Holiday Cookie Bake, Decorate & Take
Scotcheroos
Grinch Cookies
Christmas Royal Iced (decorate your own) Sugar Cookies
Decorate Gingerbread Characters
Scotcharoos
Ingredients
▢ 1 cup light corn syrup (235ml)
▢ 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
▢ ¼ cup butter (cut into 4 pieces) (57g)
▢ 1 ½ cup creamy peanut butter (375g)
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ ¼ teaspoon table salt
▢ 6 cups crisped rice cereal (175g)
▢ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170g)
▢ 1 ⅓ cup butterscotch chocolate chips (divided) (226g)
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable shortening optional
Instructions
Line a 13×9 pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease with butter. Set aside.
In a large pot, combine corn syrup, sugar, and butter over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted and ingredients are well-combined.
Increase heat to medium-high and stir frequently. Once mixture just begins to boil (as soon as it starts bubbling) remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
Stir well until mixture is smooth.
Stir in cereal — make sure ingredients are well-combined.
Spread ingredients evenly into prepared pan. If you’re having trouble spreading the cereal, place a piece of wax paper overtop and use your hands (careful, it’s hot) or the back of a spoon to smoothly press into pan. Set aside while you prepare your chocolate topping.
In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, combine semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup (170g) butterscotch chips, and 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening, if using (this helps the chocolate spread more smoothly).
Microwave for 30 seconds, stir well, and return to microwave at 15-second increments, stirring well in between until mixture is completely melted and smooth. Set aside.
Immediately melt remaining ¼ cup (56g) butterscotch chips and ½ teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening (heat in 15 second increments, stirring between).
Spread melted chocolate/butterscotch evenly over prepared scotcharoos. Drizzle melted butterscotch chips over the chocolate and then drag a toothpick through the chocolate to create swirls.
Allow chocolate to set (about an hour at room temperature) before cutting and serving.
Grinch Cookies
Ingredients
15.25 ounces white cake mix 432 g box
8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons peppermint extract or mint extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
green gel food coloring
¼ cup powdered sugar 32 g
3 tablespoons cornstarch
red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to mix together the cake mix, butter, and eggs until well combined.
15.25 ounces white cake mix, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
Add in the peppermint (or mint) and vanilla extracts and enough green food coloring to achieve your desired color. Mix on low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick and sticky.
2 teaspoons peppermint extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, green gel food coloring
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch.
¼ cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Scoop the dough with a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar mixture to coat. (The cookie dough itself is sticky so keep that in mind.) Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the top of the cookies appear dry.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately place a heart-shaped sprinkle on each cookie, gently pressing it down so it sticks to the cookie.
red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
▢ 3 cups flour (360g)
▢ 2 teaspoons ground ginger (4g)
▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon (2g)
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cloves
▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (1g)
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt (1g)
▢ ¾ cup butter 170g) room temp
▢ ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar (150g)
▢ ½ cup molasses (118mL)
▢ 1 egg room temp
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5mL)
For the Icing:
▢ 2 egg whites
▢ 1 lb confectioners sugar (454g)
▢ ¼ tsp cream of tartar (1g)
▢ 1 tsp vanilla (5mL)
▢ 2-4 tsp water (10-20mL)
Instructions
For the Cookies:
In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, and brown sugar on medium. Mix until fluffy.
Add in the molasses, then the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
Add in flour gradually while mixing on low until a nice dough form until combined.
Divide dough into two portions and roll into disks. Cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. This step is important because the dough gets soft quickly and really needs to be thoroughly chilled.
Preheat to 350 degrees F. Roll out chilled dough to about ¼-inch in thickness.
Cut out gingerbread people/ shapes with a cookie cutter. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients
▢ 3 egg whites
▢ 1 pound confectioners’ sugar (450g)
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
Once fully incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks shiny peaks form.
Divide icing among small bowls, and dye with gel food coloring if desired. (Keep any icing that isn’t being immediately used covered with plastic wrap as it dries out very quickly.) Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.
BUTTERY CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES W/ ICING THAT HARDENS
INGREDIENTS
COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
FROSTING
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (the sugar must be sifted)
1 tablespoon milk (adding in more if needed for proper spreading consistency)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon almond extract (can use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in place of the almond)
food coloring (use your choice of colors)
DIRECTIONS
For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Set oven to 400°F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only).
On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 4-6 minutes.
Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely before icing.
For the frosting; in a small bowl mix the confectioners’ sugar with milk (start with 1-2 tablespoons, you will likely need more milk for the perfect spreading consistency).
Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until the icing is smooth and glossy (if the icing is too thick add in a small amount more of corn syrup).
Divide into as many separate bowls as you wish for different colors.
Add in food coloring until desired intensity is achieved.
Paint the icing over the cookies using a brush, or dip edges of cookies into icing.
Allow to set on waxed paper.
Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
▢ 1 cup unsalted butter
▢ 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
▢ 2 large egg yolks
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
▢ 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
▢ 1 cup almond flour, spooned and leveled
▢ ½ cup apricot or strawberry jam
▢ Optional powdered sugar for decoration
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed until creamy for about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix to combine. Stir in the egg yolks until combined. Add the salt, cinnamon, vanilla*, and lemon juice and mix just until incorporated. On low speed, stir in flour and almond flour just to combine.
Divide the dough in half and shape into 1-inch (2.6cm) thick discs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disc at a time ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick. Using a 2-inch (5cm) cookie cutter of your choice, cut out cookies and place about 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. You should end up with about 64 cookies.
Bake one sheet at a time for 9-10 minutes until they look dry. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Fill cooled cookies with jam by spreading jam on the bottom of one cookie and placing another on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
