10 Essential Holiday Cookie Recipes Cookieholiday CRAVINGS 10 Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

COOKIEHoliday CRAVINGS 10 Essential Holiday Cookie Recipes COOKIEHoliday CRAVINGS 10 Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

recipes by Maria Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod.com photography, food styling and design by Heidi Larsen of FoodieCrush.com

Copyright Two Peas and Their Pod, Inc., 2012 CookieBring some cheer Exchange to you and your friends Party by hosting Tips a Holiday cookie exchange then take homethe 10 Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes rewards to share with your friends and neighbors. Ask guests to RSVP load the file on a USB Provide folding cards a holiday tag. early so you can let drive for each guest to in front of each of * Holiday shirt box- everyone know how take home. the cookie platters es lined with tissue many cookies to with the name of the paper. bring. Ask each guest Provide a light lunch, cookie and the bak- * Pringles chip con- to bring a half dozen appetizers, coffee, tea er. Creating a cookie tainer tube wrapped cookies per guest plus or hot chocolate for menu to display at with contact paper or a dozen to taste test at guests to munch on the table is also a fun holiday gift wrap. the party. with their cookies as cookie tour guide. * Sturdy paper plates they mingle. wrapped in holiday Have guests bring rec- Great ideas for take- themed cellophane. ipes, or better yet get Set up a separate table home containers: * Brown paper bags recipes ahead of time, to display the cookies * Mason jars tied with decorated with and create a simple with various platters colored ribbon or pre-printed holiday printout of them or and cake stands. string affixed with stickers. Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Soft Gingersnaps with White Chocolate Dark Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting Orange Shortbread Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cookies

Glazed Eggnog Cookies Cranberry and Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Coconut Snowballs

Almond Spritz Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Andes Cookies

Cranberry Orange Almond Biscotti Cranberry Orange Almond Biscotti MAKES 15 BISCOTTI // BAKE TIME: 55 MINUTES

2 cups all-purpose flour These twice-baked cookies are dotted with dried cranberries and almonds. 1 ½ teaspoons baking They are perfect for dunking into your cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup granulated sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 4. Add the flour mixture and beat just Zest of 1 orange Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat until blended. Stir in the almonds and ½ cup unsalted butter, baking mat or parchment paper. Set cranberries. Form the dough into a room temperature aside. 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the 2 large eggs prepared baking sheet. Bake until ¼ teaspoon almond 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together pale golden or about 35-40 minutes. extract the flour, baking powder and salt. Cool for 30 minutes on the baking ¾ cup chopped In a small bowl, combine the sugar sheet. almonds and orange zest. Rub together until 5. ²/³ cup dried cranber- fragrant. Place the log on a large cutting ries board. Using a sharp, serrated knife, 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cut the log on a diagonal into ¾-inch- the butter and sugar mixture together thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut until smooth and creamy. Beat in the side down, on the baking sheet. Bake eggs one at a time. Add the almond the biscotti until they are lightly gold- extract and mix until combined. en, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Dipped Andes Cookies MAKES 2 DOZEN COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 10 MINUTES

2 ²/³ cups all-purpose My dad used to put Andes Mints and an orange in our stocking every flour Christmas. These Chocolate Dipped Andes Cookies have become a family 1 teaspoon baking soda tradition as well. We make them every holiday season and they always 1 teaspoon baking remind me of my dad. powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup unsalted butter, 1. In a large bowl, whisk together 4. When ready to bake, preheat oven at room temperature flour, baking soda, baking powder to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet ½ cup granulated sugar and salt. with a Silpat baking mat or parchment ¾ cup dark brown paper. Drop tablespoon-sized dough sugar 2. In the bowl of stand mixer, beat balls onto a prepared baking sheet 2 large eggs butter and sugars together until about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten 2 teaspoons vanilla creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. the balls with a spatula or the palm of extract Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. your hand. 1 ½ cups chopped Mix until combined. Andes Mints 5. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies ½ cup mint chocolate 3. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients. are set but still soft in the center. Cool chips Stir in Andes Mints and mint choco- cookies on the baking sheet for 1 ½ cups mint chocolate late chips. Chill the cookie dough for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire chips, melted-for dip- at least one hour. cooling rack and cool completely. ping cookies 6. Dip the bottoms of the cookies into the melted mint chocolate chips. Place cookies on wax paper and let cool until chocolate is set. Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread MAKES 40 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 18 MINUTES

