cookie exchange

These Christmas Sugar Cookie Blossoms will rock your world! They have the sugar cookie, the sprinkles and they are topped with a delicious Hershey's Kiss - what more can you ask from a Christmas Cookies and they are perfect for your cookie exchange!

Christmas Sugar Cookie Blossoms

tbs butter (room temp)

sugar

tsp lemon extract

lemon

flour

tsp baking powder

salt

Hershey kisses

Christmas sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 and line a couple of cookie sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and that dash of salt (set aside).

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until soft - (a couple of minutes on medium/high speed should do the trick.)

Add in the yolks one at a time, mixing it thoroughly each time.

Next, add the lemon extract and zest and mix until combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. If the dough is a bit sticky to the fingers, chill for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.

Roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls (I used a cookie scooper) and then roll in your favorite sprinkles.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until the bottom is very slightly turning golden brown. Keep an eye on the cookies, so don't want to over bake them! They still need to be soft to the touch, when you remove them from the oven.

Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes before adding the kisses. Gently press the Hershey Kiss in the center of the cookie and immediately put the pan in the fridge, so the chocolate doesn't melt over the cookies. Keep them in the fridge until the cookies are completely cool.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies are a classic tried and true recipe, but add some red food coloring and a Peppermint Bark Hershey Kiss and you have a new Christmas Cookie to share at your cookie exchange!

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Hershey's Peppermint Bark Kisses

tsp salt

tsp baking soda

cocoa powder

tsp red gel food coloring

tsp pure vanilla extract

tbsp Whole milk

peanut butter

unsalted butter (softened)

white sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar until combined and smooth

With the mixer on low and beat in egg, milk, vanilla, and red food coloring.

In a separate bowl combine the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat until just combined.

Scoop dough into your hands and roll into a ball

Pour the white sprinkles into a bowl.

Roll dough ball in sprinkles and place on prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking unwrap the Hershey's Kisses.

Once cookies are done baking, remove from oven and let cool for just a few minutes. Press a chocolate Kiss into the center of each cookie.

Allow cookies to cool completely before enjoying

These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are made with ready to bake sugar cookie dough and pudding cups! They make a fun holiday dessert and are perfect for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges or just to put a smile on someone's face!

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

Sugar Cookies

Cups Ready to Eat Pudding Cups

Mini Marshmallow Bits

Mini Candy Canes

White Chocolate Candy

Christmas Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350.

Place one piece of ready to bake cookie dough in the bottom of each mini-muffin baking cup. Using your fingers, gently press the dough up and along the side of the pan to make a cup shape.

Bake for 10 minutes. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, take the end of a wooden spoon (or something similar) and gently re-form the "cup shape" by widening the center and flattening the bottom of cup.

Bake for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely. Once cooled, use the end of a knife to gently pop out the cookie cups (you may have to gently twist them, but the should easily pop out).&nbsp;

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the mini candy canes and create a "cup handle" with the curved section and a "straw" with the remainder of the candy cane.

Melt the white chocolate. Once melted, dip the end of the curved candy cane piece into the white chocolate and attach the candy cane handle to the cookie cup (see notes if you are having trouble keeping the candy cane handle sticking). Let the handle dry and set.

Just before serving, spoon chocolate pudding into the cup. Add mini marshmallow bits, sprinkles and candy cane "straw"

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/b1pquzpdvv3qj2phwbwc

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups using pre-made, refrigerated sugar cookie dough, ready made chocolate pudding, white chocolate, mini marshmallow bits and of course, Christmas sprinkles!!

Perfectly crisp, sweet and crunchy palmier cookie recipe made with only 3 ingredients.

Palmier Cookie Recipe

cinnamon

puff pastry sheets

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Unfold 1 defrosted pastry sheet on a piece of parchment paper (the puff pastry should be refrigerator temperature, and completely defrosted). With a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry sheet in both directions to create a slightly flatter and even surface.

Evenly cover the surface of the puff pastry with ¼ cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Using the rolling pin, roll over the sugar surface; this helps the mixture adhere to the puff pastry.

Carefully flip the pastry over (the excess sugar mixture will come off), and repeat the step on the other side, gently rolling the sugar into the surface of the dough. You want an even covering of the sugar mixture on both sides of the pastry. Roll the dough out to approximately a 13” by 13” square.

Fold the long sides of the puff pastry towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half to resemble a closed book; this will result in 6 layers.

Chill the dough for 15 minutes to allow the butter in the puff pastry to harden slightly before cutting and prevent melting into the dough. Repeat the process with the second sheet of puff pastry.

Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices. This should yield approximately 24 cookies per puff pastry sheet.

