Holiday cookies
Submitted by Barbara Grunes
Almond crescents are a traditional holiday favorite in much of Europe, but these cookies taste good anytime of year. For an extra special touch, dip them in chocolate.
Submitted by Ginger
These old Polish favorites are similar to the German lebkuchen. This version, inspired by a recipe we found in an old rosary society
cookbook, gets an extra boost of flavor from browned honey and a bit of rye
flour.
Submitted by Barbara Grunes
These cute pumpkin cookies are fun to make and decorate with kids for Halloween. There's no need to make them fancy. They're large enough that even toddlers can help decorate them. Just tint vanilla icing (store-bought or ready-made) orange and green, and spread over the cookie to make the pumpkin and stem. Black decorator icing, accented with candy corns, works great for the eyes and mouth.
Submitted by Ginger
This delicious Sicilian cookie is often served on March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph, which is an important Italian holiday. We think this traditional Italian cookie makes a nice Christmas treat as well.
Submitted by Ginger
Every year Mrs. Taylor makes dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies in assorted fancy shapes, and every year her daughter’s friends eat way too many of them. We especially like these pretty pastel ribbons, which are good all year long.
Submitted by Ginger
Take these cookies to work or school on March 17 to celebrate the Irish holiday.
Submitted by Ginger
Submitted by Ginger
These rich, buttery cookies are just the thing to help celebrate the Greek Orthodox Easter on April 27.
Submitted by Barbara Grunes
Looking for an easier alternative to pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving dessert? These luscious pumpkin bars taste a lot like pumpkin pie, but you don't have to roll out the crust. You can serve them plain or with a dab of whipped cream.
Submitted by Ginger
Every year I throw a big party to celebrate the arrival of the Chinese/Vietnamese new year, and every year these cookies disappear in record time. I keep making bigger batches, hoping I'll have some left over, but that hasn't worked yet.
Submitted by Ginger
Both gooey and elegant, with their jewel-like filling, Linzer Bars make an ideal cookie for the holidays—or any time of year.
Submitted by Ginger
Submitted by Ginger
Submitted by Ginger
Submitted by Ginger
Toffee bars are an essential part of Ginger's Christmas cookie collection. They're easy to make, they taste great, they look good, and everyone loves them.
Submitted by Ginger
Marbled with chocolate and vanilla batters and filled with jam, these cookies represent the best of the Viennese pastry tradition.
Submitted by Ginger
Simple to make yet elegant, these chocolate Valentine cookies sport a fashionable combo of pink and brown.
Submitted by Ginger
These famous melt-in-the-mouth German-Austrian cookies are usually made with white flour, so we were intrigued when we ran across a German recipe for whole wheat crescents. The whole wheat flour gives the cookies a deeper, nuttier flavor. If it matters, they're also higher in fiber than usual. These cookies must sit for at least 10 days to allow the flavor of the vanilla to develop. They're worth the wait.
Submitted by Ginger
If you're looking for a sturdy dough suitable for making gingerbread houses and ornaments, try our Gingerbread for Building recipe.
For just plain eating, this gingerbread is delicious. It can be rolled and cut into any shapes you like, although gingerbread men (not to mention women and kids) are the traditional holiday treat.
Try serving these cookies for a holiday tea, accompanied by lemon curd.
For just plain eating, this gingerbread is delicious. It can be rolled and cut into any shapes you like, although gingerbread men (not to mention women and kids) are the traditional holiday treat.
Try serving these cookies for a holiday tea, accompanied by lemon curd.
Submitted by Barbara Grunes
Lebkuchen is a German honey cookie that is
traditionally served at Christmas. But
you can cut the dough in heart shapes for Valentine's Day, or use an oval
cutter for Easter egg-shaped cookies.
Submitted by Ginger
Scottish shortbread is plain and simple, but utterly delicious. It is essential to use top-quality unsalted butter in this shortbread recipe.
For the holidays, we recommend investing in one or two stoneware shortbread molds, which emboss the top of the shortbread with pretty designs.
For a change of pace, try Orange-Scented Shortbread or Five-Spice Shortbread.
For the holidays, we recommend investing in one or two stoneware shortbread molds, which emboss the top of the shortbread with pretty designs.
For a change of pace, try Orange-Scented Shortbread or Five-Spice Shortbread.
Submitted by Ginger
The trick to making star cookies really shine is to use edible glitter rather than ordinary decorating sugar and to roll it into the surface of the dough.
Submitted by Ginger
In Holland, speculaas often are molded into the shapes of windmills,
people, or St. Nick figures. Similar cookies are popular in Belgium and
Germany as well.
Submitted by Ginger
Cream cheese gives sugar cookies a marvelous flavor. It also makes the dough softer and stickier. The dough needs to be cold when these are rolled out; if it begins to stick, return it to the refrigerator for a while.
This dough is used in Shining Star Cookies.
This dough is used in Shining Star Cookies.
Submitted by Ginger