Among the many traditions of Christmas, few are as tasteful as the tradition of cookie baking and giving for the holiday. Finding good Christmas Cookie Recipes shouldn’t be hard to do.
Eventually, the idea of making these small hand held cakes became quite popular in Germany and other countries.
The idea of these sweet treats spread and soon most of the world was enjoying some form of “cookie.”
Cookies were brought to the United States by German and Dutch immigrants and became an affordable way for colonials to provide the occasional treat for their families.
However, no one knows for sure when baking those cookies became a holiday tradition, though it is not difficult to imagine cookies being baked in the homes of frontier families and used to decorate the Christmas tree.
But, it was the invention of cookie cutters that actually contributed to the growth of the tradition of Christmas cookie baking as most of the first cookie cutters were highly stylized for the sole purpose of making edible tree ornaments.
Cut out cookies are still an important part of the holiday cookie baking today, though Christmas cookies now come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and flavors.
Which is why we thought it would be nice to share with you some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes this holiday season.
Table of Content
Simple Christmas Cookie Recipes For The Holiday Season
Maple Cutout Cookies
I have a friend who grew up with friends who were farmers and lived on a large farm with many maple trees.
My friend has some great stories about helping to tap the maple trees and nights spent out in the cold cooking the sap into wonderful tasting maple syrup.
So, it seemed only natural when I came across this recipe for Maple cutout cookies to want to include it into this group of recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ additional cup maple syrup (optional for decorating)
- Sugar sprinkles (for decorating)
Directions
- In large bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy
- With mixer still on add egg yolk and slowly drizzle in maple syrup.
- Using a separate bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and sea salt and stir together.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well to ensure all ingredients are completely combined.
- Place dough into plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use cooking spray on cookie sheets
- Divide the dough into quarters and work with ¼ of the dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated until needed.
- Roll out dough ¼ inch thick on floured surface and cut out with Christmas cookie cutter
- Place on cookie sheet about 1/2” apart
- Once the first cookie sheet is full, place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes
- Start filling the second cookie sheet
- Once the first cookie sheet is cooled place in oven on center and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and gently place on cooling rack.
- Once cookies have cooled, pour ¼ cup maple syrup into small bowl and lightly (very lightly) brush each cookie with syrup and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with the next batch and so forth.
Makes between 4 and 6 dozen cookies depending on size.
Chocolate Chip Meringues
First used as a topping on pies, Meringue has a wonderful sweet flavor all of its own.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for some families to discover that children would eat the meringue topping from the pie, without eating the pie itself.
These chocolate chip meringue cookies is a wonderful way to give people that great tasting meringue for the holidays without wasting the rest of the pie.
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil or parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl (metal or glass works better than plastic) beat egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar and continue to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and hold.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and gently fold in egg whites and cocoa powder.
- Fold in chocolate chips by hand and drop onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart
- Bake for about 1 hour in preheated oven and then shut oven off and leave cookies in for an additional 2 hours or until centers are dry.
- Store in air tight container until ready to serve.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Seven Layer Cookies
No one knows for sure where the original recipe for seven layer cookies came from.
But generations of families have been enjoying these sweet and somewhat decant layer cookies.
These cookies are simple to make and taste oh so good as they combine several of everyone’s favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter or margarine
- 1 (14 ounce can) of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 if using glass baking dish)
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well and then press into the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish
- Evenly pour condensed milk over crumb mixture
- Layer other ingredients one at a time onto the crust
- Press down firmly with fork or spoon
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly brown
cool cut, and store until ready to serve
Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Peanut Butter Mice
Peanut butter cookies have always been a favorite cookie at any time of the year, but these cute holiday peanut butter mice make a cute addition to the Christmas holiday.
They are fun and fanciful and are great for those school or community parties.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup softened butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose baking flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For decorating purposes
- ½ cup peanut halves
- 2 tablespoons red and green M & Ms
- 4 teaspoons miniature semi sweet chocolate chips
- Cake decorator holly leave and berry
- 60 to 66 2” pieces of red shoe string licorice
Directions
- In large bowl, mix cream peanut butter, butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Combine flour and baking soda
- Add slowly to cream mixture and mix well
- Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls, pinching and shaping one end so that it has a slight taper
- Place 2” apart on baking sheet
- Use two peanut halves to create ears in the non tapered end of ball,
- Add one M&M for nose of mouse and two miniature chocolate chips for eyes
- Arrange holly leaf and berry in front of one ear
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until set
- Gently insert piece of red licorice into tapered end for tail of softened cookie
- Remove to cooling rack to cool
Makes about 5 dozen little mice
If you are looking for a new cookie recipe this holiday season one of these great recipes just may become part of your holiday cookie baking tradition!
Don’t forget to check out these fun Christmas Cookie Cutters!
Fun Christmas Cookie Cutters to Consider
Wilton Holiday Shapes Metal Cookie Cutter Set, 18-Piece
Christmas Cookie Cutter Set with Recipe Card – 11 Piece Wilton Holiday Mini Cookie Cutter set of 12, 2308-1250