2 cups all-purpose flour Dark chocolate and orange are a match made in heaven, especially during ²/³ cup dutch processed the holiday season. I combined the two flavors to create a buttery Dark cocoa powder Chocolate Orange Shortbread. These crisp little cookies are perfect for ½ teaspoon salt nibbling during December. ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt to- 4. Cut out the cookies with a 2-inch Zest of 1 large orange gether. Set aside. In a small bowl, cookie cutter. Sprinkle each cookie 2 sticks unsalted butter, combine the sugar and orange zest. with decorative sanding sugar. Lightly at room temperature Rub together with your fingers until press the top of each cookie in the 1 teaspoon vanilla orange is fragrant. sugar, so that the sugar clings to the extract dough. Arrange the cookies, sugar

¹/8 teaspoon orange 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream side up, on the prepared sheets. extract together the butter and sugar mixture Decorative sanding until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 5. Bake the cookies for 18 minutes, sugar, optional Mix in the vanilla and orange extracts. or until crisp and firm. Let the cook- Slowly add in the flour mixture and ies cool on the baking sheet for two mix until combined. Between minutes and then transfer to a wire two sheets of waxed paper, roll the cooling rack to cool completely. dough ¼-inch thick as evenly as pos- sible. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper.

Coconut Snowballs MAKES 40 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 12 MINUTES for the cookies When it comes to the snow, Josh and I disagree. Josh loves the snow and 2 ½ cups all-purpose wishes it would snow every day during the winter. I wish it would only snow on flour Christmas day. But we do agree on these Coconut Snowballs. The cute little ¾ cup superfine sugar coconut cookies get dipped in a coconut glaze and toasted coconut and look ¼ teaspoon salt just like snowballs. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...Coconut Snowballs, that is. 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, at 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 3. Use hands to roll dough into 1-inch room temperature Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat balls. Place on prepared baking 1 teaspoon vanilla baking mat or parchment paper and sheets, spacing about 1 ½ inches extract set aside. apart. Bake one batch at a time until ½ teaspoon coconut lightly browned, about 12 minutes. extract 2. For the cookies: In bowl of stand Cool to room temperature. 2 tablespoons cream mixer fitted with a flat beater, mix cheese, at room flour, sugar and salt on low speed 4. While the cookies are cooling, temperature until combined, about 5 seconds. make the glaze. In a medium bowl, With mixer running on low, add butter whisk together the powdered sugar, for the glaze one piece at a time; continue to mix milk, cream cheese, and coconut 1 ½ cups powdered until mixture looks crumbly and extract. sugar slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. 3 tablespoons milk Add vanilla extract, coconut extract, 5. Dip the tops of the cookies into the 1 tablespoon cream and cream cheese and mix on low glaze and then dip into the toasted cheese, at room until dough just begins to form large coconut. Set cookies on a wire cool- temperature clumps, about 30 seconds. ing rack and let sit until glaze hardens. ¼ teaspoon coconut extract 1 ½ cups toasted coconut

To toast the coconut: Line a baking sheet with parch- mentNote paper and arrange coconut in a single layer on the pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted, stirring once. Set coconut aside to cool. Almond Spritz Cookies MAKES 4 DOZEN COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 6-8 MINUTES

