Introduction to “The Best of Christmas Desserts”

Though the “Christmas Cookie” has become the poster child for holiday desserts, the breadth and history of Christmas desserts is more than the cookie. Here is a link to the article titled, “The History of Traditional Christmas Desserts” from La Levain, which provides more historical insights.

The Most Popular Christmas Sweets

The Christmas Cookie

Even before the advent of the tradition of leaving cookies for Santa, the tradition had survived for several hundreds of years. This article, The Medieval History of the Christmas Cookie, gives a short history, similar to the one I provide below. Note that at the end of the story is a link to an article about Medieval Christmas Traditions as well.

The custom of leaving cookies for Santa originated in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Parents, aiming to instill gratitude and generosity in their children, began the tradition of placing treats, often in a charming cookie jar, as a way of sharing the family’s holiday blessings. Some families even extend this gesture to Santa’s reindeer by leaving carrots or apples.

In the Middle Ages, the widespread availability of aromatic spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in Europe led to their incorporation into holiday baking. Combining the expensive ingredients of butter and sugar with these coveted spices became an annual Christmas tradition. Today, bakers continue to use nutmeg and molasses, particularly in the beloved seasonal delight of gingerbread cookies, which are a popular holiday staple.

Simple sugar cookies, another Christmas dessert favorite, have their roots in the 1700s when German settlers in Pennsylvania introduced the traditional unleavened, easy-to-store treat from Europe. The pliable sugar cookie dough, suitable for rolling and shaping into various forms, remains popular during the Christmas season.

The art of molding and shaping cookies into Christmas “figures” has a long history. The use of cookie cutters likely originated after Queen Elizabeth I expressed a desire for gingerbread resembling her distinguished guests. Initially made from tin, these cutters evolved into more convenient materials such as aluminum, plastic, and copper, making the process of creating intricate shapes faster and easier. The tradition continues and is especially fun for children, who can sometimes be quite creative!

Sugar Cookies

Creating the most delightful sugar cookies is a breeze with these basic ingredients:

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of this simple sugar cookie recipe.
• Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder act as leavening agents, giving the cookies a light, fluffy texture.
• Butter: Two sticks of butter provide moisture and a luxurious richness to the cookies.
• Sugar: An essential component for classic sugar cookies.
• Egg: Adding moisture and aiding in binding the cookie dough together.

Directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.
2. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
3. Form the dough into balls and bake until the edges achieve a golden perfection.

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup softened margarine
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat margarine and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until mostly incorporated (1 to 2 minutes). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the molasses.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together sifted flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, beating until well blended and smooth.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 to 3 hours or overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Working with one disk at a time (leaving the remaining disk in the refrigerator), unwrap chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough with a floured rolling pin from the center to the edges, achieving a thickness of 1/4 inch.
• Cut the dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters, dipping them into flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place the cut cookies on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Gather any dough scraps, flatten, re-wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for later batches.
• Bake each sheet in the preheated oven until firm (8 to 10 minutes). Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool while you continue rolling, cutting, and baking the remaining cookies.
• Frost or decorate the cooled gingerbread cookies to your liking.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I admit that chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. Below is a recipe sure to make wonderfully chewy cookies. Admittedly, I grew up with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. If this interests you, add 1/2 to 1 cups of oatmeal to this recipe.

Achieving the perfect soft and chewy texture in chocolate chip cookies lies in a crucial ingredient: brown sugar. With its higher moisture content compared to white sugar, brown sugar results in cookies that are wonderfully soft. This recipe incorporates a generous cup of brown sugar along with half a cup of white sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, melted butter, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until light and creamy; add flour mixture and stir until dough is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets briefly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are a children’s favorite. This cinnamon cookie was likely brought to the US by Dutch-German immigrants. As cultures mixed, its popularity took off in the late 19th century.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Coating:

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing it.
• Prepare the cookie dough: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together white sugar, butter, and eggs until the mixture is smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture until a cohesive dough forms.
• Create the cinnamon-sugar coating by mixing white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined.
• Shape the dough into balls, with each ball approximately 2 teaspoons in size. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar coating, ensuring they are evenly coated. Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies on the center rack of the preheated oven for 7 minutes.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Simple Ginger Cookies

Indulge in the festive spirit with these oversized, soft gingerbread cookies crafted from molasses, ginger, and a medley of spices. This particular gingerbread cookie recipe, featuring cookies delicately rolled in sugar, is an all-time Christmas favorite.

