How To Make Christmas Cookies 2019: 4 Freezer-Friendly And Make-Ahead Recipes

Presents underneath the tree waiting to be unwrapped may be one of the best parts of the Christmas season, but nothing is sweeter during the holidays than Christmas cookies.

Unfortunately, baking can sometimes be a tedious and long process, and with the hectic nature that comes in the days just before Christmas, sometimes baking cookies can fall by the wayside. Thankfully, there are several recipes that can be prepped ahead of time, meaning all that needs to be done on Christmas is sliding them in the oven and maybe a little decorating. Check out these four freezer-friendly recipes.

Danielle Walker’s Cutout Christmas Cookies

This recipe, featured in the Against All Grain founder’s “Celebrations” cookbook, is not only able to be chilled in the refrigerator for two days or frozen for up to six months, but it is also grain-free.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• ¼ cup light-colored raw honey
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt frosting
• 6 tablespoons coconut butter
• 1-ounce raw cacao butter, chopped
• ¼ cup light-colored raw honey
• ¼ cup chilled full-fat coconut milk
• Natural food coloring (optional)

How To Prepare Them:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the almond flour, arrowroot, honey, egg, coconut oil, vanilla, baking soda, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth ball forms, about 30 seconds. Flatten the ball of dough into a ½-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or longer).

How To Finish Them:

1. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Remove the top parchment sheet. Dip a cookie cutter in a little flour, then cut out shapes, peeling away the excess dough.

2. Gather the excess dough into a ball and reroll it to make more cookies. If the dough starts to dry out or crack when rolled the second time, lightly moisten your hands before kneading the scraps to add a little moisture back into the dough. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden around the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, make the frosting by combining the coconut butter and cacao butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, but not boiling. Pour into a food processor and add the honey and coconut milk. Process until smooth and combined. Pour the frosting into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set. Divide the frosting into small bowls and add food coloring. Pipe designs or spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies.

Fernet Espresso Crinkle Cookies

These delicious cookies (compliments of Dan Zieders, are perfect for those seeking something a little different from the classic holiday cookie fare.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 tbsp. Fernet-Branca
• 8 oz. Semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 8 tbs. Room temperature butter
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 2 tsp. Baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• ½ cup of cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 2 tsp. Mint extract
• 2 pinches of salt
• 6 tsp. Instant espresso
• 2 eggs
• Powdered sugar, for rolling

How To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water or in the microwave and let cool.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, instant espresso and salt in a small bowl. It is best to measure flour by weight.

4. In a stand mixer, cream together brown sugar, eggs and butter. Add mint extract and melted chocolate, blend until smooth. Alternate additions of the flour mixture and fernet and blend until smooth. The batter should have the consistency of very soft playdough.

5. Turn batter out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Freeze batter on a baking sheet for approximately one hour (or longer if decided).

How To Finish:

1. Take 1-inch pieces of frozen dough and roll in powdered sugar until completely covered. Bake for 12-15 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place cookies about 2 inches apart.

2. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Holiday Pinwheel Cookies

These mesmerizing treats (compliments of Simply Recipes), are both a feast for the belly and the eyes and can be frozen as long as needed before baking. They’re also customizable with flavored extracts and colorings as well.

What You Need:

• 1 ¼ cups white granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. Baking powder
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. Liquid red food coloring
• ½ tsp. Raspberry extract

How To Prepare:

1. Place butter, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients together until the batter is creamy, light in color and clings to the side of the bowl, about two minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix it into the dough on low speed until no more streaks of flour remain.

2. Scrape the dough out onto a clean surface and divide it in half. Set one half aside, then place the other half back in the bowl. Add the red food coloring and raspberry extract. Mix until incorporated and uniform in color.

3. Divide each half of the dough in half again, resulting in two balls of each of plain dough and raspberry-flavored red dough. Roughly shape each into a square or rectangular shape, and tightly wrap each in plastic wrap.

4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to a day to let it firm.

5. Remove one piece of dough, unwrap it and place it on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Place another piece of wax or parchment paper on top and roll the dough into a 6 x 12 rectangle. If the dough is too hard to roll out, let it soften for a few minutes until it’s easier to roll out.

6. When done, transfer the rolled-out dough to a baking sheet, still sandwiched between two sheets of paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, stacking sheets on top of each other on the baking sheet.

7. Once all of the dough pieces are rolled out, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes.

8. Sandwich together the different color doughs by removing one of each from the freezer, peeling off the top layer of paper from each, and carefully flip the raspberry dough on top of the vanilla dough. Peel away the remaining paper from the raspberry dough. Trim the edges of the dough so the sheets line up, then carefully roll the dough from the long edge into a 12” long log of dough, peeling away the bottom piece of parchment as you go. Repeat with the other dough, and tightly wrap each log in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight or freeze for up to one month.

How To Finish:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper of a silicone baking mat. Remove the chilled dough, roll out the flattened bottom of the log to reshape, then slice the logs into ¼-½ inch thick pieces. Place on a baking sheet about one inch apart.

2. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies start to brown slightly at the edges. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool.

North Pole Cookies

These chocolatey delights (compliments of Little Dairy on the Prairie and complete with marshmallows and mint candies) are a festive treat that can be frozen for a month.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup of butter
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 ¼ tsp. Soda
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup Andes mint bits

How To Prepare:

1. Microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds and stir. Continue to microwave for 10-15 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set the bowl aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

3. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chunks, mint bits and marshmallows.

4. Fill pint containers with cookie dough and refrigerate up to four days or freeze for a month. When ready to bake, allow the dough to rise to room temperature before baking.

How To Finish:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough in tablespoon-size balls about an inch apart. If the dough has been frozen you may want to flatten slightly sing the bottom of a glass or the back of a spatula. Bake for 10-12 minutes, edges will be lightly cracked but centers will be soft.

2. Cool slightly on a baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.