Christmas cookie recipes Archives

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 10, 2012

Kolacky

K and I are once again on the same wavelength this week…my cookie for today as part of our 12 Days of Christmas Cookies is also a jam-filled one. If you are looking for a jam cookie in addition to K’s raspberry linzer cookies, try this recipe for kolacky. This has been a traditional Christmas cookie that we have had at our home growing up. I believe it has Polish origins.

kolacky

These cookies can be customized to your taste by using any type of jam or fruit preserves that you want. I usually prefer to make it with apricot jam, but you could do another type or even a variety of jam flavors. I love how this cookie puffs up while baking to create light flaky layers- it’s perfect with a cup of tea.

Eight Kolacky

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Recipe type: cookie

Cuisine: Polish

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 30

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Thick jam, such as apricot

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix butter and cream cheese together in a medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Add to butter and cream cheese mixture in fourths, blending well after each addition. Chill dough until easy to handle.
Once dough is chilled, roll dough to ⅜th inch thickness on floured surface. Cut out 2-inch circles (or other shapes). Place on ungreased baking sheets. Make a "thumbprint" about ¼ inch deep in each cookie (I just use my thumb, but the back of a spoon would also work.) Fill each cookie thumbprint with jam.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until delicately browned on edges.

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 9, 2012

On the ninth day of Christmas cookies my true love gave to me….
Nine Raspberry Linzer Cookies

This was my first attempt at Linzer cookies. My boyfriend is a big fan of all cookies with jam and he asked me so kindly to attempt them. So of course I gladly accepted because I enjoy a good baking challenge. I don’t technically own Linzer cookie cutters but I did have several different sizes of fluted squares and one that could be small enough to fit in the center. I will admit the cookies are a little large for a Linzer, but still oh so delicious. Since the middle piece cut out was about an inch square, they made perfect mini cookies. I am saving the mini cookies for my Mom because she is a big fan of delicate mini cookies, right Mom?

Also as a side note- the cookies at first may seem a little crunchy. As they sit with the jam/preserves for a few hours they will soften up so don’t be alarmed! I used Target’s Archer Farms Red Raspberry Preserves and was a big fan, but feel free to use the preserves/jams of your choice.

Nine Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

1½ cups of Butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups AP flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup raspberry preserves
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

In the bowl of a mixer, add in butter and sugar and mix until combined (using the paddle attachment)
Mix in vanilla extract
In a separate bowl mix together flour and salt
With Mixer on low, add the dry ingredients into the butter and let mix until dough starts to form.
Take dough out on to a floured surface and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Once dough is chilled, roll out on a floured surface to a ¼ inch thickness.
Cut out cookies with your larger cookie cutter and cut the center out of 1 out of every 2 cookies and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until the edges begin to brown slightly.
Take cookies out and place onto wire rack, let cool for 20-30 minutes.
Spread raspberry preserves on the back side of the solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookie with confectioners’ sugar and then place the flat sides of the top and bottom cookies together.

Source– Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 2, 2012

Oreo Truffles

It’s here! We are officially ready to kick off another year of the 2S2C Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! (If you missed the event from 2011, the recap with all 12 cookie recipes can be found here.) K and I have found twelve new recipes for the holiday season and we hope you’ll join us for the celebration! I’m kicking off the party with a recipe that is new to me- Oreo Truffles.

My mom brought these Oreo Truffles to my house for a post-Thanksgiving treat. She said that she had read about this recipe on a lot of food blogs and had to try them out. At first I was skeptical, especially after eating way too many Oreos for T’s Mickey Mouse-themed birthday party. The fact that the original recipe for Oreo Truffles only has three ingredients didn’t help either. However, once I tried one, I understood what all the fuss was about. Who knew that such an easy cookie recipe could be so good!?

I figured this recipe would be a great way to kick things off with a nice and simple, but amazing recipe. Try making some Oreo Truffles to kick off your Christmas cookie season (however, did I mention these are no-bake?) Hopefully that will get you in the mood for more holiday baking. We’ve got so many great cookie recipes planned….I can hardly wait!

