skip to main content

Our Christmas Cookies (Lots of Pictures!)

15 years ago

Hi everyone,

Mom and I baked our Christmas cookies this afternoon/evening. We made 4 kinds with a total of 20 dozen cookies! Here are the pictures of the varieties in order: sugar (a family member's recipe), peanut butter, M%M and white chocolate chip (M&M and white chocolate cookies use the same batter recipe).

Sugar cookies (walkthrough)

Batter

Before baking

With colored sugar

After baking

Now the peanut butter cookies!

This picture I took looking through the glass in the oven.

M&M Cookies :)

We added more M&Ms to the top after they were baked.

White chocolate chip (my personal favorite)

The tin we made for my sister.

Enjoy! I'll be happy to share recipes!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (22)

lindac
15 years ago
Looks yummy....I wish i had that much baking done!
Linda C
arabellamiller
15 years ago
Wow, those look great. You have inspired me to make some chocolate chip cookies!

AM
Related Discussions
Could this be Christmas Cookies?
Q
Comments (5)
Well....here is Night Before Christmas trying to hold it's ground in the hosta chaos that is my garden. The leaves are much bigger, as is the plant. NBC was planted in 2008; the NOID was planted either that year or the next. Night Before Christmas Tanya
...See More
how to decorate porch on our new house for christmas? (pictures)
Q
Comments (24)
Hi everyone! Sorry for the delayed response--been very busy with work. I do agree with needing to raise the tree up. I have a large box that should work and will see if I can procure some faux snow. I think I also have some old bricks lying around. HMMMMMM. I actually like red and white lights, as well as blue and white--but my neighbor has blue and white, so I think I'll stick with red and white for a candy cane look. I agree that the lights on the japanese maples aren't my favorite, and that they detract from my christmas tree indoors. I guess I could put them on the bushes to the left of the porch? (There are some large overgrown evergreen bushes to the left, though I'm not sure they show up well in the pictures...) I AM having fun--love decorating my new home for the holidays! Such a fun time! I still have work to do indoors--we're having a party in a week and I have a lot to do before then.
...See More
Christmas Cookies - Please share your results
Q
Comments (20)
Here you go! Date Pinwheels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baker's Catalogue editor P.J. Hamel reports that this is her all-time favorite Christmas cookie. She writes: "My own memories include the soft brown dough, the dates bubbling on the stove, the tricky process of rolling the filling inside the dough, and the magical way the refrigerator would make the sticky mass solid and sliceable. And the taste! Waiting till just the right moment, the cookies hot out of the oven but the filling cool enough not to burn, my sister and I would greedily eat date pinwheels till Mom made us stop. No, date pinwheels aren't beautiful; in fact, they're usually kind of plain-looking, the spiral of dates often a bit out of whack. But these homely little gems strike just the right note on my Christmas cookie spread. "Remember to share this recipe with a younger friend; it's up to all of us to pass along this type of old and trusted recipe to the next generation of bakers." Dough 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter 2 cups (15 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar, packed 3 large eggs 4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Filling* 1 3/4 cups (9 1/4 ounces) chopped dates 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar 3/4 cup (6 ounces) water 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) finely diced pecans or walnuts *Though this filling is easy enough to make, if you want to use purchased date (or fig) filling, go ahead. You'll need about 2 cups (24 ounces) of filling. Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Chill the dough till it's firm enough to roll out, at least 1 hour. Filling: While the dough is chilling, make the filling. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the dates, sugar, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and boil the dates gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened to about the consistency of very soft jam. Stir in the finely diced nuts, and set aside. Assembly: Divide the dough in half; each half will weigh about 21 ounces. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into a 9" x 12", 1/4"-thick rectangle. Spread half the filling (about 11 ounces) over the entire surface of the dough; the filling is sticky and stiff, but if you keep wetting your fingers, you can push and spread it around without too much trouble. Roll the dough up, lengthwise, to make a log. It's somewhat delicate, but a baker's bench knife or spatula helps the job along. Wrap each log in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for several hours, or overnight. If you have a double baguette pan, slip the wrapped dough into the wells to help preserve their round shape. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and if it's flattened out at all roll it till it's round again; the log may lengthen a bit, and that's OK. Cut the log into 1/3" slices, and place the slices 1 1/2" apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Baking: Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until they're a very light brown, reversing the baking sheets (top to bottom, and front to back) midway through the baking time. Remove the cookies from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Yield: about 8 dozen pinwheels. ©2007 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
...See More
Marshmallows and Christmas cookie trays
Q
Comments (14)
Regarding the marshmallows, they are EXTREMELY messy to do! Use a lot of confectioner's sugar in the pan that you use to form them. I had to let them sit overnight in the refrigerator, and then found the texture and taste were better 3 days later. Don't let the lady at Smitten Kitchen dissuade you. Oh, the 2 egg white she uses makes the final product absolutely wonderful!
...See More
arkansas girl
15 years ago
yuuuuum...coooooooookies! :) But now you have to post your recipes...that's how it works...HEEHEE!
caliloo
15 years ago
Well done! They all look fantastic

