Eeeeep! One of my favorite things to share is back — because COOKIES.
This is the sixth year I’m sharing my annual holiday baking list, which has evolved into a collection of my favorite recipes and suggestions for what you should bake this season.
I always love hearing what else I should try, so please share your ideas.
It’s changed a lot since I started six years ago. Back then I had endless hours to bake — days at a time — often baking with my grandma and keeping that tradition alive. Truthfully, I don’t always love the process of baking itself (who has time to follow long directions?), but the season makes it worth it.
We make giant cookie trays to share with family and friends all season (Eddie makes the best trays), so baking remains a holiday highlight. Last year, I barely baked besides making a baby two weeks before Christmas — though I did manage to make about six dozen chocolate chip cookies and would snack on a few each night.
This year I don’t have tons of time with a little one, but I’m planning to bake a fair amount. My plan is to prepare several doughs at once and bake them as time allows. That’s easier than blogging recipes that need multiple tests and perfect lighting.
My cousin and I also spend a day or two making treats for friends — things like candied citrus peel, homemade amaretto, cocktail bitters (those need to be started early to be ready), homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream, bacon vanilla almond brittle, the salty-sweet crack candy, and maybe a couple batches of peppermint bark. I’m also thinking about prepping two or three loaves of cinnamon orange pull-apart bread to freeze.
I can’t forget this absolutely addictive homemade snack mix — it’s one of my all-time favorites.
Here’s what I’m planning to make this year — tell me what’s on your list!
- Soft snickerdoodles (Eddie’s favorite) — and chewy chai snickerdoodles, which I’ve made repeatedly and love.
- Snickerchipdoodles — seriously, just try them.
- Perfect cut-out sugar cookies — easy to decorate with the family and lots of sprinkles.
- Peanut butter blossoms — a timeless favorite.
- Double dark chocolate peanut butter cup cookies — because chocolate and peanut butter are a must.
- DoubleTree hotel-style chocolate chip cookies — my current favorite chocolate chip.
- Peppermint pattie brownies.
- Peppermint pattie cookies — both are delightful.
- A big tray of homemade pistachio baklava.
- Mother Lovett’s pink and green thumbprint cookies.
- Mother Lovett’s orange cookies.
- Cake batter chocolate bark, and maybe another bark flavor or two.
- Soft gingersnaps — I usually double this recipe and they’re always a huge hit.
- Double chocolate cheesecake cookies — just one batch will do.
- Gooey chocolate coconut truffles.
- Mocha coconut fudge and bourbon chocolate fudge — and I’m tempted to try a peanut butter fudge as well.
Am I being overly ambitious? What am I missing from this list? I’d love to hear what you plan to bake this season — tell me below!