Christmas cookies - Share your tips, tricks, recipes, reviews and cookie pics.

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Nonconsentual Pronouns

Nonconsentual Pronouns

Apocalyptic Troon Patrol
True & Honest Fan
kiwifarms.net
Joined
Jan 18, 2019
It seems like fewer and fewer people every year are baking cookies at home, even if they want that in their lives. This is especially noticeable in December, as displays at the Wally World are stacked to the stratosphere with goyslop abominations that look as though they've been molded from actual Play-Doh that people buy in lieu of so much as throwing a chopped up log of premade Pillsbury dough into the oven. But we can do better than that, can't we? Even if you don't think you can, I know you can. Whether you're Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee or a member of the from-scratch peanut butter blossoms master race, you and yours deserve a few cozy hours of winter that only come from within a home that smells of freshly baked cookies. After all, it is tradition.

Please join in with all things Christmas cookie related, regardless of your baking experience.

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(Not mine, just behold their festive glory.)

If from-scratch is out of your skillset or time budget, or if you simply want a grand variety of flavors for the same time and effort put into just a few batches of from-scratch, you can make either shaped cookies or drop-style from any flavor of boxed cake mix and beyond. Drop-style is especially expedient for the particularly busy kiwis.
  • one standard box of cake mix, any flavor
  • one large egg
  • half a stick of butter for shapes, full stick of butter for drop-style; softened to room-temp, or melted and cooled to room-temp
This is all it takes at the base level. You can add pretty much whatever you want in order to enhance or change the flavor profile, add color, add texture; your imagination and common sense are your only limitations, cool cobras. Food coloring, coco powder for extra dark chocolate, instant espresso, vanilla extract, mint extract, almond extract, cinnamon, dried berries, candied fruit, toffee bits, M&Ms, nuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, substitute the butter for double the volume of peanut butter, take this to the fucking moon and back. I'll try to be extremely detailed to make this as accessible as possible to everyone.
  1. Add your butter and egg to your cake mix in or on a surface suitable for working cookie dough. This is also when your colors, powders, and/or extracts should be added, if you fancy.
  2. Work the ingredients together completely.
  3. Add water one teaspoon at a time, working the dough again between each teaspoon, until the dough has lost the wet sand-looking characteristics that prevent it from retaining its form.
  4. If applicable, add your chunky bits such as baking chips, nuts, fruit, or toffee. I only recommend chunks much bigger than a pinhead for the drop-style cookies.
  5. For shapes, roll your dough out and and start cutting your shapes that must be barely spaced apart on a baking sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper). It's highly recommended that you freeze these if you can, as the shapes will be as crisp as possible due to bypassing the "relaxing" phase, especially for stamped cookies. For drop-style, simply use a large spoon or small disher to plop balls of your dough onto the cookie sheet with generous spacing between them for the "relaxing" phase.
  6. Bake at 350F for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven and if you're working with frozen shapes. Please check them if you're uncertain, and remember that even the shapes will stay soft until cooled. If you can see any browning without peeking underneath,
  7. Allow your cookies to cool before applying icing.
Bonus tip 1: Allow your dough to rest (covered), allowing the flour within to re-hydrate. Airtight container, ziplock baggie, or mummified in cling wrap; anything that will protect the outer surface from drying. It will keep fresh like this in the fridge for about a week, but will need to get closer to room-temperature for maximum workability.
Bonus tip 2: Put your dough between two pieces of parchment paper during the rolling process in order to avoid screwing it over with additional flour that will absorb precious moisture and make your cookies bland.
Bonus tip 3: Twist and fold together the awkward scraps of dough left at the end of each flavor (that are compatible with each other) to make visually appealing and delicious marbled cookies that look far more impressive than they actually are.
Bonus tip 4: Bake as many individual cookies one at a time as it takes for you to get your bearings between the dough and your oven.
Bonus tip 5: Make two-ingredient, microwave ganache from some baking morsels and a few splashes of milk. It tastes better, the texture is better, it impresses others, and it can look better due to the smooth texture. Make at least two kinds, and you'll blow people away with a simple and gorgeous drizzle effect. You can also pipe it from a sandwich baggie with a poked hole in one corner to make very fine details such as drawing faces and writing names.
Bonus tip 6: Use sugar free cake mix as your base if you want to use cookies as bait to find out who likes to steal more than their allotted share. Just wait for the literal bellyaching that happens before they start farting like a fucking chainsaw from the maltitol as it propels them straight to the restroom. Get wrecked, greedy grinch faggots.
 
