Holiday Cookie Crunch

OK, I’ll admit it. I LOVE the holidays. Family festive atmosphere, gift giving (and receiving), music, decorations … and especially all the food. One thing I never tire of is Christmas/holiday cookies. I like the classics of course – frosted butter sugar cookies, peanut butter Hershey kiss drops, snickerdoodles, hello dollies (weird name), and of course gingerbread. To get some “new idea” recipes I thought I’d venture on to the internet and find what’s out there for this year. YIKES! The web is loaded with websites and videos filled with ideas – “68 Best Ever”, “101 Must Haves”, “45 to Die For” and more. I knew I had to share something with you, so I chose a smaller number – “34 Recipes to Try This Year” – (it’s from 2023 – I hope that’s ok). Below is the link, along with just some of my favorites. As always, if you have an incredible family recipe, please share it with me (skowalski@khtheat.com). I’m sure Jackie would help me give it a go or just push me out of the kitchen (again). For some reason, she is always less than happy with me when I snitch one of the cookies just before she puts them in the oven! I also included one of our family favorites. Although I do love the classic Snowball cookies (so good – so messy!), my absolute favorite comes with a story. When Jackie and I were first married we had really nice older neighbors. Since I’ve always been an early bird, I would shovel their drive before heading off to KHT. As a thank you, Rose (our neighbor) would bake these incredible cookies for us (ME!!) Jackie would joke with her that I loved shoveling their driveway just for the cookies! The recipe is below – be sure to give it a try! Enjoy, and thanks to foodnetwork.com for the info. 

View all recipes here!

Some favorites:
Peppermint Bark Cookies – The combination of white peppermint bark atop a chocolate cookie base equals the ultimate holiday treat. This big-batch recipe is ideal for cookie swaps, festive parties or even wrapping up as gifts. It is also easy enough for baking with the whole family. Instead of forming individual cookies, you break the giant sheet into pieces, just like you would with traditional bark.

Chocolate Dipped Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons – Sweet, tart, chocolatey and chewy- all in one cookie! We love the combination of homemade pineapple jam and bittersweet chocolate in these gluten-free macaroon thumbprints. They’re perfect for your next cookie swap! (I think I could eat a lot of these!)

S’More Rockin’ Reindeer Ravioli – These dessert ravioli feature a graham cracker dough stuffed with a chocolate and cream cheese filling. (ravioli got me).

Gingerbread Reindeer – These cookies turn gingerbread on its head—literally. Flipping gingerbread men upside down provides the perfect shape to decorate the cookies to look like reindeer. Leave some out for Santa and his reindeer and they will most certainly be impressed. 

Cookie Ball Christmas Lights – Deck your holiday table with edible Christmas lights! Blogger Beth Klosterboer of hungryhappenings.com came up with the bright idea: You just form cookie balls (made from crushed Oreos and cream cheese) into the shape of bulbs, then cover them in melted candy melts and coarse sugar. The finishing touch: silver bases made of Tootsie Rolls and coated with luster dust, and a wire of licorice lace! (if you have time, and skill, for this one, WOW!)

Kowalski Family Favorite:  Nut Filled Crescents 

Dough: 

1 cup butter 

2 cups flour 

¾ cup sour cream 

2 egg yolks, reserve egg whites 

Filling: 

1 cup sugar 

1 cups finely chopped nuts 

Cut butter into flour. Add sour cream and egg yolks. Mix until well blended. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into circle and cut into 16 pieces (like pie crust). Brush with egg whites. Mix sugar and nuts in small bowl. Sprinkle top of dough with nut mixture. Starting at outer edge, roll dough then bend into crescent shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes.