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Baking Expert
Catherine Christiansen
Easy Holiday Cookies
Plus a Festive
Dried Cherry and Amaretto Nut Bread
Great Eating—Perfect for Gift Giving
Variety is the secret for an appealingholiday cookie tray; combining different flavors and textures makes for joyful exploration. Crispy, chewy, spicy, chocolate, and fruit-nut combinations are classic elements. Shapes can include the clean lines of rolled cookies alongside the rustic charm of drop cookies. Different heights and thicknesses also add allure.
Below are four very different holiday cookies recipes, each one perfect for giving as a gift or to serve alongside your family favorites. One thing they all have in common: they’re easy to prepare. As an added bonus, two of the recipes are lassically wheat-free.
I’ve started with coconut macaroons, because they’re a slam-dunk. So easy, so fast, so pretty and so addictive. Plus their distinctive shape adds height and texture to the cookie platter. Spicy gingersnaps have a hit of cayenne pepper that keeps the cookies snapping even after they’ve been eaten. Roll them in coarse sugar for even more sparkle.
As for the snowflakes, don’t be afraid of rolling out the dough. Throw on some good music, clear off the counter and get started. Consider each carefully crafted cookie to be a gift. Consider the chance to hang out and play in the kitchen to be another.
A tip to keep in mind: The simpler the cookie cutter, the easier. The angel with the trumpet and delicate wings and the menorah complete with flaming candles are both great in theory, but the star with its five thick points is a whole lot more likely to end up looking good. Snowflake cutters in basic, simple shapes are another great choice.
Another key tip for rolled cookies: refrigerate, refrigerate. After mixing the dough, give it a long rest in the fridge to achieve a firm, easy-to-work-with consistency. After you roll and cut the cookies, chilling them again before baking produces an ethereally light, melt-in-the-mouth finished product.
Monsters are the cookies Santa needs to keep moving through the cold night. They’re also excellent for hikers, skiers, and snowshoers. This Midwest staple stays chewy and delicious for a good week after baking, so it’s great for keeping around the house during the holiday season. I’ve decreased the sugar from the classic, which allows even more flavor to shine through from the oats, peanut butter and, of course, chocolate. Although the recipe calls for chocolate chips and candy, feel free to get creative. Try adding toasted nuts, dried cherries or cranberries, or some raisins that have been soaked overnight in dark rum and strained.
Coconut Macaroons
recipe
Classic Sugar Cookiesrecipe
Royal Icing
recipe
Spicy Ginger Snaps
recipe
Monster Cookies
recipe
Dried Cherry and Amaretto Nut Bread
recipe
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