Dip each side of the sliced dough into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the cookies cut-side up, 2-inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. For a more heart-shaped cookie, slightly separate the tops of the cookie dough to resemble bunny ears.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, then turn over with a spatula and bake another 4 minutes, or until lightly caramelized on the surface (this may require 5 to 7 minutes depending on your oven).

Make sure to check after each additional minute because caramelization will occur quickly. The cookies are done baking when both sides feel hard on the surface (they will continue to harden as they cool), you want the texture to be crunchy and crispy. Immediately transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

This Candy Cane Cookies recipe is a family-favorite cookie that creates sweet holiday memories. Always a favorite at Christmas parties and cookie exchanges.

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies Recipe

butter

vanilla extract

peppermint extract

all-purpose flour

baking powder

Red food coloring gel

peppermint candies

In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, both extracts, and egg on low, just until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Divide dough in half, making sure you have 2 equal portions. Add red food coloring gel to half of the dough until the desired color is reached. Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3-4 hours.

In a small bowl, combine peppermint candy and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

To make a candy cane cookie, take 1 level teaspoon of each dough. Roll each teaspoon into a 5&#8243; rope (use a ruler, if necessary). Place one red and one white rope next to each other and begin twisting the two colors together, while pressing ends together so that they won&#8217;t unravel.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet, curving the top to one side to form the look of a candy cane. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately sprinkle cookies with the sugar/peppermint mixture. Movie cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

I use to make these with my mom as a kid, some of the best childhood Christmas memory..on of my favorite Christmas cookies.  Thanks for posting. I'll be making these this  Christmas season especially for my mom, she can see to bake any more....Thank you! !!♡

Hi,  these cookies are so good but mine came out flat and not round like yours look. what did I do wrong or how do you make them round?

This was a tradition  in our family,my mom made these  every year.Still make them for my family every yr.I have passed this on to my daughters,it's not Christmas without them.

Thank you for this awesome Christmas Cookie Recipe. Pinned - I've included it in a roundup of 20 Amazing Christmas Cookie Recipes at Family Fun Friday. I'd love it if you could PIN and share this awesome cookie round-up featuring your recipe. Together we can spread some Christmas Cheer! Happy Holidays! 

This looks great - haven’t made them yet... can you make the dough then refrigerate until the following day, before shaping and baking?

I’m planning on doing some Christmas baking with my toddler but the 3-4 hours in the fridge would make it a bit tight to get it done all in one day.

TIA

Meant to say "peppermint extract" instead of "almond extract."  Sorry.

These were made by my grandmother &amp; mother. I started when I was in middle school and every Christmas since then I have made them. My little ones love them! It’s a memory I will always treasure.

Congratulations!
Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. We have pinned it to our features board and thanks so much for sharing this great post with us!
Miz Helen

I can't wait to make these for my first Christmas gift baskets this year! I am curious if I can make the dough ahead of time and store in the freezer? Or should I prep and cook the same day?

I did it! I have tried for years to recreate my Grandmother's Candy Cane cookies, and failed with dry, chalky cookies that puffed up too much. These are perfect! Delicious and beautiful. Thank you so much.

In the fridge now. I’m sure they’ll be great!

I used egg wash to add red sparkling/sanding sugar before baking and it worked well.

The cookies have a wonderful taste and mine turned out rather crispy.   

However, I had a hard time working with the dough.   When I tried to roll individual red and white tubes/stripes, they cracked and broke during the twisting and shaping.   So I made two slabs of dough, equal in size, one of each color.  I stacked them on top of each other and refrigerated them. Then I cut them into strips.  So I had strips of white and red.   (I powdered my hands with powdered sugar while working with the dough to make it easier to manage.)  These red/white strips I rolled into ropes.  The colors stayed separate.  Then I gently twisted the rope and shaped them into canes on a parchment paper on a cookie sheet.   After shaping all my cookies I put the sheet into the freezer for 20 minutes to help them firm up.  After that,  I brushed with egg white wash and sprinkled some sanding sugar / sparkling sugar on top and baked.   They still spread out a little but they ended up looking like beautiful candy canes. 

Like I said, these cookies have a wonderful taste and my family loves them.  They are not as soft as I hoped.  I think substituting vegetable shortening for half of the butter would help them soften up and be easier to handle.

Holiday cookie exchange in your future? We got you covered with these easy maple pecan cookie bars complete with a buttery shortbread base and maple topping

Maple Pecan Cookie Bars

unsalted butter, softened

all purpose flour

maple syrup, room temperature

egg, room temperature

maple extract

butter, melted

pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the cookie crust by combining the butter, sugar, and vanilla, beating until combined and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until just combined. The dough will be a little crumbly!

