You really thought I would make a whole post about Christmas cookies and not link you to some truly wonderful recipes?!
I mean, obviously, I would (and did). But I’m good enough to follow up! Be sure to comment with your favorite recipes.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
This recipe is a game-changer. The resulting cookies hold their shape like a sugar cookie should, but they basically taste like brownies. I roll mine a bit thicker than she suggests, which takes a tiny bit of fiddling with the time – but really, not much!
Seriously Soft Molasses Cookies
As the name suggests, these are soft and the molasses flavor is wonderfully pronounced. (Many molasses cookie recipes accidentally create ginger chews, which are lovely, but are certainly not molasses cookies.) For a little bite and depth of flavor, I like to substitute the ground cloves for black pepper – yes, really.
Pecan Snowballs
These have lots of names, but at Christmas, they become snowballs. I found this dough a bit more dry than the blog said to expect, but it worked out just fine. Generally, if I find that a snowball recipe suggests that you could use an ice cream scoop to ball the dough, then the resulting cookie’s texture won’t be quite right; the dough shouldn’t be quite that soft.
Oatmeal Cookies
We have a Costco-sized box of oatmeal hanging around, so I’ve made a couple batches of these cookies. Now, as we all know, raisins in cookies and an abomination. But I’ve always wanted a perfect mix-in to replace them. I think I’ve found it in pecans. I chopped up about a cup and added them just before baking, then slightly sprinkled the cookies with salt when they came out of the oven. The resulting cookie really had a lil’ somethin’ special goin’ on.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Listen, every step we take further from eating peanut butter directly out of the jar with a spoon is a step further from god’s light. Flour makes peanut butter cookies way, way, way less delicious, and it’s just not necessary. Plus, like, gluten or whatever. So skip it! Tap a lil’ Hershey’s Kiss in there and make it a blossom.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’m no snob, but I’m man enough to admit that I can’t stop my eyeroll action when someone swears they have “The Best” chocolate chip cookies and they unveil a plate of spotty beige lumps, clearly made from the recipe on the Toll House bag. And don’t get me wrong, the classic recipe has its place on the Chrismtas cookie buffet! But if you want to make chocolate chip cookies for an absolute snob (and/or me), this would be recipe to use.
Milk Bar Compost Cookies
If you’re not familiar with Milk Bar, just know that Christina Tosi is wonderful, but intense. The original recipe for this is a two-parter and one of the ingredients is just straight glucose. Fortunately, the linked recipe is adapted for home cooks. And the result isn’t exactly as amazing, but it’s pretty darn wonderful (and intense.)
"Listen, every step we take further from eating peanut butter directly out of the jar with a spoon is a step further from god’s light." hahaha <3