Oreo Truffles

Twelve Oreo Truffles

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Recipe type: Cookie

Prep time: 1 hour 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 48

Ingredients

36 Oreo cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
16 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate
3 tablespoons sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Place Oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Reserve ¼ cup of the cookie crumbs in a small bowl. Mix the remaining cookie crumbs and cream cheese in a medium size bowl until blended. Shape mixture into 48 balls.
Mix reserved cookie crumbs with the sprinkles. (This step is optional, but I wanted to get a little green, red, and white color on the truffles to make them more Christmas-y.)
Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (a glass Pyrex measuring cup also works great). Microwave on high for 2-4 minutes depending on your microwave's strength, stirring about every 30 seconds.
Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of wax paper. Once the chocolate is melted, dip each oreo ball into the melted chocolate mixture. Use two forks to roll truffles in the chocolate until evenly coated. Let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl and place dipped truffle onto the baking sheet. Before the chocolate firms up, sprinkle a small amount of the cookie crumb and sprinkle mixture on top.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store truffles in an air-tight container in the fridge or freeze in a freezer bag until ready to serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes

sister m signature

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone made it to their Christmas destinations safely. I am so excited for Christmas and can’t wait to spend some quality time with my family. Living away from home sometimes has it’s downside, so I love when I can get together with my family.

We are one day away from Christmas and you know what that means…(besides one partridge in a pear tree)- One type of cookie left to reveal! Today’s cookie is the Christmas classic, the cut-out sugar cookie! Growing up, one of our family tradition was decorating cut-outs on Christmas Eve. They weren’t as technical as the royal icing cookies I made this year, but we always had a good time decorating. Remember when I had that surviving the flood party and made the umbrellas and boat sugar cookies? Well, I have practiced several times since and I have gotten a lot better.

Cut-out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp of salt
2½ cup of flour

Instructions

In a mixer bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
Add powder sugar and continue to mix. In a separate small bowl, beat egg.
Mix in beaten egg, both extracts, salt, and flour until combined.
Make dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, and then flatten dough to a disc (this will help it to chill faster in the fridge.) Place dough in the fridge until hard.
Preheat the 375 degrees.
Once the dough is ready, place on a well floured surface and roll out to ¼ inch thickness.
With cookie cutter, cut into shapes and place them on a greased sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until set, do not allow to brown.
Place cookies on wire rack to cool.
This makes around 20-24 cookies.

Source- Adapted from Annie’s Eats

K’s tip- To make multiple batches, I just repeat the instruction for the dough and make right after the first (This way it doesn’t mess with the recipe by doubling it and you don’t have to dirty more dishes.

For Royal Frosting- follow this recipe and tutorial on how to use royal icing from Annie’s Eats (aka my favorite blog- I have got sister M hooked on Annie’s blog too.) The tutorial is actually how I learned how to decorate a cookie correctly with royal icing. It does take a while and you will have to practice. The results will make you proud though!

I couldn’t just show you just one cookie after all my hard work…

Merry Christmas Everyone!

-K

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 23, 2011

Well Hello Readers… I hope you are ready for Christmas because we are only 2 days away! As my sisters use to say when we were little, Merry Christmas Eve Eve (our favorite day!)

Two Turtle Doves, or two Coconut-Lime Bars. Easy choice right? I sort of don’t like that the cookies amounts are so low now , you are sort of feeling jipped because you were getting 4-12 of all the other cookies. Don’t worry you can have more than two of these bars if you make them, I won’t tell anyone!

I am so ready for Christmas break, I need a little bit of a break after this season. I think I am going to take a little break in baking J. Don’t worry though, of course not before I reveal the last type of cookie tomorrow. Tomorrow’s cookie is the Christmas classic- which is fitting because my mom, my sisters and I made this type of cookie every year on Christmas Eve. Ahh the memories- have I mentioned that I love Christmas.

The coconut-lime bars are my replacement for the usual coconut macaroon; since I love my mom’s macaroons more than my own (I don’t have the patience for egg whites). These bars are yummy plus the addition of lime zest is a nice twist.

Coconut-Lime Bars

Ingredients
1 stick of unsalted butter melted
½ cup light-brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
Zest from 1 lime
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 package (7 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a 9 inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper, letting 2 inches hang over on 2 sides. Then butter parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of white sugar. Next add in 1 egg, continue to whisk until combined and smooth. Stir in 1 cup of flour, salt, nuts, and lime zest. Spread out evenly on parchment paper in baking pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until dough is set and lightly golden.

