great to have on hand. Full of chocolate chips and nuts they
are buttery sweet with crisp edges and soft and chewy centers.
more
This delicious Lemon
Bar combines a tangy sweet lemon filling with a top and bottom crust
that contains rolled oats, coconut and nuts.
more
Oh so cute are these colorful
shortbreads that are made to look like buttons. Tasty too, with their
buttery flavor and crisp yet tender texture.
more
Combine
the crumbs of a Red Velvet Cake with a cream cheese frosting
to make these Cake Pops. The crisp outer shell comes from
dipping the pops into melted white chocolate candy wafers.
more
Macarons taste of
almonds and have a crisp crust yet are soft and chewy inside. Paired
with a tart and tangy raspberry filling you have a delicious Raspberry
Macaron.
more
Also known as Tweed Squares.
This bar starts with a white cake containing flecks of chocolate,
followed by a layer of buttercream, all topped with a layer of
chocolate. more
This takes the
original
Rice Krispies Treats®
to a whole
new level by adding three types of chocolate (unsweetened
cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and chocolate chips).
more
Swirls of chocolate and
vanilla batter are combined in this delicious Marble Cookie. Also known
as Zebra Cookies. more
A flavorful Butter Cookie
containing ground cinnamon, ground almonds, and vanilla extract.
more
Also known as
Rugelach, these spiral cookies are made with a cream cheese
pastry that is wrapped around a filling of apricot preserves
and cinnamon sugar.
more
You'll enjoy this tender
crisp cookie with its buttery sweet vanilla flavor. I like to make them
fairly small. Perfect to nibble on or to serve with a fruit salad or ice
cream.
more
Two buttery sweet chocolate
chip cookies sandwiched together with a delicious vanilla cream filling.
more
Lemon Shortbread Bars combine a buttery crisp shortbread
crust with a deliciously tart and tangy lemon filling.
Instantly recognizable by their liberal coating of powdered
sugar.
more
These rich and elegant,
bite-sized round petit fours are made from a mixture of dark or white
chocolate and cream to which various flavorings can be added: butter,
liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried
fruits. more
These three layer Bars start
with a Graham Cracker crust, that is covered with a soft and fluffy
peanut butter filling. They are topped with a shiny chocolate ganache.
more
This is like a brownie but in
cookie form. It has a deep chocolate flavor and while the outside of the
freshly baked cookie is crisp, inside it's nice and soft.
more
These Hazelnut
Shortbread Cookies have a buttery rich hazelnut flavor with a texture
that is wonderfully crisp and crumbly.
more
French Macarons take two
almond flavored meringue cookies and sandwiches them together with a
delicious filling. The outside crust is crisp yet inside they are
wonderfully soft. more
A flavorful butter cookie,
full of toasted pecans, with a wonderfully crisp and crumbly texture.
more
A moist and chewy Brownie
with the crunch of hazelnuts and containing three kinds of chocolate -
semi sweet, unsweetened, and unsweetened cocoa powder.
more
A beautiful looking
Shortbread cookie that is topped with a powdered sugar glaze,
chopped pistachios, and crushed freeze dried raspberries.
more
A sweet tasting cookie that
is soft and fluffy with wonderfully crisp edges.
more
Stephanie talks about
the different ways to package cookies to give as Christmas gifts to your
friends, family and co-workers. more
Most
of us have favorite cookie recipes that we like to bake at holiday time. They are
the ones we look forward to baking and serving as they are part of our family
traditions and invoke pleasant memories. But, if you are like me, I always
like to try something new and a little different. Sometimes they will get
added to the next year's "must bake" list and sometimes not. So I
hope you will browse through these cookie recipes and give a few a try.
Notes
on Storing Cookies: Freshly made cookies always need to be
cooled completely before storing in airtight containers or the cookies
will become soft from the steam they produce while they are still warm. For
frosted cookies, always let the frosting dry completely before
storing so the cookies will not stick together. It is best to store
filled and frosted cookies in a single layer or between layers of
parchment or wax paper. Always store each type of cookie
separately. If you store different flavored and textured cookies
together they will end up taking on the characteristics
of each other i.e. a dry crisp textured cookie stored with a soft
textured cookie will absorb its moisture and become soft.
Likewise, a shortbread stored with a spice cookie will end up tasting
like a spice cookie.
Notes on Cookie Containers: For
gift giving try to choose a container that matches the personality or
hobbies of the recipient. Ideas for containers are: new or antique
cookie jars, hatboxes, flowerpots, baskets, cookie tins, cellophane
bags, lunch bags, gift bags or boxes, festive paper or glass plates,
bakery boxes, plastic containers, jam jars (mason jars), or bowls. Adorn them with ribbon, raffia, or
metallic twine and attach a pretty gift tag or label.
Notes on Shipping Cookies: If you plan to ship cookies, choose cookies
that keep well and are not fragile. The last thing you want is for
the cookies that you spent a lot of time making and packing, to end up
stale or in a pile of crumbs. Generally, the cookies that have a dry
crisp texture tend to last longer than cookies that are soft and moist.
Some good examples of cookies to ship:
Amaretti,
Snickerdoodles,
Biscotti,
Gingersnaps,
Mexican Wedding Cakes,
S'More
Granola Bars,
Sables,
Shortbreads,
Spice Cookies,
Chocolate Wafers, or
Plain Sugar
Cookies.
Any baked good that needs to be refrigerated and therefore is perishable
should not be shipped, unless you are going to ship them overnight with
an ice pack. If you are not sure of the shelf life of the cookies you
want to send, make a test batch, store them in an airtight container and
see how many days they stay fresh.
The container you use for shipping your
cookies should be airtight. If there is the possibility of the lid
coming unsealed (like a cookie tin), use clear packing tape to seal the
lid shut. Place the container of cookies
in a heavy duty corrugated container or box that is larger than the
package of cookies to allow for about 2 inches (5 cm) of packing
materials (popcorn, newspaper, bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts) all the
sides of the cookie container.
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