This article lists and describes the best cookies to make during the holidays.
There’s nothing better than a warm cookie fresh out of the oven, especially around the holidays. Whether you choose to package them up as gifts or keep them around your house for a sweet treat, holiday baking is a wonderful and delicious way to spread cheer spread cheer to everyone around you. Ranging from classics that you know and love to unconventional combinations, here are the best cookies to bake around the holidays.
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
You can never go wrong with a traditional cut-out sugar cookie. The best part about this holiday staple is its versatility. You can customize these cookies to your liking depending on what shape you want, what color frosting and any other decorations you might like. From trees and snowmen to hippos and gnomes, there are a variety of cookie cutters out there. You can find them at Target, Amazon or other department stores.
Skip the premade cut-out sugar cookies from the grocery store that could borderline break a tooth. Making sugar cookies fresh at home is the best way to ensure a soft and chewy delectable treat. Not to mention it’s a fun activity that can be done with everyone. Put on your favorite holiday playlist and decorate cookies with your friends and family for a lighthearted get-together.
Pretzel M&M Hugs
While not a traditional “cookie,” pretzel M&M Hugs are a festive and delicious sweet that are a guaranteed hit at every holiday party. A mouthwatering combination of sweet and salty, pretzel M&M Hugs should become an essential part of your next baking session. Similar to the sugar cookies, these fun treats are customizable.
These treats are simple, easy and delicious. All the ingredients are in the title: pretzels, M&M’s, and Hershey’s Hugs. The hardest part of the recipe is unwrapping the Hugs, but you won’t regret putting in a few extra minutes to make this poppable dessert. They make great gifts, too. Simply wrap them up in a cellophane bag with a ribbon to have your next hostess gift ready to go.
Make sure to sample a few for yourself while wrapping them up. Quality control, of course.
Thumbprint Cookies
It wouldn’t be the holidays without a classic thumbprint cookie. These beautiful cookies have the appearance of a sophisticated and professionally made treat without any of the hassle. The buttery base melts in your mouth with a slight tang from the jam and a sweet finish from the glaze, making them one of the best cookies of the season.
You can put your own spin on these confections depending on what type of jam you prefer. The most traditional is raspberry, but you can experiment with a variety of different flavors, such as strawberry, apricot, blackberry and many more.
The recipe linked uses almond extract in both the cookie and the glaze, but if that’s not your jam, vanilla extract works just as well.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut butter lovers rejoice: these cookies will become the holy grail of your holiday season. With a Hershey Kiss delicately sitting on top of a soft cookie rolled in sugar, Peanut butter blossoms are a heavenly blend of peanut butter and chocolate.. If you make sure to put the chocolate on when they’re fresh out of the oven, the Kiss will slightly melt, acting as a glue to keep it on top of the cookie.
Pro tip: If you are looking for an extra burst of peanut butter, use Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of Hershey’s Kisses. While you won’t have the aesthetically pleasing look of a dollop of chocolate on top, you will have a mouthful of peanut butter chocolate delight. Be careful where you bring these, though, because you will get requests for them all year long.
Snowballs — The Best Cookies to Bake During the Holiday Season
A personal favorite among family and friends is snowballs. These cookies could not get any easier but still manage to leave you craving for more. Also known as wedding cookies, snowballs crumble and melt in your mouth due to their use of powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar within the cookie. They pair perfectly with a steaming cup of hot cocoa or coffee. Extra points if your beverage has a mound of whipped cream on top.
The cookie’s delicate dusting of powdered sugar on the outside is the cherry on top, making it a perfect winter treat as it resembles a snowball. The buttery and slightly nutty flavor is addictive and surely adds these treats to the list of best cookies for the holiday season. You always have to make sure to dust yourself off after snacking on a few to wipe away any remnant powdered sugar.
The list of holiday cookies could go on and on, but the five mentioned here are always crowd favorites because of their delicious yet simple recipes. Because there are so many cookies to choose from, an honorable mention is saltine cracker toffee. Even though it may seem ludicrous to use saltines in a cookie recipe, their brittle texture and salty flavor make the perfect base for a crunchy toffee, especially when they’re smothered in sugar.
Despite the fact that it might seem like a trivial activity, holiday baking is a lot more than simply assembling a bountiful supply of cookies. Whether you’re methodically rolling out dough balls, meticulously spooning out jam or aggressively mixing ingredients, it’s all a labor of love. It’s more fun if you have a group of people assembling cookies together, but even if you are working alone, there is nothing like seeing the joy on another person’s face when you give them homemade treats. A festive platter or tin filled with these treats is a surefire way to get a smile out of anyone. Whipping up a few of the best cookies of the holiday season is one of the best ways to show someone you’re thinking about them.