Wouldn't cake mix make the cookies all puffy? They'll get bigger and lose the shape when you cook them in the oven.
 
Character from a movie said:
Wouldn't cake mix make the cookies all puffy? They'll get bigger and lose the shape when you cook them in the oven.
Click to expand...
I might have to try it next time I go to the store for stuff.
Nonconsentual Pronouns said:
Make two-ingredient, microwave ganache from some baking morsels and a few splashes of milk. It tastes better, the texture is better, it impresses others, and it can look better due to the smooth texture. Make at least two kinds, and you'll blow people away with a simple and gorgeous drizzle effect. You can also pipe it from a sandwich baggie with a poked hole in one corner to make very fine details such as drawing faces and writing names.
Click to expand...
I feel like it would be more reliable and less of a hassle to just put a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Sure, it'll take more time, but you'll have more control over the ganache itself and not have to worry about potentially overheating it for the most part.
 
Character from a movie said:
Wouldn't cake mix make the cookies all puffy? They'll get bigger and lose the shape when you cook them in the oven.
Click to expand...
Only if you were to add too much moisture in some manner. It's exactly why the water needs to be worked in just one little teaspoon at a time.

Valstrax said:
I feel like it would be more reliable and less of a hassle to just put a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Sure, it'll take more time, but you'll have more control over the ganache itself and not have to worry about potentially overheating it for the most part.
Click to expand...
It most definitely is, especially if the sugar were to burn even the tiniest bit. The microwave method is just quicker and usually more appealing to anyone looking to save on time. You can also prevent the sugar in the chocolate from burning by basically boiling the milk in the microwave so that the chocolate never has to go inside, but I've only been able to do that reliably if I'm doing up a huge batch. Zap the milk, stir in the chocolate, and 10 second bursts between stirring is a routine I've gotten into for immediate little batches of ganache for making proper hot chocolate and toppings for on-the-spot desserts like a scoop of ice cream.
 
One time I made peanutbutter cookies for my friend's birthday party, but they came out all wrong. They were supposed to be wafer thin and crunchy but instead they puffed up and were all soft.

In my embarrassment I discreetly told my friends not to eat them, I just brought them to be nice. I ended up forgetting them at the party and then my buddy calls me and says they're amazing. His family horked them down and wondered how I made them, problem is they ate all of them.

It keeps me up at night, how did I make them like that, and were they actually good? I must know but the world prevents me.
 
ShiftyBoi said:
It keeps me up at night, how did I make them like that, and were they actually good? I must know but the world prevents me.
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There are a lot of great soft cookies, and most people on the planet are going to love a warm and soft cookie. I like cookies that come out "gooey" but cooked. I think all of the peanut butter cookies I've ever made were soft, unless I baked them too long. A change of ingredients could help them flatten, like using actual butter, or oil beyond that present in peanut butter. Temperature of the dough before baking could have an effect.

 
I like spiced cookies and I'm lazy so I tend to make dutch Kruidnoten over the more involved Speculoos (these need to look good too so I just buy them)

The choice of leavening agent is often overlooked. For dry flat cookies you'd want ammonium bicarbonate instead of baking soda, which is the main ingredient in most baking powder. But it shouldn't be used for anything chewy or non-flat, because you want the ammonia to be able to escape. German gingerbread cookies are traditionally made with potassium carbonate (other times with ammonium bicarbonate) but it is an acquired taste, so many pussies forgo it if they're just used to baking soda. All three mess up the taste of the final product badly when used wrong, so sticking to recipes / substitution ratios is key.
 
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ShiftyBoi said:
One time I made peanutbutter cookies for my friend's birthday party, but they came out all wrong. They were supposed to be wafer thin and crunchy but instead they puffed up and were all soft.

In my embarrassment I discreetly told my friends not to eat them, I just brought them to be nice. I ended up forgetting them at the party and then my buddy calls me and says they're amazing. His family horked them down and wondered how I made them, problem is they ate all of them.

