Cookies

This time of year seems especially ripe for baking cookies. Why? They come in handy for holiday get-togethers (including at the office), as well as last-minute gift-giving. What's not to like?

And so, without further fanfare, here are six cookie recipes to add to your line-up, including Eggnog Meltaway Cookies and Ginger-Molasses Cookies. Enjoy!

GINGERBREAD REINDEER

This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “These cookies turn gingerbread on its head -- literally. Flipping gingerbread men upside down provides the perfect shape to decorate the cookies to look like reindeer. Leave some out for Santa and his reindeer and they will most certainly be impressed.”

Total Time: 6 hours; Active Time: 1 hour; Yield: 18 gingerbread reindeer; Level: Intermediate.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook's Note)

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

One 1-pound box confectioners' sugar

5 tablespoons meringue powder

Black gel food coloring

Brown gel food coloring

18 red cinnamon candies

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Special equipment: a 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter

Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until well blended.

Beat the granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl starting on low speed and increasing to medium, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses until combined, then beat in the egg (the mixture will look curdled). Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture a little at a time until the mixture comes together. Then increase the speed to medium and beat until well incorporated and a sticky dough forms. Divide the dough in half, flatten into 2 disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Keeping one disk refrigerated, roll the other disk on a well-floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch, sprinkling flour on and under the dough as needed and sliding a spatula underneath every so often to prevent sticking. If the dough looks crackly or breaks apart, press it back together from the outside edge in. With a 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out cookies as close together as possible. Pull away the extra dough around each shape and use a small spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather together the scraps, leaving behind the excess flour, knead a few times to form a smooth dough again and reroll in the same way. (If there are any pieces of stuck dough on your surface, scrape them away with a spatula, flour the surface again and then continue to roll the dough.)

Bake the cookies in the center of the oven racks, rotating them from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until slightly firm to the touch but not brown, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before icing. The cookies will continue to firm as they cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Meanwhile, make the royal icing for decorating. Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on low until the icing thickens. The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. (If overbeaten, it will get aerated, which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the icing sit for a bit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth it out.)

Spoon about 1/3 cup of icing into each of 3 separate bowls (cover any remaining icing with plastic wrap and reserve in case you need more). Leave 1 bowl white. Dye the second bowl black and the third light brown. Thin out the light brown icing with 1 teaspoon water. Transfer the icing to separate resealable plastic bags. Snip a very tiny hole in the corner of the white and black icing bags, and snip a larger hole in the corner of the light brown icing bag.

Place each cookie right side up in front of you. With the black icing, pipe an outline around the head of each cookie, around the arms and across the chest with a bowed line. Turn the gingerbread man upside down so it is standing on its head; now you can see the shape of the reindeer's head. Pipe black antlers coming out of the top of the head, over the gingerbread man's legs and feet.

Using the loose light brown icing, flood each reindeer's head, using a toothpick to nudge the icing into any tight spots. Place a red cinnamon candy in the center of each face for the nose. Dry until set, 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Once the brown base has dried, pipe on the rest of the face. Pipe 2 white dots above the nose for the whites of the eyes, and 2 white dots on the underside of the ears for downy fur. Use the black icing to pipe a smiling mouth and eyebrows. Once the white icing has slightly dried, pipe in black pupils. Give your reindeer some personality! Let the icing dry until hardened, 1 hour or ideally overnight.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but are best eaten fresh.

Cook's Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

EGGNOG BLOSSOMS

This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The spicy-rich flavors of eggnog (including nutmeg, cream and rum) add a new holiday twist to a classic cookie shape, and the striped chocolate candies on top make them even more festive.”

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 24 cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract

1 small pinch ground cloves

1 large egg yolk

4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

24 foil-wrapped striped milk chocolate-white chocolate drops, such as Hershey Hugs, unwrapped

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream, rum extract, cloves, egg yolk and 2 teaspoons of the nutmeg and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just combines.

Roll the dough into twenty-four 1-inch balls using a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop or a tablespoon. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons nutmeg in a small bowl. Roll the balls in the spiced sugar to coat, and then arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown at the edges, about 14 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, place on wire racks and immediately press a chocolate drop in the center of each cookie while it is still soft and warm. Do not move the cookies until the chocolate has completely set and the cookies are cool, at least 1 hour.

Cook's Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

EGGNOG MELTAWAY COOKIES

This recipe, from the Food Network kitchen, begins, “The secret to these cookies' melt-in-your-mouth texture is the confectioners' sugar, which easily comes together with almonds in a food processor. The flavors of rum, bourbon and nutmeg make the little snowball lookalikes taste just like your favorite holiday drink. “

Total:2 hr 55 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 4 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup blanched almonds (skinless)

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon bourbon

2 teaspoons rum extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for serving

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Put the almonds and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the dough off the inside of the bowl if needed. Add the bourbon and rum and vanilla extracts and pulse until smooth. Add the flour and salt and pulse until the dough forms a ball.

Roll mounded teaspoons of the dough into balls about 1 inch wide and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies are firm when gently pressed, completely dry and just beginning to crack at the top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes; they will firm as they cool.

Meanwhile, put the nutmeg and remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar in a pie plate or wide baking dish and mix well. Toss the warm cookies very gently in the sugar mixture until evenly coated; the cookies need to be warm for the first coating of sugar to stick. Cool the cookies on a wire rack completely, about 30 minutes, then toss again in the sugar mixture so they are very white. Sprinkle with additional grated nutmeg.

