Christmas Cookies

I love to bake.  It is about this time every year that I start baking cookies.  While other desserts will get baked closer to Christmas, cookies are something that can be made in advance.  They store well and still taste great.  So I thought I'd share some cookie baking tips.

Sugar cookies and gingerbread are the two quintessential cookies of Christmas.  I highly recommend making these cookies the day before decorating.  Something I learned in recent years is that there are two types of gingerbread.  I always assumed it had to be hard.  However, I have recently discovered a recipe for soft gingerbread that I enjoy much more.  If you put the icing on cookies when they are warm, it will melt and be difficult to work with.  Allowing the cookies to cool overnight ensures that they are completely cooled before decorating.  When making your icing, I recommend using vanilla essential oil or double the amount of vanilla extract listed in the recipe. I also recommend making up a big bowl of uncolored icing and then adding your colors to smaller bowls.  You can always mix up some more of a color if you run out, but it is difficult to change colors.  Remembering your basic color wheel will help you create the colors you are trying to make.  If you are trying to make black icing (not gray), I suggest using chocolate frosting as your base rather than vanilla.  The light color or vanilla frosting renders most black added into a shade of gray.  As a word of warning, when anyone under the age of ten helps with the decorating be prepared for a mess, spill, and/or ten pounds of frosting per cookie.  Parchment paper or baking paper work well for keeping work areas clean.  

Another favorite classic cookie is chocolate chip.  These cookies can also be baked hard or soft, based on your preference.  The type of sugar or sweetener you use will greatly affect the outcome of these cookies.  You will get  harder, more crystalized cookies with white sugar than you will with a combination of white and brown or just brown.  Using something like honey or agave nectar will also change the texture of your cookie.  This is another recipe in which I always add more vanilla than listed in the recipe.  I use a tablespoon of extract for every teaspoon listed.  If you have it available, vanilla beans or vanilla essential oils will give you an even more bold and full vanilla flavor.  Finally, never measure chocolate chips.  I like to tell people to add chocolate chips until the structural integrity of the cookie would be compromised.  I love a lot of chocolate chips in every cookie.  It is also important to remember that all chocolates melt at different temperatures.  If you are not using semisweet chocolate chips your cookies may cook faster.  You do not want to over bake!  Also, if you'd like a little twist, try freezing small (approximately two teaspoons) drops of Nutella.  Once your chocolate chip cookie dough is ready, roll it around the frozen bits of Nutella, sealing it in completely.  Bake just as you would your usual chocolate chip cookies.  

A couple other cookies we enjoy include snickerdoodles, chocolate crinkle cookies, wedding cookies, and oatmeal cookies.  One thing I enjoy about these cookies is that they don't have to be rolled out, cut, or decorated.  A little sugar is all you need to dress up these cookies.   Oatmeal cookies can be fun because the flavor combinations are endless.  I have added just cinnamon and nutmeg, but other times I will spice it up with some ginger.  Though raisins are common in oatmeal cookies, my dad doesn't like raisins.  This has prompted me to try other combinations.  I think oatmeal cookies with little bits of apple, along with some cinnamon and nutmeg, make a cookie that tastes like pie!  Orange flavor can be a bit tricky with the acidity, but oranges and cloves make an amazing combo as well.

Most of the work in making a good cookie is in the mix.  It's all about your flavors.  It is also important to follow precise baking instructions.  Over mixed or over-baked cookies are not great.  Parchment paper is a baker's best friend.  Line your cookie sheets with it.  Protect your table with it.  You can even use it to separate your cookies in storage so they don't stick together!   Baking cookies can be a great way to enjoy an activity together as a family or with friends.  Not everyone enjoys baking or experimenting with their traditional cookies.  Hopefully, if you don't enjoy making them you can at least enjoy eating them!   Always remember, if you make too many, most cookies freeze well and are good for any occasion!