Wondering which cookies you should make for your cookie exchange party, family gathering, or holiday dinner? Look no further! Collin County Moms has put together some of our favorites to share.
Candy Cane Kisses
These cookies are always a hit at Whitney Reed‘s house. She loves them because they’re colorful and fun, and her kids love to help her bake them! This recipe comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Ingredients:
Sugar/Vanilla Cookie Dough
- 10 Tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spoon & level)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- sprinkles
- 24 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses
Chocolate Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spoon & level)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (51g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 20 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses
Instructions:
For the sugar/vanilla cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 5 full minutes, scraping down the sides and the bottom as necessary. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, beating on medium-high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until fully combined. The dough will be very thick. If the dough is extremely sticky, chill for at least 45 minutes.
Roll dough into balls, a little less than 1 Tablespoon of dough each. The dough may seem dry, but the warmth of your hands will allow it to come together in a ball. Roll into assorted sprinkles and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very, very under baked. That’s what you need. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center and immediately put the cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes. Doing this will prevent the kiss from melting. Cookies remain fresh tightly covered at room temperature for 1 week.
For the chocolate cookies:
Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 20 seconds. Add the sugars with the mixer running on medium speed. Cream it all together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly add to the wet ingredients on low speed. Beat in the milk on medium speed until combined. The dough will be thick and very sticky. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Roll dough into balls, a little more than 1 Tablespoon of dough each. Roll each ball into confectioners’ sugar to coat heavily. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Cookies will appear undone and very soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center and immediately put the cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes. Doing this will prevent the kiss from melting. Cookies remain fresh tightly covered at room temperature for 1 week.
Head over to Sally’s Baking Addiction for additional recipe notes!
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Eggs)
Sarah Mae, one of our CCM photographers, shared this recipe: “We love making banana chocolate chip, especially weeks like this when I already have some overripe bananas. Not a traditional Christmas cookie, but delicious nonetheless!” This recipe can be found at Creations by Kara.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 overripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and vanilla. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and stir till just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls onto Silpat-lined or lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 9–10 minutes or till lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool for 3–5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to cooling racks.
Classic Sugar Cookies
Alexis Maycock shared this recipe, saying: “Last weekend, my girls and I made a simple Classic Sugar Cookies recipe. We had fun!” This recipe can be found at Food Network.
Ingredients:
Cookies
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup meringue powder
- Food coloring, optional
- Decorating sugar, for topping, optional
- Sprinkles, for topping, optional
Instructions:
For the cookies:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
Beat the superfine sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed until completely incorporated. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4-inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Roll out 1 disc of dough at a time between 2 pieces of parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Gently gather any scraps of dough into a ball and press into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the disc until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. Cut out as many cookies as possible and bake.
For the royal icing:
Beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and 1/3 cup water with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat in the food coloring if using. (The icing can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Decorate the cookies with the icing; top with decorating sugar and sprinkles if desired.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Krystal Hurst loves making these yummy cookies with her kids! This Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe is from Becky Crocker.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Neapolitan Cookies
Katie Lewis offered this recipe, adding: “We never use the walnuts and don’t miss them, and it’s slightly more kid-friendly when it’s all one texture. You can experiment with different extract/flavor combos here, although I like it as written!” Her Neapolitan Cookie recipe is from Food Network.
Ingredients:
- red food coloring
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2½ cups flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions:
In an electric mixer add flour, sugar, butter, egg, baking powder, vanilla, salt; beat 3 minutes. Line bottom of loaf pan with waxed paper.
Divide in 3 equal parts and mix in:
- Part 1: almond extract and 5 drops red food coloring
- Part 2: cocoa
- Part 3: chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread each part in loaf pan one on top of the other, pink, white, and chocolate. Cover pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove from pan and cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise, then cut 15 cookies from each piece. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Mexican Wedding Cookies (Pecan Sandies)
Yours truly loves these cookies because my grandmother always made them around the holidays, and I loved them. Now that my grandmother and mother are both gone, these cookies remind me of being safe and secure with two people who have loved me most. You can find this recipe at Allrecipes.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
