Traditionally, Christmas cookies are made with sugar. It is the shape of these cookies that often make them special. The cookies are shaped as various things related to Christmas. The tradition of Christmas cookies is said to have started in Medieval Europe. It was then that ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, almonds, other dried fruits, black pepper, etc., were used in cookies. It was around the 16th century that cookies became a popular addition to Christmas festivities in all parts of Europe with different names -
Lebkuchen in Germany,
pepparkakor in Sweden and
Krumkake in Norway. With a number of cookie recipes available, you may get confused. Well, now that you have landed on this page, you do not have to look any further. This write-up will give you some easy cookie ideas that you can use this Christmas.
Quick and Easy Christmas Cookies Recipes
The recipes mentioned below will be of help to make easy cookies for Christmas.
| German Lebkuchen
Time Required to Make → 60 to 70 minutes Makes → 25 to 30 cookies |
| Like I have mentioned previously, Lebkuchen is the special Christmas cookie made in Germany. We will see an easy recipe to make German Lebkuchen. |
Ingredients Required
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup candied mixed fruit
- 1 tablespoon light sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
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Steps to Follow
- Before we start the actual recipe, preheat the oven to 325ºF and spray cooking spray on the sides and bottom of a baking pan.
- Heat brown sugar and honey in the microwave for about a minute and pour the mixture in a large mixing bowl.
- Sift 2 cups of all-purpose flour with baking powder and baking soda together.
- Then, add the flour to the honey-sugar mixture and mix well, ensuring no lumps are formed.
- Now, add candied fruit, sesame oil, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to the mixture.
- Knead the mixture well.
- Add the remaining flour to the mixture and knead the dough.
- Once the dough is well kneaded, spread it on to the baking pan evenly.
- Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- After baking, let it stand for 20 to 25 minutes before you cut it into desirable shapes and sizes.
- If you want, you can frost it using sugar glaze or eat it plain.
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| Healthy Christmas Wreath Cookies
Time Required to Make → 30 to 40 minutes Makes → 20 to 25 cookies |
| This recipe uses cornflake cereal which also makes them healthy. Without any more explanation, let's see this recipe. |
Ingredients Required
- 4 cups cornflake cereal
- ½ cup butter
- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red-hot candies
- 1 teaspoon green food color
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Steps to Follow
- Place marshmallows and butter in a double boiler and boil it till it melts.
- Without wasting any time, add food color, almond extract and vanilla extract to the marshmallows mixture, followed by cornflakes.
- Stir well and then drop one spoonful of the mixture on a wax paper.
- Place three cinnamon red-hot candies on each of the 'wreath' and let it cool.
- Once the cookies cool down, lightly grease your fingers, before you transfer the cookies. The cookies are now ready.
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| Christmas Sugar Cookies
Time Required to Make → 30 to 40 minutes Makes → 40 to 45 cookies |
| Sugar cookies are one of the favorite cookies for Christmas celebrations. Making them is not as difficult as you would assume. At the same time, the list of ingredients are easily available at home in every kitchen during the festive season. |
Ingredients Required
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Colored Icing
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Steps to Follow
- Sift all-purpose flour and baking powder together and keep it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar till the mixture is fluffy and light.
- Then, add one egg at a time and continue to beat till the mixture is fluffy and light.
- At last, add vanilla and mix well.
- Now, add the sifted flour but divide the mixture into four parts before you add it.
- Blend the mixture well till the dough is stiff.
- Divide the mixture into 4 parts and roll it out to make a cookie about a quarter-inch thick.
- Place the cookies on a greased baking pan.
- Place the baking pan in an oven preheated to 350 ºF and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Do not forget to rotate the baking pan half way through the baking process.
- Once the cookies are light brown in color, let it stay on the cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes till they cool down completely.
- After they cool down completely, use icing to decorate the cookies.
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| Gingerbread Cookies
Time Required to Make → 25 minutes Makes → 20 to 25 cookies |
| Gingerbread cookies have always been the traditional Christmas favorites. The combination of spices used to make these cookies not only makes it delicious but the fragrance will take over your entire house. The best part of these cookies is that they are very easy to make and children also love making these cookies. |
Ingredients Required
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ brown sugar
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp allspice
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 egg (separate the white from yellow)
- 1 tsp sodium bicarbonate
- plain flour for dusting
- melted butter for greasing
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Steps to Follow
- While you get the dough for the cookies ready, preheat the oven to 180ºF.
- In a bowl, beat butter and sugar together till it has a creamy texture and is pale in color.
- Then, add golden syrup followed by egg yolk and continue to beat till it is well combined.
- Now, add all-purpose flour, sodium bicarbonate, ginger and allspice to the mixture and continue to mix till the dough has a smooth texture. You will have to knead the dough on a floured surface.
- Use a wrapping film to wrap the dough and leave it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Roll out the dough between 2 baking powder sheets till the dough is about half a centimeter thick.
- Using a gingerbread cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place them on greased baking trays.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or till they are slightly brown in color.
- Once the cookies are done, place the tray on the rack to cool. You may choose to use icing on the cookies.
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These were some of the easy cookies that you will certainly enjoy on a fun Christmas evening. You may want to take a look at recipes from around the world for some more ideas. With these recipes, you will not have to spare a lot of time to make cookies. Wish you a happy festive season! Have a blast!
