I must admit I鈥檓 often the last one in my family to catch the holiday spirit. But the Grinch in me always fades when I听make my first batch of Christmas cookies.
It鈥檚 impossible not to feel uplifted after baking sweet treats so aromatic that seconds after they come out of the oven, I know exactly what time of year it is. It鈥檚 even more joyful when I later get to share my home-baked goodies with loved ones.
That was my mood when baking today鈥檚 four recipes. Because I听know many folks are busy at this time of year, I decided the cookies should be easy to make, but still rich and wonderful.
All are classic Christmas cookies with a twist, such as using cane sugar in my shortbread and blending in five types of spice. Or giving my ginger cookies a double hit of that taste by using both ground and crystallized ginger.
All recipes could be doubled if you need a greater volume. Some, such as the sugar cookies, could also be halved.
All cookies, if kept in a tight-sealing container at cool room temperature, will keep at least three weeks, but likely won鈥檛 last that long.
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Christmas Snowballs with Nuts, Orange and Cranberries
This small, rich, buttery style of snowball-shaped cookie also goes by other names, such as Mexican wedding cookies and Russian teacakes. No matter what you call them, they are a decadent treat and not difficult to make.
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Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes, per听sheet of cookies
Makes: 36 to 40 cookies
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1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar (divided)
1 tsp vanilla extract
鈥� finely grated zest of 1 small orange
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pecan or walnuts halves, finely chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter, 1/2 cup of the icing sugar, vanilla and orange zest and juice in a bowl and beat until smooth and light. Mix in the flour, nuts and cranberries.
Roll the dough into one-inch balls and set them on the baking sheets, spacing each cookie about two or three inches apart from the next. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes, or until just set and light brown on the bottom.
Cool cookies on baking rack for 10 minutes. Place remaining 1 cup of icing sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl. When cookies have cooled 10 minutes, roll and coat each cookie with icing sugar, then set back on the baking sheet. When cookies have completely cooled, roll them once more in icing sugar. Now transfer and store the cookies in a tight-sealing container at cool room temperature until you鈥檙e ready to enjoy them.
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Double Ginger Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips
Using both ground and crystallized ginger gives these cookies two lovely hits of that spice. Chocolate adds even more flavour. You can buy crystallized ginger in the bulk-food section of most supermarkets.
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Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes, per sheet of cookies
Makes: About 30 cookies
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1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
鈥� pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp finely diced crystallized ginger
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
鈥� granulated sugar for rolling
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and cloves in a bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in crystallized ginger and chocolate chips.
Place butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until light and well combined, about three to four minutes (see Note). Beat in the egg, vinegar and molasses. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Spread some granulated sugar on a plate. Roll the dough into one-inch balls, lightly roll in the granulated sugar, and then place on the baking sheets, spacing the balls about two inches apart. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15听minutes. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container at cool room temperature until you鈥檙e ready to serve them.
Note: If you don鈥檛 have a stand mixer, you could vigorously beat the cookie dough with a wooden spoon. Hand-held electric mixers don鈥檛 work well with this batter.
Heavenly spiced Cane Sugar Shortbread
This shortbread is flavoured with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla. Cane sugar, also called turbinado sugar, is sold in most supermarkets.
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Preparation: 20 minutes, plus听chilling time
Cooking time: 22 minutes, per听sheet of cookies
Makes: About 36 to 40 cookies
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1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup golden cane sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
36 to 40 whole skin-on almonds or pecan halves
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until light and smooth. Add flour and spices and mix just until dough begins to hold together.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and set them on the baking sheets, spacing each cookie about two inches apart. Set an almond (or pecan half) in the centre of each cookie, gently pressing it in.
Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (this will help them hold their shape once in听the hot oven).
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 22听minutes, or until they begin to听very lightly brown, are slightly firm to the touch and are just cooked through.
Cool cookies on a baking rack. Now transfer and store in a tight-sealing container at cool room temperature until you鈥檙e ready to enjoy them.
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Holiday Sugar Cookies
I developed this recipe after a reader asked me for an easy-to-make sugar-cookie recipe she could make with her granddaughter. It鈥檚 easy to mix, roll and cut into all sorts of holiday shapes. It鈥檚 also sweet and buttery. Because holiday-themed cookie cutters come in different sizes, I听have given quite a range for how many cookies this recipe will yield.
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Preparation: 45 minutes, plus听chilling time
Cooking time: 12 minutes, per听sheet of cookies
Makes: About 48 to 72 small- to medium-sized cookies
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3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
鈥� cookie decorations, to taste, such as drag茅e (small decorating balls), sprinkles, crushed candy canes and coloured granulated sugar (see Note)
Place flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a second bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer, and beat until lightened. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure the wet ingredients are well blended. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until smooth dough forms.
Set four, 18-inch long pieces of plastic wrap on a work surface. Divide dough into four balls. Set a ball of dough in the centre of each piece of plastic wrap.
Shape and press each piece of dough into a half-inch thick disk. Seal each piece of dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes, until firmed up, but still pliable. (If you鈥檝e refrigerated the dough for more than 30听minutes, let the dough warm at room temperature for a while, until softened a bit and easy to roll.)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place one piece of dough on a floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough a quarter-inch in thickness. (If the dough cracks for some reason, simply press it back together.) Cut the dough into cookies with a flour-dipped cookie cutter. Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving a two-inch space between each one. Decorate cookies as desired.
Bake 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and light golden on the bottom. Repeat these steps with remaining dough.
Note: To make green or red granulated sugar to sprinkle and decorate the cookies with, place a quarter-cup of granulated sugar in a small jar. Add a drop or two of red or green food colouring and screw on the lid. Shake the jar well and the food colour will disperse and colour the sugar.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
