Favorite Christmas Cookies

Baking for friends and family during the holidays is a tradition I’ve carried on from my sweet Meme so I pulled together my favorite Christmas Cookies into one sweet post.

I typically set aside a day or two (or three if you have boys at home eating them as fast as you cook them) and bake away.  I could not pick just one so I’m sharing the three most consistent cookies made each year.

Meme’s Chocolate Cookies

The overwhelming favorite item I make is my Meme’s chocolate cookies. These little bite size cookies are really hard to resist and my Meme made them every Christmas for her friends and family and I took over about 18 years ago.  The first year I baked these her recipe card read Dime Brand Milk and I was clueless but thankfully my other grandmother was able to clue me in.
While super easy to make, these cookies are slightly temperamental depending on the Texas weather and I learned through trial and error you absolutely cannot use non-stick spray on the cookie sheets or they will turn out completely flat.  Finding out about parchment paper from a friend was the best thing that ever happened to these cookies!

Meme's Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup pecan halves
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except flour and pecan halves in a microwaveable safe dish and place in the microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring between until melted.  Stir in flour and pecan halves.  Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for best results.  Bake for 10 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

I make these because they are delicious and pretty much make themselves. All you need is chocolate almond bark and dry roasted peanuts and you have a winner.  Regular peanuts will not do the trick…the dry roasted are a must for the perfect combo of salty and sweet.  Melt the almond bark in the microwave in a large bowl and then add the peanuts and stir.

Last year I did make these using roasted almonds and they were a fun change.  This year I may try with plain pecans and dust the top with some sea salt my friend Chrissy gifted me.

I melt the chocolate in 1 minute increments in the microwave; stirring in between.  I typically continue to add peanuts and stir until all are covered in chocolate.  It is really just a matter of what chocolate to peanut ratio you prefer.  Drop by spoonful onto wax paper and let dry and you have a perfect little treat that does not take hours in the kitchen to accomplish.

Pecan Sandies

These little white cookies take a little more time to make but they are a nice addition to our Christmas goodies and they are melt in your mouth good.  Perfect with a cup of coffee on Christmas morning for sure!

Pecan Sandies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Directions

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until combined. Beat in 1 tablespoon water and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour and pecans.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Transfer to a rack to cool.  Gently shake cooled cookies in a plastic bag with powdered sugar.

I typically package up cookies for family and friends and label pop a fun printable on top.  Here is a quick one I pulled together in Pic Monkey in case you want to save it to use for your treats this holiday season!  All you need to do is add your family name to the gold circle and you are good as, well, gold!

Sweet Friends Blank

Do you have a favorite cookie to share during the holidays?  I’d love to hear about it! 

Favorite Christmas Cookies

Favorite Christmas Cookies
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