It keeps me up at night, how did I make them like that, and were they actually good? I must know but the world prevents me.
Click to expand...
Peanut butter cookies benefit from being soft and puffy
 
Decorative Christmas cookies master post - for when you want to show off (from The Perfect Cookie by America's Test Kitchen)

SOFT AND CHEWY GINGERBREAD PEOPLE
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Makes about 20 cookies
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup light molasses
2 tablespoons milk

1. Process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. Add melted butter, molasses, and milk and process until soft dough forms and no streaks of flour remain, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. Spray counter lightly with baking spray with flour, transfer dough to counter, and knead until dough forms cohesive ball, about 20 seconds. Divide dough in half. Form each half into 5-inch disk, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll ¼ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment. (Keep second disk of dough refrigerated while rolling out first.) Remove top piece of parchment. Using 3½-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes. Peel away scraps from around cookies and space shapes ¾ inch apart on prepared sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting steps with dough scraps.
4. Bake cookies until puffy and just set around edges, 9 to 11 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in wide, shallow airtight container, with sheet of parchment or waxed paper between each layer, at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

LINZER SANDWICH COOKIES
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Makes about 24 sandwich cookies
⅔ cup seedless raspberry jam
⅔ cup (2⅔ ounces) confectioners’ sugar
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract

1. Simmer jam in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced to ½ cup, about 10 minutes; let cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, process sugar and hazelnuts in food processor until hazelnuts are finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add flour, salt, and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 15 to 20 pulses. Add egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and almond extract and process until dough forms ball, about 20 seconds. Transfer dough to counter. Form dough into disk, wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Roll dough ⅛ inch thick on counter. Using 2-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out rounds; space rounds ¾ inch apart on prepared sheets. Using smaller cutter, cut out centers of half of dough rounds. Gather and reroll scraps once. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely.
4. Spread bottom of each solid cookie with 1 teaspoon jam, then top with cutout cookie, pressing lightly to adhere. Let cookies set before serving, about 30 minutes.

Lemon Linzer Sandwich Cookies
Substitute ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted, for hazelnuts. Omit raspberry jam and spread bottom of each solid cookie with ½ teaspoon lemon curd.

BLACK CHERRY AND CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES
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Makes about 24 sandwich cookies
2⅓ cups (11⅔ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 ounces) superfine sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup black cherry preserves
Confectioners’ sugar

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and superfine sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and almond extract and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions until just combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer dough to counter and divide in half. Form each half into 5-inch disk, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Let chilled dough sit on counter for 10 minutes to soften. Roll 1 disk of dough into 13-inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick, on lightly floured counter. Using 2½-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Gently reroll scraps once and cut into rounds. Space rounds ½ inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 7 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
4. Roll out second disk of dough. Using 1-inch cutter, cut out centers of dough circles. Space cookies ½ inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 7 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely.
5. Microwave chocolate chips in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Spread bottom of each solid cookie with chocolate; let stand until chocolate is set, about 5 minutes. Spread 2 teaspoons preserves over chocolate on each cookie. Top with cutout cookies, pressing lightly to adhere. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

PEPPERMINT CANDY CANES
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Makes about 72 cookies
2¼ cups (11¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) granulated sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling
½ cup (2 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 drops red food coloring

1. Whisk flour and salt together in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add egg yolks, peppermint extract, and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Reduce speed to low, slowly add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Set aside half of dough; add food coloring to remaining dough and mix until fully incorporated. Shape each half into 5-inch square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread remaining ½ cup granulated sugar in shallow dish.
3. Roll each dough square into 9-inch square on piece of parchment. Flip 1 dough square on top of other dough square and gently roll to adhere. Cut square in half and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut 1 half into 4½ by ¼-inch strips. Gently twist each strip into spiral, rolling to smooth out edges. Roll in granulated sugar, shape into candy canes*, and space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake until edges are light brown, 13 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool completely before serving.

*Assembling the Candy Canes
1. Cut stacked dough rectangles into strips.
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2. Twist strips together into spiral.
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ALMOND-SPICE CHRISTMAS WREATHS
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Makes 40 cookies
Cookies
4 cups (18 ounces) almond flour
2 tablespoons grated orange zest (2 oranges)
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1½ cups (10½ ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
Topping
2 large egg whites
2 cups sliced almonds
40 maraschino cherries (combination of red and green), quartered
Confectioners’ sugar

