12 Blogs of Christmas: Yummy Cookies!

Ah, December. What better month to stuff yourself to the brim with baked goods? Don't worry. You'll resolve to never eat another cookie again for the new year. Of course, by January 7th, you'll break that resolution, but this isn't January. Who cares about January? This is December. Cookies are in front of you now. And they smell delicious.

Here's the funny part of my annual Christmas Cookie Extravaganza. The Jewish Christmas cookie: Poppy Seed Hamantaschen. Though it's not a Chanukah cookie, my family always bakes it around this holiday. I mean, any excuse for a cookie, right? My family celebrates both Chanukah and Christmas, so we get twice the cookies. (Good deal from my perspective. I love cookies.)

My favorite holiday cookie is a toss-up between the Poppy Seed Hamantaschen and old-fashioned peanut butter cookies. Hamantaschen are also made with strawberry, raspberry, and apricot filling.

Yum!

As part of the 12 Blogs of Christmas, and in the spirit of loving cookies, I've collected holiday favorites from a snazzy group of people to share with you! Ask a bunch of writers and bloggers what their favorite cookies are, and you get some great stories (and recipes!) to go with your milk.

NK: Kelly, why don't you start us off. What's your favorite holiday cookie to bake?

KSG: Let me just put this out there: I am not a cook.  However, I do like cookies, and I like to have fun.  When my kids were little we made Play Dough Cookies for every holiday, varying the colors based on the holiday.  For Christmas, it was this simple:

• Premade sugar cookie dough (Of course, supermoms can make their own)
• Red food coloring
• Green food coloring

Mix half the dough with red coloring and half the dough with green. Then grab a small ball from each and mix them together, swirl them, form a border with one, whatever you would do with Play Doh!  Then put them on a cookie sheet and bake per the directions. As they bake, the colors bleed together and become brighter.  You can add frosting or colored sugar afterwards, but every cookie is unique and it's fun to play with your food.

Visit Kelly's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Books here!

photo by rorobeans

NK: I love this idea. What a great way to get the whole family involved in baking! What's your take on the cookies, Raine?

RT: My favorite holiday cookie is a magic cookie bar.  My mom made these every year only at Christmas, and they're utterly divine!  Here is a link to the recipe: Magic Cookie Bars.

Visit Raine's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Songs of the Season here!

NK: Sounds yummy. Hey, D.C. how do you feel about Christmas cookies?

DCM: Holy shit, I love cookies. The only thing better than eating cookies is eating cookies in a gaudy Christmas sweater that covers my pooching stomach. I love pretty much all cookies but my favourite has to be the chocolate macaroon. Just thinking about all of that chocolatey chewy goodness makes me want to grab the mixing bowl and go to town.

I don’t know what goes into your macaroons but mine involve sweetened coconut (2.5 cups), bitter sweet chocolate (4 ounces), super high quality cocoa powder (1/4 cup), three egg whites, sugar (3/4 cups), salt (1/4 tsp), and vanilla extract (one tsp). Okay, I know what you’re thinking; where is the condensed milk? There is none in this easy recipe. Just melt the chocolate, mix the other ingredients. Mix melted chocolate into other ingredients and spoon onto cookie sheets. Let the little buggers sit in the fridge for a little while then bake in an oven at 325 F for ten minutes. Let cool and voila! Your dinner is prepared. Double the recipe if you have guests and aren’t so much into the sharing.

Visit D.C.'s 12 Blogs of Christmas: Christmas Drinks here!

NK: Fabulous. I'm picturing the sweater right now. It looks like this: Christmas Sweater. Hey, Ciara, is there an Australian Christmas cookie?

CB: The closest I can get is 'Tonie's Truffles' - so called because I stole them from my aunt, Tonie. I love these, they are incredibly moreish - which is why I only make them at Christmas. I make them and take them somewhere knowing that I will probably eat most of them *shrug* that's OK right? After all, I went to the effort of making them. They are a strictly once a year food for me because they are really unhealthy (check the ingredients if you don't believe me). They're not really a Christmas food, although they do kind of look like snowballs. Um, yeah, it doesn't snow here in Australia. OK, well, if it snows wherever you are, you can pretend they're snowballs. I'll coat mine in chocolate sprinkles and pretend they're... no, nevermind.

*Tonie's Truffles*
1 packet of Nice biscuits
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of coconut (plus extra for rolling truffles in)
1 tablespoon of cocoa
Chocolate sprinkles (optional - for rolling truffles in)

Crush biscuits (in food processor or by hand) and mix in a large bowl with the can of milk, the cup of coconut, and the tablespoon of cocoa. Mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.

Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls, wetting hands in warm water every 3 – 4 truffles to prevent mix sticking. Coat each truffle with coconut or chocolate sprinkles. Keep in fridge to set.  

Visit Ciara's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Decorations That Have Kangaroos in Their Top Paddocks here!

NK: Who doesn't love truffles? I'm bringing this recipe to the States! Amberr, what's your secret to holiday cookies?

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter

AM: One of my favorite holiday cookies are my granny's famous no-baked cookies. They're so easy to make that even a child--or a terrible baker like myself--can make them without screwing up. My grandmother passed away the other year and took her exact recipe with her, but I've found a few that have come close since then. The other day, I came across this delicious recipe and decided to experiment in advance. Jackpot! The end result is a mouthwatering, delectable cookie that is pure poetry for the taste buds. I can't wait to make them again for our traditional dinner next week.

Visit Amberr's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Tasty Traditions here!
 

NK: I'm a huge fan of no-bake desserts! Glad you found a recipe that was almost as good as your grandmother's. As the only guy in this mix, Justin, I'm dying to know: do you bake for Christmas?

