Christmas Cookies | Holiday Guide 2019

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Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches

Course:

Dessert, Cookies

Seasonal Event:

Christmas

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until they appear light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl once if needed.
2. Working in three batches, add the dry ingredients, mixing between each addition until just incorporated. Remove the dough and turn it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; form into a dish, wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Dough can be made up to 1 day ahead.
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Remove the dough and cut it in half. Rewrap one half and place back in the fridge; let the other sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly. Lightly flour a work surface and your rolling pin and roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using cookie cutters, cut out the gingerbread men, and transfer to the prepared sheets. If the dough feels very soft, refrigerate the gingerbread men on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before placing in the oven to bake. Bake until cookies appear firm and like they’re just starting to crisp, 12-15 minutes. Remove and let cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the sandwich filling. Beat together the butter, vanilla, and salt until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar in 2 batches and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until the mixture is thick but spreadable, adding more milk in1 teaspoon increments as needed. Spread some of the icing onto half of the cooled cookies, sandwich each with another cookie.

Makes about 36 cookies

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine spiced rum, cherries, pineapple, crystallized ginger, and orange, and heat on high until hot, 2 to 3 minutes; let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain fruit mixture. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, 1¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in rum extract.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves. Add flour mixture to butter mixture all at once; beat at low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Fold in fruit mixture and pecans. (Dough will be sticky.)

5. Place remaining ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar on a rimmed plate. Using a 2-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough, and shape into balls (42 grams each). Roll in sugar, and place 1½ to 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten balls to 1-inch thickness.

6. Bake until light golden brown and set around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool on pans for 3 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks. Place Rum Drizzle in a piping bag and cut a 1/4-inch opening in tip. Drizzle onto cooled cookies. 

RUM DRIZZLE DIRECTIONS:

Makes about ½ cup

1. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.

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COCONUT SNOW BALLS

You can use your favorite coconut cake recipe or this simple recipe, the goal is to create a thin cake layer that you will cut out small rounds for your mousse to sit upon.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Making sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly together.

3. Pour into a 1/2 sheet jelly roll pan that has been prepared with parchment paper and sprayed with pan spray.

4. Bake for 18 minutes or until completely baked and golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely then cut out circles that match the size of your scoop, these cake discs will act as a support/ base for the coconut mousse.

COCONUT MOCK MOUSSE:

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add heavy cream and coconut pudding mix

2. Using a whisk attachment, whip on low for about one minute or until it is incorporated,

3. Turn on to medium high speed until well whipped.

4. Piped directly onto coconut cake bases or place into fridge to set up and then scoop onto cake bases with an ice cream/cookie scoop.

ASSEMBLY:

Prep your unsweetened shredded coconut, place 16 oz into bowl, set aside until ready to use

1. Place a small amount of raspberry preserve onto the center of each coconut cake base.

2. Scoop or pipe your coconut mock mousse on to the coconut cake base, making sure to cover up the raspberry preserve.

3. Using a small offset spatula or small knife, make sure to bring the mouse down the edge of the cake base so that the shredded coconut has something to stick to.

4. Scoop the unsweetened shredded coconut with your clean or gloved hand and cover the coconut mock mousse.

5. Form the rounded top coconut snowball.

Decorate with edible glitter, “Diamond Dust”, you can go the extra step and decorate with pre-made sugar decoration, available at the local crafts store or bakery shop.

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MAKES 46 COOKIES

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the Burnt Sugar Ginger, spray a rimmed baking sheet heavily with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. Add the sugar and ginger to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and use your fingers to massage the ginger into the sugar.

3. Turn the heat to medium high and constantly stir until the sugar liquefies, turns golden brown and no sugar crystals remain.

4. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread evenly until it’s about 1⁄4 to 1⁄8 inch (0.7 to 0.3 cm) thick.

5. Set aside for 1 hour to cool and harden.

6. Once cool, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into shards of 1 inch (2.5 cm) and smaller. Careful, they’re sharp.

7. To make the cookie, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and cover several baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add in the eggs, one at a time, taking care that each one is fully blended before adding in the next.

9. Make sure to frequently scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything is well blended.

10. Add in the molasses and fresh ginger and run the mixer on low for 1 minute more, or until everything is thoroughly combined. Take the bowl out of the mixer and set aside.

11. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined and you still see streaks of flour. Add in the burnt sugar shards, stirring until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

12. To make the cookie coating, place the sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Roll

13. 2 tablespoons (28 g) of dough into a ball and then roll in the sugar to heavily coat. Place on the baking sheet leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between dough balls.

14. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 13 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.

