Christmas Cookie Thread

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

These two guys started off having a bake-off, and ended up organizing a cookie distribution service for essential workers:

   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baking-competition-essential-workers-coronavirus-pandemic/

Funny how that works...

M.

Awesome!

[Liquidambar]

I'm doing less baking than usual, but today I'll make almond bark and pistachio cranberry biscotti.  Per the recipe, the dried cranberries will be rehydrated in orange juice.  I plan to dip the biscotti in white chocolate, so if I have any orange extract, I'll add a bit to the dipping chocolate.

[mamselle]

Swwoooooooonnnnnnnn.....

M.

[onehappyunicorn]

I know it's not cookies but I think I'm going to make a gingerbread yule log with eggnog buttercream for Christmas dinner. I've made german buttercream before, I figure if I add some fresh grated nutmeg and some rum extract that should work. I'll make some candied cranberries to go with it and we'll see if it turns out well.

[Liquidambar]

I know it's not cookies but I think I'm going to make a gingerbread yule log with eggnog buttercream for Christmas dinner. I've made german buttercream before, I figure if I add some fresh grated nutmeg and some rum extract that should work. I'll make some candied cranberries to go with it and we'll see if it turns out well.

Sounds exciting!  Yes, nutmeg+rum extract definitely gives the flavor of commercial eggnog.  I've made macarons with this combination before.  However, the rum extract doesn't taste much like actual rum, nor like high quality homemade eggnog.  I ended up not liking it.  If you like commercial eggnog, you should be pleased with how it turns out.

[Harlow2]

My mom used to make meringues each Christmas, and I found a recipe with some similarities that we love.  Nuts and lemon zest make for a richness and avoid too much sweetness.

Andalusian meringue kisses. 2 egg whites, 1/2 c plus 2 T sugar into peaks. Fold in 1/2 c toasted ground almonds and a t of finely grated lemon zest. Bake 225-300* depending on your oven. Easy to make and wonderful to eat these are from Julie Rosso's Great Good Food.

[nebo113]

Let's do a cookie exchange next year!

[mamselle]

I know it's not cookies but I think I'm going to make a gingerbread yule log with eggnog buttercream for Christmas dinner. I've made german buttercream before, I figure if I add some fresh grated nutmeg and some rum extract that should work. I'll make some candied cranberries to go with it and we'll see if it turns out well.

NOW I know what I'm going to make next.

My cousin in Belgium has these every year.

Thanks! Lovely idea!

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I made 3.25 dozen almond cookies yesterday and I'm hoping to try some of them tomorrow!

[reener06]

So nice to see this thread pick up with so many great cookie/baking ideas! I"ve been busy baking for two days and hadn't checked.

So I may have broken my record this year. I think 10 cookies, plus toffee and 2 fudge types. Here's the haul (done over 2 weeks):

-cut out lemon butter, iced and decorated
-icebox (spice)
-crescent
-gum loo
-holly
-jam thumpprint
-eggnog snickerdoodle
-dirty chai
-peanut butter balls
-kolacky
-meringues

So, the crescent and Kolacky were my grandmother's, as were the gum loo. Gum loo are weird, and I could find nothing like it on line. Clearly a Depression cookie--very little sugar, some honey. As spouse said, they taste like little odd biscuits, and actually, they are quite filling and dough-y and I'm eating for breakfast (shh, don't tell). I made these for 89 year old Dad who has been depressed. I thought these--and some of the other ones of my Mom's (icebox, holly, cut-out) might cheer him up. He won't say if they actually do but I think he'll like it.

Dirty chai and eggnog snickerdoodle (no rum extract; made with straight bourbon) were NYT this year. The dirty chai we'll do again; probably not on the snickerdoodle. Jam thumbprints were a dud, and I think I need a different recipe next year. Dirty chai a hit with college student that loves chai.

Toffee--usually I do a decent microwave recipe. This time I did the real thing on the stove sans candy thermometer. Mostly great, a little, teensy on overcooked. But with coffee, so bitter and a glaze of chocolate on one side with roasted pecans on the other is pretty damn good.

Meringues--made with peppermint extract. Yum.

Plus cranberry orange bread, and 2 challahs. Tomorrow is a yule log--the one mentioned above sounds amazing. But we do a basic vanilla with almond flavored whip cream and shredded dark chocolate on top. I think candied orange peel would be yummy too but I"m pretty tired.

Thanks for some inspiration.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Those sound wonderful, reener!

[onehappyunicorn]

https://imgur.com/gallery/NjzQEcO

Turned out pretty well.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

https://imgur.com/gallery/NjzQEcO

Turned out pretty well.

That looks yummy! I like the sugar-coated cranberries.