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| Some of my cookies from last year! |
I bake a LOT of cookies this time of year, and I know I'm not the only one! I originally posted my favorite holiday cookies three years ago and while most of them are still the same, I've made a few tweaks and changes over the years that I want to update you on!
My favorite Christmas tradition every year is packing and delivering boxes of food for local families in need with our local Elks Lodge. My grandads, dad, and now brother are all members of the lodge, and we have been helping with "Christmas box" delivery for literally my entire life - it's a lot of work (especially for the guys), but we love it so much!
As part of that tradition, there's always a lunch back at the lodge put together by several of the Elks' wives for all of the volunteers the afternoon after all of the boxes are delivered, and I always make cookies for it. I LOVE baking, and spending the day before the lunch baking hundreds of cookies is so much fun for me. Plus, everyone loves the cookie girl. 😂
Over the years I've come up with a tried and true repertoire of cookies that are always a hit. They're not all necessarily "classic" Christmas cookies, but they're all crowd-pleasers! Whether you're making cookies for 2 people or 200 people, there's something for everyone on this list.
My main tip if you're making a lot of cookies at a time is to prep as much of the dough as you can the day before you plan on baking them. With this particular list of recipes, several of them require that you chill the dough before baking. Since I serve these cookies on a Saturday, I prep the dough that needs to be chilled on Thursday, chill it overnight, and then bake it on Friday while I work on the rest of the recipes that don't require chilling. It streamlines the process and saves time! This year I am planning on taking my prep a step further by freezing some of the dough in advance so that I don't have as much to make on that Thursday, so I'll let you know how that goes!
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| Image via Averie Cooks |
1. Snickerdoodles: Pound for pound, these are the most-loved cookies I make! I always have to save some especially for my dad's best friend because they're his favorite. I've tried several different snickerdoodle recipes and my family and I agree that this one is the best.
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| Image via Sugar Spun Run |
2. Funfetti sugar cookies: These are some of my favorite cookies of all time - you can't beat a chewy sugar cookie with fun sprinkles! I always use red, green, and white sprinkles this time of year to make them festive.
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| Image via Back to my Southern Roots |
3. Chocolate sugar cookies: This was a new recipe I tried last year, and it's definitely a keeper! I always have to include something for the chocolate lovers, and these definitely hit the spot. I used to make this recipe and add red and green M&M's in place of the chocolate chips, and while people liked those, they never really impressed me and they weren't very pretty. This recipe is much better!
Two notes on this recipe: number one, I do chill the dough for at least an hour before baking even though the recipe doesn't call for it. They still spread significantly and come out fairly thin, but they're still deliciously chewy and I think the chilling helps. Second, I roll them in granulated sugar before baking because it makes them prettier - definitely not necessary but makes for a nicer presentation!
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| Image via Sally's Baking Addiction |
4. Chewy molasses cookies: These are my FAVORITE holiday cookies - I always make extra just for myself! They're perfectly spiced, addictively chewy, and over the top delicious when paired with a cup of coffee or tea.
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| Image via Sally's Baking Addiction |
5. Peanut butter blossoms: These are a holiday classic that I'm sure you've had before! I read recently that if you freeze the Kisses before pressing them into the cookies, it helps them adhere to the cookies and not fall off when they cool, so I'm definitely going to try that this year.
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| Image via Sally's Baking Addiction |
6. Brown butter pecan pie bars: These cookies often surprise people - they taste even better than you'd expect! I get asked for the recipe almost every time I bring them to a gathering. They're a little more work than regular cookies because they require making browned butter shortbread crust in addition to the pecan filling, but they're SO worth it. I don't care for pecan pie, but I could eat these bars all day!
Note: If you make these, don't panic if your filling mixture looks like egg drop soup no matter how carefully you temper the eggs - mine always looks like it won't turn out, but you never see or taste the egg in the finished product.
7. Pistachio cookies: These cookies are special to me because they're an old family recipe - I posted the recipe on the blog a couple of years ago! They look a little off-putting because they're green, but they're SO chewy and delicious with the perfect sweet pistachio flavor. My friends look forward to me making these every Christmas!
What are your favorite holiday cookie recipes?? I would love to try some new ones!
xoxx, Laura
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