cookies

Make The Best Holiday Cookies Ever – 10 Classic Recipes For You

Do you love making cookies for the holidays? Me, too! Here are 10 of the most popular types of Christmas cookies with their recipes. Pick out the ones you like, click and go right to the recipes! Be sure to pin your favorites, too. You might even want to start a board for them.

NEW !!!>> yes, we now have 11 delightful holiday cookie recipes. Ask Chef Dennis just published the most delicious Lemon Ricotta Cookie recipe that I just HAD to add it to this collection! You will find it below.

11 Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes Ever

Chocolate Toffee Saltine Crackers

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Stainless Steel Baking Cooling Rack #ad

Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies

Christmas Baking Crew apron makes holiday baking festively fun! #Ad

Gingerbread Men

Christmas Medley Edible Decorations for Baked Goods #ad

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Pioneer Valley Jams & Jellies Assortment #ad

Neiman Marcus Cookies – newer version

Original Neiman Marcus $250 Cookies With Oatmeal – this is the one my dad always made!

This version is lots of work but oh, so delicious. Either recipe is a winner!

Oatmeal Scotchies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Christmas Cookie Cutter Set #ad

Snickerdoodles

Snowball Cookies

OXO Good Cookie Press #ad

Spritz Cookies [aka Cookie Press Cookies]

10 awesome classic Christmas cookie recipes your family will LOVE! #cookies #holidays #baking #recipes Share on X

Enjoy!

Happiness Is Homemade – Looking Toward Thanksgiving!

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This year, many families are planning a smaller Thanksgiving dinner. Even so, you surely can make Thanksgiving day meaningful and intimate. Cheer up, winter is coming along with Christmas, prepare some Thanksgiving to Christmas decorations to get that fall to winter transition feeling at home. Personally, I am really feeling the holiday mood coming on!

Enjoy this week’s features and be inspired! And for those who have ideas and thoughts, please join our party and share. You might even get featured next week!

So, before we start with our party Happiness Is Homemade 349 From Fall To Winter Edition, let’s get to know our features for a glance and visit the blog for more details. Don’t forget to visit each Happiness Is Homemade hostess’s blog too and see what their amazing projects are. Hey, you could get more amazing ideas!

HAPPINESS IS HOMEMADE FEATURES

A very Thankful Table for Six from Fabby’s Living would be a great inspiration for Thanksgiving dinner. The white and gold just perfect for fall to winter colors.

Pin showing the finished white chocolate cheesecake dip with title across the middle.

Very nice presentation and delicious looking of a White Chocolate Cheesecake Dip from Cook Clean Repeat. Would you love to taste it and use it for Thanksgiving dessert or winter treat? If you do, get the recipe!

How I love to see those whitewash-look tables of 5 Small White Painted Tables from Petti Coat Junktion. She did a fantastic job on that five old tables. Great pieces for winter decor.

Stunning Modern Organic Christmas Wreath hanging on black front door.

How to Create: A Stunning Modern Organic Christmas Wreath ? Ashley at Cherished Bliss just know how. You can hang this wreath before, during, and after Christmas along winter.

Another Repurposed Alarm Clock that look so fabulous for Christmas decor. Display it on your mantel and it would compliment the rest of your Christmas theme. Find out how Lisa did with the old alarm clock at Fresh Vintage by Lisa S.

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Embroidered Felt Advent Calendar for the Christmas Holiday Season #ad

Sinea’s Featured Pick of the Week

M & M White Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the Not So Creative Cook!

Would you like to be a part of Happiness Is Homemade? We are looking for hostesses to join our team. If you are interested, please email any one of the Happiness Is Homemade hostesses and let them know. We would love to have you join our party.

Get ready for #Thanksgiving with great ideas from this week's Happiness is Homemade Link Party! #holidays #family #recipes #crafts #homedecor Share on X

Happiness is Homemade 348 Thanksgiving Dinner

Show us what you have been working on and don’t forget to drop by and say hello to all our hostesses

And here are all of our hostesses at Happiness Is Homemade!

