Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to start baking delicious cookies for holiday gifts! Are you tired of the same old recipes year after year? Here are some of our favorite ideas to make your Christmas cookies stand out this season.
Change Your Cookie Recipe
Unique Christmas cookies start with the right recipe! If you find yourself using the same uninspired cookie recipe year after year, consider mixing things up a bit. You can take your basic sugar cookie recipe as a foundation and infuse it with your own blend of flavors to create something new. Just adhere to the recipe instructions, but swap in a few drops of your favorite flavoring extract, like almond or orange extract, in place of the vanilla.
Use Interesting Cookie Cutters
There are tried-and-true cookie-cutter shapes that you can't go wrong with, and sometimes, you can invent a new presentation for old-school shapes that are interesting and fun, such as flipping a gingerbread man shape upside down to create a cute reindeer.
Make a Different Icing
Do you typically ice your Christmas cookies after shaping them? Consider stepping away from the traditional vanilla buttercream this holiday season and trying something more distinctive! Begin with a basic buttercream recipe, and once it's prepared, add a few drops of your favorite flavoring, such as peppermint or almond extract, to infuse your cookies with a unique taste.
Use Candy Sprinkles
If you’re looking for an easy way to decorate your cookies, try candy sprinkles on top of the icing. You can find sprinkles in a variety of colors and flavors. Just brush each cookie with light corn syrup and drizzle on the sprinkles using any pattern you want. This is an easy way to get creative while decorating!
Dunk Cookies in Candy Melt
Candy melt is a vital ingredient for candy makers due to its variety of fun colors and flavors and it can also be useful to the home baker. To use, melt the candy melt over a double boiler, then dip your cooled cookies into the melted chocolate. Allow them to set on waxed or parchment paper sheets in the refrigerator or on the counter just before serving.
Use Favorite Christmas Themes
Rather than decorating your cookies haphazardly this year, why not choose a cohesive Christmas theme? By doing so, you can express your creativity through slight variations in design for each cookie. For example, if you have a beloved Christmas movie, consider crafting cookies in shapes that evoke memories from the story.
Christmas cookies are an enjoyable tradition during the holiday season, but repeating the same decorating methods annually can become dull. With the myriad of exciting ways to embellish Christmas cookies, you will discover a technique that resonates with your style!