Festive Homemade Cookies To Bake Tonight!
Because it just wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies
Written by: Kelly Carbone
The New Year can be full of resolutions, pledges of healthy eating, and vows to get fit and organized. However, before we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021 there are still plenty of holiday activities to enjoy. Unlike the coming New Year, the holiday season is all about comfort, indulgence, and spending time with family and friends. Baking holiday cookies is the epitome of all three of these things. So grab some friends, gather your ingredients, and check out the recipes below for some nice and festive treats.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
What you’ll need: Eggs, butter, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and baking powder
How to make them: Beat 1 cup of butter and 1.5 cups of sugar together. Add 2 eggs and beat again. In a separate bowl add the rest of the ingredients (2 cups of flour, ½ cup of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, a dash of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder) and mix until uniform. Slowly add this mixture to the butter mixture. In a separate bowl mix ¼ cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Roll dough into balls and coat in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 °F.
Why you’ll love them: This cookie is like chocolate heaven in a bite. The cream of tartar also creates a rich texture to the inside of this dessert. If you’re looking to spice up your holiday season you can easily turn these into Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies with the addition of a little chile powder.
Linzer Tart Cookies
What you’ll need: Butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, your preferred flavor of jam, and powdered sugar.
How to make them: Whisk 1 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar together. Add in 1 around 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and a dash of salt and mix. Slowly mix in 2 cups of flour into the butter mixture. Chill mixture before cutting into circles (you can easily use a cookie cutter to get that classic edge design). One tray should have disks with a hole in the center to provide the top layer of your cookie. Bake at 350 °F for 18 minutes. Allow to cool before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Then assemble cookies and apply jam in the center.
Why you’ll love them: These cookies are as pretty as a picture and their sugary, comforting flavor is perfect for the winter holiday season. The fruit jam also adds a nice tangy balance to this otherwise sweet cookie.
Snowball Cookies
What you’ll need: Butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and powdered sugar
How to make them: Whisk 1 cup of butter and ¼ cup of sugar together. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and continue to mix. Slowly add 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of chopped pecans until the mixture is fully incorporated. Roll into tiny balls and bake for 16 minutes at 325 °F. Roll cookies in powdered sugar mixture until they are fully coated.
Why you’ll love them: Reminiscent of actual snowballs due to its powdered sugar coating, this cookie is aesthetically fitting, cute, and tasty. This recipe is also extremely versatile and can be used to make rum or brandy balls.
Macaroons
What you’ll need: Egg whites, shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt
How to make them: Combine 1 bag of shredded coconut, 1 cup of condensed milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a bowl. Mix until uniform. In a separate bowl beat 2 egg whites and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks are formed (similar to as you would with a meringue). Fold the egg white mixture into the coconut mixture. Using a spoon scoop out mini portions of the mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake for 23 minutes at 325 °F. Let cool. If desired melt chocolate to dip the bottom of the cookie in and let cool.
Why you’ll love them: The shredded coconut adds both a nice texture and flavor to this indulgent cookie. It’s also a distinct and different flavor profile from some of the more basic holiday flavors which normally stick to cinnamon and sugar-based elements so it’s perfect for someone looking for a slightly more enhanced taste experience.
The Classic Sugar Cookie
What you’ll need: Butter, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, eggs, baking powder, and salt
How to make them: Whisk 1 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar together. Add in 1 egg and around 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix. In a separate bowl combine and mix dry ingredients (around 2.5 cups of flour and a dash of baking powder and salt) until uniform. Slowly mix in dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Chill mixture for at least 3 hours before rolling into balls (or using cookie cutters if you want holiday shapes) and baking in the oven.
Why you’ll love them: Sugar cookies are the perfect example of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” They’re sweet and buttery and the perfect balance of decadent and light. There’s also the added bonus of decorating them however you want, which makes for the perfect family holiday activity.
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