Linda @ A Labour Of Life

Cynthia @ Create with Cynthia

Sinea @ Ducks ‘n a Row

Beverly @ Eclectic Red Barn

Katie @ Love My Messy Messy Mess

Mel @ Décor Craft Design

And now, let’s get the party started!

Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

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This oatmeal chocolate bar recipe is very simple to make and so delicious. The four key ingredients are brown sugar, butter, oatmeal and chocolate – all my favorites! It is no wonder that I like it so much. Oh yes, just a little tip if you are planning on sharing it. Make TWO batches of this recipe. It will disappear in no-time!

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links. ♥

Here is how I got the recipe. One of the teachers at the school brought a batch of these yummy oatmeal fudge bars to work last month and put a big tray of them by the coffee pot in the teacher’s lounge. We all loved them so much that they were gone before lunchtime! I asked Joanna, the teacher who made them, for the recipe and here it is for you.

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Easy Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Bar Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°

Grease a 9 x 13” baking pan

Note: an astute reader noticed that I used a smaller, square baking pan in the photo below. I had split the recipe into two pans to bring to school for a treat for our staff. Two 8X8 pans or one 9X13 works the same!

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 pkg chocolate chips [12 oz]

1 can sweetened condensed milk [14 oz]

1 tsp vanilla

2 T. butter

Directions

Combine everything EXCEPT the last four ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Spoon ½ of the batter into a grease baking pan and press it in with the back of a big spoon.

Combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and 2 T. butter.

Heat them in a microwavable bowl until melted.*

*Tip – about 30 seconds at a time.

Stir.

Spoon the melted chocolate chip batter onto the other in the pan.

Add the rest of the oatmeal batter to the top.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Run a sharp knife around the outer edge then cool completely.

Cut into squares about 1 – 2 inches.

Delicious fudgy oatmeal bars - easy recipe your family will love! #recipes Share on X

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Enjoy!

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Great for picking up pet hair of all kinds, too.

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies

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What kind of cookies do you like best? My very favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin cookies. Add walnuts to them and it is my perfect world. Just make a batch of these delicious classic oatmeal raisin walnut cookies and you will see what I mean!

Classic recipe for oatmeal raisin walnut cookies #recipes

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies

Recipe adapted from Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe.

Ingredients

14 T. butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups old fashioned oats, dry

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts*

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream together butter and both sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

Combine dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt – then add them to the butter mixture.
Blend well.

Add oats, raisins and walnuts*

Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets in rounded spoonfuls.

Bake 8-11 minutes

Cook 1 minute

Remove to baking rack to complete the cooling process.

Serve or store in closed container.
Makes 24-48 cookies depending on how big you make them!

*Tip: if you like more walnuts in your cookies, press each rounded spoonful in chopped walnuts rather than mixing them through the dough. The dough will stick together better, too. Win-win!

Delicious easy recipe for classic oatmeal raisin walnut cookies! #cookies #desserts #recipes Share on X

Is chocolate more your style? Check out this recipe for Butterfinger Balls!

Enjoy!

How To Have A Holiday Cookie Swap!

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The holidays would not be complete without Christmas cookies and lots of them! While you could try baking all of the recipes you love, why not team up and have a holiday cookie swap, instead? This very popular holiday get-together gives you another way to see family and friends plus you come home with a wide assortment of delectable home baked treats!

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For some great cookie recipes on this blog => 10 MOST LOVED Classic Holiday Cookie Recipes for You

Baking Christmas cookies for a cookie exchange party

How To Host A Cookie Exchange Party

Invite guests – especially those who like to bake!
Ask each person to bring one dozen homemade cookies per person coming to the party plus an additional dozen for sampling. This method assures that everyone takes a nice variety of cookies home with them for their families to enjoy. i.e. if 10 people are coming, you bring 11 dozen cookies of the same recipe.
When your guests RSVP, find out what kind of cookies they plan to bring. This will help you to assure that there will some variety. If too many of the same kind of cookie is coming, politely ask some guests to make a different recipe.
On the day of the party, serve beverages for your guests to enjoy with their cookies plus another type of snack (salty instead of sweet?)
Create a festive atmosphere. Decorate your house and have Christmas music playing in the background. Use some pretty seasonal paper plates, napkins & cups to enhance your display. Enjoy!

