2020 Christmas Cookies

[msmofet]

Well I started my holiday cookies.
Actually I think this year I will make all my cookie dough first. I'll freeze the dough if not baking within a few days. Then bake them off closer to Christmas.


I made the dough for these today:
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks
Snickerdoodles

 

[Andy M.]

SO baked several different cookies before she left for FL.

1. Anise Cookies
2. Eggnog Cookies
3. Lemon Sugar Cookies

She took some with her and left me the rest.

I plan to make pecan balls and oatmeal raisin.

 

[bethzaring]

This inspired me to take a photo before they are gone. One batch, that's it for this year. I will do other baking, at least the required family tradition of a sour cream coffee cake for Christmas morning.

 

[GotGarlic]

DH has made springerles and pfeffernüsse and we have sent some off to his dad, along with his gift. I'm getting ready to make several things: peanut butter blossoms, chai biscotti, Mexican wedding cookies and mini ginger-orange honey cakes for some neighbors.

I'll make the dough for the blossoms and biscotti today and bake them off tomorrow.

 

[dragnlaw]

Well I started my holiday cookies.
Actually I think this year I will make all my cookie dough first. I'll freeze the dough if not baking within a few days. Then bake them off closer to Christmas.
....

Excellent idea, never thought of doing that! I do freeze lots of my cookie doughs but only because if I cook them right away - I eat them.

But this way I'll know they are not for me! (I hope)

 

[pepperhead212]

Well I started my holiday cookies.
Actually I think this year I will make all my cookie dough first. I'll freeze the dough if not baking within a few days. Then bake them off closer to Christmas.


I made the dough for these today:
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks
Snickerdoodles

I used to make most of my cookie dough starting back in October, and freeze it, until we would bake it in December. Those cookies you do same day are many of the same ones I would do the day or two before, and put the containers on my back porch, but that was back when it was always below freezing at these times, not 60°, like it is today, so it was like a refrigerator out there on the porch! The ones in the freezer were slice-and bake, which are also good storage cookies after baking, since they are crispy cookies. Snickerdoodles and oatmeal snickerdoodles were some of the most popular hand formed cookies, and one of my friends would always make a 6 recipe batch of CC cookie dough, to bring over to start a day with. I made very few roll out cookies, but I would sometimes roll out some shortbread, cut them out, and press a design in them, and get them on the sheets, before my friends would get over, and clean up, and ready the kitchen. We would set one day aside for baking all of the chocolate cookies - this way, the dark crumbs don't get on the light cookies, and visa versa. And we would bake the spice cookies last, on the non-chocolate days, as spices do linger on the sheets. Even after I started using parchment paper, cut to size for full sheets, the spices were there, unless thoroughly cleaned. Of course, we could just clean the sheets thoroughly, but cleaning six 18x26 inch baking sheets is not fast, and that's a lot of down time - better to just start again tomorrow!

Those were the days! Usually my #1 gift every year, but most people are no longer with us, moved away, or developed diabetes. And, of course, this year has been like no other, so baking will be minimal - maybe some habanero gingersnaps, and some CC coconut macaroons.

 

[msmofet]

I took off yesterday.



Today I made the dough for these:
Texas Pecan Sandies (Shortbread)
Gingerbread Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Italian Anise Cookies

All 9 batches of dough are in the freezer waiting to be baked.

 

[pepperhead212]

Here's a trick that I learned, back when baking all of those cookies - browned butter cookies. There were a few browned butter recipes back then, that gave me the idea, but what I did was browned a couple of pounds of butter - took it to about 270° - then poured it into a SS bowl to cool, scraping the browned bits with it. Then, when the butter got down to around 160°, I'd add milk to the bowl, to bring the weight back up to 2 lbs, whisking the butter as it cooled and thickened. This way, I could use the browned butter in any recipe simply calling for butter, like a shortbread, since the water had been returned to the butter in the milk.

 

[Alix]

GotGarlic, will you share the recipe for chai biscotti? Actually, I just need the spice blend and amounts. I have a killer biscotti recipe I got when we were in Italy last year and I can just amend that.

I've made:

Brown sugar shortbread
Biscotti
Thimble cookies
Nuts and bolts

Sadly, I've also eaten a bunch of these! I have some in the freezer for the cookie exchange I do with my good friend every year. She's already given me hers so I'll drop mine off tomorrow.

Still going to make:

More shortbread, both brown sugar and whipped
more thimble cookies
gingerbread cookies
likely more biscotti

I normally do orange zest and almonds in my biscotti, but I was thinking I might do cranberry pistachio, or maybe cocoa and hazelnut combos for my Christmas rounds. Any other flavour suggestions?

 

[taxlady]

I have found a source of Danish butter cookies. That will do me for this year. I'll save my spoons for a special Solstice supper and some trifle.

 

[GotGarlic]

GotGarlic, will you share the recipe for chai biscotti? Actually, I just need the spice blend and amounts. I have a killer biscotti recipe I got when we were in Italy last year and I can just amend that.

Sure.
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp pounded cardamom
pinch of cloves
1 tsp chai tea leaves

I normally do orange zest and almonds in my biscotti, but I was thinking I might do cranberry pistachio, or maybe cocoa and hazelnut combos for my Christmas rounds. Any other flavour suggestions?

I'm thinking about making this.
https://marisasitaliankitchen.com/candied-ginger-lemon-and-poppy-seed-biscotti/

Btw, I make my own crystallized ginger and then use the ginger-infused syrup in apple cider sangria.

 

[Alix]

GotGarlic, thanks!!! I'll do those tonight.

And holy wow those lemon poppyseed ones are right up my alley. I'm going to do those too.

 

[Skier]

Springerle are always my first thought for Christmas cookies. I’d love to try painting them sometime.

 

[Alix]

GotGarlic, thanks!!! I'll do those tonight.

And holy wow those lemon poppyseed ones are right up my alley. I'm going to do those too.

The lemon poppyseed biscotti are delicious! Thanks!

 

[GotGarlic]

The lemon poppyseed biscotti are delicious! Thanks!

Thanks for letting me know! [emoji16] Not sure if I'll get to them for Christmas, but they would be a nice way to brighten up January.

 

[msmofet]

I baked the:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks
Italian Anise Cookies (will glaze them tomorrow)



I aggravated my shoulder while baking and this and that along the way.


DD did the icing and decorating of the Gingerbread Cookies

 

[msmofet]

Here pictures of a few of the cookies I did today.
I will try to remember to get a picture of a cookie tray.

Acorns

Anisette Cookies

Strawberry and Apricot Cream Cheese and Jelly Cookies

 

[pepperhead212]

I didn't bake them Wednesday, but 12-23 was National Pfeffernusse Day, so I made some dough, and stuck it in the fridge. Today, I'll bake them - it just got too late, when I finished them.

 

[Andy M.]

This is my contribution to the Christmas cookies for this season, Pecan Cookie Balls. SO made all the rest.

 

[msmofet]

Mini (about 1 1/2") sugar cookies (we passed on icing them) LOL

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