Welcome to the delicious world of cookie baking! We are about to embark on a sweet and scrumptious adventure that will leave your taste buds dancing with joy. Whether you’re a baking enthusiast or just looking for a fun and tasty project, these cookie recipes are here to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth cravings and ignite your inner pastry chef.

Rachel – Pizelle’

Ingredients:

• 6 Eggs
• 1 cup Dairy Free Butter, melted and cooled
• 3 1/2 cups 1 to 1 Baking Flour
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 cups Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• Optional – Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• Optional – Spinkles
• Optional – Crushed Candy Canes

Instructions:

• Beat eggs, adding maple syrup gradually. Beat until smooth.
• Add cooled, melted dairy free butter and vanilla.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Stir into egg mixture just until blended. The dough will be sticky.
• Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a heated pizzelle waffle iron. Cook until just light brown
• Let Cool
• Melt Enjoy Life Chocolate chips, dip pizzelles into chocolate, decorate with sprinkles and/or crushed candy canes! 

Kate – Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar, or more as needed

Instructions:

• Gather all ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream butter and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes
• Whisk flour and 6 tablespoons powdered sugar together in separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just blended. Add walnuts and mix until incorporated; mixture may be crumbly.
• Take small scoops of dough and roll between your hands into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are just turning golden, about 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
• Place remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in the powdered sugar once or twice.

Jenn D.- Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
• Sugar
• Chocolate Stars or Kisses

Instructions:

• Take a single portion of dough and roll into a ball
• Take dough ball and roll into a bowl of sugar to coat the entire ball
• Complete previous steps until your cookie sheet is full
• Bake according to the directions on the package
• Once baked and still very warm, place the star or kiss into the middle of each cookie
• Enjoy!

Fun Fact- Jenn has won a cookie contest with this before!

Lasonja – Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, just softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cinnamon Sugar Coating (⅓ cup sugar & 2 tablespoons cinnamon)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer, cream together butter (barely softened) and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining ⅓ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon.
• Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out dough, roll into a ball and then roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture- twice.
• Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few additional minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Cassi – Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) maraschino cherry juice
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 16 maraschino cherries (drained and chopped)
• optional: 4 ounces white chocolate

Instructions:

• Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Switch mixer to medium speed and add the the sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on high, slowly drizzle in 1 Tablespoon of the cherry juice. Beat for 1 minute on high. Turn the mixer off and pour the flour into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed, then, with the mixer still running on low, add the chopped cherries. Beat just until the cherries are disbursed in the dough. Press the dough down to compact it and tightly cover with plastic wrap to chill until firm, at least 4 hours (and up to 3 days). If the cookie dough is not sufficiently chilled, your cookies will spread.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (silicone mats preferred to reduce spreading). Shape the cookie dough into balls. Mine were about 1 Tablespoon of dough per ball. Make sure they’re nice and smooth. If you find that the balls of dough are sticky and/or have gotten a little soft after rolling, place the balls of dough back into the refrigerator to firm up. You absolutely DO NOT want soft dough.
• Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly. Do not overbake.  In fact, I only baked mine for 10 minutes. I prefer them a little soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling with white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, in 20 second increments, stirring after each increment until melted. I used a squeeze bottle to drizzle the melted white chocolate.

Kristyn’s Hubby’s Favorite – No Bake Pecan Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 to 6 Tbsp melted butter , if needed
• 1 (24-oz) package chocolate almond bark
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2½ cups finely chopped pecan halves
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Holiday sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:

• Add the chopped pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup into a large bowl. Stir to combine.
• Add melted butter BUT only until the mixture comes together so that you can shape them into balls.
• Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Place balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet
• Place them in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour.
• Melt chocolate following the package directions.
• Remove balls from refrigerator/freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate almond bark.
• Place dipped balls onto parchment (or wax paper) and let it set.
• Add sprinkles (optional).
• Enjoy!

Notes:

• Use a food processor to chop the pecans into tiny pieces.
• Your graham cracker crumbs need to be the consistency of sand.

There you have it – a delightful array of cookie recipes that are sure to impress even the toughest cookie connoisseurs. From classic holiday cookies to mouthwatering unique cookies, these recipes offer something for every palate. So why wait? It’s time to unleash your creativity, experiment with flavors, and create batches of warm, gooey cookies that will bring smiles to faces and warmth to hearts. Happy baking, my fellow cookie enthusiasts!

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