Get a wide variety of delicious homemade Christmas #cookies for the #holidays without having to bake them all. Host a cookie exchange party! #Christmas #familyfun Share on X

Enjoy!

Elegant Jam Thumbprint Cookies Look So Pretty On The Dessert Table

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Jam thumbprint cookies are simple to make and look so lovely on a dessert table! What special occasions can you think of to serve these scrumptious delights? The holidays? Yes! A cookie swap? Naturally! How about baking a gift for someone you love? So simple to make, these cookies are extra special.

cookies, thumbprint cookies, easy cookie recipe, foodie

Here is the wonderfully simple recipe for you …

Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

You will need:

Electric mixer

Cookie sheets

Parchment paper

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks salted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups of flour

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup jam – any flavor

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Pioneer valley gourment assortment jams and jellies #ad

DIRECTIONS

Cream the butter and sugar together using electric mixer for 3 minutes on high.
Separate the eggs. Add yolks and vanilla Save the egg whites in a shallow dish on the side to be used to dip the cookies in before baking.
Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350°.
Now, whisk the egg whites till frothy.
Roll the dough into balls* about 1 inch in diameter and dip them in egg whites. If using chopped nuts, then roll them in the nuts until covered.
Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets.
Press down in the center with your thumb to make a small indent in the center of the cookie. Do not press too hard or the cookie will fall apart.
Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Adapted from Thumbprint Cookies recipe by Garrett McCord

Photos by Sinea Pies

cookies, easy cookie recipes, thumbprint cookies, holiday cookies, cookie swap

TIP: the dough will stick to your hands Leave your water faucet running slightly so that you can get your hands damp before forming each ball. The ball will smooth nicely and the stickiness will be greatly reduced.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Make some elegant jam thumbprint cookies for your next special event! #cookies #recipes #foodie Share on X

Enjoy!

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. What does that mean? Well, anything that you buy from Amazon‘s website by first clicking on an Amazon ad or a link on Ducks ‘n a Row will, at no additional cost to you, result in a small commission for me. In advance I want to say “Thank you for shopping Amazon through me!” … Sinea

Rolled Cookies – Cute Little Snowman Cookies

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Simple to make – fun to bake – yummy to eat! Rolled sugar cookies are perfect anytime at all but especially for the holidays! I have made them in all sorts of shapes but these snowman cookies are my favorite. They are so easy – you don’t have to be a baking genius to make them. Get the kids involved, dig in and have fun!

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Rolled Snowman Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Tub of vanilla frosting
Tub of dark chocolate frosting
Bag of MARS Milk Chocolate M&M’s®s
Decorator frosting in little tubes

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Preparing the Dough

Cream softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Add eggs and vanilla, mixing on medium speed.

Add baking powder, salt and flour (add flour one cup at a time) and blend.

Separate into two sections of dough.

Wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate 1 hour up to 24 hours.

Baking Directions

Preheat oven 400°

Lightly flour a clean counter.

Roll one section of dough, using a rolling pin, to about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut out with cookie cutters

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 6-8 minutes till very lightly brown on the edges.

Cool completely.

Frost and decorate.

Snowman Cookie Decorations

Vanilla frosting: body and face

Dark chocolate frosting: top hat

Mini-chocolate chips: eyes

MARS Milk Chocolate M&M’s®s: buttons and nose

Decorator frosting tubes: pink (mouth), red (band on hat), green (scarf)

Let's make snowman cookies! #recipes #familyfun #cookies Share on X

Enjoy!