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5 Holiday Recipes You Should Try Immediately – RMC Talks Cookies!

Fresh cookies are a staple of any holiday season. Consider skipping the instant boxes and really bake to impress this year. RMC has curated together 5 Holiday Cookie vlogs that will make you the talk of any holiday gathering (virtual or not!). There’s a cookie here for everyone in the family  —  1 classic, 1 retro, 1 easy, 1 “I don’t like the holidays”, and even 1 for the dog. Which one will you choose?

1. The Classic – Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp of baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup (170g) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (110g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup (67g) for rolling cookies
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup (112g) molasses

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and set aside.
2.Using an electric mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes.
3. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer on medium speed. Add egg, molasses and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed.
4. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
5. Put remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Roll 2 Tbsp of dough into balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 2” apart.
6. Bake until the edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are puffy and soft, about 11-13 minutes. Cool cookies on their sheets for 2-3 minutes before allowing them to cool on a wire rack.
7. Please Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven to maintain a chewy texture. There is a fine baking line from chewy to hard.

And don’t forget — you can use any stencil you’d like! Gingerbread men and women are always fun for the kids.

Credit: Mrs Kringle’s Kitchen

2. The Easy – M&M Christmas Delight

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • softened 1 cup brown sugar
  •  2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup red and green M&M candies

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add flour, baking powder, and corn starch. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
3. Cover and chill for at least one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°С. Roll about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball (Should be about the size of a golf ball) and place on prepared baking sheet. Gently press the M&Ms into the cookie dough balls.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies are set but still slightly underdone. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Credit: Yum Secret 

3. The Retro – Santa’s Whiskers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2½ cups flour
  • ¾ cup chopped cherries
  • ¾ cup flaked coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix all ingredients together well and roll into a long roll shape about 2″ in circumference.
3. Wrap roll in wax paper and saran wrap, twisting the ends. Place the roll in the freezer for 1 hour.
4. Remove from freezer and wrapping, slice with a sharp knife ¼” thick.
5. Place cookie slices on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 mins or until lightly browned.

Credit: Stacey Martin

4. The “I Don’t Like the Holidays”

Ingredients

  • 1 box French vanilla cake mix
  •  ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 10 drops green food coloring (to color preference)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
  • 24 fondant hearts or heart-shaped candies
  •  food gel or icing for securing hearts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, stir together the boxed cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs and food coloring until a smooth doughy batter forms.
2. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Roll the dough balls gently in your palms, then roll in powdered sugar until completely coated.
3. Arrange the dough two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up. They will look underdone but will continue to cook and firm up after being removed from the oven. Cool completely.
4. OPTIONAL: If using fondant, create the hearts, varying in sizes, while the cookies are cooking and cooling. Let the fondant dry.
5. Dust the cookies with more powdered sugar through a mesh screen. Dab a tiny bit of icing or food gel onto the backs of the fondant hearts or sprinkles and press gently on the tops of each cookie. Serve to the Grinch in your life to show the true meaning of Christmas and enjoy!

Credit: The Starving Chef

5. The Even One for the Dog

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups water, or as needed
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. Mix together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal and oats. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in water, oil, eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well.
3. On a flat surface use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Cut the dough into dog biscuit shapes using a cookie cutter. Place the biscuits onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes. After the biscuits have cooked 20 minutes turn off the oven off but let the biscuits remain inside the oven for another 20 minutes to harden.

Credit: Allrecipes

Remember, safety first while cooking! Set a timer for all recipes and make sure your smoke detector is fully functioning before a full day of baking.

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