Holiday cookies

Whether you are a fan of chocolate, nuts, caramel or spice, there is a holiday cookie out there for you. And thank goodness, because to get through the gift giving, family visiting and seasonal-music bombardment of the next month or so, we could all use some more sugar.

Well, not everyone likes sweets, but this is a high point of the year for those who are so inclined. Cookies, especially, are everywhere. From the workplace to classes to festive parties, people love to bake and share their favorite recipes this time of year.

Festive cookies are decadent and rich, packed with wintertime staples such as nuts and spices—warm treats for cold winter days. Chocolate is often paired with tangy citrus, or nuts might be partnered with preserved fruit. Regardless of the combination, these gems are guaranteed to be over-the-top in calories and flavor, and we all inevitably eat too many.

Holiday cookies keep well, often lasting for weeks. So even though you might not get to a goody bag your neighbor gave you until after the New Year, don’t let them go to waste.

Take advantage of that long shelf life, and get to work on your holiday cookies now. Pack them up in a decorative tin or a fancy bag, and you’ll have a few extra gifts ready for that last-minute rush.

Gingerbread cookies

2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 cup of diced candied ginger
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions: Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl, stir in diced ginger and set aside. In a mixer or by hand, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until fluffy. Add the molasses, and mix in thoroughly. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing slowly until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix in slowly until dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to an even 1/3-inch thickness. Cut out with a cookie cutter of your preference and place on baking sheet. Bake for about eight minutes until edges brown very lightly. Cool on a rack.

To finish, dust with powdered sugar or decorate with icing.

Citrus sugar cookies with almonds

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon, minced
Zest of 1 orange, minced
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside. In a mixer or by hand, cream the butter and the 1/2 cup of sugar together on high speed until fluffy, add zests and mix in thoroughly. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing slowly until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix in slowly until dough comes together. Form into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to an even 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle surface with almonds and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and roll over surface with rolling pin once more. Cut into 2-inch squares and place on baking sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, but do not let brown. Cool on a rack.

Cinnamon butter cookie sandwiches filled with orange ganache

For dough:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside. In a mixer or by hand, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing slowly until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix in slowly until dough comes together. Form into two 2-inch thick logs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and bake on a sheet pan for about five minutes, or until set, with very slight browning. Do not over-bake. Allow to cool completely.

For ganache:
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Zest of one orange
1/2 pound of semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces or chips 

Put cream in a pot with the orange zest, bring cream to a boil, then shut off heat. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then strain out zest. In a bowl, add hot cream to chocolate and stir to blend completely. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. Ganache will thicken to peanut butter consistency.

To make sandwiches, spread about a teaspoon of ganache on the underside of one cookie. Seal with another and chill, if necessary to help set.