Recipe by Dan Kohler, 11/22/19

Yield: 1 9-inch tart pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease sides and bottom of 10-inch tart pan with butter.

2. Sift all-purpose flour with rice flour, whisk in hazelnut meal.

3. Cream butter with sugar and sea salt in bowl of stand mixer until smooth and light.

4. Add all the flour mixture, then beat on the lowest speed until barely combined and dry spots just disappear.

5. Press dough into prepared tart pan evenly. Cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least one hour.

6. Heat oven to 300.˚ Pre-score the shortbread with lines that you’ll cut along after baking. Use a small ring-cutter to cut out a circle in the center of the dough. Remove the circle of dough and replace the ring cutter in the center before baking. Use a skewer or fork and poke holes along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling and cracking in the oven.

7. Bake 50-60 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from tart pan ring. Slice into wedges and place cookies on wire rack to cool completely.

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Print Recipe

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

Course:

Dessert

1. In a large bowl, sift or whisk flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cardamom and nutmeg.
2. Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Then, beat in the vanilla and eggs.
3. Now add the flour mixture in two batches, gently beating until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips, pistachios, and dates by hand, using a spatula. Make sure they are well dispersed through the cookie dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
4. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Using a 1 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure (barely full), scoop 6 onto each baking sheet.  Space them evenly, allowing plenty of room for spreading. Flatten the dough balls ever so slightly. Pop into the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating and swapping pans around in your oven halfway through to ensure even baking; you’re looking for a golden-brown edge but a pretty soft. Puffy middle (this will harden as they cool).  Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.

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CHERRY PIE CRUST INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. I used a premade pie crust for the topper, but you can make your own from scratch. Lay flat and rolled out. Use a ruler to measure each strip to 1/4-inch width and cut into strips using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter, or a knife.

2. Use the lattice technique for the pie crust. This will take a little time because the strips are so small. Make the lattice tight.

3. Pull up every other strip and lay one horizontally. Lay over the ones you pulled up. Pull up the opposite strips and lay another one down horizontally. Repeat these steps.

4. Once this is completed, brush with a tiny bit of water or egg wash to make the crust stick together.

5. Place a piece of parchment paper over crust and gently roll the top to bind the crust together. Do not make flat.

6. Use the 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out the pie tops.

7. Flip over cupcake tin, spray with nonstick spray, add pie crusts on tin, and sprinkle with sugar.

8. Bake at 450°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Keep an eye on them.

9. Remove from oven and let cool.

CHERRY PIE ASSEMBLY:

1. Grab your large cookie and add a thick border of buttercream for the crust using tip 12. Make it look wavy like a real pie crust.

2. Add a small spoonful of the cherry pie filling to the center of the cookie.

3. Place the pie crust directly on the top

Master Tip - I use canned cherry pie filling because it isn’t too sweet. I suggest making your own easy pie filling if you want to use apple, strawberry, or raspberry because the canned is just too sweet. A tart jam would work great, as well. You want to balance out the sweetness of the buttercream. The cupcake pan works great for pie crusts because it makes edges round over slightly to make room for the filling.

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Print Recipe

Snowball Cookies

Course:

Dessert, Cookies

Cuisine:

American

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, toasted nuts, cold butter, powdered sugar, zest, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a stiff dough forms.
3. Roll or scoop dough into 1-inch balls (~½ ounce per cookie). Toss dough balls in powdered sugar until coated.
4. Set coated cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until puffed and firm, about 17 to 19 minutes.
5. While the cookies are still warm, sift extra powdered sugar on top.
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Directions:
*Reprinted with permission from The Cookie Book by Rebecca Firth, Page Street Publishing Co.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Butter a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet and make sure you have a rack in the top third of the oven, at least 6 inches (15 cm) from the heat source.
3. Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high.
4. Continue stirring and look for small golden bits that will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. It will smell deliciously nutty and caramel-y. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes. When this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
5. Once cool, stir in the brown sugar, oil, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix until blended. Set aside.
6. In another medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
7. Add this to the butter mixture, stirring until barely combined and you still see streaks of flour.
8. Add in the chopped chocolate, pretzels and caramel and stir until combined and everything is evenly distributed throughout.
9. Add the dough to the skillet, patting it down to smooth any bumps and lumps.
10. Bake for 22 minutes in the top third of the oven. Wait at least 45 minutes to serve, and I strongly urge you to serve with vanilla ice cream.

*TIPS

1. Use three 6-inch (15-cm) petite cast-iron skillets, placed on a baking sheet to catch any overflow, and reduced the bake time to 15 to 17 minutes.
2. If you can’t be bothered browning the butter, you can melt it.
3. These would also be delicious with some sea salt dusted on top.

