Christmas Cookies 101

The month of December brings so much festivity!  And let’s be honest… don’t we look forward to the amazing food that comes with it too?  Holiday parties, entertaining, cookie exchanges, gifts for the neighbors, a gift gift for the hostess, even a mixed tray for dessert for Christmas dinner. Whatever you need them for, these cookies are sure to please!  Make just one kind or make them all and serve an array!  

CHERRY SNOWBALLS

I have loved these since I was little!  The outer shell is firm but when you bite into it… voila!  A cherry! My advice is not to put too much dough around the cherry since you will likely want to pop these in your mouth all at once!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar

2 Cups Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Cup chopped Almonds (I buy the slivered, much easier to chop from there!)

1 tsp Vanilla

One (1) 8 ounce container of Candied Cherries

* you can omit the almonds in case of a nut allergy

Directions:

Mix butter and Icing sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy

Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT THE CHERRIES and mix together until blended

Scoop about 1/2 TBSP of mixture (you can vary the amount based on the size of the cherry) and flatten in the palm of your hands

Place Cherry in center and pinch mixture around it.

Roll gently in hands until smooth

Bake on greased baking sheet at 300 degrees for 30 minutes

Immediately after taking out of the oven, roll each ball in a bowl of white sugar while still warm

Let cool 

 

GINGERSNAP COOKIES

If I could be left alone in a room with a cup of coffee and a plate of these I would probably cry tears of joy!  Not to be mistaken for gingerbread, these are soft and gooey and literally melt in your mouth!

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Flour

1 TBSP ground Ginger

2 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Cinnamon

1/4 TSP Salt

3/4 cup Butter

1 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Molasses

Directions:

Mix together Butter, Egg and Molasses with electric mixer 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until creamy

Refrigerate dough for 2 hours

Let dough stand at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes (to soften)

Take a spoonful of dough and roll into a small ball

Roll ball in a bowl of white sugar

Place on greased Baking sheet and press gently with the base of a fork (you want to just press enough so you see the 3 fork lines in the dough)

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 min 

 

WHIPPED SHORTBREAD:

Again, not to be confused with traditional hard shortbread!  These are so soft they literally dissolve in your mouth (could be due to the large amount of butter but let’s not focus on that).  

Ingredients:

1 Cup Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar

2 Cups Butter

3 Cups Flour

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and beat with an electric mixer for 10 MINUTES!

Yes – 10 Minutes!  This is the key to making these “whipped”, you will think they are ready to go after 5 but don’t be fooled – keep mixing!

Drop spoonfuls of batter onto UN-GREASED cookie sheet, or use parchment paper to line. There is enough butter in the dough to prevent sticking if your sheet in not worn out.  This will prevent the cookies from spreading out to thin!

Add colorful sprinkles or even a sliver of cherry

Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until bottom is light brown

Let cool completely or they will crumble!

 

If you want to give out cookies as gifts, placing them in a Holiday bag or box is a great way to present them!  I got the bag below from Walmart, 3 bags with ties for $1.97 – perfect! Look in the seasonal aisle where the decorating items are to find what you need!  

 Happy Baking!

xoxo