It's that time... the 2024 Christmas Cookie List

 

Briefly popping in to the mostly-neglected recipe blog to update my 2024 Christmas Cookie List.
I really should say 'idea' list though as I brainstormed a list a couple weeks ago, but more than likely will change and adapt it as I go along.  There are currently 17 recipes on the list but I usually end up making between 22-26 so I know I'll have more when I make up the trays and boxes.  

2024 Current Christmas Cookie Idea List

1. Russian Tea Cakes (or sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cakes)
2. Angel Bars
3. Cream Wafers
4. English Toffee (maybe)
5. Harris Fruitcake
6. Gateau Bonbons
7. Pretzel Bites with Rolos, Kisses and M&M's
8. Peppermint Meltaways
9. No Bake Cookies
10. Peanut Blossoms
11. Peanut Butter Fudge
12. Salted Nut Chews
13. Sugar Cookies - Trees for sure, maybe Mittens and Hats too.
14. A second style Tree shaped sugar cookie
15. Molasses Cookies
16. Macarons
17. Chocolate Chip Cookies with Red and Green M&M's

Reposting an older blog post page because I already have links included on that year's list and I don't feel like taking all the time/work to link anything right now.  PAGE:  https://www.housewifebarbie.com/p/blog-page_2.html

  Almond Macrons
  Mexican Wedding Cakes (or Russian Tea Cakes)
  Fruitcake Bars (no bake)
  Molasses Ginger Cookies
  Homemade Chocolate Truffles
  Cream Horns (easy with Puff Pastry!)
  Cut out Sugar Cookies with an easy Glaze
  Peppermint Meltaway Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes
  Homemade Girl Scout Style Thin Mints
  M&M Kiss Pretzels
  Cream Wafers
  Peppermint Pretzels
  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
  Melted Snowman Cookies
  Stenciled Icing Sugar Cookies
  Peanut Blossoms
  Peanut Butter Fudge
  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
  Red Velvet Cake Balls
  Gateau Bon Bons
  Swedish Rosettes
  Peppermint Teacakes
  Salted Nut Chews
Sugar Free, Low Carb Cinnamon Spice Cookies
Sugar Free Mexican Wedding Cakes
Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Tin Cookies
Mittens and Winter Hat Sugar Cookies

 

 

Homemade - Airheads and Skittles

 

 

Basically just 'taffy' but flavored with some citric acid as well as whatever flavors you wish.  

 

Since I keep a well stocked pantry, I have citric acid.  I also have LorAnn flavors like cherry and grape oil extracts.  I have organic orange extracts and raspberry and strawberry emulsion.  I had a couple packs of cherry and grape Kool-Aid.  I also have some 'True Lime' flavor packets.  Lemon extract?  I've got that too.  Freeze dried strawberries and raspberries?  Yep - I can pulverize those as well.

In the end the taffy was made.

Divided into 2 parts.

One flavored like red Skittles (I used a whole mixture of things to do so - and just kept taste testing).  Mostly strawberry and raspberry emulsion flavoring along with black cherry Kool-Aid and bit of cherry oil flavoring from Wilton.

The other was colored white and I used orange extract. 

(The final orange color and bright red would be after they were coated with a hard shell candy glaze.)

 

The hardest and most mind-numbingly boring part was making the tiny dots to become Skittles.
To make the little candies, let them dry and then I have to make the hard candy shell.

After awhile I just decided it was really like Air Heads tangy taffy (or a really tangy Laffy Taffy) if I left it in larger pieces so right now on the counter we have both.

I also realized I cooked the red version about 2 minutes longer than the white version, as I was adding flavorings while they were in the saucepans.  The red is just a tiny bit more firm - and the white a little too soft.  But when I tasted them together I realized I had a huge 'hit' of taste on my hands so now I've mixed most of them together anyway as the flavor is incredible.

It started raining and storming yesterday - STILL raining and the humidity level is so high the little Skittle dots aren't getting hard yet anyway... so I'm in no hurry to finish and coat them with the hard candy shell yet anyway.

Considering everyone loves them and keeps grabbing some of the taffy every time they walk through the kitchen, I'm pretty sure if I leave it all out sitting there for a couple days until the sunshine warms things up and the humidity level goes down, it will be mostly gone and I won't have to keep  making tiny little homemade Skittles after all.   :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hundreds of Christmas Cookie Recipes - lists and photos and links... oh my!

Older post, re-posting for 2022!

For the past 12 years or so I think the average number of different recipes I make is somewhere around 24-26.  

 

 

I've been doing this for SO LONG that I don't really care to re-invent the lists and posts yet AGAIN. Seriously... I think this particular version of my site goes back to 2006.  Instead... I'll just cut and paste of the many lists I've made at some point in the past, as well a few random photos of goodies and links - no particular order or reason.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE JUST USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION ON THE PAGE OR CLICK ON THE CHRISTMAS OR COOKIE OR CAKE OR DESSERT LABELS.