JB: I'm actually fairly competent in the kitchen. My father was the chef of the family and he taught everyone how to make a complete holiday meal. My mother made really great sugar cookies with decorative icing, but I somehow didn't get that cookie gene. I'm a terrible baker. So, my favorite Christmas Cookies are the store bought kind! Or any gift of homemade cookies from other friends and family -- love them (please send to the San Juan Islands LOL)!

Zippy and the new puppy-girl, Kipling, also cherish the tin the cookies come in, but I had to give them a lesson on sharing:

That gift is for the both of you!

Come on Zippy, please share ;-)

Zippy is very chagrined...

...so he walked away and Kipling started to open the package!

Visit Justin's 12 Blogs of Christmas: The 12 Holiday Faux Pas here!

NK: Pets deserve cookies, too! Make sure they save you one. Erica, you must have a story to go with your cookies.

ELD: Once upon a Christmas baking... My mother and I dusted out my aunt's cookie recipes to bake one of her holiday favorites. Not being big on reading the directions, we messed up a few of the ingredients and what we ended up with was way better than the cookies we set out to make. These are moist, delicious, dunkable Christmas cookies! (And they might even be healthy...unless you use the mincemeat with Rum in it.)

Too tasty to wait!

*Mincemeat Mistake Cookies*

(sift together and set aside)

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

(cream together)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

Add 28oz jar of mincemeat (or reconstituted dry mincemeat) to sugar mixture then mix in dry ingredients.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes.

This recipe makes several dozen delicious cookies!

Visit Erica's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Somewhere in My Memory here!

NK: That's the best way to make a new recipe. Love the story. Melody, I hear you have a unique cookie for us.

MAJK: You have to know this – I hate fruit cake – I do with a passion.  I have all my life.  I hate fruit cake on a special level.  The word would just make my taste buds cringe.  This is important because my father in law messes with this constant in my life every Christmas by making the most ridiculously delicious Fruitcake cookies.  I don’t know the recipe.  I don’t care.  These cookies he makes are the most delicious, amazing, perfect food ever! Put me on a planet with nothing but these to eat and I will not complain … until they are gone.

I wait for the “Kma & Kpa Christmas visit” – as my son calls it.  This is the visit when they come over and bring presents and a big platter filled with all of the different kinds of cookies they have made.  This is where I discovered my father-in-laws fruitcake cookies.  I would eat them all if my manner didn’t stop me.  Yummy!! Really, they are on a level of “heaven in your mouth” kind of tasty. I’ve lobbied my husband for a name change because I still hate fruitcake.  I’m not getting much traction. I don’t care though as long as my wonderful father in law keeps making me those cookies.

Visit Melody's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Favorite Christmas Toys here!

Courtesy of StockPodium

NK: Have to say, I'm not a fruitcake fan either, but those cookies sound great. Is there a cookie that sums it all up for you, Maureen?

MH: To me, Linzer Cookies mean Christmas. I always add raspberry jam to the middle and am liberal with the powdered sugar. Melt-in-your-mouth pecan-tasty goodness. (Click on the cookie link for a delicious recipe.)

Visit Maureen's 12 Articles of Clothing in the Christmas Clauset here!

NK: Those look amazing. Karen, did I hear you have a Double-Peanut Butter Cookie recipe?

KDL: Ever since I could remember Reese's Double Peanut Butter Cookies have been my favorite. I used to fight with my mom because she would put a plate of cookies out for Santa and she'd put at least one of every kind we made on it. And boy did it piss me off when I would come down the next morning to see only a bite taken out of the peanut butter one. What a waste. Now that I'm the mommy I'm in charge of putting that plate of cookies out and you better believe that there are no peanut butter cookies on it. Santa can stick to the good ole chocolate chip cookies when visiting my house. 

*Double Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe* (from the Hershey's website):

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

  

  Take two!

  3/4 cup sugar
  1/3 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
  1 egg
  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
  
  Heat oven to 350°F.
  
  Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter in large bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips; drop by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, 6 cookies per sheet.
  
  Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 1-1/2 dozen cookies.

Visit Karen DeLabar's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies here!

NK: Oh, my. I'm definitely making these!! Wait, we haven't seen a sugar cookie recipe yet. Marie, please tell me you have one.

MP: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without sugar cookies, and this is, by far, one of the best sugar cookie recipes ever invented.  Of course, I might be a little biased, because it’s a traditional family recipe, but I seriously have yet to find a recipe that can replace this one.  I dare you to make it one of your traditional cookie recipes.  You won’t be disappointed!

Nibble on Frosty.

*Mom’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies*

1 cup margarine

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together margarine, eggs, sour cream and sugar.  Mix in dry ingredients and refrigerate until chilled.  Roll small amounts of chilled dough out in flour.  Cut with floured cookie cutters.

Bake 10-12 minutes @ 400 degrees.  Allow to cool completely, then frost and decorate. Store in an airtight container to retain softness.

Visit Marie's 12 Blogs of Christmas: Cartoons Classics here!

Thanks for stopping by the 12 Blogs of Christmas: Yummy Cookies Edition. Remember to click the other 12 Blogs of Christmas links to read all about our holiday favorites and share your own!

What are your favorite holiday cookies? Do you have the best recipe ever? An unbeatable baking disaster story? Share it in the comments! 


A special thanks to all the participants of the 12 Blogs of Christmas: Kelly Stone-Gamble, Raine Thomas, D.C. McMillen, Ciara Ballintyne, Amberr Meadows, Justin Bogdanovitch, Erica Lucke Dean, Melody-Ann Kaufmann, Maureen Hovermale, Karen DeLabar, and Marie Patchen!