Ingredients

• Sugar: You’ll need about a cup of sugar for the cookie dough, plus about two tablespoons of sugar for rolling the dough balls.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and helps create a tender texture.
• Spices: These soft gingerbread cookies are spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Baking soda: Baking soda acts as a leavening, which means it makes the dough rise.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Butter: Butter is great for making perfectly soft ginger cookies with slightly crisp edges. If you’d like, you can substitute margarine.
• Egg: An egg adds moisture and acts as a binding agent (it holds the dough together).
• Molasses: Molasses lends warm, cozy, and sweet flavor to these soft gingerbread cookies.

Directions

• Sift the dry ingredients together.
• Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg, then add the water and molasses.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well-combined.
• Shape the dough into balls, roll the balls in sugar, and flatten them slightly.
• Bake in a preheated oven until almost set and cool on a wire rack.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

OK, this is my favorite cookie year round. Admittedly, they are even better if walnuts (1/2 cup chopped) are thrown in.

Ingredients

• ½ cup softened butter
• ½ cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, butter-flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt, then stir the dry mixture into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.
• Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are light and golden. Avoid overbaking.
• Allow them to cool for 2 minutes before transferring from the cookie sheets to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container, but be sure to grab some quickly—they tend not to last long!

Thumbprints

These delicious shortbread thumbprint cookies are generously filled with tart raspberry jam and drizzled with a sweet glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons almond extract, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk

Directions

• Gather all ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat butter and white sugar together in a medium bowl until creamy. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Add flour and mix until dough comes together.
• Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to press down and make a dent in the center of each ball, then fill with jam.
• Bake in batches the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 14 to 18 minutes; allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes.

Christmas Brownies and Bars

Rum Balls

Crafting these quick and effortless balls is a breeze, offering a delightful addition to your gift of baked goodies. For optimal flavor, prepare them about a week in advance to allow the robust alcohol taste to mellow and harmonize with the other ingredients. Store them in a tightly sealed tin. In case Vanilla wafers are elusive, consider the delightful twist of using chocolate wafers, which, in my experience, enhances their appeal. When forming the balls, the moist dough is easily managed with two teaspoons. Keep them in the freezer for a frosty, yet wonderfully enjoyable experience—they maintain their texture without becoming overly firm.

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (a 250g box of Christies vanilla wafers equals 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 1⁄4 cups icing sugar
• 1⁄2 cup spiced rum (the rum is called Spiced Rum) or 1/2 cup Bourbon
• 2 tablespoons white corn syrup (one brand is Karo)
• 1 cup pecans or 1 cup walnuts, broken

Directions

• Sift the cocoa with 1 cup sugar.
• Stir in the spiced rum mixed with the syrup.
• Add crushed vanilla wafers and nuts.
• Mix thoroughly. It’s best to chill the mix for 15-30 minutes before you make balls
• Shape mixture into walnut sizes balls and dredge with remaining sugar or leave them plain.
• Store in a tin.

Hot Chocolate Bars

These Hot Cocoa bars are delicious, especially owning to the malted milk powder, so be sure not to omit this ingredient. Personally, I could leave out the marshmallows, but if kids are around, don’t forget them!

What You’ll Need:

• Large mixing bowl: No stand mixer is needed for this recipe. Pull out a large mixing bowl instead; make sure it’s microwave-safe for melting the chocolate in this recipe.
• Malted milk powder: Do not skip this one! Malted milk powder gives these bars a certain satisfying something.
• 8×8 baking pan: This recipe makes an 8×8 pan of bars, so make sure you’ve got one on hand. And if you want to double the recipe, Christina says a double batch can go right into your trusty 13×9 dish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons malted milk powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup mini marshmallows + 1/3 cup chocolate chips to top

Directions

Step 1: Melt the Chocolate and Butter

• Commence the preparation of these hot chocolate brownies by melting the butter and chocolate chips together. The most straightforward method is to combine the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, heating them in 30-second intervals.
• If you lack a microwave, place a heat-safe bowl over a simmering water pan and stir until the butter and chocolate achieve a smooth, melted consistency.
• Regarding the choice of chocolate, Christina suggests “semisweet as a nice middle ground,” but feel free to use your preferred type of chocolate chips (or whatever is available in your pantry).