1 cup unsalted butter, Josh loves making Spritz cookies because he gets to use the cookie press, at room temperature a fun kitchen tool that creates beautiful buttery cookies. These Almond Spritz ½ cup granulated sugar Cookies are the perfect addition to every holiday cookie tray. 1 large egg ½ teaspoon almond extract 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 4. Scrape some of the dough into 2 ¼ cups all-purpose Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat your cookie press that has been fitted flour baking mat or parchment paper and with a decorative plate, following ¼ teaspoon salt set aside. manufacturer’s instructions. Hold Decorative sugar, the cookie press perpendicular to optional 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the prepared baking sheet, with the the butter and sugar until fluffy, about tip almost touching the sheet, and 3 minutes. Add the egg and almond squeeze the trigger. Continue to extract and beat until incorporated. press out the cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart. If desired, sprinkle deco- 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together rative sugar onto the cookies. the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredi- 5. Bake cookies for about 6-8 min- ents. Mix until combined. Wrap the utes or just until the edges are barely dough in plastic wrap and chill for tinged with brown. Remove from the 30 minutes. oven and gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

We like to make the Spritz cookies into tree shapes for theNote holidays, but feel free to use whatever shape you like. You can also use red or green decorative sugar to create a festive cookie.

Soft Gingersnaps with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting MAKES 16 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 10-12 MINUTES for the gingersnaps The holidays aren’t the holidays without gingersnap cookies. These ginger- 2 ¹/ ³ cups all-purpose snaps are super soft and topped with a sweet white chocolate cream cheese flour frosting. Make sure you eat one, two or three of these Soft Gingersnaps with 1 teaspoon baking White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting to celebrate the holidays this year. powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until 1 teaspoon ground Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat cookies are set, but centers are still cinnamon baking mat or parchment paper. Set soft. Let the cookies cool on the ½ teaspoon ground aside. baking sheet for two minutes, then cloves transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool

¹/8 teaspoon ground 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the completely. nutmeg flour, baking powder, salt and spices. ¾ cup unsalted butter, 7. While the cookies are cooling, at room temperature 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat make the frosting. In the bowl of a 1 cup light brown sugar the butter and brown sugar until stand mixer, cream the cream cheese 1 large egg smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. and butter on medium-high speed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Add in the egg and vanilla extract. until smooth. Add the melted white ¼ cup molasses Mix until well combined. Add in the chocolate and vanilla extract. Beat molasses and mix until combined. until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed for the frosting to low and add the powdered sugar 4 ounces cream cheese, 4. With the mixer on low, slowly add until smooth. at room temperature the flour mixture. Mix until flour disap- 4 tablespoons unsalted pears. 8. Using a knife, frost the gingersnaps butter, at room with frosting and sprinkle with deco- temperature 5. Form the dough into tablespoon rative sugar if desired. 3 ounces white chocolate, sized balls. Place the cookie dough chopped and melted balls on prepared baking sheet, about 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 inches apart. 3 cups powdered sugar Decorative sugar, optional Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies MAKES 30 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 8-10 MINUTES

2 ½ cups all-purpose I make a big batch of peppermint bark every holiday season to give away as flour gifts. One year, I was wrapping up packages of peppermint bark and thought 1 teaspoon baking soda that the peppermint bark would make a fantastic holiday cookie. I set some of ¼ teaspoon salt it aside to bake with and came up with Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies. ¾ cup Dutch processed Now, I make an extra batch of peppermint bark every year just to make these cocoa cookies. 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 4. Gradually add flour mixture and 1 cup light brown sugar Line a baking sheet with parchment beat until flour disappears. Stir in pep- 2 large eggs paper or Silpat baking mat. Set aside. permint bark. Drop cookie dough by 1 teaspoon vanilla rounded tablespoons onto prepared extract 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. ¼ teaspoon pepper- flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. mint extract Set aside. 5. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or 2 cups chopped until cookies are set, but still soft in peppermint bark 3. With a mixer, cream butter and the center. Remove from oven and let sugars together until smooth. Add sit on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in Move to a cooling rack and cool com- vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix pletely. until blended.

You can make your own peppermint bark or use store-boughtNote peppermint bark.