Alexa
stir_fryi SE Mich
15 years ago
So, did you mix the white chips and the M&M's in the same cookie? How was that? I have both in my pantry right now and might whip up a batch!
User
15 years ago
Good job Brad!

All I'm going to make this year is shortbread, at least thats what I thought until I opened this thread!
cocaty
15 years ago
Hi Brad. They look great. Lucky sister. I'm intrigued by the drop sugar cookies. Do you use the same recipe you would for cut out sugar cookies? I'm guessing not. I'd love to see that one. Thanks!
User
15 years ago
Very nice Brad.

I haven't done any baking this year. Maybe I'll do some tomorrow.

Ann
moonwolf_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, everyone!

Stir fryi, no, we didn't mix the M&Ms and white chips together. It does sound delicious but all I meant was that you use the same batter recipe for both cookies.

Onto the recipes! Merry Christmas guys!

Cousin Dolly's Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
nuts, raisins or chocolate chips if desired

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Mix well. Drop on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees fro 12 minutes. (These are soft cookies.) This made about 6 dozen.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream margarine and sugars until fluffy. Beat in peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Add flour, salt and soda, blending well. For each cookie shape one level tablespoon of dough. Bake on ungreased baking sheets in 375 degree oven about 10 minutes or until done. Cool cookies on brown or other absorbent paper. When cool, sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Makes about 4 dozen.

M&M Cookies (Also used for White Choc. Chip recipe)

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M candy (or a whole bag of white choc. chips)

Mix all ingredients together, except 1/2 cup of M&M's to decorate top. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Merry Christmas!

Brad AKA Moonwolf
arkansas girl
15 years ago
Thank YOU! ;)
momto4kids
15 years ago
Yummy Brad! They all look wonderful! I haven't baked any cookies yet, either. Like Sharon, I thought all I would make is shortbread...now I'm changing my mind! Way to go!!
bcskye
15 years ago
They all look so yummy! I especially enjoy seeing pictures of the finished cookies so enjoyed yours and the recipes.
lakemayor
15 years ago
Brad they all look wonderful. I love to see pics of cookies everyone has made. I have a problem with my browser so I can't download any pics at this time.

Thanks for sharing Brad! Merry Christmas

Karen
coconut_nj
15 years ago
Looking good Brad! Ya'll did a great job. Colored sugar on cookies was always our tradition too. Your sister is going to love her gift. What a treat.

Merry Christmas!
moonwolf_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
You're welcome!

For the M&M/White chocolate chip cookie recipe, we don't add M&M's to the top of the white chocolate chip cookies. However, like I said above, it doesn't sound too bad!

If anyone tries these recipes please let me know! I'd love to hear and see your results!

Brad AKA Moonwolf
annie1992
15 years ago
Brad, they look delicious, all of them. I had to smile at the criss crossed peanut butter cookies, I think that's a standard. Grandma always used to criss cross her cookies like that, she always told me "everyone" does that to peanut butter cookies, LOL.

you're going to have one happy sister.