Press the cookie crust into prepared pan into an even layer. Set aside.

Make the maple pecan topping. In a large bowl combine the melted butter and the flour, whisking until a thick paste forms. Add the maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, maple extract, and salt whisking until fully incorporated. Add the pecans and fold to combine.

Pour the maple pecan filling over the cookie crust, evening out into a layer. Bake for 40 minutes or until set! Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars and serving!

My husband loves butter pecan ice cream. These cookie bars are a flavor he will also love. I’m so happy I have the ingredients to make them this weekend????

Made this last night, delicious and next time I’ll double the syrup because I found the proportion of base to topping out of balance.  The volume of pecans is fine, there is too much base for the tiny layer of syrup.....so I’ll double all ingredients for topping except pecans.  The base is excellent.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Browse the top 30 most popular best Christmas cookies to add to your holiday baking list, from  sugar cookies to gingerbread men to shortbread and more.

30 Best Christmas Cookies

baking soda

eggs

chocolate chips

How to store

 You can make or prepare all of these Christmas cookies ahead of time, and most keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 3 days, up to one week.

How to freeze

 Store these cookies in an airtight container in layers divided by parchment paper, or in a freezer bag (depending on the cookies), and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Making a batch of cookies at a time and storing in the freezer is the best way to make a holiday cookie box with a variety of cookies.

I love looking through roundups of cookie recipes at any time, and these are all great-looking, but what I will have to try first are the Persian rice cookies which are at the top of my list being gluten-free!

This is a one stop shop for any Christmas cookie you can imagine , thank you for such a wonderful collection. All of these look amazing and it will be so hard to narrow it down to 1 , 2 , or 3 recipes lol.

Oh my! All of these look so amazing. I definitely know where to go to find the perfect Christmas cookie. Thanks!

Sweet and nutty pecan snowball cookies (Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies) are little melt-in-your-mouth balls of buttery shortbread with nuts.

Pecan Snowball Cookies

butter,

confectioners' sugar

teaspoon vanilla extract

pecans, finely chopped

Cream the butter and sugar together using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add vanilla and beat on medium until incorporated. Gradually add the flour and beat on low speed until combined. Add pecans and beat until incorporated. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until dough becomes more breadcrumb like and less dry (You should be able to easily shape the dough into a ball using your hands).

Line two half sheet baking pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into a 1-inch ball with your hands and place an inch apart on the baking sheet. Once the baking sheet is full, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes, until they are golden brown on the bottom edges.

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then roll them in a bowl of confectioners' sugar while still warm, until completely coated. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. The sugar at this stage will melt and be slightly sticky. Roll them again in confectioners' sugar once completely cooled.

Such a tasty dessert recipe!! We have a 9 year old foster kiddo who was asking to make a "different" kind of cookie and this fits the bill!

These are going to be my new go-to for Afternoon Tea with the ladies! So easy and addictive too,

Complete how-to guide to make the best holiday cookie box with the top Christmas holiday cookies including recipes and tips. It's the best Christmas gift. 

The Best Holiday Cookie Box

chocolate

Choose the cookies

. Whether you are including homemade cookies, storebought, or both, you want to choose a variety of cookies with different shapes and sizes and flavours. This will make the cookie box look interesting. I suggest baking anywhere from 4 to 8 different types of cookies (this year I went overboard with 15 different cookies). I plan out my cookie boxes about one month ahead of time, and make changes to it as I get inspired to add new cookies, and take some off my list.

Choose other treats. Think about whether or not you want to include other treats such as candy canes, festive chocolate kisses, or peppermint candies.

Check that you have the required baking equipment. Once you have a set list of cookies that you will be baking, determine that what baking equipment you will need. Typically, for most cookies, you will need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, a hand mixer or stand mixer, large half sheet baking pan, silicone baking mat, and a wire cooling rack. You may also need a cookie scoop, Christmas cookie cutters and a rolling pin, depending on the cookies you are baking.

Make a shopping list.

Ingredients: Make a shopping list of all the ingredients that you will need (including any treats or candies that you are including).

Baking equipment: Do an inventory of the baking equipment that you have at home and determine what you need to purchase. Add anything you need to your shopping list.

Cookie boxes and accessories: For the cookie boxes, choose something that is shallow with a lid. It can be disposable cardboard boxes (like these plain boxes or these festive decorated boxes) or keepsake cookie tins. You may also want to add mini cupcake liners (to layer in smaller cookies), burlap twine or ribbon (to tie a stack of cookies together), and cardstock (to divide parts of the box) to your shopping list.

