HAPARI’s Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

Ready or not… Christmas is just 5 days away! With the holiday season upon us, we decided it was time to bust out our favorite cookie recipes. These recipes are a collection of our staff’s favorite family recipes. From sugar cookies to gingerbread cookies to classic chocolate chip, we’ve created a curated list of the tastiest cookie recipes out there. So grab some flour, a mixer, and get ready to bake.

Check out HAPARI’s Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes below!

5. Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups shortening
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 5 cups flour
• 1 package or 2 cups of chocolate chips

Directions

• Cream together sugar, brown sugar, and shortening.
• Add eggs, salt, soda, baking powder, vanilla, flour, and chocolate chips.
• Use a cookie scoop to place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 5-15 minutes (closer to the lower time).

4. Gingerbread Cookies

 Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
• In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
• Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
• Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
• Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
• (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
• Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin. Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick. Use additional flour to avoid sticking.
• Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course. Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies-- very good!).
• Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
• After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.

3. Turtle Cookies

 Photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter or shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks (save whites)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp maple flavoring
• Pecan halves

Frosting

• 2 square chocolate
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• Heat until melted
• Add 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Blend butter or shortening, brown sugar, eggs and egg yolks.
• Blend vanilla, maple flavoring, and add dry ingredients. Mix everything together.
• Split pecan halves and place on a cookie sheet to resemble the head and legs of a turtle.
• Mold dough into balls (1 tsp in size). Dip bottom into unbeaten egg white and press on nuts.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake.
• Cool and frost generously.

2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Ingredients

• 1½ cup soft butter
• 1½ cup brown sugar
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ cup peanut butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1½ tsp salt
• Bag of mini peanut butter cups

Directions

• Cream together soft butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Combine with remaining ingredients and mix until fully blended.
• Roll dough into a ball. Place the balls in a mini muffin tin at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.
• After removing from the oven place a mini peanut butter cup on top and push down gently.
• Let cool for 15 minutes.

1. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels

Ingredients for Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tbsp salt

Directions for Cookies

• Mix all ingredients together until dough forms.
• Roll out on a floured surface and sprinkle flour over the top of dough and on a rolling pin.
• Roll out to ¼ inch thickness and shape with cookie cutters.
• Place parchment paper on cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.
• Dough may be refrigerated, if necessary. Makes 30 fairly large cookies.

Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
• 1 bag powdered sugar

Directions for Frosting

• Mix ingredients together until creamy. Frosting will be stiffer for spreading. Place desired food coloring and spread. Sprinkles optional.

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Header Photo by Jill Wellington from Pexels