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If you’re a fan of carrot cake, these cookies will be your new holiday favorite. This recipe is an update of a classic sugar cookie Chadwick grew up making from “Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book” -- a book which he bought with allowance money from the “Book of the Month” club in 4^th grade. The cookies are crisp and light in texture, yet sturdy and hold up very well for decorating with Emily's frosting. The fresh carrot is an unexpected twist to cookie baking, which will surprise your holiday guests. Be mindful of pressing out as much of the water as possible after grating. And use flour as directed to ensure the carrots hold up in the dough.

Makes about 24 medium size cut out cookies.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grate the carrots on the small hole side of a box grater. It should be about 1 cup when finished.

2. Lay 2-3 sheets of thick paper towel on the counter. Place the grated carrots on one half of the paper towels. Fold the other side of the paper towels on top and press firmly to squeeze as much water from the carrots as possible. Transfer the carrots to a medium bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons of flour and toss with a fork to fully coat. The flour will wick away any more moisture. Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the carrots; mix again on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla; beat again, about 30 seconds.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2¾ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and clove. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer. Beat on medium until the dough just comes together, about 30-45 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber scraper and beat again 10-20 seconds more.

5. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375°F. 

7. Line 2-3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Divide the dough in half using a sharp chef’s knife. Place the second half in the refrigerator until the first batch is rolled and cut out.

9. Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out on the surface to ¼” thick. Cut the dough with desired cookie cutters. Using a lightly floured offset spatula or chef’s knife, transfer to the baking sheets. Set the cookies at least 1” apart. Bring the dough scraps together, lightly flour again, and roll and cut out the remaining dough.

10. Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough in the refrigerator.

11. Place the cookie sheets on the center racks in the oven. Bake the cookies 12-14 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy on the bottom. If the cookies are slightly soft to the touch, continue baking 2-3 minutes more.

12. Remove the cookies from the oven and place on wire racks to cool completely.

13. Decorate with frosting.

ALMOND BUTTERCREAM DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream your butter and shortening until well incorporated. Both must be at room temperature to prevent clumping.

2. Once creamed, add your vanilla and almond. Mix again for 1 minute.

3. Sift your powdered sugar to make sure there are no clumps and add it in.

4. Place a towel over your mixer to prevent a powdered sugar storm.

5. Once mixed, slowly add in your heavy cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time (you can always add more but you can’t take it out). Continue to add more than the recipe states if it’s too thick.

6. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute on medium to high speed. Be sure not to overwhip your buttercream. Don’t panic—you won’t ruin it if it whips longer. Store unused buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

7. If you don’t want your buttercream to crust over, omit the shortening and use all butter. To use unsalted butter, add in 1/4 teaspoon of salt when creaming butter. This will balance out the sweetness. Half recipe for smaller batch of buttercream

WREATH WITH RED BERRIES:

WHAT YOU NEED

• Tip 352
• light green buttercream
• red nonpareils/ sugar pearls

1. Use tip 352 and your light green buttercream. We will be piping leaves all around this wreath. Make sure to have your beak of the tip facing down in a point as pictured. Start piping on one end of the cookie.

2. Squeeze for about ½ inch and stop. Also make a little wave motion with your piping bag to create dimension in the leaves. You will have your bag angled towards you to create the leaves. The longer you squeeze, the longer the leaves will be. Keep making layers until you have filled the whole cookie with a desired amount of buttercream leaves/branches.

3. With your red nonpareils, take 15 and spread them in clusters of three around the wreath to create little holly berries.

SNOWFLAKE INSTRUCTIONS:

WHAT YOU NEED

• Tip- 2, 4
• Red and white buttercream
• Clear sugar crystals

1. Using tip 21 and white buttercream to frost our snowflake. Start at the top point and squeeze the buttercream in a steady stream and slowly move the tip back and forth to make a slight wave all the way down to the opposite tip at the bottom while holding your bag at a 45-degree angle. Pipe on the rest of the snowflake from the center out to the tips in the same motion. Continue until the snowflake is filled.

2. Dip your cookie face down gently in a bowl of clear sugar crystals to coat the cookie and make it sparkly.

3. With our red and tip 4, make a dollop at the tip of one end and slowly move the piping bag towards the middle. Slow down the pressure as you go to make a small design. This will make it skinnier as it ends. We are drawing on our snowflake. Continue this around each tip of the snowflake.

4. Now attach tip 4 to your white buttercream and make a design on both sides of the red. Instead of pulling straight down, you will make your dollop and move inwards towards the red buttercream you have already piped. Continue to do this on both sides of the red, all the way around your cookie making a beautiful and easy design. Finish it off with a dollop of red in the center of the snowflake.

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