Taste of Home All New Christmas Cookies: 143 Sweet Specialties Sure to Make Your Holiday Merry and Bright

By Taste of Home

Today’s home bakers realize that Christmas cookies are as much a part of the holiday as the tree itself! Whether arranged on a platter, shared at an exchange or simply used to fill the cookie jar, these seasonal sweets are a staple for everyone.

At Taste of Home, we’ve taken the popularity of our cookbook “Christmas Cookies” and created a second volume of sweet treats…“All New Christmas Cookies!” This magical collection serves up 100 additional cookies, bars and brownies worthy of jolly old St. Nick himself. From easy bites ideal for making memories with tiny bakers to impressive nibbles sure to wow the crowd, this all-new edition features the cookies you need to make your holiday merry and bright.

CHAPTERS
Cutout Cookies
Shaped Cookies
Drop Cookies
Slice & Bake Cookies
Piped & Pressed Cookies
No-Bake Cookies
Bars & Brownies

RECIPES
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Easy Reindeer Cookies
Cranberry Shortbread Stars
Penguin Cutouts
Buttery Spritz Cookies
Pistachio Meringue Sandwich Cookies
Buttermilk Shortbread
Italian Rainbow Cookies
Andes Mint Chip Cookies
Christmas M&M Cookies
Chai Snickerdoodles
Pecan Tassies
Giant Molasses Cookies
Tea Cakes
Fruitcake Christmas Cookies
Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks
Easy Peanut Butter Balls
Caramel Chip Biscotti
Chocolate Caramel Bars
Pecan Brownies

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trusted Media Brands
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781621459873

Book preview

Taste of Home: All New Christmas Cookies: 150 Sweet Specialties Sure to Make Your Holiday Merry & Bright, by Taste of HomeTaste of Home: All New Christmas Cookies. This Book is Given To: _. With Heartwarming Wishes From: _. Taste of Home Books. RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Milwauke, WI

© 2023 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC.

1610 N. 2nd St., Suite 102, Milwaukee WI 53212-3906

All rights reserved. Taste of Home is a registered trademark of RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC.

Visit us at tasteofhome.com

for other Taste of Home books and products.

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62145-986-6

ISBN: 978-1-62145-987-3 (eBook)

Chief Content Officer, Home & Garden: Jeanne Sidner

Content Director: Mark Hagen

Creative Director: Raeann Thompson

Senior Editors: Christine Rukavena, Julie Schnittka

Editor: Hazel Wheaton

Assistant Editor: Sammi DiVito

Senior Art Director: Courtney Lovetere

Art Director: Maggie Conners

Designer: Sierra Schuler

Deputy Editor, Copy Desk: Dulcie Shoener

Cover Photography

Photographer: Jim Wieland

Set Stylist: Melissa Franco

Food Stylist: Lauren Knoelke

Pictured on front cover:

Santa Star Cookies

; Gingerbread Snowflakes

; Yeti Cookies

; Best-Ever Cutout Cookies

; Eggnog Cookies

; JoJo’s Ginger Cookies

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Perfect Cookie Plate

Cookie Wrapping Ideas

Tips for Shipping Cookies

How to Host a Cookie Swap

Classic Cutout Cookies

Dreamy Drop Cookies

Shaped Cookies

Piped Cookies

Bars & Brownies

Slice & Bake Cookies

No-Bake Cookies

Recipe Index

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Christmastime Is Cookie Time!

There are some things you can count on appearing every Christmas season: Holiday songs playing in every store. A decked-out tree in the town center. Santa Claus taking photos with kids and hearing their whispered Christmas wishes. The neighbor’s house (or your own!) brightly lit and lavishly decorated. And, of course, cookies. Lots and lots and lots of cookies.

Plates of cookies at the office. Tins filled with cookies as thank-you gifts for teachers and neighbors. Elaborate trays of cookies set out for house guests. Boxes of cookies carefully packed up and sent to loved ones far away.

With this new collection, you can make your cookies the centerpiece of every celebration. From over 100 recipes, you can select just what the occasion calls for. Adorable Penguin Cutouts

for a school event, elegant Mocha Meringue Sandwich Cookies

as a light post-feast treat, Chocolate Rum Balls

for a grown-up party, gorgeous Bite-Sized Cinnamon Roll Cookies

to be tucked into a care package.

