It’s been a busy few weeks full of Christmas party planning, newspaper articles, blogging, end-of-the-year meetings, and of course Christmas Shopping!  I love to bake at Christmas, but with all of the running around I have barely had the time. I have a few favorite fallback easy Christmas cookie recipes I thought I would share. The first recipe I want to share is an old-fashioned easy Christmas cookie recipe and my family’s favorite.

Old-Fashioned Thumbprint Cookies

• 1 cup salted butter, slightly softened (I love Kerigold)
• 1 cup organic powdered sugar
• 1 tsp organic pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups organic flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free)
• 1/2 cup real fruit preserves (Our family’s favorite preserves are apricot, cherry, and raspberry.)

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed, beat butter and sugar until lightly combined. Switch to high speed and beat until creamy and light, 2-3 minutes.
• Add extracts and salt to mixing bowl and beat on medium-low speed for 10 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Gently mix in flour, just until combined. The dough should be somewhat sticky. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides; form dough into a ball, cover, and chill 30-60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls on lined baking sheets. Press down the center of each ball with your thumb (it’s in the name), making a deep well in the middle – deep but not very wide. You may need to flour your thumb. You can also use the back of a small spoon.
• Fill cookie centers with roughly 1/2 tsp preserves using a 1/4 teaspoon-sized measuring spoon. Place the sheet of cookies in the fridge for 5 minutes to re-chill before baking.
• Bake 20-23 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on a baking sheet, then gently transfer to finish cooling on a wire rack.
• When cookies are completely cooled, dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Thumbprint cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temp for a few days.

So…my next recipe is not a cookie, but it is delicious and it is very easy! Follow the link to my Pinterest board to create your very own Christmas Tree Cream Cheese Danish! This is not my recipe, but it is absolutely delicious! My only deviation from this recipe is that I only use organic ingredients and I make my own cherry pie filling!

For my last easy Christmas cookie recipe, I chose Old-Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies. I love to enjoy these with a hot gingerbread latte. ☕️

Old-Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Organic Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free)
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Full Flavor Molasses 
• 1 Large Egg, beaten  (room temperature)

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, and molasses until well blended. Gently add egg. In another bowl, sift together flour, spices, salt, and baking soda. Stir into the creamed mixture until blended. Chill for at least an hour, or until firm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with desired cookie cutter. You can also roll into small balls about 3/4-inch in diameter. Roll each in the granulated sugar, (sprinkle sugar if using a cookie cutter) and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.

I hope you enjoy these easy Christmas cookie recipes! I would love to hear how they turned out for you!

If you are in need of some holiday reflection, check out my book “The Love Journey”. Click the link and use the code December20 for a holiday discount!

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-love-journey

Cheers,

Heather