Make a schedule. It can be overwhelming when you have a list of cookies to bake, even if it is just four. Some cookies need to be chilled for hours, some need to be rolled and cut out, some need to be decorated with icing, some are sandwiched together... you get the drift. Go through each cookie recipe that you want to make, and starting with the easiest, write out a schedule starting at prep. Then, incorporate the next cookie into that schedule. Depending on the cookies you are baking, you may be able to schedule everything in one day, or spread it out over the course of a few days or weeks. The best thing is that most cookies freeze really well, so you can start baking the cookies even a month ahead and freeze them as you bake. Once you are ready to assemble your boxes and gift the cookies, just take them out of the freezer.

Assemble the box. Arrange the cookies in different ways and put cookies of different shapes, sizes and colours next together to make it look interesting. You don't want to have a big section of cookies that all look the same. Use cupcake liners and burlap twine or ribbon to group certain cookies together. Use cardstock to divide and section off areas of the box.

Over 50 popular best cookie recipes including chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, peanut butter cookies, macarons, biscotti, sugar cookies, and more! 

50 Best Cookie Recipes

You can make all of these cookies ahead of time, and most keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 3 days, up to one week. For some of the cookies, you can also make the cookie dough in advance and refrigerator until ready to bake.

 Store these cookies in an airtight container in layers divided by parchment paper, or in a freezer bag (depending on the cookies), and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Making a batch of cookies at a time and storing in the freezer is the best way to plan out a holiday cookie box with a variety of cookies to gift to friends and family.

Your chocolate chip cookies are the best. We make them every couple of weeks!!

Cake mix cookies stuffed with York Peppermint Patties! A delicious and easy mint chocolate cookie recipe!

Peppermint Patty Cookies

chocolate cake mix

cream cheese

peppermint patties

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix together cake mix, cream cheese, butter and egg.

Portion into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls (I used a cookie scoop to help with this). You should end up with approximately 20 cookie balls.

Take one ball and flatten it in your hand. Place the peppermint patty on top and fold the cookie dough around the patty to cover it completely.

Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until cracked and no longer glossy.

Cool slightly before serving, or cool completely before packaging for gifts.

What can you expect from these sugar Christmas snow cookies? They&#39;re thin. They&#39;re delicate. They&#39;re tender. They&#39;re browned ever so slightly at the edges. And they&#39;re imbued with the sweet, sweet loveliness of butter. Think of them as shortbread all gussied up in the guise of a sugar cookie.

Sugar Christmas Snow Cookies

unsalted butter (at room temperature)

bleached all-purpose flour (plus more for the work surface)

confectioners' sugar (sifted)

water

lemon juice

Beat

Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-low until very well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, if using, until thoroughly combined.

Knead

Reduce the mixer to the lowest speed, add the flour, and mix until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out on a lightly, lightly floured work surface, knead it gently a few times until the dough takes on an even, smooth consistency.

Chill

Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight. (The overnight chilling is a crucial step, ensuring the dough remains moist and, in turn, doesn&#39;t crumble when you roll it out.)

Preheat

Warm

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature to soften slightly so it&#39;s malleable but is still cool to the touch. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the dough, this could take as much as 20 minutes, give or take a few.

Roll

Lightly flour the work surface and a rolling pin and carefully roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. If the dough starts to crack, let it sit a few minutes more. If it&#39;s too soft, slide it back in the fridge until firmer.

Stamp out cookies with a variety of cookie cutters (we&#39;re partial to stars, dandy candy canes, and bells) and place them on a baking sheet. (A thin metal spatula helps if the dough proves stubborn and sticks to the work surface.)

Bake

Bake until golden and edged in brown, about 8 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Make the sugar cookies

Combine

Meanwhile, dump the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and add enough vodka or water and lemon juice to make an icing that you can drizzle. It&#39;s the right consistency when you can scoop some up on the tines of a fork and it drops in a slow but steady stream. For a fancy-schmancy look, you can use a classic piping bag or a zip-top bag with a bit of the corner cut off in order to make designs, such as swirls, zigzags, and star-bursts.

Drizzle

Drizzle the icing on the cookies. Set aside for a few minutes to let the icing set. Then tuck in. Find information on storing cookies here.

Top 18 cookie exchange recipes from across the web

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50 Best Cookie Recipes

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Crock Pot Candy

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Top 18 cookie exchange recipes from across the web

The most viewed cookie exchange recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Christmas Sugar Cookie Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

Palmier Cookie Recipe

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies Recipe

Maple Pecan Cookie Bars

30 Best Christmas Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies

The Best Holiday Cookie Box

50 Best Cookie Recipes

Peppermint Patty Cookies

Sugar Christmas Snow Cookies

Crock Pot Candy

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Butter Cookies

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White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread ...

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