What kind of holiday cookies have you made, if any?

[evilmommie]

Wow! This thread is inspiring for sure! I’m not much of a baker, although I consider myself a good cook. But, I’m always up to try new to me recipes. I used a couple of @LoveDaisy cookie recipes and they came out delicious!!! Whipped shortbread & Gooey Chocolate butter cookies.

I put a little plate together for my sweet neighbor across the street. She’s going to love them for her teatime!

 

[DVCjj]

Kiffle (Slovak pastry cookie), with either apricot, raspberry or almond filling. Walnut diamonds. Red, white and green swirled cookies. Spritz. Gingerbread Mickeys with chocolate dipped ears. Gingerbread snowflakes. Snowman cookies with cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese cookies with buttercream frosting and nonpareil sprinkles. Peppermint chocolate crinkles. Vienne jam sandwiches. Snow-capped red velvet cookies. Strawberry-filled stars. Russian teacakes. Reese's cups cookies. Hershey kiss blossoms. Marbled Christmas trees. Drömmar (cardamon-spiced shortbread). And Oreo cookie truffles.


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Those Snowman cookies!! Those Mickey head cookies!! Adorable!!

 

[TwoMisfits]

We celebrate with the cookies all Advent vs saving them for Christmas - fresh baked cookies are great baked cookies.

So far, we have done gingerbread drop cookies, peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips, double dark chocolate cookies, chocolate espresso cookies (these were amazing! The Trader Joe's dark chocolate coffee bars with the Aldi's dark chocolate sea salt bars made great add ins to the espresso base), and today, we made chocolate snow ball cookies.

We've also made 4 types of Muddy Buddies (all different) and 3 types of savory Chex Mix. It's pretty much a month where every other day there's a homemade treat for the fam to enjoy til they are gone...then there's another.

And all were dairy and tree nut free...so, I've had a chance to enjoy them all.

I did miss the kid's 1st attempt at homemade eggnog (this was the dairy bomb it's supposed to be), which apparently was spectacular for taste but not texture - it was cooked a touch too long, so it was served as pudding vs drink.

 

[DisneyDebbie]

So far I've only made rainbow cookies and Pizzelles. They are my most time consuming so I like to get them done first. My plan is to prepare a lot tomorrow (hopefully!) peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip, butter cookies w/sprinkles, church windows, snickerdoodles, oreo truffles. I'd love to do Mexican wedding cakes (I think that's what snowballs are?) but I'm not sure if I'll have time.

 

[mamaanna]

I have to ask: for those that make spritz: what is your trick to getting them out of the press?? I ALWAYS struggle with this part so I didn't make them this year.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

I have to ask: for those that make spritz: what is your trick to getting them out of the press?? I ALWAYS struggle with this part so I didn't make them this year.

I only use butter. No margarine! Your butter needs to be soft but still keep its shape when the wrapper is removed. The baking sheets need to be cool but not "refrigerator" cold. Do not overwork the dough and definitely do not refrigerate it!

The first couple of cookies always give me a problem but after that, it all goes smoothly. I use a vintage cookies press that I bought on ebay. It has a trigger mechanism and you can set the thickness to whatever works. I gave up on my modern electric press and I never could use one of those pump-type presses.

 

[mamaanna]

I only use butter. No margarine! Your butter needs to be soft but still keep its shape when the wrapper is removed. The baking sheets need to be cool but not "refrigerator" cold. Do not overwork the dough and definitely do not refrigerate it!

The first couple of cookies always give me a problem but after that, it all goes smoothly. I use a vintage cookies press that I bought on ebay. It has a trigger mechanism and you can set the thickness to whatever works. I gave up on my modern electric press and I never could use one of those pump-type presses.

The one I have looks like this, should I see about finding a different style? I also only ever use butter - maybe I'm just overworking the dough or something. Do you line your baking sheets with anything? Please help me love baking spritz again, I love eating them lol

 

[soccerdad72]

My wife is having her annual Christmas cookie baking day with our neighbors today. The next door neighbor doesn’t bake much, so for years now, my wife has her and her three girls over for a baking day. As a mom of two boys, it gives her a chance to get some girl time. She’ll be making similar recipes than what she’s already baked, but adding “Christmas Crack” to the menu.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

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The one I have looks like this, should I see about finding a different style? I also only ever use butter - maybe I'm just overworking the dough or something. Do you line your baking sheets with anything? Please help me love baking spritz again, I love eating them lol

Overworking the dough develops the gluten in the flour and it can make the dough stretchy. I mix my dry ingredients together and add them at low speed to the creamed butter/egg/extract mixture one serving spoon at a time.

I line my baking sheets with Silpats. It makes removal easy after baking but I don't think it has any effect on dispensing the raw dough onto the sheet. I tried using parchment paper but the paper would jump every time I lifted the cookie gun.

This is the gun I have. It was made by Wear-Ever and it is 100% metal. I don't know if that makes a difference.

ETA: Notice the little dial near the handle? That's for adjusting the thickness and it has made a world of difference for me.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

So far, I've made chocolate chip, red velvet crinkle, spice crinkle, and some ultra thick shortbread. The shortbread is going through the decorating phase today. I also plan to make more shortbread (traditional) as well as chocolate shortbread since I want more decorated cookies and I plan to fill the chocolate ones with orange marmalade and dip them in dark chocolate. Those are today's baking goals.

 

[DVCjj]

View attachment 1033173

The one I have looks like this, should I see about finding a different style? I also only ever use butter - maybe I'm just overworking the dough or something. Do you line your baking sheets with anything? Please help me love baking spritz again, I love eating them lol

Yes, I have several 'presses' and one of them looks like the one above. (Another of mine is electric and makes the spritz insanely fast but for some reason, harder to clean. Presume because it holds more dough.
I never, ever, ever line my pans on purpose and never had a problem in over 40 years of making them.