My Favorite Holiday Cookies - Recipes Included!

I normally enjoy baking. But when it comes to the Christmas season, my specialty is cookies. I bake a lot of them and enjoy every minute. I usually have more cookies I want to make than I actually make simply because there's no way my family can eat them all. So I find myself having to narrow down what kinds I'll make each year.

My husband's favorite cookie is the traditional chocolate chip. Mine is double chocolate with mint chips (which varies year to year depending on what mint candy is available in the store). Yum! But I thought I would share a couple of my favorite, slightly less common, cookie recipes. 

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients: 
2 cups flaked coconut
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (I always bake without the salt)
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze (Optional - I rarely make it)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup hot water

Directions: 
Heat over to 375'F

Spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then stir every minute until toasted evenly. Let it cool.

Mix flour and baking soda. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. By hand, stir in the toasted coconut. 

If the dough is super soft, chill for 30 minutes.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. 

To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar and hot water until smooth. Add hot water if too thick. Drop a hot cookie into the glaze, using a fork to flip it over if you want glaze on both sides. 

Makes about 36 cookies. 

---

Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
3/4 crushed peppermints
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt 
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed 

Glaze (the cookies are great with and without it)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1-2 drops red food coloring if desired

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350'F

Lightly grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper **

Mix flour, oats, candy, and baking soda. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture. 

Drop onto baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

** These are incredibly yummy, but I've personally started to bake them in a pan and then cut them into squares instead of trying to make cookies as they tend to really flatten out and stick together easily which makes storage difficult. 

---

Gingerbread Cookies

This is a new recipe from last year and we loved it. In fact, we ended up making two batches last Christmas and when I started to talk about cookies the other day, this was the first recipe my daughter brought up. They are moist and just slightly chewy. So good! 

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg 
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375'F
Line baking sheets with parchment paper

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. 

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and egg until well blended. Add molasses and vanilla, mixing well. 

Gradually stir in all dry ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic. Let it stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours. (The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days).

Place one of the halves on a floured surface. Use additional flour on the dough and the rolling pin. Roll it out to 1/4-inch thick and cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter. 

Space the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 7-10 minutes (the lower the time, the softer the cookies)

Don't remove them from the pan too quickly or they'll fall apart. If you need the cookie sheet to keep baking, you can drag the parchment paper from it and to a surface to allow the cookies to cool and that works well. 

---

I hope you give these recipes a try. If you do, let me know what you think. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Feel free to share, I'm always on the lookout for new ones! 

Happy baking!