When you think about Christmas, you may also think about the time you will spend baking holiday cookies. If you bake cookies every year, you probably have a few staple recipes that you make annually, but you may also look around for a few new creations to make to add some flavor and variety to your bundle.
If you truly enjoy baking delicious Christmas cookies, the following four recipes need to be on your list this year.
1. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
If you enjoy easy baking and the taste of peanut butter cups, you’ll definitely want to make these cookies.
Ingredients:
• 40 mini peanut butter cups
• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 beaten egg
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup peanut butter
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until thoroughly blended.
5. Shape the batter into 40 small balls and set each one into a muffin pan.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. When removed from oven, immediately place a mini peanut butter cup into the ball. Let cool.
2. Drop Nut Cookies
Some nuts and some cookies, all wrapped up into one little recipe.
Ingredients:
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups flour
• ¼ cup milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add in the eggs.
3. Add in milk, flour, vanilla, cream of tartar, cinnamon and baking soda.
4. Stir in the walnuts
5. Place spoonful of batter on baking sheet at least 3 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes.
3. Spiced Sugar Cookies
Sweet and spicy all in one.
Ingredients:
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
Directions
1. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and cloves in a medium bowl.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed.
3. Add flour mixture to batter and beat until blended.
4. Create small ball out of the dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Roll out the dough on floured surface. Use cookie cutters to create shapes. Place cookies on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
4. Gingerbread Tree Sandwiches
The delectable taste of gingerbread and a tasty cream filling.
Ingredients:
• ¾ cup softened butter
• ¾ cup frosting, any flavor
• 1 cup brown sugar
• M&Ms
• ¾ cup molasses
• 1-1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 4 cups flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 egg
• tree-shaped cookie cutter
Directions:
1. Cream butter and brown sugar in large bowl until blended.
2. Add in the molasses and egg.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger and pumpkin pie spice.
4. Add dry mixture to butter mixture.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Roll out dough on floured surface.
8. Use tree shaped cookie cutter to cut out trees, and place on baking sheet.
9. Place M&Ms on half of the cookies.
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
11. When cookies have cooled, place frosting over other half of cookies, and place an M&M cookie on top.