December 1st:  Molasses Cookies
December 2nd:  Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
December 3rd:  Peppermint Pinwheels
December 4th:  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
December 5th:  Peppermint Teacakes
December 6th:  Peanut Butter Patties
December 7th:  Peanut Butter Fudge
December 8th:  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
December 9th:  Swedish Rosettes
December 10th:  Cream Wafer Cookies
December 11th:  Cherry Poppy Seed Winks
December 12th:  Peppermint Pretzels
December 13th:  Candy Pretzels
December 14th:  Homemade Truffles
December 15th:  Cream Horns
December 16th:  The Best Brownies
December 17th:  Red Velvet Cake Balls
December 18th:  Glazed Sugar Cookies
December 19th:  Gateau Bon Bons
December 20th:  No Bake Chocolate Bars
December 21st:  Peppermint Meltaways
December 22nd:  Melted Snowman Cookies
December 23rd: No Bake Fruitcake Bars
December 24th:  Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Cookies

 

 RANDOM LINKS FROM OVER THE YEARS......... 2006 - 2020

  

 

 

 

 

Baking Spirits Bright for 2022 - Christmas Cookies and Candies

 

Cookie Ideas and recipe links:   Baking Spirits Bright in 2022 

 

 

Christmas Goodies for 2022 - PLUS my almond chocolate truffle recipe

 

ALMOND TRUFFLES - so, my almond truffles have a creamy almond flavored center (no hard nut) and are a staple around our house for years and years.  It's funny that each time I post about them on my site I mention I should take some new photos, as I just usually use the ones I already have - like I did on the post about the truffles from 2018. (Truffle post link here)

But this year I DID take new photos!  OK - so I quickly snapped a couple on my cell phone.. and they suck but this site isn't about pretty photos - it's about the food.  :)

Creamy Almond Truffles

Almond Truffles

1/2 c evaporated milk
1/4 c sugar
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 t almond extract
1 c finely chopped toasted almonds
OR 1 cup melted chocolate almond bark for dipping (or extra chocolate chips)
and melted white almond bark for drizzling

Combine evaporated milk and sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in chips and almond extract, stirring gently until smooth. Chill mixture about 45 minutes until it can easily be shaped into balls. Roll into the crushed nuts or dip in melted chocolate. Drizzle or sprinkle with nuts if desired. Chill to harden quickly.

NOTES:  Normally I just do the typical truffle 'ball' shape. It's quick.  It's easy.  It's easy recognizable as a truffle.  But this year I mixed it up a little by making shapes.  Then, I realized I had some leftover royal icing in a decorator bag sitting right there on the counter from another cookie, so I grabbed it and topped them all with a dollop. 

They turned out really pretty and it's nice to do something different with them after all these years.  Same recipe - just played with the shapes. 

 

 You can see the truffles sitting behind this box of goodies...

Pink and White Circus Truffles: Frosted Animal Cracker Cookie Truffles

Originally posted in June, 2022
Repost November 2022 to gear up for Christmas baking!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that I whipped up some quick truffles last week for a mini family reunion we were hosting at our home this weekend. 

I'm a big fan of the actual Mother's brand Circus Animal Cookies (Frosted Animal Crackers) and could eat an entire bag myself, easily.  When I initially decided I wanted to make truffles instead of my typical chocolate chip cookies, I first figured I'd just make the regular almond truffles I know everyone loves, but then thought maybe instead, I should do the Oreo version as well to mix it up a bit.  But... meh. 

When it comes to quick and easy cookie truffles, a regular 'go to' is the Oreo version but it's just as simple to make them with 'Nilla Wafers, animal crackers or obviously - frosted animal crackers like the original (and best version, in my opinion) Circus Animals.

It's basically just pulverizing the cookie, adding enough frosting or cream cheese to hold it together, forming balls and dipping in candy coating.

And... that's what you do!

 

Frosted Animal Cracker Truffles

Frosted Animal Crackers (like Mother's Brand Circus Animals) (9 oz)
Cream Cheese or white or pink frosting (2 oz)
Pink candy coating (1 small pkg)
White candy coating (1 small pkg)
Muli-colored sprinkles

To each 9 oz. bag of animal cookies you'll want to use about 2 ounces of either frosting or cream cheese.  The amount you make is up to you.  I used 2 bags of Circus Animal Cookies and about 6-ish ounces cream cheese.   

Separate the pink and white cookies from each bag you are using.  Pulverize the white cookies in a food processor and add about 2-3 ounces white frosting or cream cheese and pulse just until it forms a ball.  Repeat with the pink.  If your dough is a bit too sticky to work with, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until you can form balls. The sprinkles in the white tend to turn it a pale 'green' tint.

Using about 1/2 teaspoon, scoop out little bits and roll in tiny balls, both pink and white, placing on parchment paper lined trays.  Freeze for about 20 minutes, and then use a white ball to smash a little and form it around a pink ball and place back on parchment.  Repeat until you've used about half of them and then reverse the process and smoosh a pink one to form around a white center.  If you want skip this step and do single color bites, (faster) just form 3/4" balls out of the white and pink cookie dough as you wish.  

Freeze your balls for about 30 minutes.  Prepare your candy melts by following directions on the packages.  Use a bowl for white and a bowl for pink (separate).  Usually this means microwaving on defrost or 50% power for 1 minute at a time and stirring and mashing between minutes until smooth and melted.

