Favorite Holiday Cookies

It just doesn’t feel like Christmas until you have a tower of cookie tins on the counter to sneak cookies from all day. Growing up, I would always force my family to experiment with “new” recipes for peppermint pinwheels and cookie dough truffles but each year, without fail, these were the three standouts we fell back on.

In my family, these were the cookies that signified Christmas. Even now, when each of my family members have their own little family members and we’re spread across different states, we all still make our favorite cookies for the nostalgia.

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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Yield: 3.5 dozen

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min

You know them, you love them. The cookie you make once a year but ask yourself each time why they can't be made on a random Tuesday in April. As long as you have some soft butter on hand, you could be enjoying these within the next 20 minutes, warm from the oven. You can find this recipe on the back of the bags of red and green Hershey Kisses they start selling each winter and all over the internet. I haven't messed with it except to suggest that you roll the dough balls in red or green sugar before baking to Christmas-fy. These are my sister, Kali's, favorites!

Ingredients

• 1/2 c soft butter
• 1/2 c smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together until the mixture is cohesive.
2. Add egg and vanilla, at room temperature and mix on low speed until absorbed fully.
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, soda and salt and whisk together to mix. Add flour mixture to egg mixture all at once and mix just until combined.
4. Scoop dough into tablespoons and roll into a ball. Roll into red or green sugar and place onto an ungreased sheet pan.
5. Bake at 375*F for 8 minutes. Place an unwrapped Hershey's kiss in the center right from the oven. 

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Nutty Fingers

Yield: 1 dozen

Prep time: 8 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 33 Min

A Mexican Wedding Cookie copy-cat, these were my sister Cortney's favorite. They're simple and will be almost as good on day 7 as they are on day 1. I've also added shredded chocolate before and was not dissappointed.

Ingredients

• 3/4 c butter
• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp ice water
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 2 c flour

Instructions

1. Cream together butter and powdered sugar
2. Add vanilla, then flour and pecans. The mixture will be dry, do not overmix.
3. Add in ice water and mix until dough comes together and is able to be pressed into shapes.
4. Portion by rounded tablespoon and roll into balls or crescent shapes.
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 325*F
6. Roll in powdered sugar twice while still warm.

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Cream Cheese Pastries

Yield: 2 dozen

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 12 Mininactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 37 M

These are very similar to the Polish Kolache cookie. My family always just pinched the center of the cookie together burrito-style and let the jam ooze out but I've also done a fully sealed half-circle and even a square with all four corners pinched in. These are my personal favorite Christmas cookie, and they're good for breakfast, lunch and dinner :-)

Ingredients

• 1 c unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c sugar
• Blackberry jam

Instructions

1. Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar.
2. Add in flour and mix just until combined.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 before rolling and cutting into circles.
4. Place 1 tsp of jam in the center and pinch corners of of cookie together. 
5. Bake at 350*F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Dust with powdered sugar. 

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