This new collection also includes valuable advice on how to create your own stunning cookie tray (opposite page), how to host a cookie exchange party (p. 9

), how to ship cookies so they arrive fresh and unbroken (p. 7

), and creative ideas for gift packaging (p. 6

)—sound advice you’ll use every year!

All the recipes are the family favorites of talented home bakers like you, and have been rigorously tested so you know they’ll work. Add in dozens of tips from the experts in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, and you’re all set to make your cookies the ones everyone will rave about this Christmas!

The Perfect Cookie Plate

Your cookies may be miniature works of art—but arranging them on a platter can be an art of its own. A thoughtful plate design not only shows off the cookies to their best advantage, but it also keeps them tasting their best and makes it easier for your guests to not just admire, but enjoy!

1. Choose a Serving Tray

Whether you’re arranging cookies in a box or on a tray or platter, its size is the first consideration. Too large, and the cookies will appear underwhelming; too small, and you’ll have an unwieldy mess. If you have space, use several trays or plates—it’s easier for guests to help themselves if they’re not crowding around a single dish. Simple colors will make your cookies the star of the show.

2. Include a Variety of Cookies

Variety is key to creating a tempting cookie tray—but you don’t need to make every cookie in the book or include every cookie you’ve made on the tray. Stick with some five to seven varieties to keep things interesting yet not overwhelming. Include a few nostalgic, surefire classics as well as some adventurous new recipes.

3. Keep Textures and Flavors Together

To keep cookies at their best, organize similar types together. Strongly flavored cookies, such as mint or molasses cookies, can transfer their flavor to milder sugar cookies. Soft cookies can transfer moisture to crisper cookies. Add Christmas candies between different types of cookies to make a decorative (and tasty) border.

4. Think Geometrically

Round cookies work well arranged in concentric circles. Put a single cookie in the center of the tray, then arrange the rest of the cookies in circles around the central cookie. Square or rectangular cookies are ideal for horizontal or vertical designs. Layer one cookie slightly on top of the next to create texture in your display.

5. Consider Food Allergies

If you know that some of your guests have food allergies, prepare and organize separate platters with allergen-friendly cookies. Add labels to identify gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free or other allergen-free treats. Be ready to answer any questions about what’s in your cookies—and to be extra helpful, have a list of ingredients on hand for each cookie.

Cookie Wrapping Ideas

Your gorgeous handmade Christmas cookies deserve a package with the same level of creativity. When you deliver those edible gifts, make the container worthy of the contents!

Fill a mug: Everyone loves to dunk their cookies! Give your friends cookies in the perfect vessel for dipping with a festive holiday mug.

Dress up a Mason jar: Airtight Mason jars are ideal for food gifts. Decorate the outside of the jar as a snowman for confectioners’ sugar-coated cookies, or as a reindeer for chocolate cookies.

Make a decorating kit: If your recipient has kids, give them a kit they can enjoy together. Pack up plain baked cutout cookies with sprinkles, candies and a tub of frosting.

Stack your tins: Elevate everyday tins and containers by stacking them and tying them with holiday ribbon. Make traditional tins a bit more special with paint—simple colors like white and gold are especially elegant.

Upcycle containers: A cardboard oatmeal or cornmeal tub makes a handy gift box. To present a neat row of cookies, use scissors or a utility knife to remove the teeth from an empty plastic wrap or aluminum foil box. Paint the container or dress it up with pretty holiday paper. Line it with waxed paper, then fill it with cookies.

Decorate a plain box: Even a simple brown box lets beautiful cookies shine. Use cupcake liners to separate the cookies, and tie up the box with ribbon or baker’s twine. To go further, place three boxes on a wooden tray and give the entire package as a gift.

Attach a cookie cutter: If you’re making cutout cookies, add an extra gift! Place the cookies in a pretty container wrapped in cellophane. When you add the festive ribbon, tie on a cookie cutter!

Tips for Shipping Cookies

Planning, timing, selection and careful packing are key to having your cookies arrive fresh and unbroken.

