Merry Christmas!! This past weekend I spent baking cookies and it was such a fun project. I know these aren't all technically "cookies," but saying cookies is easier than saying "cookies, nuts, pretzels, and cake balls," so cookies from here on out mean all the goodies in the tin! I also loved the excuse to visit with friends when dropping them off! I had just as much fun writing this specific blog post as I did baking and delivering, so you'll see a few "testimonials" sprinkled throughout from a few of my favorite people!
The key to baking Christmas cookies for friends as gifts was... well there were several keys.
Block off a whole day. It's going to take some time to make different recipes! There are bound to be some surprises like "oh I have to refrigerate the dough for an hour before I bake it?!" and also the clean-up will be a lot, even if you clean up between cookies.
Choose a variety of cookie flavors. I made sure to have at least one fruity profile, one salty profile, and one type of nut. Then go chocolate crazy!
Make it easier on yourself. In terms of difficulty, I made one cookie with all the typical ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, eggs, etc.) in the stand mixer, but for balance, the chocolate cookie was easier since it was based off of a box mix. I made sure there were a few no-bake cookies as well.
Packaging! To me, part of the joy was packaging up the cookies in a beautiful tin. I lined the festive cookie tins with parchment paper, then arranged the cookies inside. (Somehow I was lucky enough that my parchment paper was brown instead of the gridded grey paper, it's the little things.) Don't be afraid to fill in any gaps with some luxe wrapped chocolate too!
"This tin is too cute, I'm just looking at how nicely it's all packed - I love this!" - Kelsey
You should think about packaging when choosing cookies too. I had originally wanted to make a snickerdoodle cookie with cream cheese icing, but decided against it since they wouldn't be able to stack together without smearing and getting icing all over the other cookies.
Above all else, bake with love! Your friends will appreciate (and eat) anything you bake and it's the thought that counts!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Recipe Inspiration: The Frugal Girls Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
This is the quintessential Christmas cookie in my mind: chocolate and warm with a dusting of snow.
"The chocolate cookies were deliciously soft & chewy!" - Jordan
The recipe couldn't be easier - you just grab a box of Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge cake mix, plus all the baking ingredients you already have in your pantry. My crinkle cookies never turn out as powdered as the photos, but they are delicious all the same.
"YAY!" - a 2 year old and a 5 year old
Can't go wrong with this cookie!
Peppermint Bark
Recipe Inspiration: Southern Bite Peppermint Bark
This cookie choice was inspired by a #Foodstagram collaboration I joined on Instagram. A collab is when a bunch of amateur (and professional) foodies all create something with a similar theme, and then share their photos on the same day. This collab's theme was candy canes (search #candycanebakechallenge on Instagram)!
"If I close my eyes and imagine what Christmas would taste like, it would be the peppermint bark." - Mike
Is it weird this one was the recipe I was intimidated for most? If you've ever had to melt white chocolate before, you'd know why. It's a hassle to get it to the right consistency and then you have to work quickly before it hardens. Fortunately, I found Ghirardelli dark and white chocolate wafers designed for melting, so it made things a bit easier.
"The peppermint bark has a delicious contrast of dark chocolate and real peppermint candy!" - Brad
This recipe claims you MUST use peppermint *oil* but I defied their rules and used extract and it turned out just fine! I used a sharp knife to cut the bark into pieces.
Candied Pecans
Recipe Inspiration: Live Well Bake Often Candied Pecans
So delicious and so easy!! Just six simple ingredients: pecans, egg white, water, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. The pecans stay good for a while too - you can freeze them for months and eat them right out of the freezer or thawed.
"Your candied pecans are phenomenal." - Kelsey
These are such an easy snack for the cookie box, but also for other get-togethers like book clubs or as on-the-go snacks.
"We ate them all so quickly that I don't even remember since it's been so long." - Jordan, upon me asking if he liked the pecans that I gave him three days ago
Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe Inspiration: Saving Room for Dessert Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
I helped Mike make these cookies a few years ago for a work holiday party, and I knew immediately I wanted to make these again for the box. This was the most cookie with the most amount of steps to create, and probably the only "true" cookie in the box since it was made completely with raw ingredients (AKA not a box mix or pre-made cookie).
"I already finished all of the thumbprint cookies and I don't even have a sweet tooth!" - Rachel, just one day after cookie delivery
You can make this with any flavor jam, but the color of the raspberry suits this festive occasion perfectly.
"Tender, crumbly, melt in your mouth texture." - Doug
They took a bit more time in the oven than the recipe specified. Every time I took them out to check on them, they were soooooo gooey still. Just cook until they're more firm. The almond glaze was delicious too!
"We already ate all the almond raspberry cookies and I need the recipe immediately. Omg. So. Good." - Olivia, not prompted
"The subtle almond flavor is an amazing compliment to the raspberry filling, absolutely LOVED these." - Also Olivia, prompted, after I asked if I could use her quote above
I'm deeming this recipe the overall winner! It's just unexpected in a box full of chocolate and my friends seem to agree! Highly recommend this cookie, let me know if you make it!
"I've been eating the jelly cookies for years, and these were the best version I've had! (Totally true, not made up!)" - Alyssa
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Recipe Inspiration: Dolci Ur Mine Pretzels
I went to an outdoor Christmas market with a friend earlier in the month and she was salivating over the chocolate covered pretzels. I also have a friend who loves salty foods, so pretzels were a no-brainer.
"These are good." - Mike, right before I told him these weren't allowed to be his favorite since they required the least amount of effort.
These were good, but there's not much to say about them here, since it's just pretzels and chocolate. I did end up buying the short pretzel rods, so they'd fit better in the tin. Very glad I did. Also that size is easier to dip into the chocolate.
Oreo Balls
Recipe Inspiration: A dear friend's recipe given to me at my bridal shower, but similar recipe here)
This one was also a huge hit next to the thumbprint cookies. You can't go wrong with Oreos! Another super simple recipe with just 3 ingredients: Oreos, *room temperature* cream cheese, and melted chocolate. Pro Tip: get the family size Oreo package so you have extra to snack on while baking :)
"At 38-weeks pregnant, all sweets are welcomed and appreciated, but these Oreo balls are out of this world!" - Ashley, very pregnant
I always have a hard time melting chocolate for truffles and cake balls, and this was no exception. I find it hard to get to the right consistency for covering the cake balls completely in a beautiful chocolate shell. It always gets too thick and then comes out all lumpy with finger prints and messy peaks. Until I master melting chocolate, I instead put the chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle instead!
"I looove the Oreo balls! (Doug isn't getting any of them.)" - Sam, Oreo aficionado
"Heck, Sam." - Doug
These are best kept in a glass container in the freezer. We eat directly out of the freezer, but if you prefer to keep them in the fridge, feel free!
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