Best Holiday Cookies
It’s that time of year where we are being invited to all of the holiday parties and get togethers and are always worrying about what to bring. A perfect go to snack that everyone will love are holiday cookies! For those of you who are looking to whip up a batch or two at home, here are some easy holiday cookie ideas.
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Benne Seed Wafers
Benne seed wafers or sesame seed cookies are salty and sweet treats most widely associated with the cuisine and customs of the winter holiday of Kwanzaa. Chewy and nutty, this toasted, caramelized sesame seed cookie is a crispy and crunchy snack waiting to be enjoyed!
Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Lucky for you these brownie cookies are the perfect treat to bring to any holiday get together! Simply mix the ingredients into a bowl, roll them onto a sheet and bake them until they turn into beautiful chocolate cookies.
Cinnamon Bacon Cookies
Before officially ringing in the new year, enjoy a cookie both sweet and salty, chewy and crispy, part breakfast food, part dessert – before you knock it, make sure you enjoy a bacon cookie or two or three!
Duvshaniot
These tiny cookies are quite the honey button treat! Traditionally made with honey and spices, Duvshaniots or honey buttons are sweet Israeli cookies that can be enjoyed during Rosh Hashanah or Hanukkah. Add a sweet or zesty glaze or substitute with powdered sugar and see them disappear from your winter holiday dessert spread!
Gingerbread Men
While Santa and his elves are hard at work to prepare for Christmas Eve, get yourself and the little ones hard at work and play creating this quintessential Christmas treat. Have the kids stencil out as many Gingerbread Men as they can from the dough with a cookie cutter, let them get a little creative with decorating, and plate them for Santa. And don’t forget the milk!
Hamantaschen
Traditionally enjoyed during the Jewish holiday of Purim, Hamantaschen are triangular-shaped, butter-based cookies. Choose your choice of jam, nut, caramel, cheese or chocolatey filling and bite into this savory treat!
Kichels
Kichels or Jewish bow tie cookies are a well-known, egg-rich treat in Jewish cuisine. Originating from Yiddish, this “small cake” is a cross between a cookie and cracker with its light, airy and crunchy texture. Just roll and twist them into their proper shape, watch them puff up, and enjoy!
Mandela Bread
Similar to the biscotti, Mandela Bread or Mandelbrot requires its “loaf” to be twice-baked to obtain its traditional crispy crunchy flavor, but they can be soft-baked for a more tender texture. Mix your flour, eggs, vanilla extract, and assorted nuts or chocolate chips and dunk this confection into a steaming cup of tea or coffee!
Maple Syrup Cookies
Although we think of big celebrations of faith and remembrance when thinking of the winter holidays, there are some rather delectable days of celebration as well. When you finish drowning your pancakes and waffles with one of Canada’s largest exports, maple syrup, enjoy an after-dinner snack in the form of a maple, pecan & raisin oat cookie!
Short-bread Cookies
This simple, melt in your mouth, buttery cookie requires minimal ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla extract. Much like the sugar cookie, you can’t stop at just one!
Snickerdoodle
Whether you enjoy them crispy and crunchy or soft and savory, snickerdoodles are tangy, sugary treats. Sometimes confused with sugar cookies for its sweetness, the added cream of tartar, crackled surface, and cinnamon give this cookie its distinct flavor.
Sugar Cookies
Satisfy your sweet tooth with the sweetest of all the cookie recipes: sugar cookies! This simple cookie recipe is not beholden to any one winter holiday, although it is heavily associated with the winter season. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, wipe out your icing piping bag and whip up a baker’s dozen or two!
