Christmas Cookie Recipes

 in Favorite Recipes / Now Magazines by

Nothing says Christmas like a plate of warm cookies! Whether you are looking for a treat to have the kids leave for Santa, or something different to take to a holiday party, here are some yummy recipes to choose from!

Christmas Snowballs

Provided by Charlotte Simms for the December 2017 issue of SouthwestNOW Magazine.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sweet cream butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1-lb. bag powdered sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Add all ingredients, except powdered sugar, to a large bowl; mix well.
  3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 F for 5-10 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. Remove from oven. Roll in powdered sugar. Place on a plate. 

 

Old-fashioned Soft Gingerbread

Provided by Phyllis Weisheit for the December 2010 issue of MansfieldNOW Magazine.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. ginger
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • 3 cups flour
  1. Cream sugar and butter; add beaten eggs. Add molasses.
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to sugar and egg mixture. Beat hard after each addition.
  3. Bake at 325 F about 40 minutes in a 12×18-inch pan. Check with toothpick for doneness. Do not overbake. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Provided by Donna Laskoskie for the September 2018 issue of GranburyNOW Magazine.

  • 3 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts
  1. Mix butter and sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Add vanilla; beat. Add flour and baking soda.
  2. Scrape vanilla bean seeds from pods into mixture. Beat until dough comes together. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  
  3. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls; place on a cookie sheet.
  4. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Snickerdoodles

Provided by Eldonna Bates for the June 2017 issue of WaxahachieNOW Magazine.

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. sugar (divided use)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
  1. Cream shortening, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and eggs together; add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; chill for two hours.
  2. Meanwhile, blend together 2 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon.
  3. With the chilled dough, create 1-inch balls; roll the balls in the sugar/cinnamon mixture; flatten the balls with fork tines.
  4. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 F for about 6 minutes.

 

Molasses Cookies 

Provided by Linda Hutchins for the December 2010 issue of WaxahachieNOW Magazine.

  •  3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cloves
  1. Combine all ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
  2. Bake at 375 F for 12 minutes. Yields 3 dozen cookies.

 

Sugar Cookies

Provided by Sue Freshwater for the January 2018 issue of MidlothianNOW Magazine.

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  1. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, in the bowl of a mixer, using the paddle attachment. Add vanilla extract.
  2. Add eggs to the creaming butter/sugar mixture one at a time. Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition, and do not add the next egg until the creamed mixture has absorbed the first addition.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Mix just until it is all combined.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead the dough mass and all of its fragments into a disc. 
  5. Wrap dough disc in plastic wrap; chill for at least two hours. (Keeps up to a full week if refrigerated.)
  6. When ready to bake, mash the dough together and re-knead it. Then re-roll on a lightly floured work surface until pliable.
  7. Cut your shapes, dip in sugar or leave plain. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350 F until cookies begin to brown on the edges, approximately 14-18 minutes.

 

Krislins

Provided by Lisa Amoriello for the December 2015 issue of MansfieldNOW Magazine.

  • 1 cup butter, softened (not melted)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (approximate amount for rolling) 
  1. Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add flour in two batches until well-combined but not overmixed. Add vanilla and blend. Fold in pecans on the lowest speed until just combined.
  2. Roll finished dough into balls just a bit larger than quarter-sized and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 F for 35 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and immediately roll each ball gently in powdered sugar. Be careful because they break easily while hot!

Christmas Mice

  • Provided by Tori Blanton for the December 2016 issue of BurlesonNOW Magazine.
  • 2 24-oz. pkgs. Almond Bark Chocolate Baking Bar
  • 1/2 lb. maraschino cherries
  • 1 6-oz. bag sliced almonds
  • 1 family-size bag HERSHEY’S KISSES
  • 3 Wilton brand decorating gels in green, blue and red
  1. Using a small Crock-Pot on lowest setting, melt almond bark, stirring occasionally to keep from burning the bottom.
  2. Drain the cherries (do not rinse) and lay on paper towels to dry. Make sure that you have a large counter space or table to work on.
  3. Lay waxed paper across your counter or table. Pour some sliced almonds in a pile on the waxed paper for you to sort through.
  4. Unwrap HERSHEY’S KISSES and set in a pile on the waxed paper.

After the cherries are somewhat dry, use the cherries that have stems. Pick the cherry up by the stem and dip into the melted chocolate. Then immediately set on waxed paper, placing the cherry stem so that it looks like a tail.

  1. Remember that almond bark dries fairly quickly. Immediately press a Hershey’s kiss onto the front to appear as a face. Before the chocolate dries, find 2 sliced almonds and put them in between the cherry and the kiss to make the appearance of mouse ears. You may have to hold until chocolate dries. 
  2. Repeat until cherries or kisses are gone. Make sure you place each mouse on the waxed paper close together as you go, so you don’t run out of room.
  3. Once all the mice are dry, use the red decorating gel to make noses and the green and blue decorating gel to make eyes. All the mice are supposed to have character. Some mice will look normal, some will look sad, but it will be cute.

 

Monster Cookies

Provided by Victoria Howley for the December 2017 issue of BurlesonNOW Magazine.

  • 2 sticks salted butter
  • 2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Mexican vanilla
  • 1 cup creamy, honey-roasted peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2/3 cup each: M&Ms, caramel baking bits, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, REESE’S PIECES and HEATH Toffee Baking Bits 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Knead above ingredients with hands until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Scoop mixture with cookie scoop onto parchment-lined pans and flatten slightly.
  4. Bake in the oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

Almond Sugar Cookies

Provided by Elaine Leamon for the November 2010 issue of EnnisNOW Magazine.

  • 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Mixture of sugar crystals (using seasonal colors) and granulated sugar

Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 or 3 tsp. water
  • Food coloring, (orange for Thanksgiving or green for Christmas)
  • Sliced almonds, toasted
  1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in almond extract.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
  3. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.
  4. Coat bottom of custard bowl or glass with nonstick cooking spray; dip in sugar crystal mixture. Flatten cookies with prepared custard bowl, repeat spraying and dipping bowl in sugar crystal mixture again as needed.  
  5. Bake at 400 F for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and almond extracts with enough water to achieve glaze consistency. Tint with food coloring; drizzle over warm cookies. Sprinkle with almonds. Yields: about 4 1/2 dozen.

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Provided by Sabrina Porter for the January 2016 issue of SouthwestNOW Magazine.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 Tbsp. milk
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 12 oz. chocolate chips
  1. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and milk; mix well. Add next 5 ingredients; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
  2. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.

Oreo Balls

Provided by Mychaela Reaves for the February 2017 issue of BurlesonNOW Magazine.

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 36 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
  • 16 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, melted
  1. Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well-blended.
  2. Shape into 48 1-inch balls and freeze for 10 minutes, until firm.
  3. Dip balls in melted chocolate, place in a single layer on a waxed-paper lined pan.
  4. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm, and then enjoy. But be careful. They can be addictive.

 

Orange White Chip Cookies

Provided by Sherry Dollus for the September 2017 issue of WaxahachieNOW Magazine.

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 6-oz. cup Nestle Toll House white morsels
  • 1 Tbsp. orange zest, grated
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F; in a small bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt.
  2. In a mixer’s bowl, beat butter, and both sugars for about 3 minutes or until smooth.
  3. Add egg to sugar mixture; mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture; stir in the morsels and orange zest.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown; cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.