Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 10:42     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:Do people really hate jam thumbprints as much as this post suggests? or are they just going off on OP because she criticized peanut butter blossoms?

I make the Ina Garten ones every year and everyone loves them.


I like them. And Linzer cookies, which are just a prettier variation.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 10:42     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



I’m with OP not liking Hershey kiss cookies. I just don’t like peanut butter/sweet combo. Cookies are so easy to make, even fancy ones. Making these or other cookis doesn’t really reflect on one’s baking abilities. Recipes are so easy to tweak and final result will be eaten no matter what (in my house at least).

OP share your biscotti recipe, please.


I'm one of the peanut butter blossom defenders but I have a really good biscotti recipe. It's in the cookbook, "Baking With Julia". Almond biscotti. You form logs, bake the logs, allow them to cool so you can work with the logs, then you slice up the logs like you're slicing bread. Second round of baking until they're crispy. I usually covered one side in melted chocolate. My aunt liked them, and I always made a batch for her when I was doing my Christmas baking.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 10:32     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Do people really hate jam thumbprints as much as this post suggests? or are they just going off on OP because she criticized peanut butter blossoms?

I make the Ina Garten ones every year and everyone loves them.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 10:26     Subject: Re:The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:

I think people that bake Christmas cookies fall into two categories: 1. The families who bake several kinds of fairly traditional complicated cookies every year and it is time-consuming, expensive and sort of an ordeal. Your back aches and there’s a lot of almond grinding and zesting. Some of them are pretty low yield. You seem to winnow out more recipes every year- trying to focus on the ones that taste the best - the most bang for your buck, labor and taste wise.

2. The fun bakers, willing to take short cuts, to try non-traditional Xmas cookies, and not above supplementing the tray with some store bought fudge. These are the bakers who prioritize making sure the kids have fun- specialty type decorating with marshmallow and tinted frosting. coconut, candy eyes,etc.- Santa and Snowmen. Their cookies are tasty and may be traditional but they are more flexible in their baking choices.


Of course, number 1 feels superior to 2. And number 2 wonders why you would kill yourself over some dry-ass cookies. I am Italian and belong to group 1 but no longer bake certain cookies I ate as a kid. I am more selective. I hate Italian fig cookies.


You’re Italian-Italian? Or you’re American and your grandparents/great-grandparents immigrated (like many of us)? There’s a difference!
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 10:23     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:I don’t like anything with meringue, anise, figs, dates, or coconut.


You are my people. Let's hang out over by the fun, yummy cookies. Not the cookies with that crap in them.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 09:45     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



I’m with OP not liking Hershey kiss cookies. I just don’t like peanut butter/sweet combo. Cookies are so easy to make, even fancy ones. Making these or other cookis doesn’t really reflect on one’s baking abilities. Recipes are so easy to tweak and final result will be eaten no matter what (in my house at least).

OP share your biscotti recipe, please.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 09:01     Subject: Re:The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:

I think people that bake Christmas cookies fall into two categories: 1. The families who bake several kinds of fairly traditional complicated cookies every year and it is time-consuming, expensive and sort of an ordeal. Your back aches and there’s a lot of almond grinding and zesting. Some of them are pretty low yield. You seem to winnow out more recipes every year- trying to focus on the ones that taste the best - the most bang for your buck, labor and taste wise.

2. The fun bakers, willing to take short cuts, to try non-traditional Xmas cookies, and not above supplementing the tray with some store bought fudge. These are the bakers who prioritize making sure the kids have fun- specialty type decorating with marshmallow and tinted frosting. coconut, candy eyes,etc.- Santa and Snowmen. Their cookies are tasty and may be traditional but they are more flexible in their baking choices.


Of course, number 1 feels superior to 2. And number 2 wonders why you would kill yourself over some dry-ass cookies. I am Italian and belong to group 1 but no longer bake certain cookies I ate as a kid. I am more selective. I hate Italian fig cookies.


Haha I love this. Probably goes for most holidays. I stopped making honey cake for Rosh Hashanah because everyone wanted to see it on the table but no one actually liked it. It was actually very good for honey cake but … still honey cake which my extended family just doesn’t care for.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 07:44     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



Of course. Pretentious nonsense.


Tbh, most of these cookies, outside of the macarons, are very easy to make. They might sound fancy but they really aren’t.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 06:17     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
I don’t like anything with meringue, anise, figs, dates, or coconut.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 02:03     Subject: Re:The worst Holiday Cookies


I think people that bake Christmas cookies fall into two categories: 1. The families who bake several kinds of fairly traditional complicated cookies every year and it is time-consuming, expensive and sort of an ordeal. Your back aches and there’s a lot of almond grinding and zesting. Some of them are pretty low yield. You seem to winnow out more recipes every year- trying to focus on the ones that taste the best - the most bang for your buck, labor and taste wise.

2. The fun bakers, willing to take short cuts, to try non-traditional Xmas cookies, and not above supplementing the tray with some store bought fudge. These are the bakers who prioritize making sure the kids have fun- specialty type decorating with marshmallow and tinted frosting. coconut, candy eyes,etc.- Santa and Snowmen. Their cookies are tasty and may be traditional but they are more flexible in their baking choices.


Of course, number 1 feels superior to 2. And number 2 wonders why you would kill yourself over some dry-ass cookies. I am Italian and belong to group 1 but no longer bake certain cookies I ate as a kid. I am more selective. I hate Italian fig cookies.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 01:06     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



Sorry OP, but all those are gross. I would take the thumbprint ones over any of those.
Beauty and taste is in the eye of the beholder.




She's looking down her nose at the hugely popular peanut butter blossoms, but she's recreating Girl Scout cookies. LOL.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 00:59     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



Ah, pretty cookies that no one actually enjoys.


This. OP is one of those insufferable people who prattles on about how "American desserts are toooooo sweet" and makes sure to reference "when I was in/lived in Europe" repeatedly, because she mistakenly thinks this makes her sound worldly and superior.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 00:51     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




What cookies do you make, OP?


Biscotti- cranberry pecan
Amaretti
macarons
Italian 7 layer
pecan sandies
jam thumbprints


made thin mints one year



Of course. Pretentious nonsense.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 00:50     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter blossoms, the ones with the Hershey kiss smooshed on top.

The minute someone tells me they make these every year I know they are not a good baker.


What cookies do you dislike receiving?




Those are SO GOOD.

Cookies taste better when they're not laced with snobbery.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2022 00:48     Subject: The worst Holiday Cookies
Could it be that tastes may differ?