Dip half the balls pink and half white.  Be sure to sprinkle with multi-colored candy sprinkles immediately while they are wet because as they are frozen, they set up very, very quickly.

At the very end you can use the remaining melts to splatter and drizzle across and over the truffles.

You can keep these in the refrigerator for a week easily.  Mine were also out on the counter for 2-3 days, no problem.  

Some are multi color centered (right) and when I ran out of white dough but still had more pink, I did the rest solid pink.  Each are dipped in the opposite color candy coating.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Sugarfree, low-carb, keto Peanut Butter Cups

 

These are the sugar free versions - substituting erythritol and monkfruit sweetener for the sugar and sugarfree chocolate chips for the regular.  The coconut oil takes the place of melted shortening usually called for - and yes, you can use melted shortening if you don't have coconut oil.

 

Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 - 1/3 c sweetener of choice
1/4 c almond flour
1 t vanilla
1 cup (ish) sugar free chocolate chips
1 T MCT or coconut oil, or melted shortening or real butter

Beat the peanut butter, sweetener, almond flour and vanilla.  Roll in balls approximately 3/4" each.  Place in a mini muffin tin, lined with small candy/cupcake liners.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 45 seconds, stir a bit, melt another 30 seconds, stir.  As soon as they are melted, add the coconut oil (or butter, shortening) and mix well.  Spoon melted chocolate over the peanut butter filling.  Place the mini muffin tin in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

NOTE:  When and if I make these for people other than my own family and myself, I make the melted chocolate first, and dab a little in the bottom of the cup, then add the peanut butter filling, then top with the chocolate.  This ensures a fully encompassed bite of filling with the chocolate cover.  But for the ease of quick, easy and who cares what they look like for everyday?  I skip the bottom dollop.  Mostly they are covered anyway.

The peanut butter filling (use peanut butter with no sugar added if you need keto)

 

 

 

Roll with your hands or use a tiny little scoop

 

I wanted to use up the last of my MCT oil in this container, and added a bit but real butter to make up the rest needed.

The tops dolloped with melted chocolate and ready for the freezer

When you take them out of the freezer, hardened, you can peel the paper liner off.  If you've used coconut oil or MCT oil, the chocolate melts pretty quickly with the warmth of your fingers if you are hot handed.  :)
 

 

 

 

Animal Cracker (Circus Cookies) Truffles.... pink and white truffles with sprinkles

I'm a big fan of the actual Mother's brand Circus Animal Cookies (Frosted Animal Crackers) and could eat an entire bag myself, easily.  When I initially decided I wanted to make truffles instead of my typical chocolate chip cookies, I first figured I'd just make the regular almond truffles I know everyone loves, but then thought maybe instead, I should do the Oreo version as well to mix it up a bit.  But... meh. 

When it comes to quick and easy cookie truffles, a regular 'go to' is the Oreo version but it's just as simple to make them with 'Nilla Wafers, animal crackers or obviously - frosted animal crackers like the original (and best version, in my opinion) Circus Animals.

It's basically just pulverizing the cookie, adding enough frosting or cream cheese to hold it together, forming balls and dipping in candy coating.

And... that's what you do!

 

Frosted Animal Cracker Truffles

Frosted Animal Crackers (like Mother's Brand Circus Animals)
Cream Cheese or white or pink frosting
Pink candy coating
White candy coating
Muli-colored sprinkles

To each 9 oz. bag of animal cookies you'll want to use about 2 ounces of either frosting or cream cheese.  The amount you make is up to you.  I used 2 bags of Circus Animal Cookies and about 6-ish ounces cream cheese.   

Separate the pink and white cookies from each bag you are using.  Pulverize the white cookies in a food processor and add about 2-3 ounces white frosting or cream cheese and pulse just until it forms a ball.  Repeat with the pink.  If your dough is a bit too sticky to work with, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until you can form balls. The sprinkles in the white tend to turn it a pale 'green' tint.

Using about 1/2 teaspoon, scoop out little bits and roll in tiny balls, both pink and white, placing on parchment paper lined trays.  Freeze for about 20 minutes, and then use a white ball to smash a little and form it around a pink ball and place back on parchment.  Repeat until you've used about half of them and then reverse the process and smoosh a pink one to form around a white center.  If you want skip this step and do single color bites, (faster) just form 3/4" balls out of the white and pink cookie dough as you wish.  

Freeze your balls for about 30 minutes.  Prepare your candy melts by following directions on the packages.  Use a bowl for white and a bowl for pink (separate).  Usually this means microwaving on defrost or 50% power for 1 minute at a time and stirring and mashing between minutes until smooth and melted.

Dip half the balls pink and half white.  Be sure to sprinkle with multi-colored candy sprinkles immediately while they are wet because as they are frozen, they set up very, very quickly.

At the very end you can use the remaining melts to splatter and drizzle across and over the truffles.

You can keep these in the refrigerator for a week easily.  Mine were also out on the counter for 2-3 days, no problem.  

Some are multi color centered (right) and when I ran out of white dough but still had more pink, I did the rest solid pink.  Each are dipped in the opposite color candy coating.