Recipe Friday: My Favorite Simple Christmas Cookie

Posted by: brookeyool on: December 17, 2010

• In: dessert | food | recipes
• 1 Comment

Did I say Christmas? Really, these are good anytime, but truth is, since this makes a big batch and goes together quickly, they’re great for holiday cookie exchanges. They’re economical, too, since they taste amazing but use just a few simple ingredients, using whatever spices you have on hand.

It’s a buttery sugar cookie to which you add spices. I always change up the spice mix every time, but I always start with cinnamon as my base. Cinnamon is comforting, and everyone loves it. Then, for extra interest, I add other things depending on my mood: ginger, allspice, cardamom, cloves… Be creative! No two batches taste identical, but they’re always great!

Spice Snaps, based on Cinnamon Snaps
modified from Vegetarian Planet

1 ½ sticks butter (3/4 cup), softened
½ c + 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
½ c + 3 tbsp white sugar (keep the 3 tbsp separate)
1 egg
2 c flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
Other spices to add together or separately: ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp allspice, ½ tsp cardamom (or more), 1 tsp ground ginger
Additional ½ tsp cinnamon (or other spice)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream butter in a large bowl. Add brown sugar and ½ c white sugar, and cream until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes). Add egg, and cream until thoroughly blended.

3. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl until blended. Add to wet ingredients and stir just until mixed. (I admit, here, that sometimes I add a little extra spice to adjust the flavor, and mix again, if I feel it’s called for.)

4. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or more.

5. Place the remaining 3 tbsp white sugar on a small plate. Add the remaining ½ tsp cinnamon (or whatever spice you want) and stir to mix. Roll dough into 1 inch diameter balls, then roll into sugar-spice mixture to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart, and lightly press down.

6. Bake cookies 7-10 minutes, or until very lightly set and lightly browned on edges (remember, since the cookie sheet is warm, they will continue to bake if you leave them on there at all).

What’s your favorite holiday cookie to exchange with others?

This Wednesday, I not only exchanged cookies at a lunch potluck with some friends, but I took cookies to Chris Guillebeau’s book tour here in Seattle. I’ve been reading his blog on how to think and live outside the box for probably a year, now—and I recommend you check it out. I took some of these spice cookies, and he loved them, but it may have been because he hadn’t yet had dinner. 😉 (No, but seriously, these cookies disappeared…)

Tags: dessert, food, recipe Friday, recipes