1. For the cookies: Whisk almond flour, orange zest, coffee, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt together in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and whip until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Whip in almond extract and vanilla.
2. Fold almond flour mixture into whipped whites in 2 additions until few white streaks remain. Fold in marmalade until no white streaks remain. Transfer dough to counter and divide in half. Form each half into disk, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. For the topping: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites in shallow dish until frothy. Spread almonds in second shallow dish.
4. Divide 1 disk of dough into 20 pieces. Roll each piece into 5-inch rope on lightly floured counter, shape into circle, and press ends together to seal. Dip 1 side of each wreath into egg whites, letting excess drip off, then press gently into almonds. Space, almond side up, evenly on prepared sheets. Press 4 cherry pieces into each wreath.
5. Bake cookies until firm and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough, egg whites, almonds, and cherries. Let cookies cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

STAINED GLASS COOKIES
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Makes about 36 cookies
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) superfine sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 hard candies, assorted colors, separated by color and crushed fine

1. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until dough looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
2. Transfer dough to counter; knead just until it forms cohesive mass and divide in half. Form each half into disk, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Let dough thaw completely in refrigerator before rolling.)
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll dough ⅛ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper ⅛ inch thick. Slide dough, still between parchment, onto baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
4 Working with 1 sheet of dough at a time, remove top piece of parchment. Using 2½-inch cookie cutter, cut out shapes; space shapes 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Using smaller cutter, cut out centers of dough shapes. Gently reroll scraps, cut into shapes, cut out centers, and transfer to prepared sheets.
5. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 5 minutes. Fill centers with crushed candies*, rotate sheet, and bake until edges are light golden brown and candies have melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

*Crushing Hard Candies
1. Divide candies by color and place them in separate zipper-lock bags (make sure to seal bags).
2. Using rolling pin, meat mallet, or other heavy object, crush candies to consistency of sand.

COCONUT SNOWMEN
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Makes 16 cookies
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 large egg yolk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons whole milk
Mini chocolate chips

1. Process granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in food processor until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Add butter, egg yolk, and vanilla and process until smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, add flour, and pulse until dough forms, 10 to 15 pulses. Transfer dough to counter and divide into 2 pieces, one twice as large as other. Roll small piece of dough into 4-inch log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Roll remaining dough into thicker 4-inch log and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate logs until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice each log into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place 1 large round and 1 small round with edges touching on prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining rounds, spacing them 1½ inches apart on sheets. Bake until edges are just golden, 17 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
3. Process coconut in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 seconds; transfer to bowl. Whisk confectioners’ sugar and milk in separate bowl until smooth. Working with 1 cookie at a time, spread 1 teaspoon glaze evenly onto cookie, then sprinkle with coconut. Decorate with chocolate chips. Let glaze dry for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Assembling the Snowmen
1. Slice each chilled log into ¼-inch-thick rounds.
2. Arrange 1 large round and 1 small round on baking sheet so edges of both rounds are touching

EASY ALL-PURPOSE GLAZE
Makes about 1 cup
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
Food coloring (optional)

Whisk all ingredients in bowl until smooth.

Citrus Glaze
Substitute lemon, lime, or orange juice for milk.

Coffee Glaze
Add 1¼ teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee to glaze ingredients.

Nutty Glaze
Add ½ teaspoon almond or coconut extract to glaze ingredients.

DECORATING ICING
Makes 1⅓ cups
This recipe makes bright white icing. For colored icing, stir 1 to 2 drops of food coloring into the icing to achieve the desired color before transferring it to a pastry bag.
2 large egg whites
2⅔ cups (10⅔ ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and sugar on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
2. Transfer icing to pastry bag fitted with small round pastry tip. Decorate cookies and let icing harden before serving.

PIPING ICING WITH CONFIDENCE
Do a Test Run
Once your icing is loaded into the pastry bag, grab the bag at the base and twist with one hand. Using your other hand as a guide, hold the tip at a 90-degree angle about ½ inch above the cookie and gently squeeze to decorate. Practice on parchment before you start decorating in earnest.
No Pastry Bag? No Problem.
A zipper-lock bag is a fine stand-in for a pastry bag. Load the bag with icing, pushing it to one corner of the bag. Make a very small snip in the corner—you can always make the cut larger if necessary.
Start with Cooled Cookies
Icing will liquefy and fail to set if it’s piped onto warm cookies. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

