Unique Christmas Cookie Recipes

Sure, you could grab a tube of chocolate chip or sugar cookie dough from your local grocery store and “bake” a batch of Christmas cookies for friends and family, but so could I and I know virtually nothing about baking.

What you’re looking for this holiday season is the “WOW” factor.  You know, that “WOW” reaction you get when friends/family both see and eat your little confectionary creations.  You’re looking to create delectable works of cookie art, your Last Supper, your David, your Pieta, your Birth of Venus…OK, you just want to bake some cookies that taste as good as they look.

After scouring the internet baking sites (in this case, “scouring” implies visiting at least a dozen or so sites) I came up with the following list of cookie masterpieces and I tried, as much as humanly possible, not to select the recipes based on personal preference, but I’m sure a few  recipes snuck (or is it “sneaked”) in through my subconscious.  I blame my mother.

• Christmas tree meringue cookies – Man, “meringue” is a difficult word to spell…anyway, the main reason I chose this recipe, other than the fact that meringue is like frozen cotton candy, is for their aesthetic value and the numerous decorating options available. You can actually create your own forest of mini-meringue Christmas trees.  https://cookinglsl.com/christmas-tree-meringue-cookies/ The recipe is at the bottom after scrolling through all the BS (excuse my French) on the page.
• Pistachio kiss pudding cookies – Ok, this might be one of those recipes that made the list based on personal preference as I love pistachios and pudding. I bathe in that combination every so often.   http://yesterfood.blogspot.com/2014/03/pistachio-kiss-pudding-cookies.html  Just warn any revelers that might have a nut allergy.
• Nutella stuffed gingersnap cookies – I believe the FDA has determined that Nutella is as addictive as crack. I jest, of course, but it seems like an academic study would reach that conclusion.  Unlike boring gingersnap cookies that “snap” into pieces when you bite them and then tear up the roof of your mouth, these cookies are soft, gooey and come with a Nutella center. https://bromabakery.com/2015/12/nutella-stuffed-gingersnap-cookies-recipe.html  Again, the nut allergy thing as Nutella is made with hazelnuts.
• Cranberry bliss cookies – White chocolate cream cheese frosting and cranberries? Are you kidding me?  I think this recipe has been responsible for the near over-eating deaths of numerous people in several mid-western states and European countries. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cranberry-bliss-cookies/#_a5y_p=2277443
• Peppermint hot chocolate cookies – According to the hype surrounding these cookies, they taste just like hot chocolate so I’m assuming they should be consumed warm to achieve the full effect. Soft cookies topped with dark chocolate and crushed candy cane just smells like Christmas. https://www.pumpkinnspice.com/peppermint-hot-chocolate-cookies/

• Ginger cookie sandwiches with caramel buttercream – These things should be called “sandwishes” because they truly are a wish come true…sappy, I know, but also effective. The best part is that if you don’t like caramel buttercream you can substitute whatever floats your boat or flicks your switch or bakes your cookie…you get the idea.  https://thegoldlininggirl.com/2015/11/ginger-cookie-sandwiches-with-caramel-buttercream/
• Stacked star Christmas tree sugar cookies – This is another recipe chosen for its aesthetic value and decorating options. They’re a simple twist on the traditional sugar cookie and they make it look like you spent hours constructing them…edible artwork.  https://cookinglsl.com/stacked-star-christmas-tree-sugar-cookies-recipe/

Any one of the above recipes will make you the envy of the family and king or queen of the kitchen.  So, get baking, just be sure not to pull a Scarface and consume all that you produce.