Annie
moonwolf_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie, my mom has always criss-crossed her peanut butter cookies too. I agree that it's a standard too.

Well, it looks like my sister's making her own Christmas cookies. So, we'll probably give them to our friends/neighbors.

Brad AKA Moonwolf
happygram
15 years ago
I'd love to make some of the cookies. They look absolutely delicious, and I'm drooling on the keyboard.

Question 1 -- Could I use butter instead of shortening? I've always wondered if butter is interchangeable with shortening in baking and would love to learn about it. I kind of like the taste of butter in cookies or in just about anything else! (broccoli, toast, garlic bread, etc. etc.)

Question 2--In a baking recipe, does shortening mean a Crisco kind of thing or does it mean something else?

Thanks in advance.

Mary
lsr2002
15 years ago
Great looking cookies, the filled tin is wonderful. Thanks for sharing all the photos and the recipes.

Lee
colleenoz
15 years ago
I have a special long-tined fork I use for peanut butter criss-crosses. I think the recipe was originally in one of the early Better Homes and Gardens books which may account for why everyone does the fork thing :-) When I make giant ones I use a potato masher that has a grid pattern on it :-)
readinglady
15 years ago
Those are beautiful cookies. The lucky recipients will be very glad your sister baked her own.

To answer the shortening question, butter and shortening can be interchanged but the results will not be the same. (Not necessarily a bad thing, but different.) Butter has a higher water content than shortening, so the cookies will tend to spread and flatten with butter. They will also brown more quickly.

In a very old recipe (i.e. 19th century - early 20th) there are some "receipts" that call for shortening but what that means is "fat" and the fat could be butter, lard, even bacon grease. You have to look at the recipe and determine the appropriate fat depending upon the ingredients, the method of preparation and the dish.

Carol
dedtired
15 years ago
Beautiful. I love the shot through the oven window. Your sister is lucky.

Related Stories

HOLIDAYS Host a Perfectly Imperfect Cookie Decorating Party

By Alison Hodgson

When sisters get together with their kids to decorate cookies, formality is the last thing on anybody's mind

HOLIDAYS Houzz Call: Show Us Your Christmas Tree!

By Mary Jo Bowling

How lovely are your branches? Post a picture and share your stories

HOLIDAYS Houzz Call: Share Your Favorite Christmas Tradition

By Becky Harris

Is there one thing you do, watch or eat that heralds the arrival of Christmas? Post a photo and let us know!

HOLIDAYS Christmas Tree Decorating the Painless Way

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Holidays are for carols, not cussing. Make tree trimming less work and more fun with this guide at your side

HOLIDAYS Surviving the Christmas Countdown: A Parent's Guide

By Alison Hodgson

Make things easier on yourself, for heaven's sake — and for the sake of truly enjoying the holiday with your family

HOLIDAYS Collecting Christmas Ornaments That Speak to the Heart

By Alison Hodgson

Crafted by hand, bought on vacation or even dug out of the discount bin, ornaments can make for a special holiday tradition

HOLIDAYS 15 Spectacular Christmas Palettes Beyond Red and Green

By AWH Construction

Instead of dragging out holiday decorations in the same old expected colors this year, dare to consider these gorgeous alternatives

HOLIDAYS Show Us Your Decorated Front Door

By Annie Thornton

Nothing says, ‘Come on in’ like a front door decorated for the holidays. Share pictures of your decorated door in the Comments

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Picture-Perfect Simplicity

By Mary Jo Bowling

It’s like camping out in a catalog sometimes at this classic farmhouse — Pottery Barn and other retailers love it for photo shoots

EXTERIORS Where Front Yards Collide: Property Lines in Pictures

By Mitchell Parker

Some could be twins; others channel the Odd Couple. You may never look at property boundaries the same way again

Sponsored

17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

More Discussions

Do you want to see what I got FREE this week.....take a peek...

63

Stuffed burgers - what do you like to find in yours?

15

What do you eat when it's REALLY hot?

30

Pomegranate treats? Sukkot?

3

Salt, just a little pinch

26