Need another chance to prove to Santa that you've been on your best behavior?
We hope you can bake!
READ: How to Make the Perfect Cookie
Whether you've been naughty or nice this year, we've rounded up some delicious Christmas cookie recipes sure to win Santa's heart — and err ... belly.
Gingerbread is a holiday favorite and we love how Lisa Dupar & Company upped the ante with these delicious Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies.
Cookies:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
- 2-1/4 cups pastry flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon finely ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar
Filling:
- 1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
To make the cookies: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the egg, molasses, honey, vanilla extract and freshly grated ginger root and continue to mix until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and whip for 1 minute at medium speed. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, powdered ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-molasses mixture and mix well, scraping down the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. It’s best overnight. Scoop the cookies into 1-inch balls with a small ice cream scoop, and chill until ready to bake.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar, place onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake until just barely done, about 7 to 8 minutes. They will be slightly cracked on top.
To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the whip attachment, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
When the cookies are cool, turn half of the cookies upside down. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling, in a large dot, at the center of each cookie. Place the other half of the cookies on top, creating little sandwiches.
Makes 25 to 30 small sandwich cookies
Nikki Gladd's Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are a festive twist on a confectionary favorite. They're sure to knock Santa's boots off!
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 3 to 4 dozen
Serving Size: 2 cookies
For the cookies:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For the coating:
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Dash of allspice
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liner. Mix the coating ingredients in a small bowl. Scoop equal dough balls and roll into the sugar mixture. Set on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat drinking glass into water, then into the sugar mixture and use to slightly flatten the dough balls. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
If the combination of sweet and salty makes your mouth water, check out Audra's Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Glaze.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb package of bacon strips- cooked until very crispy and cut into small bits.
3/4 cup powdered sugar
pure maple syrup
Directions:
Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and 1 cup of the bacon bits.
Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not over bake.
Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make glaze: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the powdered sugar and stir. Add more maple syrup as needed until the glaze is a good, thick drizzling consistency. Sprinkle with remaining bacon bits.
If bacon isn't your thing, but you still want to surprise Santa with a sweet and savory treat, Jessica Merchant whipped up these sinful Salted Mudslide Cookies.
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10-15 minutes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coffee liqueur + 1 teaspoon (Godiva, Kahlua, etc)
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- sea salt for topping
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix the flour, cocoa, coffee powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stream in coffee liqueur and mix. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. If you find you absolutely need more liquid add in a teaspoon of coffee liqueur, but it should come together. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from the fridge and roll into golfball sized balls. Set on a non-stick baking sheet with 2 inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the middles are still soft. The centers should be puffy. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely then dig in!