Five Holiday Cookies To Give Out As Gifts Tasty


Cranberry Almond Cookies

Ingredients

for 13 cookies

  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • cup coconut oil, melted
  • cup sugar
  • cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • cup rolled oats
  • cup dried cranberries, or use fresh cranberries for more tartness
  • cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the flax eggs, mix together the flax meal and water in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to set.

In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flax eggs, and almond extract until well-combined.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and stir with a spatula until combined.

Fold in the oats, cranberries, and sliced almonds until incorporated.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Cookies

A tasty twist on a classic cake! Crunchy pecans paired with chewy raisins and sweet shredded carrots make these cookies the perfect no-fork-needed dessert. And lets not forget, each cookie oozes with a delectable cream cheese filling.

Ingredients

for 16 cookies

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookies

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup carrot, shredded
  • 1 cup raisin
  • cup pecan, chopped

Preparation

Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, and vanilla. Mix with a fork until smooth.

Scoop 16 teaspoon-sized balls of icing onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Do not use a silicone matif the bottoms of the cookies are too thin, the silicone will stick to the cookies and the icing centers will fall through when removed from the pan.)

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, and beat with an electric hand mixer or whisk for 1-2 minutes, or until well combined.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans with a rubber spatula.

Scoop 16 heaping tablespoons of dough onto 2 prepared baking sheets, spacing at least 3 inches apart. Flatten each scoop with moistened fingers.

Place a frozen icing ball in the center of each dough round.

Top the filling with another scoop of dough and use moistened fingers to flatten and seal the edges so the filling is completely encased.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Be careful not to overbake or the filling will ooze out.

Let the cookies cool completely. This is important! If you try to lift the cookies before they are cool and the icing is still warm, it could fall through the cookies.

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

for 18 cookies

  • 6 oz sliced almond
  • 6 oz sweetened coconut flakes, divided
  • 1 cups all purpose flour
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • cup sugar
  • teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 oz caramel candy
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
  • cup chocolate ganache, for drizzling

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the sliced almonds and 3 ounces of the coconut flakes to the prepared baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.

Increase the oven temperature to 350F (180C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the toasted coconut and half of the toasted almonds to a food processor and process until broken down into fine crumbs.

Add the flour and salt, and process until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla, and beat with an electric hand mixer until fully combined and the sugar is dissolved.

Add the egg and beat to incorporate.

Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until no dry spots remain.

Divide the dough into 18 equal balls and arrange 9 on each baking sheet.

Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke a hole in the center of each dough ball.

Chill the dough balls for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the reserved toasted almonds with the remaining 3 ounces of coconut flakes. Mix with a fork to combine.

Roll the chilled dough balls in the almond coconut mixture to coat the outside.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely.

In a small pot over low heat, combine the caramel candies and heavy cream. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from the heat.

Fill the centers of each cookie with the caramel mixture.

Drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Enjoy!

Vegan Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

for 12 servings

Cookies

  • cup organic sugar
  • cup refined coconut oil, solid but not cold
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk

Royal Icing

  • 3 cups organic powdered sugar
  • teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • blue gel food coloring
  • sprinkle, of your choice, for decorating

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and coconut oil with an electric hand mixer until fluffy.

Add the vanilla and salt, and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Set aside.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the coconut oil mixture and stir to combine.

Gradually add the non-dairy milk and stir until a crumbly dough forms. Using your hands, knead the dough into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about -inch ( cm) thick.

Use snowflake cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer to the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Re-roll excess dough to cut out more shapes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges .

Make the royal icing: Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the vanilla and some of the water. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Transfer half of the icing to another bowl and add blue gel food coloring to one. Immediately transfer the icing to piping bags, or cover with plastic wrap. Do not leave the icing uncovered, as it will develop a film. If this happens, add a small amount of water and whisk to incorporate until the icing returns to your desired consistency.

Decorate the cookies with the royal icing and sprinkles. Let dry completely, at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Butter Cookies

Ingredients

for 24 cookies

Cookies

  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

  • 2 lb powdered sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 14 oz condensed milk
  • food coloring, of your choice

For Decorating

  • sprinkle, of your choice
  • 1 cup candy, of choice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Cream together with an electric hand mixer until the butter is light and fluffy,

Add the egg and milk, and continue beating until smooth. Set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat to combine until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to -inch ( cm) thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters of your choice. Re-roll the excess dough and cut out more shapes until all of the dough is used. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cookies are firm around the edges but still soft at the centers. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and condensed milk. Beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Divide the frosting between smaller bowls and add food coloring, if desired.

Decorate the cookies with the frosting, sprinkles, and candies.

Enjoy!