GLAZE
Get Organized
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During the holidays you may find yourself making cookies several times over a period of several weeks. A muffin tin keeps sprinkles, colored sugars, and other decorations organized and reusable. Just cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap between uses.
Glaze From the Center Out
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Spoon a small amount of glaze in the center of the cookie, then spread it into an even layer. Spreading the glaze outward from the center is the best way to ensure even coverage. Using the back of the spoon to spread the glaze will work, but you can also use a small offset spatula (see here), or, for the lightest touch, use a very small paintbrush. Be sure to let the glaze dry before storing or serving the cookies.
Add Embellishments
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While the glaze is still soft, place decorations on the glaze and allow it to dry. Small confections, such as shiny silver or gold balls known as dragées, can be used to dress up cookies. Other small candies—gumdrops, mini chocolate morsels, jelly beans—can be used in a similar fashion. Add these candies immediately after applying the glaze. As the glaze dries, it will affix the candies in place.
Drag Two Glazes Together
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Glaze the entire cookie and then pipe small drops of a second glaze in a pattern. Drag a toothpick through the glazes to create a design. As long as both glazes are still wet, you can create a range of designs, everything from hearts (shown here) to stars, wiggly lines, and swirls. This idea works best with glazes that are two very different hues.
Make Your Own Colored Sugar
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Spread ½ cup granulated sugar into a pie plate. Mix 5 drops of food coloring into the sugar. Push the sugar through a fine-mesh strainer and spread the sugar back into the plate. The sugar should dry thoroughly before you use it; this might take several hours. Brush a little water on the cookies and then apply the sugar before baking.
Dip In Chocolate
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Hold melted chocolate in a small bowl, which allows for a deeper pool of chocolate in which to dip the cookies. Gently dip part of the cookie in the chocolate to coat. Transfer the cookie to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and let it cool completely. Alternatively, use a brush or the back of a spoon to coat the cookie with chocolate.
 
One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking cookies with my grandma just before Christmas, we've got it down to a system where we come up with our cookie list several weeks in advance and pick at least one that needs refrigeration. That way we've got a batch of dough that can just hang out while we're working on another cookie. We used to bake at her house but now we've been doing it at mine since we have more counterspace, that makes it easier to spread cookbooks out and make designated "piles" of eggs and butter.

Soft ginger cookies are a favorite, last year we also tried a snickerdoodle where the dough gets dipped in heavy cream before the cinnamon and sugar making for a very delicious crispy coating.
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We don't do linzer cookies very often because they're time consuming, but they're so pretty that it's very worth it. And they're my grandma's favorite!
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Editing to add in the Snickerdoodle recipe, from the cookbook Zoë Bakes Cookies:
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MerriedxReldnahc said:
We don't do linzer cookies very often because they're time consuming, but they're so pretty that it's very worth it. And they're my grandma's favorite!
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I try to do at least one batch with the blackberry jam I canned from foraged blackberries at the end of summer, can confirm they are very time consuming and also very pretty.
 
I consider any cookies consumed at this time of year as Christmas cookies.
Sometimes I make fancy things from scratch, sometimes I just open a bag of Oreos and call it a day.
No guilt, just tasty snacks.
 
FatalTater said:
I consider any cookies consumed at this time of year as Christmas cookies.
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Same, but with an asterisk. I consider all home made cookies in December to be Christmas cookies by default.

Those oreos would be pretty baller if you dipped one face into melted white chocolate and decorated them with some cute sprinkles.
 
WhatInTheActualFuck said:
I've made the Alton Brown sugar cookie recipe countless times and it always turns out great. Mildly sweet, buttery and with a lightly crisp bottom and chewy interior. Handles being cut into nonstandard/decorative shapes very well, too.
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I like this recipe, i did similar to this, but i made the sugar cookies thin and cased two with bitter chocolate ganache on the middle

Ended up eating the whole tray by myself the very same day
 
Christmas swirl cookies,
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I made half a batch, please excuse my low-effort attempt at decorating my kitchen counter :)

Basic Dough Recipe:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

To make them extra Christmassy, divide the dough into 3 and using food-coloring gel color one portion red and one portion green.

Roll into even-sized balls and then arrange 6 balls in alternating colors to form a flower shape
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(*My colors bled together a little so it may have been helpful to chill the dough for a few minutes at this stage.)

Turn one over and gently roll it using your palm against the worktop in one direction and with medium pressure to create the spiral effect. Place them on a lined cookie sheet, allow them plenty of space to spread.

Bake at 375 for ~10 minutes
 
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