More Than a Yule Log: Holiday Dessert Recipes

Spook Cooks
Spook Cooks
Norwegian kinder baking kükies. | Photo via Flickr Commons

We all feel the pressure of the holidays. It’s the time of year that brings work parties, gift and cookie exchanges, and the dreaded in-law gatherings.  Regardless of what you celebrate, we all have something to prep for and it can certainly feel like a ton of pressure. Well, first of all, take a deep breath. While I can’t help you with everything, I can provide a dessert menu.  Assembled here are some of my favorite holiday recipes—guaranteed to gain you brownie points. This holiday is your turn to shine, with just a few simple recipes.

Pecan Ball Cookies

While they’re not a classic holiday treat, pecan ball cookies are a Christmas tradition in my household. A project shared with my mother and sister, no Christmas season is complete until we have made these delightfully-delicious cookies.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1)     Preheat oven to 350°F.

2)     Toast Pecans: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool and then place them, along with 2 tablespoons of flour, into a food processor. Process until they are finely ground.

3)     In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) using an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.

4)     Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour or until firm.

5)     Form the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches part a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

6)     Prepare a plastic bag with 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar. Take the hot cookies and place in bag, 3-4 at a time. Shake bag gently, until cookies are entirely covered in sugar. Place cookies onto a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining cookies.

7)     Eat and enjoy!

 

 Basic Sugar Cookies

This recipe, while simple, is a staple in any baking arsenal. Perfect for just making round cookies—but try rolling them out to cut fun shapes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
3 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 cup flour

1)     Preheat oven to 375°F.

2)     Cream shortening and sugar in a medium mixing bowl.

3)     Add egg, vanilla and milk, mixing well. Next add salt, baking powder and flour; blend well.

4)     Now, you can do one of two things. If you want plain, round sugar cookies, simply place 1 tbsp balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. If you plan to make festive shapes, follow the remaining instructions.

5)     Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to an hour.

6)     Roll out on floured surface; flour the rolling pin to make it easier to roll out the dough. Cut the dough or use cookie cutters for desired shape. If dough is too soft to handle when you roll it out, work some flour into the dough. Just a little bit is all that is needed. Place shapes on a greased cookie sheet for about 12 minutes.

7)     For a fun, extra festive cookie you can sprinkle colored sugar sprinkles or frost the cookies. Then simply eat and enjoy!

 

Linzer Tart Cookies

Another favorite of mine, these cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and tangy— just enough to win anyone’s heart.

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched or sliced almonds

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

Lemon zest (1 lemon)

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1/2 cup raspberry preserves (you can use other preserve or jam flavors, I just like raspberry)

Makes about 20 2-inch sandwiched cookies.

1)     Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2)     Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes (or until lightly browned and fragrant). Once the nuts have cooled, place in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground.

3)     In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.

4)     In a different bowl, beat the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer, roughly 3 minutes. Next, beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Then beat in the ground almonds.

5)     Add the flour mixture, beating just until well-mixed. Divide the dough in half and shape into two rectangles about 1/2 inch thick.

6)     Wrap the two rectangles of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour, and up to a day).

7)     Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch round cookie cutter cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter (round, or a fun shape such as a star, 3/4 – 1 inch) to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet (you will be sandwiching two cookies together with the jam).

8 )     Re-roll any scraps and cut out the cookies. Repeat step 7 with the remaining half of the cookie dough.

9)     Bake the cookies for 12 – 14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

10)  While the cookies are cooling, place the raspberry jam in a small saucepan and heat it gently until slightly thick. Strain if there are any lumps in the jam and then let cool.

11)  Time to assemble the cookies! Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with powdered sugar.

12)  Take the cookies without cut-outs, and spread with about a 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of jam.  Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smudge the confectioners’ sugar.  Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

 

Gingerbread Men

This little recipe is a holiday classic and guaranteed to perfectly sweeten any gathering.

Ingredients:

Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray)

Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used.

Confectioners Frosting (Optional):

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp milk or light cream

1)     Preheat oven to 350°F

2)     In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.

3)     In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until mixed in.

4)     Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least two hours—or even overnight).

5)     On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies.  Place cookies onto a greased baking sheet, placing about 1 inch apart. If cookies are a little soft, place the baking sheet (with the cookies) in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from losing their shape.

6)     Bake for about 8 – 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. They are cooked when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown.

7)     Decorate or enjoy plain!

 Confectioners Frosting: 

1)     Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and well blended.

2)     Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater.

3)     Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

 

Toffee Bars

Tired of cookies or just want a taste of chocolate? These toffee bars will be perfect. Sweet and just a little bit sticky, they are a delicious addition to any holiday party.

Ingredients:

Toffee Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Makes about 16 squares.

 Topping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1)      Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.

2)      Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the nuts cool completely and then chop.

3)      Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Then add the salt and flour and mix just until mixed.

4)       Spread the shortbread evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the shortbread is golden brown with well-browned edges.

5)      Remove from oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the hot shortbread. Return the shortbread to the oven for a minute or two, just until the chocolate softens. Remove from the oven and evenly spread the chocolate with the back of a spoon.

6)      Sprinkle the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.

7)      Once the chocolate has set, lift the shortbread from the pan using the edges of the foil. Place on a cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!

Sources:

www.joyofbaking.com

www.cooks.com

 

About Gabriela Fernandez

Gabriela is a Sargent freshman majoring in human physiology on a premedical track. When she is not stuck in the library doing homework, she enjoys running, reading, and horseback riding. She also really loves raspberry poptarts.

View all posts by Gabriela Fernandez →

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