A favorite tradition for many families during the holidays is the baking of special, memorable Christmas cookies for guests that come over, for gifts or for doing cookie exchanges which can be a blast.
For those who've never heard about how a cookie exchange works, you gather several friends or family together who would like to participate. Have each person bring a set amount of cookies to bring, usually several dozen and it's best if each can bring 2 or 3 different kinds of cookies.
You then get together and set all the cookies on a table like a buffet line. Have each person go down the line with a plate getting several of each different kind of cookie. It's an amazing way to try to get elaborate cookie trays without having to bake for yourself that many varieties. Many cookie exchanges also decide to swap the recipes as well.
Here are a couple Christmas cookie recipes to add to your repertoire this year. See if they make it to your top list of favorites.
Snowflake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 ¼ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Icing Paint
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- Food color
In a bowl use electric mixer to beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, almond and vanilla extracts until thoroughly mixed. On low speed gradually add in dry ingredients. Divide dough into 4 sections, roll each into a ball, and then press these into rounds. Wrap with clear plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least one hour.
After chilling, roll dough out to on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick and use a snowflake shaped cookie cutter and cut. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 4 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to a cooking rack and let completely cool.
For icing, in a bowl mix water and meringue powder with a wire wisk until the mixture is a foamy texture. Stir in powdered sugar and food color. Drizzle or paint icing over cookies and you can add sugar sprinkles or colored sugar on top if you’d like.
Cherry Topped Chocolate Mini Tarts
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 3 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 24 large maraschino cherries, drained
Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray 24 mini muffin tins with a nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat softened butter and cream cheese until well mixed. Lower speed and mix in dry ingredients.
Shape the dough into 1 ¼ inch balls, and then press in bottoms and up the sides of a muffin cup creating a dough shaped cup. Fill each cup with 2 teaspoons of chocolate chips and top each one with a maraschino cherry.
Bake 13 – 16 minutes or until the edges of the cups are a golden brown. Let cool a full 10 – 15 minutes and gently remove to a cooling rack.
Both of these Christmas cookies make such festive and pretty desserts that just invite someone to taste. They are also very classy looking for wonderful gifts.
Valerie Garner - Hi, I'm Valerie a midlife lady who loves to learn new things, photography, reading, writing, and drinking coffee with friends. I've ...
