When it comes to the holidays, I am usually a very traditional kind of gal.  I usually cook and bake the foods that I had as a child and I rarely wander off of that course.  For Thanksgiving, I make a HUGE dinner that consists of only things that I had as a child.  The turkey is prepared the same way (because part of me fears that if I deviate, I will regret it.  And a turkey is a big bird to have as a regret).

Over the past 4 years, however, I have started trying many different things for Christmas.  For example, I started a tradition that we call The Five Days of Decadence where December 20-25th I make 5 decadent dinners and desserts.  (I didn’t get around to doing it this year because of the whole moving and unpacking thing, but I’ll write about it next year!)  And instead of having either ham or turkey Christmas day like when I was a kid, I make lamb.  And for someone as unwilling to try new traditions as myself, I have really enjoyed this new tradition.

Christmas cookies are one of the things that I stick with tradition.  I always make Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Sugar Cookies as well as Gingerbread Men.  That’s it.  Even though there are hundreds of other cookies recipes out there that are terrific for the holidays, I stick with those because they evoke memories of being a kid sitting by the tree and having warm cookies and milk after dinner.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law got my this cookbook for Christmas.  I was surprised at how much I adore this cookbook.  No really.  I LOVE this cookbook and every November, I get all giddy when I get to pull it out and start planning my Five Days of Decadence and pondering the desserts and breads.  This year I pondered the cookies.  I didn’t get very adventurous because I didn’t have a lot of things on hand to deviate from my usual and I didn’t want to go to the store.  But I DID deviate.  I added two new cookies to my roster, and I’m glad that I did.

Before I start talking about the actual cookies, I’d like to share with you two tools that make my holiday baking experience so much more pleasant.

This cookbook stand is wonderful (have I written about it before?)  It stands the cookbooks up so I’m not leaning over them, and it has a plastic cover to both protect the pages (I get goop all over my cookbooks) and to hold the book open is the binding is too tight.  I love this thing.

I can’t find it on the website from which I originally bought this, but here’s a few places where you can get one of your own.

My KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  This thing has become indispensable to me when it comes to baking.  It whips up a batch of cookie dough in the blink of an eye.  And for clean up between different batches I just full my sink with hot soapy water and do a quick clean of the paddle and bowl so that I can start a new batch the second the old batch has finished.

I won’t lie, these are pricey.  I usually don’t like to recommend pricey things because I don’t live like that and I like to put my money to good use, but trust me:  this is a good investment.  Have a look.

And now, on to the cookies!  As you may have notices, this post’s pictures are much larger than usual.  That’s because it’s about Christmas cookies!  I want you to be able to have a face-full of cookies just by looking at this blog.  I’ll start with the two new cookies that I’ve added this year and finish with my usuals!

Molasses Spice Cookies

Favorite Brand Old-Fashioned Holiday Recipes (2004)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg, beaten

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup granulated brown sugar or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease cookie sheets; set aside. <–Somer’s Hint:  Use parchment paper on your cookie sheets instead of grease.  The cookies won’t stick and clean up is a lot easier.

Beat granulated sugar and shortening about 5 minutes in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and egg; beat until fluffy.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mustard and salt in medium bowl.  Add to shortening mixture; mix until just combined.

Place brown sugar in shallow dish.  Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely.  YIELD:  6 dozen cookies.

These are delicious cookies.  I think next year I’ll make them for Thanksgiving!

Buttery Almond Cutouts

Favorite Brand Old-Fashioned Holiday Recipes (2004)

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 tsp. almond extract, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

4-1/3 cups AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tblsp. milk

1 Tblsp. light corn syrup

Assorted food colorings

Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add sour cream, eggs, 2 tsp. almond extract and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat just until well blended.

Divide dough into 4 pieces; flatten each piece into a disc.  Wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap.  refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Combine powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and remaining 1 tsp. almond extract in small bowl; stir until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Working with 1 disc of dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut dough into desired shapes using 2-1/2 inch cookie cutters.  Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are brown.  Remove from baking sheets to wire racks to cool.  <–Somer’s Hint:  This is a very sticky dough so be sure to really flour your preparation surface and also dust a generous amount of flour on the top of the dough before you roll it out.

Separate powdered sugar mixture into 3 or 4 batches in small bowls; tint each batch with desired food coloring.  Frost cookies.  <–Somer’s Hint: This is not a lot of frosting and you may need to make more.  A quick and easy way to frost these cookies is to put the frosting into microwave-safe bowls and microwave for 10-30 seconds.  The icing gets runny and instead of using a knife or spatula to ice the cookie, simply dip the face of the cookies into the thinned frosting and use a spatula to scrape off any excess.  It goes by very quickyl this way. YIELD:  About 3 dozen cookies.

These cookies were the last to be finished, but I can tell that they will be the first cookies gone.  They are crazy good.  My husband and son are constantly stealing away to the dining room to sneak one of these.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Edition (2003)

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2-1/2 cups AP flour

1 12-oz. package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (filberts).  Optional (I never use nuts!)

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda.  Beat until mixture is combines, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Stir in chocolate chips, and , if you’re crazy, nuts.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  YIELD:  about 60 cookies

This recipe does not yield pretty cookies.  But I don’t care.  They taste awesome and I look forward to making them every Christmas (I also make them throughout the year because I LOVE them).

Oatmeal Cookies

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Edition (2003)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)  (I use it!)

1/4 tsp. ground cloves (optional)  (I use it, too!)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1-3/4 cups AP flour

2 cups rolled oats

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and cloves.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Stir in rolled oats.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Somer’s Note: You won’t see any raisins being added to this.  YUCK.

As a kid, these were a great excuse to eat cookies for breakfast.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Edition (2003)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey (I used honey)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cups AP flour

Granulated sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the granulated sugar, honey, baking soda, and baking powder.  Beat until combines, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  If necessary, cover and chill dough until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll in additional granulated sugar to coat.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.  Bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  YIELD:  about 36 cookies

Not only are these great holiday cookies, but they are also my “I’ve had a bad day” cookies.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Edition (2003)

2/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 Tblsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups AP flour

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer in medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  If necessary, cover and chill dough 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick.  Using a 2-1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut dough into desired shapes.  Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned.  Transfewr to a wire rack and let cool.  If desired, frost with icing.  YIELD:  about 36 cookies

A simple frosting, colored sugar, and cinnamon candies go a long way.  For the simple frosting,combine 4 cups confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup milk.  Play with it for desired thickness by adding more confectioners’ sugar or more milk.

Gingerbread Men

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Edition (2003)

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 Tblsp. vinegar

2-1/2 cups AP flour

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill dough about 3 hours or until easy to handle.

Grease cookie sheet (parchment paper!); set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick.  Using a 2-1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes.  Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in 375 degrees F. oven for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool.  If desired, decorate cookie with icing and candies.  YIELD:  36-48 cookies.

The cookie on the top right makes me laugh.  He looks like a bondage fetish gingerbread man!  I love these cookies.  They are cute and very tasty.  And oh, so festive!

Enjoy!