Holiday Cookie Roundup

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Here is a collection of my current favorite holiday cookies! There are shipping tips throughout PLUS info on whether each cookie is suitable for shipping. Go forth and bake friends!

For many of these cookies the dough can be frozen ahead of time (this is a great tip for drop cookies). Some cookies, such as macarons, are best gifted the week they are made. For recipe specific questions, please post in the comments of that recipe and I will respond asap. Have fun! xo

Chewy Chocolate Cookies With Peppermint Cream

A bunch of holiday cookies

I made these cookies to announce that I was writing The Cookie Book!! They are soft, chewy and 25 shades of heaven! Super easy to make, festive and delicious! Do it!!

My favorite sprinkle shop is Sweetapolita (that’s where I got those pretty blue sprinkles) — their sprinkles are dreamy!!

Fudgy Peppermint Brownies Recipe

A bunch of peppermint brownies.

The most delicious fudgy peppermint brownies recipe that’s glossed up with a layer of dark chocolate ganache and has two crunchy layers of chopped peppermint candies plus a hint of extract for added peppermint jazz hands. The perfect marriage of chocolate and peppermint wrapped in a yummy brownie. These will satisfy your chocolate peppermint craving!

Salted Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

A close up of an olive oil chocolate chip cookies.

Your favorite chocolate chip cookie but made with some olive oil for the most insane cookie texture ever! These salted dark chocolate olive oil cookies are chewy, slightly crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. Since we’re only using olive oil for half of our fat, the oil just gently scents the dough. One of my original olive oil cookies–you will love these!

My favorite way to jazz up a cookie around the holidays is to replace the chocolate with chopped up peppermint bark (here is one of my favorite peppermint barks!). These are great gifting cookies and travel well. Make ’em!

SHIPPING: TYPES OF COOKIES
When shipping go for sturdy cookies (typically drop cookies are best). I love drop cookies and sugar cookies the best for shipping. Some good examples: chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chocolate cookies, sugar cookies with frosting (the type that sets, doesn’t stay soft), macaroons and bar cookies (as long as they aren’t too gooey).

Steer clear of soft frostings or glazes. American Buttercream tends to set best and anything with royal icing.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

One of my favorite treats to give around the holidays! All you need are some paper muffin liners, a muffin tin and some kitchen baking staples. I wouldn’t ship these, they are better for gifting to nearby friends and family. I love adding sprinkles to the tops of these!

Chocolate Orange Meringue Cookies

Chocolate Orange Meringues | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

Crisp meringues with dark chocolate and orange zest. You can use any chocolate you want (dark, milk, bittersweet, white) and any citrus…blood orange or cara cara would be delicious. These are super fun to make and travel incredible well, just make sure they are secure in their packaging with ample padding. Make ’em!

SHIPPING: COOKIE WRAP
When shipping, all cookies should be wrapped to ensure freshness.
You’ll want to put them in resealable bags and/or in individual airtight bags to keep them as fresh as possible. I like these and these tied with some ribbon. Make sure your packaging is food safe before using.

Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

Five-Spice Snickerdoodles | recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

Everything you love in a snickerdoodle: soft, chewy, slightly crispy around the edges. Plus a ton of flavor coming from the addition of Chinese five-spice powder — one of my favorite spice additions around the holidays. If you haven’t tried Chinese five-spice in your cookies or sweet treats, now is the time! Do it!

SHIPPING: PACKAGING
Soft envelopes are strictly verboten when shipping cookies.
Use sturdy boxes with lots of padding inside.

Whatever packaging you pick, make it worthy of the beautiful cookies that are going inside. Consider using a sturdy box on the outside and then having a beautiful box on the inside. One of my favorite ways to ship cookies is in a bamboo steamer wrapped in a pretty bow and then place in a larger, sturdier box to keep everything safe.

Peppermint Bark Bars | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

These bar cookies have the dreamiest, softest, chewiest base that has a layer of dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache and showers of crushed peppermint candy in the middle and then another one on the top. One of my favorite holiday cookies to gift! When the chocolate is set these cookies can be wrapped and shipped.

SHIPPING
Ship the fastest method you can afford. This can get pricey. But generally speaking, the United States Post Office is less expensive than UPS or Fedex.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

A close up of a chocolate marshmallow cookie

A soft, chewy brownie-like cookie is loaded with marshmallow — these are INCREDIBLE!!! I recommend these marshmallows because they’ll hold their shape while baking and I love their small shape. You can also let your mini marshmallow sit out all night to dehydrate them a bit. Regular marshmallows will melt and make the cookie misshapen (but they will still be good!). Excellent cookie for shipping. Make ’em!

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles

A close up of chocolate peppermint cookies

A chocolate classic crinkle cookie gets a bit of peppermint extract for holiday jazz hands. You can also add in coarsely chopped peppermint bark for more holiday flavor — so good! Do it!

Chocolate French Macarons

Chocolate French Macarons with Marshmallow Filling

Chocolate French macarons are filled with marshmallow filling and a layer of Mexican hot chocolate glaze. If you do ship these, make sure they are especially well insulated and they are packed within a tin or something resistant to dings. I would also skip the meringue on top if shipping. There are lots of macaron tips in this post — make ’em!

COOKIE NOTE
Some of these are older recipes. If you have any questions about ingredients or instructions, please comment on that particular recipe post and I will get back to you asap to answer your questions! xo

Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

A stack of chewy brownie cookies sandwich a thick layer of peppermint cream!!

Two chewy, brownie-like cookies sandwich the most heavenly peppermint cream. The filling is like Oreo filling, but peppermint-y and fluffy and so good! Great for shipping!! Do it!