Step 2: Stir in the Sugar and More

• Next, incorporate the sugar into the melted chocolate mixture. The warmth of the chocolate and butter aids in dissolving the sugar to some extent. While the mixture won’t be perfectly smooth yet, you’ll observe it getting there.
• Then, add the eggs and vanilla extract, giving the mixture a thorough whisking. Christina prefers Spice Islands vanilla extract at home, a choice shared by our Test Kitchen as one of their favorite vanilla brands.

Christina’s Tip: Despite the primary focus on chocolate flavor, Christina emphasizes the importance of vanilla, stating, “To get great chocolate flavor, you need great vanilla extract.”

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients

• With the mixture achieving a smooth consistency, switch from the whisk to your preferred spatula or wooden spoon. Introduce the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder, gently stirring until well combined. Be cautious not to overmix, as it may result in tough brownies.
• Christina’s Tip: Malted milk powder might not be a typical brownie ingredient, but according to Christina, it makes a significant difference in this recipe. She explains that it adds depth of flavor and contributes to the chewy, delightful quality that people love but find hard to pinpoint. Who doesn’t appreciate a secret ingredient?

Step 4: Top and Bake

• Now, for the final touches. Transfer the batter to a greased 8×8 pan, then sprinkle mini marshmallows and a handful of chocolate chips over the top.
• Bake at 325ºF for 35 to 40 minutes. While they may look tempting fresh from the oven, Christina recommends allowing them to cool completely before slicing into squares.

Get Christina’s Recipe

Christmas Pudding

This recipe is from the BBC GoodFood website. That is to say, we are looking at an authentic British Christmas pudding. Though prep time is only 20 minutes, cooking time is 8 hours plus another hour on the day of presentation. It also requires a steamer.

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 50g blanched almonds
• 2 large Bramley cooking apples
• 200g box candied peel (in large pieces) or all citron if you can find it
• 1 whole nutmeg (you’ll use three quarters of it)
• 1kg raisins
• 140g plain flour
• 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100g light muscovado sugar, crumbled if it looks lumpy
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy or cognac, plus extra to light the pudding
• 250g packet butter, taken straight from the fridge

For the brandy and ginger butter:

• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• grated zest of half an orange
• 5 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp brandy or cognac
• 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
•  

Directions

Step 1

• Get everything for the pudding prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds a lot but it’s correct).

Step 2

• Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy or cognac in a large bowl.

Step 3

• Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 mins – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.

Step 4

• Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.

Step 5

• Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan. Watch our video to see how to tie up a pudding correctly.

Step 6

• Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs., topping up with water as necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.

Step 7

• To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set. The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to six weeks.

Step 8

• On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Fruitcake

Fruitcake has a bad reputation…and given some of the store bought examples available, sometimes with good reason. However, cooking your own gives you complete control and ability to make a healthy treat for all.

This healthy fruit cake recipe actually comes from chefs at Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. The whole grains and seeds in this recipe provide a hearty taste reminiscent of earlier times to this holiday classic. To make this plant based, you can use an egg substitute.

Ingredients

• 2 cups assorted chopped dried fruit, such as cherries, currants, dates or figs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained
• Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup crushed or chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a medium bowl, combine dried fruit, applesauce, pineapple, fruit zests and juices, and vanilla. Let soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch-by-4-inch pan with parchment (baking) paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oats, flours, baking soda and baking powder. Add fruit and liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add egg and walnuts and stir to combine.
• Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake at 325 F for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the fruitcake cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 1 slice (1/12th of loaf)

• Total carbohydrate 41 g
• Dietary fiber 5 g
• Sodium 117 mg
• Saturated fat 0.5 g
• Total fat 5 g
• Trans fat Trace
• Cholesterol 15 mg
• Protein 5 g
• Monounsaturated fat 1 g
• Calories 229
• Added sugars 5 g
• Total sugars 25 g

Related Holiday Posts from Optimal Retirement Living

• Holiday Cooking with Family
• Best Holiday Gifts for Cooks

Sources

• Our Top 20 Most Cherished Christmas Cookies
• 15 Christmas Brownies to Make This Holiday Season