Holiday Cookie Recipes

In honor of National Bake Cookies Day, we wanted to share some of our Administrative Teams’ favorite holiday cookie recipes.  Read through and maybe you’ll find a new favorite recipe to prepare this holiday season!

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Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Submitted by Lisa Brislane, North Regional Assistant

Source: Cookie Classy

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam, seedless if preferred

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Snow Covered Almond Crescents

Submitted by Janet Woudenberg, NJ State Rep

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract OR 2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter, sugar and almond extract until fluffy. Add flour and salt; mix until well blended. Stir in oats and almonds. Using level measuring tablespoonfuls, shape dough into crescents. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 14 to 17 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Sift remaining sugar generously over warm cookies.
Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 4 dozen cookies

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Mom’s White House Pecan Squares

Submitted by Nici Watkins, Logistics

Ingredients

Shortbread:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
pinch of salt

Pecan Topping:

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
4 cup pecan halves

Directions

Lightly grease a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees

Sift flour and salt together in large bowl and stir in sugar. Cut in cold butter until crumbly, add egg and lemon rind. Blend with a fork until it just holds together. Spoon into pan and press even (I use a piece of parchment paper), prick all over with a fork, and chill for 10 mins before baking for 15 mins. Remove and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Melt butter, honey, and sugars over medium heat and bring to a soft boil for 2 mins – do NOT stir. Remove from heat and add heavy cream and pecans and stir gently. Pour over shortbread crust and bake for 25 mins. Cool on a rack before cutting. Recommend running your knife around the edge and remove the entire cookie to cutting board cutting into diamond or square shapes. TIP: wet the knife between slices to keep it from sticking to the yummy goodness!

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Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

Submitted by Karen Griffiths, Assistant Director

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar*

Directions

Mix the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar together and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Blend well. Divide dough into 3-4″ disks and refrigerate.

Roll out the dough on the counter with a rolling pin. Use your cookie cutters. Mix and roll out dough again if you had some remaining after the first round of cookie cutters.

Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes.

*Cream of tartar, which is actually a byproduct of the winemaking process, is an acidic powder that is typically used in baking to stabilize eggs and creams, as well as adding volume and thickness to the final product. You can find it with the spices in the grocery store or you can substitute fresh lemon juice or white vinegar for the cream of tartar. For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Submitted by Deborah Rhodes, State Representative for LA and AR

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup mild-flavored oil (such as vegetable oil, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, for coating the cookies

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the granulated sugar and oil. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, beating on medium-low speed until combined. Then gradually fold in the flour mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until combined.

Form the dough into a large ball, and place it on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around it so that it is sealed tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours) until the dough is chilled completely through.

Once you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with the powdered sugar.

Remove and unwrap the dough. Then form the dough into 1-inch round balls. Dip each dough ball in the powdered sugar until it is completely covered on all sides, and then place them least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack, and let them cool until they reach room temperature.

Serve immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Looking to mix things up? Feel free to:

Add chocolate chips. I really love mixing 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips into this batter for that extra-gooey chocolate touch.

Place a Hershey’s kiss on top. Just poke the kisses right into the tops of the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven.

Hide a caramel inside the cookie. Once your dough ball is ready to go, poke half of a soft caramel inside the dough, and wrap/roll the dough around the caramel so that it is completely enclosed. The caramel will melt while baking, making for an extra delicious surprise inside.

Add ground cinnamon and cayenne. For a Mexican chocolate twist, try adding 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dough. (Just whisk them into the dry ingredient mixture.)

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Hot Chocolate Cookies

Submitted by Amanda Mleziva, Eligibility Team

Source: Averie Cooks

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
one 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
about 8 ounces dark chocolate, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar)
about 12 large marshmallows, cut in half

Directions

To a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate chips, and heat on high power to melt for 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second bursts, stopping to stir after each burst until chocolate has melted and can be stirred smooth (You’ll likely only need 1 or 2 bursts). Alternatively, melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until just melted. Allow melted chocolate mixture to stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

To a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed just until blended, about 1 minute.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the dough has firmed up significantly. If you accidentally over-chill it and it becomes too firm, allow bowl to rest on the counter until you can scoop it.

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop form dough mounds and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Flatten slightly and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges and tops have just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.

Remove baking sheet from oven, add 1 piece of dark chocolate to the center of each cookie, pushing down very slightly just so it breaks the surface and sinks down.

Place one marshmallow half on the top of each piece of chocolate on all the cookies, pushing down very slightly so the marshmallow adheres.

Return baking sheet to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or just until marshmallows have puffed; don’t let them brown and don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.

Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

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Gingerbread Men Cookies

Submitted by Lori McBarron, East Regional Assistant

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Frosting of choice

Directions

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg, and water. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients minus frosting; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost as desired.

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Frosted Chai Spice Sugar Cookies

Submitted by Shelley Dunville, Website

Source: Sallys Baking Addiction

Ingredients

Cookies:

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Rolling:

1/2 cup  granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Vanilla Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons heavy cream (preferred) or milk
seeds scraped from 1/2 of a split vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

When you take the butter out of the refrigerator to make the cookie dough, take out 1/2 cup more (1 stick) and allow to soften as you make the cookies. This softened butter is for the frosting.

For the cookies: Toss the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. You must use a whisk in order to prevent the butter from separating from the sugars. Whisk in the egg, then the vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very thick and heavy, yet slightly crumbly. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. (If chilling for longer than a few hours, be sure to let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes because it will be quite hard.)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll 1.5 Tablespoons of dough into each ball. You’ll have about 20-24 balls, give or take.

For the rolling: Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Roll each dough ball into the mixture to coat evenly. Place 10 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. The cookies will look very puffy, soft, and under baked. That’s ok. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting (frosting is optional): With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy – about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, cream, and vanilla bean seeds with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon more cream if frosting is too thick. Taste and add 1/8 teaspoon salt if frosting is too sweet. I always add the salt.

Frost cooled cookies. There may be leftover frosting depending on how much you use on each cookie. Sprinkle with extra sugar/chai spice topping if you have any left if desired. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week.

Make ahead tip: Unfrosted cookies freeze well, up to 2 months. Coated cookie dough balls freeze well, up to 2 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

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Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

Submitted by Kelly Eby, Chicago Benefit Coordinator

Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2¼ sticks) salted butter, cold (room temperature if you’re using a handheld mixer), cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (see note)
6 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (not too fine; you want chunks, not little shards)
1 large egg, beaten
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until super light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes.

Using a spatula, scrape down sides of the bowl. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour, followed by chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.

Divide dough in half, then place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over to cover dough and protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form logs that are 2–2¼” in diameter. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet (two, if you’ve got ’em) with parchment paper. Brush outside of logs with egg wash. Roll logs in demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).

Slice each log into ½”-thick rounds. Arrange on prepared baking sheet about 1″ apart (they won’t spread much). Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake cookies until edges are just beginning to brown, 12–15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

Tips

The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. Cookies can be baked and stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container for 5 days.