Baking holiday cookies has always been a tradition in our house. We usually pick a day in the middle of December, about a week after we put up our Christmas tree.  With all the festive lights aglow and holiday tunes ringing forth, we head into the the kitchen. Over the next few hours we surround ourselves with batches of chilled cookie dough (which I make in advance), a variety of decorating bits and pieces, and get to work, fuelling ourselves with mugs of hot chocolate topped with fluffy whipped cream. By the end of the day my kitchen is a disaster area --but who cares about a messy kitchen when the air is heavy with the scent of freshly baked cookies!

Cookie creations
Here are three festive recipes guaranteed to fill your house with good cheer. I like to wrap the cookies into pretty little cellophane packages  and tie them up with ribbon, to hang on the tree: delectable gifts ready to serve to anyone who drops by during the holidays!  

Paola’s ultimate sugar cookies
I’m terribly proud of this recipe.  The buttery texture of these festive cookies makes them so deliciously irresistible that you’ll want to bake two batches. When it comes to decorating, let your imagination fly! I love them dipped in pure chocolate and dusted with red, white and green sprinkles.

(Makes about 45 cookies.)

300g flour
1 tsp baking powder
fat pinch salt
125g caster sugar
170g butter, not hard but not too soft either (cut in small squares)
1 beaten egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk

Tip: Using good butter will make all the difference to these mouth-watering treats!

Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly to mix. Add the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract. Pulse again until the mix starts to come together. Add the milk, pulse and check the consistency. The dough should be soft, not too dry. Add a drop of milk if necessary. Remove the dough from the processor and form two fat disks. Chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 180C. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a circle about 5mm thick. Cut out the cookies with festive cutters of your choice. Arrange on a baking sheet at least 1cm apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes and allow to cool on a rack. Decorate the cookies in any way that tickles your fancy: iced, dipped, sprinkled…

Cranberry and white chocolate cookies
This Nigella Lawson recipe is an ideal treat to keep in the house for unexpected guests. Even those who claim to hate white chocolate will be won over… The tangy cranberries complement the sweetness of the white chocolate while the walnuts lend a delectable crunch.  Serve them with an espresso jazzed up with a shot of cognac.

(Makes 30 cookies)

150g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
75g rolled oats (not instant)
125g soft butter
75g dark brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g dried cranberries
50g pecans, roughly chopped
150g white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats and add to a bowl.
Put the butter and sugars into another bowl and beat together until creamy — this is easier with an electric mixer of some kind, but if you put some muscle into it you can manage without - then beat in the egg and vanilla.

Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and oat mixture and then fold in the cranberries, chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

Roll the dough into small balls with your hands, and then place them on a lined or greased baking sheet and squish them down with a fork. You may need two baking sheets or be prepared to make these in two batches.

Bake for 15 minutes. When ready, the cookies will be a pale gold, but too soft to lift immediately off the tray, so leave the tray on a cool surface and let them harden for about 5 minutes. Remove with a spatula to cool fully on a wire rack.

Linda McCartney’s oatmeal cookies

If you’re worried about all those extra holiday calories or are simply looking for something wholesome to make for a children’s party, then this is the recipe for you. You’ll notice that butter isn’t included (only 50 grams of margarine). The added oatmeal also makes these cookies the perfect lunchbox treat.

50g soft margarine
125g light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp rum extract (optional)
50g flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
175g oatmeal
125g raisins
2 tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and margarine until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla and beat again, just enough to mix well. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to egg/sugar mixture and stir well. Add oatmeal and raisins and mix well. Arrange bits of mixture, not too close together, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. You might have to use your (moistened) hands a bit. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool on rack for another five minutes.

I hope you and your family enjoy these cookies as much as much as my family does.  Happy holidays and a delicious new year!

Mijn Zoete Leven / Expatica