Anonymous wrote:I'm half-German & generally love German baked goods but the Christmas fare...? A big bunch of Weihnachten misses.

Stollen (v. dry fruit cake) - Blech
Lebkuchen (spice cookies) - Blech
Pfeffernusse (more spice cookies) - Blech

And also all hard to make. You know you've gotten it right when it's a dry as a desert.

Pfeffernusse is easy to make. My daughter and son love them and we just made a batch. But I can see how they might not be to everyone's taste.

Why are almost all Christmas cookies dry?? I just don't understand it.

If a cookie isn't soft and chewy, it's not worth the calories to me. I don't care how pretty it looks on a plate.

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

Depressing list of dry cookies.

Yes, all blech. give the peanut butter blossoms.

I hate pecan sandies with the fire of a thousand suns. I love pecans, I love cookies — pecan sandies taste to me like dry sand.
I generally dislike ant cookie covered with powdered sugar.
And I’ve never had a spritz cookie I really liked.

We usually do — frosted shortbread; gingerbread; macaroons; fudge with peppermint. I want to do thumbprint this year. I love thumbprint!

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'd rather eat peanut butter cups than the bolded.

Same!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

You’re probably baking them wrong. You can’t put the Hershey kiss in the oven for the whole time. You pull the pan out and add the kisses 2 or 3 minutes before the cookie part is done baking. If you do it this way, the kisses stay nice and soft even after they cool.

The recipes that I’ve seen call for you to put the kisses on right when the cookies come out of the oven - they get soft at first but then harden completely again. I’ll try adding them a couple minutes before the end of the baking time.

Oh yeah, that's the problem. Baking them in the oven for a couple minutes with the cookies will make them much softer. You have to time it carefully though or the kisses will burn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

You’re probably baking them wrong. You can’t put the Hershey kiss in the oven for the whole time. You pull the pan out and add the kisses 2 or 3 minutes before the cookie part is done baking. If you do it this way, the kisses stay nice and soft even after they cool.

The recipes that I’ve seen call for you to put the kisses on right when the cookies come out of the oven - they get soft at first but then harden completely again. I’ll try adding them a couple minutes before the end of the baking time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

You’re probably baking them wrong. You can’t put the Hershey kiss in the oven for the whole time. You pull the pan out and add the kisses 2 or 3 minutes before the cookie part is done baking. If you do it this way, the kisses stay nice and soft even after they cool.

This. Alternatively, if you want softer kisses, they now make a version of Hershey's kisses that have softer centers. I have never tried baking with them and they might not hold their shape on a hot cookie, but you can try them.

They are expensive on-line. If you can find them locally, get them in person and it will save money. But, most stores only carry this during the pre-Valentine's Day sale period.

https://www.amazon.com/HERSHEYS-KISSES-Chocolate-Meltaway-Valentines/dp/B08FKQWYDG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1J1P2ZDVKYN2C&keywords=hershey%27s+kisses+rose&qid=1671074424&sprefix=hershey%27s+kisses+ros%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-6

Not 100% sure these were the ones I tried, but they didn’t work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

You’re probably baking them wrong. You can’t put the Hershey kiss in the oven for the whole time. You pull the pan out and add the kisses 2 or 3 minutes before the cookie part is done baking. If you do it this way, the kisses stay nice and soft even after they cool.

This. Alternatively, if you want softer kisses, they now make a version of Hershey's kisses that have softer centers. I have never tried baking with them and they might not hold their shape on a hot cookie, but you can try them.

They are expensive on-line. If you can find them locally, get them in person and it will save money. But, most stores only carry this during the pre-Valentine's Day sale period.

https://www.amazon.com/HERSHEYS-KISSES-Chocolate-Meltaway-Valentines/dp/B08FKQWYDG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1J1P2ZDVKYN2C&keywords=hershey%27s+kisses+rose&qid=1671074424&sprefix=hershey%27s+kisses+ros%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-6

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

How about making smaller versions with a chocolate chip instead of a kiss?

Thanks for the idea! Much easier than making a ganache.

Or try Brach’s chocolate stars. Much smaller.

Anonymous wrote:My kids like the pb blossoms, and I like the idea of them, but don't like how the Hershey's kiss hardens once they're cool. I also like to make small cookies, and it's hard to do that with the pb blossoms. This year I'm going to use the regular recipe but swap ganache in for the kiss and see how that goes.

You’re probably baking them wrong. You can’t put the Hershey kiss in the oven for the whole time. You pull the pan out and add the kisses 2 or 3 minutes before the cookie part is done baking. If you do it this way, the kisses stay nice and soft even after they cool.

Anonymous wrote:I'm half-German & generally love German baked goods but the Christmas fare...? A big bunch of Weihnachten misses.

Stollen (v. dry fruit cake) - Blech
Lebkuchen (spice cookies) - Blech
Pfeffernusse (more spice cookies) - Blech

And also all hard to make. You know you've gotten it right when it's a dry as a desert.

Yeah, also half German and sign me up for all their savory baked goods, but not the sweets (that said, not really into sweets generally).

Anonymous wrote:

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

Depressing list of dry cookies.

Hahaha this was my reaction, too. Team Peanut Butter Blossoms for life!

+2

Dry, pretty cookies are the worst.

So interesting to read all the responses. Christmas cookies are so personal! In our family, the Hershey kiss cookies use a sugar cookie, but a very particular kind— quite delicate and light. They are a family favorite. We also love thumbprint cookies, which we call thimble cookies. I wouldn’t consider it Christmas without some of those on the cookie platter.
My favorites as a kid were always the “forgotten” cookies, which were the little merengues with chocolate chips in them. My grandmother always made them just for me.
Can’t really think of a Christmas cookie I don’t like. I never eat the chocolate chip cookies because they are too ordinary — I save my calories for the cookies that only come once a year!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don’t like the Hershey kiss cookies either but also don’t like most of the ones on OP’s list! Good old sugar cookies (homemade not slice and bake) and gingerbread cookies are my favorites! I also like cookies like the butter pecan meltaways. And I really dislike those German Christmas cookies listed above. I think a lot of ppl try to get so fancy w their Christmas cookies and they turn out dry and bland.

Why would making cookies from your own Christmas childhood qualify as "getting fancy?"

m
That is not what I’m talking about. You think OP’s list of favorites are things she had growing up? I don’t. I think she’s trying to be fancy.