cookies!

Cookies. Oh my god, the cookies.

It’s one of those things. I love to bake. The only time I get to bake cookies with abandon is Christmas, so then I go overboard. I bite off more than I can chew every December (pun intended), leading to long nights in the kitchen and at the sewing machine for diy projects, homemade gifts, and of course–cookies.

Classics like peanut butter blossoms, russian tea cakes, and pennsylvania dutch light ginger cutouts. Rich decadent treats like caramel cashew cups, coconut white chocolate cookies, and cake batter sugar cookies. Personal traditions like chocolate stars, brandied eggnog sandwiches, and ginger molasses crinkles. And last but not least — unusual flavors and combinations that turned out so well they’re sure to reappear on the serving tray next year: red velvet cookies with cream cheese centers and besan ki barfi.

Somehow, almost a thousand cookies rolled out of my kitchen without a single picture. But. All is not lost — there is the internet (pinterest, mostly) to share my recipes.

Ready?

• Pennsylvania Dutch Light Ginger Cookies. I loved making these as a child, and since I opted to not make a rolled sugar cookie this year, I just had to make these.
• Russian Tea Cakes. This is my personal must-have Christmas cookie. They’re simple and perhaps understated, but necessary. Also called snowballs and Mexican wedding cakes.
• Peanut Butter Blossoms. I make a double batch every year so I can load my sister up–it’s her favorite. I love using chocolate stars instead of kisses on a smaller peanut butter cookie rolled in raw sugar, for a higher chocolate-to-cookie ratio.
• Caramel Cashew Cups. Expensive to make with all the cashews, but totally yummy and I will definitely make these again.
• Coconut White Chocolate Cookies. My friend and I met up bake cookies together, and this delightful batch was her idea. We rolled them in coconut before baking for extra noms.
• Brandied Eggnog Cookies. I love this cookie because it’s unique to the holidays and it’s not something you can get at a store — the perfect cookie to give away, and so many people look forward to getting them. Win-win.
• Cake Batter Sugar Cookies. I love this blog, I love this recipe. That is all.
• Chocolate Stars. I used this recipe to make cut out snowflakes with royal icing for one batch, another sandwiched together with peppermint buttercream filling, and yet another with Kahlua buttercream filling. End result? Yum.
• Ginger Molasses Crinkles. Moist, dense, and spicy. This year I used fresh ginger and let it mellow in the fridge for two days before rolling out and baking. I roll these in raw sugar, too, because I can.
• Besan Ki Barfi. Just hear me out–it’s an Indian sweet that rivals fudge. Think cardamom and pistachios with golden, nutty hints of butter. Then find yourself some ghee and besan (chickpea flour). You won’t regret it.
• Red Velvet Cookies. Instead of dipping them in white chocolate, I stuffed a frozen cream cheese bit (3/4 teaspoon) inside and rolled them in raw sugar before baking, then drizzled white chocolate on top after they were cooled. Very good–chewy and sweet. The cream cheese nugget baked just firm enough to not ooze out, and was a nice not-too-sweet surprise in the middle.
• Super Buttery Butter Pecan Cookies. I am now officially a fan of toasting nuts in butter, thanks to this lovely recipe. Simple, yet delicious.
• Peppermint swirl slice and bake cookies. A new recipe for this year, simple and colorful.

Enjoy 😀