It’s that time of year again…we’re trimming trees, making spirits bright, all things holiday, all day long. Do you know what else we’re doing? We’re baking cookies for Santa. OK. Maybe not for Santa. More for ourselves under the guise of doing it for Santa, but whatever, who cares? We’re baking cookies and we’re happy about it.
And that’s why, dear friends, I figured I would do you a solid and put my best cookie recipes together in one simple Five Amazing Holiday Cookie Recipes for you to like and save and share. (You can thank me later).
These are all my favorites in one spot, and there is a great mix of chocolate, fruity, sweet, and buttery. Some are easier than others and some are just plain pretty (I’m looking at you Orange Basil Cookies). But no matter what, I can almost guarantee you will find something to fall in love with on this list.
And who knows, maybe you’ll even charm Santa so much with one of these recipes that he’ll surprise you with a brand new Lexus wrapped up in a giant red bow in the driveway.
A girl can dream, right?
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Rocky Road Cookies: Remember when you were a kid and you were obsessed with rocky road ice cream? And how rocky road ice cream, even when you’re adult, is about the best thing ever because it has marshmallows and nuts and all the sweet and salty goodness you can imagine? Maybe? Just me? Well, anyway, these cookies take all of the joy of that ice cream and smash it into an ooey-gooey cookie with pretzels and marshmallows and lots and lots of chocolate. They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, which happens to be my love language, and the hint of espresso makes the chocolate flavor go deep and dark and decadent. These are definitely a grown-up cookie, not that kids don’t love them, but they have a personality that belies their fun and nostalgic name. Nice but a little bit naughty, I highly recommend this one for the chocolate lovers in your life.
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Forgotten Cookies: These no-bake cookies are sleeper favorites on the blog and have been for years. The recipe hails from a friend of my aunts, but it’s a universal favorite. I find with these that there are a few people who don’t like them because 1) they’re weirdos* and 2) the texture of little pillowy clouds turns them off. (I’m talking about you, Jeff Dawson). Anyway, these cookies aren’t for those people. They are for the rest of us normal humans. Their true beauty lies in the fact don’t bake them, instead you mix ’em, drop ’em on the baking sheet, put them in the oven, turn the oven off, and forget about them. For EIGHT HOURS. That’s right. You do nothing for eight hours and at the end of that eight hours, you get a tray full of little sweet clouds dotted with chocolate chips. What’s not to love? Kids love these for the novelty factor and they make a pretty addition to any cookie tray. The only slight word of caution I have is that the recipe doesn’t make more than 15-20 cookies so if you are baking for a crowd, I recommend doubling it. Either way, unless you’re married to a cookie Grinch as I am, you’re sure to be a hit with these sweet treats.
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Chocolate Chip Cookies: I know. I know. Chocolate chip cookies are oh-so-basic. But trust me, this recipe might be for a basic cookie but it is anything but boring. The original recipe for these butter-filled goodies comes from my college roommate’s mother, who was a Martha Stewart-like kitchen goddess herself. I very specifically remember the first time I ever had one (standing in the kitchen of our creaky old apartment on Nightingale Way) and it was love at first bite. They are so buttery and so rich, they beg to be consumed with milk, or at the very least water. And they manage by some magic of cooking wonder, to stay gooey long after they’ve cooled on the racks, the chocolate always melting in your mouth and even sometimes on your hands. A step above your normal Nestle tollhouse cookie recipe, these are grown-up chocolate chip cookies that are dangerous and sinful and all the things cookies should be.
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Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies: When the kids were little we would play spontaneous games of charades during dinner. They always started out serious, with little minds and bodies trying their best to imitate Lightning McQueen or Elsa from Frozen, but would not doubt devolve into a mishmash of ridiculousness as they wound themselves up with goofiness as kids are wont to do. Without fail, as the game was winding down and the insanity was ramping up, one of my precious little angel children would no doubt lay face down on the floor, arms clenched tightly by their sides, screaming “What am I?” To which he or she would be met with a wall of giggles and the word “BUTTER” screamed in unison by the other ones. The point of this long story, of course, is that we as a family really love butter. Like, REALLY. So these cookies, which are a dense shortbread filled with rich butter and almond flavor, are quickly devoured in this house. Without the dollop of jam (which you can 100% use storebought to make it easier), they might err on the side of too buttery, as if there ever were such a thing. But the fruity component breaks through the richness really well, giving this cookie a wonderful balance and complexity. A visually attractive cookie, I love to pair this with a darker chocolate cookie on a tray for contrast and interest.
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Orange Basil Butter Cookies: Before you peace out and stop reading because you can’t imagine the word basil outside of a pasta recipe, bear with me for a minute. A long time ago, I was on team “wtf” when my mom was telling me about these cookies she had found. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the concept of putting the fresh summery herb into a sweet baked good until I tried them. They’re decadent. And unique. And complex. And a bit daring and fun, too. But the original recipe lacked the punch of orange I wanted. In order for a cookie to stand out to me, it needs to kick me in the gut and I need to identify every single flavor in every single bite. The original didn’t quite do that, it just hinted at orange rather than got up in my face with it. So, of course, I tinkered. And I also consulted the booze cabinet. Problem solved. I’m so proud of how these cookies turned out, not just in flavor, which is on point, but in how beautiful they are. I am not fancy enough to have a cookie stamp (yes, those are things that real-life people buy just in case they get a wild hair and want to make pretty cookies) so instead I, once again, consulted the booze cabinet and pulled out some of our whiskey glasses that have a pretty bottom. Makeshift stamp to the rescue. Truly, though, if you don’t have anything like that, a simple flat cookie with the flecks of basil would be enough to draw the eye and the flavor makes up for any lack of decoration on these. They’re also so different and so unique I can almost guarantee no one is going to be bringing these to the cookie exchange and stealing your limelight and they’ll also really create a buzz on a tray. My favorite, by far, these are fun and a bit off the wall. Just like me.
Welcome to BurntToast! My name is Meaghan, and this is my safe space, a place where we can share stories, share recipes and share life. It’s my dream that you can come here, kick your shoes off and pour yourself a glass of wine while you read, laugh, and maybe even hop into the kitchen. This is my heart, for all of you to see. And ALL are welcome here.