Christmas Cookies Recipes

We had a Christmas Cookie Exchange in RS before Christmas, and I wanted to save some of the best recipes for the cookies I liked most so that I can make them next year!

These ginger cookies were AMAZINGLY soft.
Gwen’s Ginger Cookies
Ingredients

• 1 C. butter 
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 C. shortening 
• 2 T ginger 
• 4 C. sugar 
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 4 med. Eggs 
• 2 tsp cloves
• ½ C. molasses 
• 7 C flour
• 2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and molasses. Mix well and then add salt, soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix well and then add flour. Roll in 1 1/2 inch balls; roll balls in sugar and make indentations cross ways with a fork. Bake on paper liner over cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8- 10 minutes (longer for a crisper cookie – we like them soft). Makes 4 dozen.


Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
One batch sugar cookie dough (I prefer this recipe)
1-2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
3 drops red food coloring
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, knead peppermint extract into sugar cookie dough. Once well combined, place half of the dough into a separate bowl.
2. Add red food coloring to one half of the cookie dough. Stir and knead until dough is a vibrant shade of red.
3. Pinch off pieces of dough, alternating between red and non-dyed pieces, and layer in a log shape on a piece of parchment paper.
4. Roll up in the parchment paper, in log form, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Once chilled, remove the dough from parchment paper and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet in a 350°F preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.
8. Remove to a wire rack to cool before serving.

I really liked these cookies--they were covered in peppermint chunks and super cute cookies.

Candy Cane Snowballs

3 c. powdered sugar, divided

1 1/4 c. butter, softened

2 t. vanilla (or 1 t. vanilla, 1 t. peppermint extract)

1 egg

3 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. finely crushed candy canes, divided

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2-3 T. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined. 

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Slowly add to mixing bowl, beating until combined, about 1 minute. Stir 1/2 c. finely crushed candy canes by hand. 

3. Roll dough into small balls using just under a teaspoon of dough. Roll balls through granulated sugar to coat and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool. 

4. While cookie bake, stir together remaining 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 T. milk. Add just enough milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with remaining crushed candy canes immediately.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original Recipe makes 30

3/4 c. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c. crushed peppermint candy canes

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips and candy canes. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes in preheated oven (maybe 10-12?). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.




Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into ¼’s
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coarse Sea salt for sprinkling on completed cookies

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, cinnamon, and set aside.
2. To brown the butter, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will start to form along the bottom. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
3. While the butter is cooling, cut the carmel squares into ¼’s.
4. In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar. (The ¼ cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies). Mix until blended and smooth.
5. Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
6. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
7. Once you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place 1-2 caramel squares inside, wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll back into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered so that the caramel won’t stick to the pan.
8. Mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place on a cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I used course sea salt)
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.