While chestnuts roasting on an open fire sounds nice, we would much rather have Christmas cookies baking in the oven. Whether you’re heading to a neighborhood potluck, your best friend’s cocktail party, or a good ol’ fashioned Southern cookie swap, these Christmas cookie recipes from Chef Lynn Michelle’s kitchen will be the first to disappear from the dessert table. And the best part? They take less than 20 minutes to bake, making it easy to whip up a batch during the busiest time of the year.
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Cups, All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups, finely chopped pecans
- 1/4 Cup, granulated sugar
- 1 cup, Butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon, vanilla
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, to roll cookie ball in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the powdered sugar.
- Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed for about 3-4 minutes.
- Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet pan; 1 -inch apart.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until very lightly browned; cool 5 minutes.
- Roll the cooked dough balls gently in the powdered sugar while still warm and again when the cookies are cooled.
Chocolate Crinkles
Ingredients
- 2 Cups, granulated sugar
- 3/4 Cup vegetable oil
- 1 Cup HERSHEY’S unsweetened Cocoa
- 4 Eggs
- 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 Cup, All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons, baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon, salt
- 2 cups, Powdered Sugar, to roll dough in
- OPTIONAL: crushed peppermint candies, peppermint kisses, chocolate kisses, or Andes mints
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover; refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
- Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
- OPTIONAL: Add crushed peppermint candies, peppermint kisses, chocolate kisses, Andes mints, to the top before baking.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.