Post your Christmas cookie list for 2022

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never make cookies because they all seem to start with using a stand mixer, which I don’t have. Do they still turn out well if I mix by hand? Maybe I will stick with the rolo pretzel things!

My mom has never owned a stand mixer and she's made cookies every year for the last 70 years. Her recipes all pre-date stand mixers.

They're a convenience (and one I love) not a necessity.

I made almond toffee today, and am making dough tonight to bake tomorrow. Cut out Sugar cookies and cranberry noels.

[Anonymous]

I'm feeling so undecided about what to make this year. Has anyone already started baking and do you have recommendations for cookies that have made you super happy?

I'm thinking I will do something with jam and magic bars, just due to ingredients I want to use up, but need some inspiration!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread stresses me out.

NP. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never make cookies because they all seem to start with using a stand mixer, which I don’t have. Do they still turn out well if I mix by hand? Maybe I will stick with the rolo pretzel things!

My mom has never owned a stand mixer and she's made cookies every year for the last 70 years. Her recipes all pre-date stand mixers.

They're a convenience (and one I love) not a necessity.

I made almond toffee today, and am making dough tonight to bake tomorrow. Cut out Sugar cookies and cranberry noels.

Ok maybe I’m doing it wrong then. When I try to cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer it always seems like it’s flinging bits of butter all around the kitchen and making a huge mess. Is it that my bowl is too small? It’s very possible that I’m just terrible at baking 😂

I do love cooking though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any favorite not overly sweet Christmas cookies? The cookies my kids have asked for are very sweet, and I want to add something to balance that a little.

Thinking of trying World Peace cookies or the NYT marbled tahini cookies but haven’t made them before and don’t know how sweet they are. Any thoughts on those or other options?

Greek butter cookies! Koulourakia! Tons of recipes. I love them with tea or coffee and they are not too sweet at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never make cookies because they all seem to start with using a stand mixer, which I don’t have. Do they still turn out well if I mix by hand? Maybe I will stick with the rolo pretzel things!

My mom has never owned a stand mixer and she's made cookies every year for the last 70 years. Her recipes all pre-date stand mixers.

They're a convenience (and one I love) not a necessity.

I made almond toffee today, and am making dough tonight to bake tomorrow. Cut out Sugar cookies and cranberry noels.

Ok maybe I’m doing it wrong then. When I try to cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer it always seems like it’s flinging bits of butter all around the kitchen and making a huge mess. Is it that my bowl is too small? It’s very possible that I’m just terrible at baking 😂

I do love cooking though!

Use a bigger bowl and let your butter get a little softer before mixing. I often just cream the butter and sugar by hand because I do think it can be challenging with a hand mixer.

[Anonymous]

We always make chocolate chocolate chip cookies because we have on good authority that those are Santa's favorites!

[Anonymous]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you keep these fresh? Do you freeze them after baking?

[Anonymous]

Full disclosure, I am not really a "Christmas cookie" person, or even a big sweets person. But we made these over the weekend and they were so good, I'll be making another batch soon:

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brown-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm feeling so undecided about what to make this year. Has anyone already started baking and do you have recommendations for cookies that have made you super happy?

I'm thinking I will do something with jam and magic bars, just due to ingredients I want to use up, but need some inspiration!

I always make Ina Garten's jam Thumbprints and they are a big hit

Also making: amaretti cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies and pecan sandies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any favorite not overly sweet Christmas cookies? The cookies my kids have asked for are very sweet, and I want to add something to balance that a little.

Thinking of trying World Peace cookies or the NYT marbled tahini cookies but haven’t made them before and don’t know how sweet they are. Any thoughts on those or other options?

I skip the sanding sugar
https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/12/checkerboard-cookies/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be a dumb question, but how do you keep these fresh? Do you freeze them after baking?

I cook mine a few days before Xmas..usually the 23rd. I keep them in a snug cookie tin, layered with wax paper.

[Anonymous]

Best spritz recipe has three egg yolks. You can’t chill it too much or it won’t go through the press and and/or stick to the cookie sheet.

Will look for recipe. It was in an old cookie press booklet—supershooter. They go for very high prices on eBay around now.

[Anonymous]

Pizzelle
Shortbread (with and w/o nuts)
Peppermint meringues
Caramel crumb bars
Rum Balls
Sugar Cookies
Italian Amaretti

And a few others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be a dumb question, but how do you keep these fresh? Do you freeze them after baking?

I usually start baking around Thanksgiving. And they go in the freezer and keep really well. I only bake some of the things that don't freeze, like meringues, as well as the big desserts.