If you’ll be having a holiday party this year or you like to give cookies to friends for Christmas, then these recipes will satisfy as well as be a wonderful gesture.
Snickerdoodle Party Cookies – From Bon Appetit
Are you looking for a cookie that makes an impression? This is the one. These are snickerdoodles with a twist. They do take more steps to prepare, but they are an elegant and beautiful addition to a dessert spread. They are almost too beautiful to eat. You can make these up to five days in advance if you keep them in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2½ tsp. ground cardamom, divided
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
- 2 1.4-oz. chocolate toffee bars, finely chopped
- 3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
- Gold or rainbow disco or luster dust(for serving; optional)
Directions
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer. Let brown butter cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, 1½ tsp. cardamom, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Add brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar to brown butter. Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until thick, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to mix just until smooth, about 1 minute longer. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients; beat until nearly combined. Add toffee bars and beat just long enough to bring dough together (it will be a little loose). Cover and let rest 5–10 minutes to let flour hydrate (dough will thicken).
- Place cornflakes in a small bowl. Mix remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. cardamom, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in another small bowl. Working one at a time, scoop out 2-tablespoonfuls of dough (they don’t need to be perfect balls) and toss in cornflakes to coat well; squeeze lightly to adhere. Move to bowl with spiced sugar and toss to coat. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3″ apart.
- Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until edges are set, 13–16 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Brush with gold dust if desired.
Butter Pecan Skillet Cookies – From Bon Appetit
For something original and as a little bit of a challenge for the typical home chef, try these butter pecan skillet cookies. They don’t require a lot of ingredients, but there are more steps and a change in the cooking time that needs to be paid attention to. They are worth it! It’s best to eat this cookie as fresh as possible so don’t make them ahead longer than a day.
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (160 g) chopped pecans
- 4 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 10 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
- 1¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 Tbsp. (packed; 75 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp. (or more) whole milk
- Coarse white sanding sugar and edible glitter (for decorating)
Directions
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Toss pecans, maple syrup, and ½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Scrape onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spread nuts into a single layer. Bake until pecans are slightly darkened and syrup is dark and bubbling, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully toss pecans in hot syrup to coat again. Let cool on baking sheet until caramel hardens, about 30 minutes. Break up candied pecans into pieces; discard any burned bits.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 10″ cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet; line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter parchment. Pulse flour, brown sugar, half of candied pecans, and 1¼ tsp. salt in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add egg, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, and remaining 10 Tbsp. butter and process until a shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a large bowl and knead a couple of times just to bring it together. Using damp hands, pat dough evenly into skillet, extending all the way to the sides of the pan. Bake cookie until edges are golden brown and center is slightly puffed, 30–35 minutes. Let cool in skillet 1 hour. Invert cookie onto a cutting board and cut into 16 wedges. Turn right side up and transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk, remaining ¼ tsp. salt, and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in a small wide bowl until smooth. The glaze should be the consistency of heavy cream; thin with more milk if needed. Transfer half of the glaze to another small wide bowl (you’ll need to use 2 bowls as the glaze will start to collect crumbs and you’ll want a fresh start).
- Working one at a time, lightly dip half of the wedges, top side down, into first bowl of glaze so that only the surface is covered and no glaze drips down the sides. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles and smooth glaze; coating should be thin enough to see the cookie peeking through. Repeat with remaining wedges and second bowl of glaze.
- Top wedges with remaining candied pecans and let sit 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and glitter and let sit until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
Sweet & Salty Chocolate Reindeer – From Taste of Home
These little reindeer will automatically add some festive cheer to your dessert spread and stand out from the other cookies. Kids will love not just how they look, but how they taste – plus they can get involved to decorate! The key here is to refrigerate the dough. It makes working with it easier.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup baking cocoa
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 96 miniature pretzels
- 96 M&M’s miniature baking bits
- 48 small red gumdrops
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Divide dough into eight portions; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-inch. circle; cut into six wedges. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press in pretzels for antlers, baking bits for eyes and a gumdrop for the nose.
- Bake 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Hot Chocolate Cookies – From Taste of Home
Hot chocolate is synonymous with cold weather and enjoying an evening around a campfire. These cookies taste just like that favorite drink.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup instant hot cocoa mix (about 3 packets)
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup vanilla marshmallow bits (not miniature marshmallows)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa mix, baking cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Gently stir in marshmallow bits and chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.