Dense brownies, slightly soft and chewy cookies, and hard, crunchy cookies ship well. Save delicate cookies or ones that need refrigeration for an in-person cookie plate.

Moisture kills freshness, so make sure cookies are completely cool (if freshly baked) or completely thawed (if frozen) before packing them.

Store cookies in airtight containers. For tins, lay plastic wrap over the cookies (overhanging the edge) before putting on the lid. If using a baker’s box, wrap treats in individual plastic or cellophane bags.

Layer the bottom of the tin with crumpled waxed paper. Add cookies in order of weight, with the heaviest on the bottom. Keep crisp cookies with crisp, soft with soft—and separate the layers with waxed paper. Individually wrap moist or strongly flavored treats.

Cover layers of frosted cookies with waxed paper—frosting can soften and stick to plastic wrap.

Pack cookies snugly. They shouldn’t bounce around but should have a bit of give so they won’t break with pressure. Use crumpled waxed paper, tissue or parchment to fill empty spaces.

Use a heavy-duty cardboard shipping box that’s larger than your cookie container by at least an inch on each side. Pack the extra space with bubble wrap, crumpled newspaper or packing peanuts.

Choose the fastest shipping method you can afford. There are special guidelines for care packages sent to military personnel stationed overseas; you can find those at the U.S. Postal Service’s website, usps.com

.

How to Host a Cookie Swap

Ask any home baker about their favorite Christmas traditions, and an annual cookie exchange—aka cookie swap—just may top the list. Organizing a cookie swap is easier than you might think, thanks to these timely tips and this handy timeline to keep party planning on the right track.

Make it convenient. Weekday evenings or weekend afternoons work well because people are less busy. Schedule the party to be a tight two to three hours long—it’s the holiday season, after all!

Remember: The more, the merrier—and the more types of cookies you’ll get. Invite 8 to 12 people. Each guest should bring 8 to 10 dozen of one variety of cookie—but encourage them to bring an extra dozen for sampling at the party.

To avoid duplicates, ask what each person is making. There’s no point to the exchange if everyone arrives with sugar cookies!

Stock up on storage containers. You can ask guests to bring their own, or you can have a supply ready to hand out. Containers should be large enough for 8 to 12 dozen cookies. Also have plenty of waxed paper available to separate layers.

Keep your menu to a minimum by focusing on the sweet treats. Simply serve a selection of beverages and the extra cookies and candies. Or offer a choice selection of appetizers—no need to serve a full meal!

Display the cookies on a long table or counter, leaving enough room for folks to move around and inspect the goodies. Label each container with the recipe name.

For party favors, bundle all the different recipe cards into sets, tie with festive ribbons and hand them out as guests leave.

Timeline for Your Cookie Exchange

Four to Six Weeks Before:

Send out invitations. Ask each person to bring 8 to 10 dozen of the same cookie, copies of the recipe and a large container for taking cookies home.

As guests RSVP, keep track of who is bringing what variety. Remind them to bring copies of the recipes!

Two to Three Weeks Before:

Bake and freeze your own cookies.

Plan the menu.

The Day Before:

Prepare the food you’ll be serving. Make sure you have enough plates and napkins.

Set up the cookie display table.

Take your cookies out of the freezer to thaw.

The Day of the Party:

As the guests arrive, ask them to set their cookies and recipe cards on the display table.

Near the end of the party, have guests fill their containers with about a dozen of each kind of cookie, depending on the total number of cookies.

Rosemary Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies

These treats are a tradition on our Christmas cookie platter. Because the scent of rosemary and the shape of its leaves remind me of pine needles, I cut these using a Christmas-tree cookie cutter. Feel free to use any shape cutter of your choice. These are fragile, so handle the dough and baked cookies carefully.

—Amy Bartlett, Depew, NY

PREP: 25 MIN. + CHILLING • BAKE: 15 MIN./BATCH + COOLING • MAKES: 15 COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

⅛ tsp. sea salt

Colored sugar, optional

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 Tbsp. meringue powder

10 to 12 Tbsp. water

Green and brown food coloring

Large nonpareils

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and