'Tis the season! Holiday shopping deals, decorating the tree, spending time with family, and of course...great food!
One of my family's traditions is baking a massive amount of cookies. It is a great way to spend time with family, have something delicious to eat, and they make fantastic gifts. And the best part is, the options are endless.
If you're a traditionalist:
Don't be afraid to stick to the basics.
Just because you make a chocolate chip cookies doesn't mean you're boring. It's so popular for a reason. But if you're looking to try something a little different, change it up a bit. Try adding nuts, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or you can even put mint chocolate chips for a holiday twist.
One of the greatest thing about sugar cookies is their versatility. You can do fun shapes, multi-colored sprinkles, icing, and of course a variety of flavors. Try adding some lemon or orange for a vibrant flavor. Adding a splash of peppermint really takes this cookie up a notch. If you love the taste of a traditional sugar cookie, try to step up your decorating skills. Craft stores have great holiday sections with fun sprinkles and cookie cutters. Or try using royal icing to give these simple cookies an elegant look.
If you're looking for holiday favorites:
Christmas in my house isn't complete without peanut butter blossoms. These cookies combine a soft, peanut butter cookie with a delicious Hershey's Kiss. My family nibbles on these cookies while sitting by the tree watching our favorite holiday movies, Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story. While I don't feel these cookies need any improvement, if you're looking to change things up you could try to roll these cookies in colored sugar or even try different flavors of Hershey's Kisses.
If you're looking for a blast of peppermint flavor, try chocolate peppermint cookies. These are a chocolate cookie with peppermint glaze. While this a perfectly delicious cookie, I love peppermint. I used crushed peppermint on top to make this cookie more flavorful and make them look very festive.
I know everyone loves those traditional gingerbread cookies. You know, the ones that are shaped like little people and tend to be hard and not taste that great? Personally, I love the taste of ginger but those cookies just don't do it for me. So, I bake big, soft ginger cookies. These cookies are so soft and moist. And the best part is they taste great. These are a scooped cookies, so you can't traditionally cut them into the tiny people we all know and love. However, you can roll these in colored sugar or even try a drizzle of royal icing to take the decorating up a notch.
While I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of eggnog...these eggnog cookies are amazing. Not only do they look festive, they give you all the delicious holiday flavor without that disgusting texture. These cookies pack a flavorful punch with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course....rum!
If you don't want cookies:
Don't be ashamed to admit that Christmas cookies just aren't your thing. Or maybe you just aren't comfortable baking. That's fine! There are still loads of things for you to make.
I love making Oreo cake balls because of how easy they are. You only need THREE ingredients for these delicious treats. And the best part is, they are so versatile. While I've never personally tried it, you can try using different flavors of Oreo cookies. You can turn these simple bites into little reindeer or elves by adding a few quick decorations. Don't be afraid to have some fun!
Salty/Sweet combinations are an amazing thing. For my family, we munch on chocolate covered pretzels as we decorate the tree. These are really fun to make and you can decorate them however you want. We use Wilton Candy Melts to cover our pretzels because they come in many colors and flavors. These melts are also easy to use. They are fast to melt and don't seize (this is when water gets into the chocolate and it becomes hard and difficult to work with). You can also use fun sprinkles, edible glitter, or candy to decorate. This is a great way to get the whole family involved!
'Tis the season to spend time with family, spread joy to others, and make some delicious treats! These recipes give you a great chance to do all three! Happy Holidays!
