Favorite Holiday Cookies

[Anonymous]

I'm so far behind with my baking, I'm going to crowdsource my Christmas cookies. No time to research. It's mostly for gifting, since I'm not much of a cookie eater myself. I will be making pecan bars (https://www.joyofbaking.com/barsandsquares/PecanSquares.html) and chocolate crinkle cookies. What are your favorites, either to gift, or to receive?

[Anonymous]

Last year I made the Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from the Washington Post's annual holiday cookie collection, and I loved them. I really like the addition of dried cranberries, and they're very adaptable; sometimes I leave out the coconut or walnuts, depending on how I feel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/12/01/oatmeal-cookie-recipe-cranberry-coconut/

(however I'm learning from the worst holiday cookies thread that fruit in cookies is apparently controversial )

For cutout cookies, my mother swears by the recipe from Willa Jean's owner, and they are excellent:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sugar-cookie-recipe-from-new-orleans-bakery-willa-jean

I also love chewy ginger cookies, but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year I made the Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from the Washington Post's annual holiday cookie collection, and I loved them. I really like the addition of dried cranberries, and they're very adaptable; sometimes I leave out the coconut or walnuts, depending on how I feel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/12/01/oatmeal-cookie-recipe-cranberry-coconut/

(however I'm learning from the worst holiday cookies thread that fruit in cookies is apparently controversial )

For cutout cookies, my mother swears by the recipe from Willa Jean's owner, and they are excellent:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sugar-cookie-recipe-from-new-orleans-bakery-willa-jean

I also love chewy ginger cookies, but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe.

On the one hand, I'm not a fan of oatmeal or cranberries. On the other, I don't need to be eating any cookies, and since there are people that will presumably eat oatmeal raisin cookies, I don't see how cranberry oatmeal ones can be anything but an improvement.

I might try that cutout cookie. Might be good to make a Linzer cookie with? And I hear you on the chewy ginger cookies. I've tried at least 4 or 5 disappointments.

[Anonymous]

David Lebovitz's Nonfat Gingersnaps are really good for chewy ginger cookies, don't be put off by the nonfat in the title.

I love Dorie Greenspan's sable breton cookies. I roll the logs in colorful sugar to make them look festive.

Claire Saffitz's recipe for pistachio pinwheels is also great and very festive. Her praline cookies are also great, a bit more time consuming.

The Stamped Lemon shortbreads from NYT cooking are good too.

I also love bourbon balls (Melissa Clark recipe from NYT) and good old fashioned peanut brittle - though neither is strictly a cookie.

[Anonymous]

Sheesh. I knew everyone on here has terrible taste in clothes, but cranberry oatmeal and non fat cookies? I’m done. 🤢

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh. I knew everyone on here has terrible taste in clothes, but cranberry oatmeal and non fat cookies? I’m done. 🤢

Willing to cut them some slack, because the other recipes have plenty of fat in them. Claire’s recipe is especially appealing, despite my hatred of all things oatmeal.

[Anonymous]

For me it’s a tie between Italian wedding cookies (aka Mexican wedding cookies, butterballs, etc) and anginetti. I can eat my weight in both.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10431/italian-wedding-cookies-iii/

http://www.grouprecipes.com/38641/anginetti.html

[Anonymous]

Candy cane cookies made with almond extract

[Anonymous]

Sugar cookies with peppermint kisses

[Anonymous]

Schweddy balls

[Anonymous]

Just made these Mexican Wedding Cookies with walnuts. So good.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/15542/mexican-wedding-cookies/

[Anonymous]

OP. I was the one in the other thread, hating on Mexican wedding cookies. They’re so messy!

Recommendations don’t have to be limited to cookies, BTW. Anything portable will do - candy, bars, brownies, etc. I’m thinking of whipping up some marshmallows. They’re horribly messy, but fun to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year I made the Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from the Washington Post's annual holiday cookie collection, and I loved them. I really like the addition of dried cranberries, and they're very adaptable; sometimes I leave out the coconut or walnuts, depending on how I feel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/12/01/oatmeal-cookie-recipe-cranberry-coconut/

(however I'm learning from the worst holiday cookies thread that fruit in cookies is apparently controversial )

For cutout cookies, my mother swears by the recipe from Willa Jean's owner, and they are excellent:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sugar-cookie-recipe-from-new-orleans-bakery-willa-jean

I also love chewy ginger cookies, but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe.

Have you tried these ginger cookies? We added them to my family’s baking list (which hadn’t changed in 30 years!) a few years ago. I don’t always dip them and they are still perfectly chewy with just a bit of crisp at the edges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year I made the Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from the Washington Post's annual holiday cookie collection, and I loved them. I really like the addition of dried cranberries, and they're very adaptable; sometimes I leave out the coconut or walnuts, depending on how I feel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/12/01/oatmeal-cookie-recipe-cranberry-coconut/

(however I'm learning from the worst holiday cookies thread that fruit in cookies is apparently controversial )

For cutout cookies, my mother swears by the recipe from Willa Jean's owner, and they are excellent:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sugar-cookie-recipe-from-new-orleans-bakery-willa-jean

I also love chewy ginger cookies, but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe.

Have you tried these ginger cookies? We added them to my family’s baking list (which hadn’t changed in 30 years!) a few years ago. I don’t always dip them and they are still perfectly chewy with just a bit of crisp at the edges.

https://www.cookingclassy.com/white-chocolate-dipped-ginger-cookies/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year I made the Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from the Washington Post's annual holiday cookie collection, and I loved them. I really like the addition of dried cranberries, and they're very adaptable; sometimes I leave out the coconut or walnuts, depending on how I feel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/12/01/oatmeal-cookie-recipe-cranberry-coconut/

(however I'm learning from the worst holiday cookies thread that fruit in cookies is apparently controversial )

For cutout cookies, my mother swears by the recipe from Willa Jean's owner, and they are excellent:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sugar-cookie-recipe-from-new-orleans-bakery-willa-jean

I also love chewy ginger cookies, but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe.

Have you tried these ginger cookies? We added them to my family’s baking list (which hadn’t changed in 30 years!) a few years ago. I don’t always dip them and they are still perfectly chewy with just a bit of crisp at the edges.

https://www.cookingclassy.com/white-chocolate-dipped-ginger-cookies/

Thanks, I'll give them a try!