In another bowl, whisk together 2/3 cups of white sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Reserve ½ cup of coconut for topping, and stir in remaining coconut to the mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of flour. Once the base layer is out of the oven, spread the egg/coconut mixture on top and spread out. Top with remaining ½ cup of coconut. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs attached.) Once out of the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool. Once cooled, pull the two sides of parchment paper and lift cake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into bars (about 24 to 30 bars).

Source- Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food- December 2011 edition

Enjoy!

-K

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 20, 2011

So we are now four days away from Christmas. I hope you have most of your shopping done. Thankfully all I have left to do is wrap presents and pack for my parents’ home.

I am confused as to what today’s song verse is- is it four colly birds or four calling birds? Wikipedia seems to believe its four colly birds, but what the heck is a colly bird? And what are you going to do with four of them? Instead you should go with four pieces of salted peppermint bark.

Salt seems to be all the rave this season, rightfully so though because it is pretty amazing on sweets. I took this recipe from a few different websites and sort of mixed it together. Also, I had Nestlé toll house white chocolate chips on hand so I used those. I would recommend upgrading to a better brand of white because I had a hard time melting the white chips so I could spread them.

Salted peppermint bark
Ingredients
12 oz of good semi sweet chocolate chips
12 oz of good white chocolate

12 candy canes crushed
Kosher salt

Directions
In a double boiler melt the semi sweet chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. On a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil, spread chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate with kosher salt and stick pan in freezer. Next do the same thing with the white chocolate.

To crush the candy canes, I stuck them in my mini food processor and the sifted out the small pieces. Once the white chocolate is melted and smooth (this is the part that wasn’t working for me- I had to add a little canola oil to the white chocolate to get it smoother). Pour small pieces that you sifted out into the white chocolate and stir in. Take out the chocolate from the freezer and pour white chocolate on top spreading so that it is even. Sprinkle with the larger crushed pieces and push them in so they stick into the white chocolate. Place tray back into the freezer to harden. Once the bark is cooled, break into pieces. If it is too difficult to break in some points use a meat tenderizer corner to break it in certain spots.

*K’s tip- If you don’t own a double boiler use a sauce pan with about 1-2 inches of water with a metal or glass bowl balanced on top.

Source- adapted from Simply Scratch

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on December 19, 2011

I cannot believe it’s only 5 days until Christmas. I guess time flies when you are baking up a storm in the kitchen. What I find even more crazy is that it’s almost the end of the year too. What happened to 2011? I am officially done with my holiday baking as of yesterday and I am busy packaging everything up as gifts this week. I know, I know, all this time you thought I was going to eat all these cookies by myself. Well this is not true, I give the majority as gifts to co-workers, managers, my landlord, and friends. Then, whatever cookies I have left, I bring home with me to share with my family. At times, I feel like I may not have enough cookies with all the gifts I need to give. My boyfriend thinks I am losing it. I have taken complete control of our freezer (and our waistlines…whoops!)

Let me do a quick calculation of how many types of cookies I have made. I made 12 types, there are about 5 dozen (give or take) of each type, so that means I have about 750 cookies!

On to the main show… Ready for this??… With our best singing voices…

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Five Golden Rings. Ahh, what I consider the most desirable of the gifts from this song. Never the less, these Candy Cane Kiss cookies are soooo good…five of them though, how can you beat that?! If you haven’t tried Candy Cane Kisses yet, you are missing out. I became obsessed with them when they came out earlier this season, so when I found this recipe I knew I needed to make them.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup candy cane flavored kisses, finely chopped
Granulated sugar for dipping
Additional candy cane kisses for topping cookie
Directions
Start by preheating the oven to 350. In mixer bowl combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix together for 2-3 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix for about 2 minutes. Next stir in chopped kisses. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Once the cookies set, take out of the oven and place a candy cane kiss in the center and push down lightly. Take cookie sheet and place in the freezer so that the kisses harden. Continue with the rest of the batch. *K’s Tip- I used one cookie sheet for the freezer and then kept cooking on the same one, so I would not have to keep waiting for the cookie sheet to come out of the freezer.

Source- adapted from Recipe Girl

Enjoy!

-K