Some of our favorite holiday cookie recipes.
Weihnachtsplaetzchen
For dough: 2 ¼ sticks butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder For topping: slivered almonds, toasted 2 tablespoons butter, melted ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, and mix in eggs. Mix baking powder and flour, and add bit by bit to the butter mixture. Shape the dough into 1- to 2-inch cylinders, wrap in waxed paper, and freeze until ready to bake.
Toast the slivered almonds in a 350-degree oven until golden and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Toss with the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon.
Before baking, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Then, slice the dough into very thin rounds (1-2 mm thick) and place one inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush them with the beaten egg, top them with the almond-sugar mixture and bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
Mexican Sugar Cookies
2 sticks butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup confectioners sugar 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1 teaspoon orange zest 2 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, almond extract, almonds and orange zest. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture, then chill for 30 minutes. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and confectioners sugar and bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Thumbprint Cookies
6 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons apricot or other fruit preserves or filling
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, oil, vanilla and butter flavoring. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and gradually beat into creamed mixture.
Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on lightly-greased baking sheets. Create a deep indentation in the middle of each cookie. Bake until edges are light brown, 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and fill with preserves or other filling, such as chocolate, peanut butter or nutella.
For even more holiday sweets ideas, don’t miss our December 2017 issue, including recipes for Christmas bundt cakes and the ginger masala cookies from our cover, on newsstands now!