Burnt Sugar Muscovado Truffles

A bunch of Burnt Sugar Muscovado Truffles | recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

These are such the perfect, ultimate sweet treat to my always modest palate. We whip up some burnt sugar which is so easy (1 ingredient) and takes little effort. It’s so easy we’re sipping champagne as we do this, because it’s the holidays and we’re feeling it. As the burnt sugar hardens, we combine the truffle filling which is a mixture of muscovado (or brown sugar), heavy whipping cream, ground espresso (or coffee), vanilla and sea salt. Read those ingredients again. Can you almost taste it?? I die. Then we fold in the hardened and finely crushed burnt sugar. Dipped in a robe of dark chocolate and topped with either edible gold leaf or more crushed burnt sugar, I PROMISE these will be one of the most delicious truffles you’ve ever had. Your friends will swoon — make ’em!!

I have at least one more holiday cookie I will be posting this season — I will post it here as soon as the recipe is on the blog. Sign up for my newsletter to get the recipe as soon as it’s posted!!

Please post any comments or questions on holiday cookies, shipping and/or packing in the comments below — I’m happy to answer. Any recipe specific questions,
please post on that blog post and I will respond as soon as possible!! Happy baking friends!! xoxo

Comments

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

I love your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot, I look forward to chatting with you!

Rebecca xox

17 Comments

  • Kathleen Monaco March 31, 2022 at 7:59 PM

    Hi Rebecca, I had to find a place to leave a comment about “The Cookies Book”. I just received my copy today and want to bake every cookie in that book. The recipes are so unique. I’m waiting for my delivery of muscovado sugar. I can’t wait to make the chai snickerdoodles. I love chai tea and when I saw your recipe in the 2021 Holiday issue of Bake From Scratch, I had to have your book. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and your blog.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth April 1, 2022 at 12:40 PM

      Hi Kathleen!!! I cannot thank you enough for this sweet comment!!!! So much unseen work goes into a book and comments like this make the long hours worth it, so thank you!!!! Please enjoy and reach out with any questions!!!! xox

      Reply
  • Kerry November 30, 2020 at 5:50 AM

    Can you give a suggested timeline for making cookie boxes for Christmas (not for shipping)? That is what I need the most help in as I’ll gather a bunch of recipes and get overwhelmed at the work involved especially cut-out cookies. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth November 30, 2020 at 4:54 PM

      Hi Kerry!
      Your friends and family are so lucky!!

      First, pick an assortment of cookies that’s varied in appearance, taste and difficulty. You want a balance of cookies that look different, have different flavors, as well as cookies that aren’t too difficult (because there are only so many hours in the day!). Pick one cookie that is more challenging and must be made pretty close to gifting.

      Pick out your recipes and figure out which ones you can make ahead and freeze and which ones need to be baked the week they are gifted. Then make two shopping lists: one for right now and one for several weeks from now.

      Cookies to make right now are ones that you can freeze. I prefer to freeze dough rather than baked cookies…I think they taste better. Drop cookie and sugar cookie doughs freeze the best. You can also freeze many frostings and then defrost in the fridge overnight and then re-whip before using. Jams can also be made now and frozen. You can even pre-mix your sugar-spice mixtures now.

      I am such a believer in writing out a timeline — it will make everything seem more manageable!! And from my catering days I can tell you, prep as much as possible ahead of time. It will make your baking/assembly days so much easier.

      Let me know if you have any more specific questions — I’m happy to help!!! xoxo

      Reply
      • Kerry November 30, 2020 at 10:00 PM

        Thank you for your tips! β™₯️ I’ll start making my lists. With freezing dough instead of cookies, it still looks like I’ll be having a couple days of baking frenzy but it will be doable! Can I pack soft cookies with hard cookies? I know we shouldn’t pack cakes with cookies as the cookies will go soft.

        Reply
        • Rebecca Firth December 1, 2020 at 8:14 PM

          Hi Kerry! I would suggest individually wrapping each cookie — there are some cute wrappers that I suggest in the post. This will keep each cookie super fresh and will deter transferring moisture and flavor from one cookie to another. Let me know if that doesn’t make sense!! xoxo

          Reply
          • Kerry December 1, 2020 at 9:59 PM

            Thank you! xoxo

  • Jeanne McCabe November 29, 2020 at 12:51 PM

    Hi Rebecca, love all of these and am so happy you did a shipping post as we will be trying to send sweets to friends this year. Where did you get the great teal sprinkles on the chewy chocolate cookies at the top of the post?
    Thanks so much, love your blog & posts❀️

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth November 29, 2020 at 2:44 PM

      Hi Jeanne! I love sending cookies, they’re the best gifts!! Those sprinkles are from Sweetapolita.com β€” my favorite sprinkle shop. You’ll love everything!! Please reach out with any more questions. Happy holidays!! xox

      Reply
  • Lulu November 28, 2020 at 11:20 PM

    I love those Mega Vanilla cookies!! Great reminder to make them again They always make my house smell great. xx

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth November 28, 2020 at 11:45 PM

      Aren’t they the best?! Have fun!!! xx

      Reply
  • Billy C November 28, 2020 at 11:10 PM

    Wow Rebeccaβ€” you have certainly outdone yourself this time. I’ll be sure to make these with my wife during this holiday season. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  • Sally November 28, 2020 at 10:27 PM

    Beautiful. Who wouldn’t want a box of these yum!

    Reply
  • James November 28, 2020 at 10:18 PM

    Oh my – where to start. All so very delicious.

    Reply