Glazed Eggnog Cookies MAKES 18 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 10-12 MINUTES for the cookies My brother and dad drink eggnog by the gallon during the holidays. I created 1 ¾ cups unbleached this Eggnog cookie for them. The cookies are soft, tender, and finished with a all-purpose flour spiced eggnog glaze. If you are an eggnog lover—like my brother and dad— ¼ teaspoon baking you will want a glass of cold eggnog to wash these cookies down! soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 4. Drop the dough by level table- cinnamon a large baking sheet with a Silpat spoons onto the prepared baking ¼ teaspoon ground baking mat or parchment paper and sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches nutmeg set aside. between each cookie. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room tem- 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 5. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, perature the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon or until cookies are slightly golden ¾ cup granulated sugar and nutmeg. brown around the edges. Cool the 1 large egg cookies on the baking sheet for 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat minutes then transfer them to a wire extract the butter briefly, until creamy. Add cooling rack. ¹/³ cup eggnog the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to 6. While the cookies are cooling, for the glaze mix. Add the vanilla, and beat briefly make the glaze. Combine butter, 2 tablespoons butter, again. Mix in the flour mixture and sugar, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, melted the eggnog in batches at low speed, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk 1 ½ cups powdered beginning and ending with the flour. until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over sugar Scrape down the sides of the bowl the cooled cookies and let the cook- ½ cup eggnog with a rubber spatula as needed. ies sit on the wire cooling rack until ½ teaspoon vanilla the glaze is set. extract

¹/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cookies MAKES 2 DOZEN COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 10 MINUTES

2 ¹/ ³ cups all-purpose These cookies are loaded with chocolate covered pretzels, white chocolate flour chips, and holiday sprinkles. They remind me of the chocolate covered pretzels 1 teaspoon baking soda we make every holiday season. I love the sweet and salty combo! 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 5. Drop tablespoon-sized dough ½ cup unsalted butter, Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat balls onto prepared baking sheet, at room temperature baking mat or parchment paper and about 2 inches apart. ½ cup granulated sugar set aside. ¾ cup dark brown 6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cook- sugar 2. In a large bowl, whisk together ies are set but still soft in the center. 2 large eggs flour, baking soda, baking powder Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 2 teaspoons vanilla and salt. minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire extract cooling rack and cool completely. 2 cups chopped white 3. In the bowl of stand mixer, beat chocolate covered butter and sugars together until pretzels creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. 1 cup white chocolate Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. chips Mix until combined. ¹/³ cup holiday sprinkles 4. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate chips. Gently stir in the sprinkles.

If you don’t like white chocolate, feel free to use milk or darkNote chocolate covered pretzels and milk or dark chocolate chips.

Cranberry and Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies MAKES 20 COOKIES // BAKE TIME: 10 MINUTES

1 ¼ cups all-purpose These oatmeal cookies are crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. The flour pop of red and green from the dried cranberries and pistachios make them ½ teaspoon baking perfect for the holiday season. powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ¼ teaspoon salt Line a large baking sheet with parch- ingredients. Mix until just combined. ½ teaspoon ground ment paper or a Silpat. Set aside. Stir in the oats, dried cranberries, and cinnamon pistachios. Drop tablespoon-sized ½ cup unsalted butter, 2. Whisk together the flour, baking dough balls onto prepared baking at room temperature powder, baking soda, salt and cinna- sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake ½ cup brown sugar mon in a medium bowl and set aside. cookies for 10 minutes, or until cook- ½ cup granulated sugar ies are slightly golden brown. Let the 1 large egg 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 1 teaspoon vanilla together butter and sugars. Add the minutes and then transfer to a wire extract egg and vanilla extract and mix until cooling rack to cool completely. 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned combined. oats 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup chopped pistachios, shells removed

These cookies are also great with white chocolate chips. AddNote ¾cup white chocolate chips when you stir in the dried cranberries and pistachios. Happy get more recipes at foodiecrush.com Holidays& twopeasandtheirpod.com