Store the cookies in a little bit of extra confectioners' sugar in an airtight container for up to a week.

Cook's Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BAR COOKIE - CUKROVI

This was in a long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I kind-of think it might have been in what had been About.com (now Dotdash).

The recipe begins, “Czechoslovakian cukrovi is the generic term for cookies made during Christmas time. This recipe was given to me in the early '70s by a lovely Czech woman. Everyone seems to have it but the filling is usually apricot. I've never come across a recipe like this for almond and strawberry filling. The almond, while very sweet, seems to cut the richness of the dough. This recipe is definitely party size, but it can be cut in half with no loss in quality.”

Makes about 54 Czechoslovakian Cookies; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 cups butter (1 pound), softened

2 cups sugar

4 large egg yolks

4 cups flour

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

1 (8- to 12-ounce) container almond paste

1 (12-ounce) container strawberry filling

Confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yolks and mix well. Add flour and nuts and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough in half and pat into a 15 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan with slightly dampened hands, if necessary. Spread almond paste over surface to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with strawberry filling2 and spread in the same way.

Crumble remaining dough half over entire surface of filling, and pat or spread to completely cover. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Cut into 9 horizontal rows and 6 vertical rows (to make 54 bars) while still warm. Cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar. Transfer to paper cups and a pretty serving tray or store tightly covered.

GINGER-MOLASSES COOKIES

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Think of these cookies as a cross between a gingerbread man and a chewy molasses cookie. Adding molasses gives them a softer texture with a decidedly adult, almost caramel flavor. Instead of rolling or slicing these cookies, this rich, soft dough is perfect for rolling into balls and coating in coarse sugar before baking. The dough can even be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated, or baked 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature.”

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies; Time: 45 minutes

T his can be found online here.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About 3/4 cup pearl, Demerara or coarse sugar, for rolling

Do ahead: Cookie dough can be made 5 days ahead, refrigerated. Bring dough to room temperature before rolling. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature.

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and allspice.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter, molasses and sugar on medium-high until the mixture is superlight, fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and beat until everything is well combined, again stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary.

Add dry ingredients all at once, and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes, until firm enough to roll.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Using your hands, roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll them in coarse sugar. (Sanding sugar is festive, but turbinado or coarse sugar will do the trick as well.) If dough becomes too soft to roll, put back in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking tray 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are puffed, golden brown around the edges and baked through and the tops spring back slightly when touched, 12 to 15 minutes.

SKILLET PEANUT BUTTER CINNAMON SPICE COOKIE

This comes from Rachael Hartley, RD, LD, CDE at VeryWellFit, and begins, “This decadent yet low-carb skillet peanut butter cinnamon spice cookie is the perfect treat for someone with diabetes. It takes less than ten minutes of prep time, has only five grams of sugar per serving, and is made with blood sugar lowering cinnamon. Most importantly, it’s delicious!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 16.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 large egg

1 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup almond meal

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

Non-stick spray

2 tablespoons peanuts, optional, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, beat egg until slightly frothy. Whisk in the peanut butter, brown sugar, almond meal, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until well combined.

Spray an ovenproof skillet lightly with nonstick spray. Pour batter into the skillet and spread evenly with a spatula. If desired, sprinkle the top with a few peanuts and press down slightly.

Place cookie on a rack set in the center of the oven and bake 10-12 minutes until puffed and golden around the edges. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

“This is one of my favorite treats to make because I always have the ingredients on hand! Whenever I’m craving something warm, gooey and sweet, I know this skillet cookie is only 20 minutes away.”

Nut Butters

Even in your pantry is looking bare, this recipe is easy to adapt based on what you have on hand. You can use any type of nut butter—cashew butter and almond butter both work well. And if you’re in the unfortunate situation of running out of nut butter, you can make your own by blending a rounded cup of nuts with a tablespoon of oil in the food processor until if forms a creamy spread.

Sweeteners

I made these with brown sugar, which has a richer flavor than white sugar, although you could certainly substitute it in a pinch. You could also use pure maple syrup or honey, but be sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and cook it a couple minutes longer to prevent burning.

Nut-Free Variation

If anyone in your household is nut free, you can still make this cookie—just swap in sesame butter and leave out the almond meal. Made with sunflower seeds, it’s perfect for those with tree nut allergies.

Vegan Variation

For a vegan version, use a chia seed egg. Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water and let it sit to gel for about 10 minutes before mixing in the other ingredients.

This trick is a perfect one to remember next time you run out of eggs.

More Add-Ins

If you’re feeling extra decadent, load this cookie up with lots of healthy add-ins. In the mood for something chocolatey? Swap the almond flour for 1/4 cup cocoa powder, or stir in 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidant polyphenols and flavanols. Want something fruity? Stir in a handful of frozen berries. This recipe is especially delicious with frozen wild blueberries.

Make an extra nutty cookie with different kinds of nuts and seeds, like walnuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Add a handful or two of dried fruit along with those nuts to make a granola inspired cookie. My favorite way to enjoy this cookie is with a handful of shredded dried coconut and dark chocolate chips.

Cooking and Serving Tips

This cookie is best when it’s slightly undercooked. The center might not look fully done when you take it out, but it will continue cooking as it cools.

Be sure to use a nonstick or well seasoned cast iron skillet to prevent sticking.