These white chocolate, cranberry and macadamia nut cookes are to die for.

And Emeril's Russian tea cakes are melt in your mouth delish...they can also be made with hazelnuts. Yum.

Oh, for drinks, I'd want coffee and tea to cut the sweetness of the cookies.

You really don't need anything else to serve, unless you want to put out some fruit and cheese. Cookies are their own reward.

Oh you could also do some sweet palmiers...you can buy the dough if you don't want to make it from scratch.

Depending on who's participating, most likely someone will make kolache. But I doubt anyone will make kruschiki. They are light and not too sweet and just wonderful. Freeze the egg whites to make meringue in the future.

I host an annual holiday cookie swap. For mine, each person makes 8 dozen and we swap over glog and small savory snacks and fruits. One person in our group brings everything to wrap and box and beribbon the cookies. We exchange white elephant gifts, and we discuss the Washington Post Sunday Magazine's fiction selection (we're a book group, so that's our nod to literature).

The most memorable contribution to date was a stunning display of Martha Stewart fudge cut into small squares. They were beautifully decorated with gorgeous silver and white sprinkles, and were just eye-popping. They looked like they had come from a shop, but we were assured that they were incredibly easy to make. They were not, of course, cookies. But we forgave her.

I think a gourmet granola bar could be very nice. I have a recipe for a Swedish cookie with a meringue on top that is heavenly, but fragile. I made Florentines one year, and that is a lovely cookie, durable and festive. Biscotti are also quite nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Foolproof Holiday Fudge

I make a sugar cookies using powdered as well as granulated sugar~they melt in your mouth! I separate the dough in 2pieces and use enough food coloring to make light green and pink. With the sugar that's added to the top they have a sparkly look, very Chrismas-y.

My best friend's son has nicknamed them selfish cookies since I have a hard time giving them away.

This recipe was posted on the Kitchen Table forum last year. I made it and it is very flavorful but not overly sweet. And easy to make. The red and green of the pistachios and cranberries make it perfect for Christmas:

Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt

1.5 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, shells discarded
1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup coarse decorative sugar

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, and salt.
In the bowl of a standing or electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until dough comes together in clumps. Add pistachios and cranberries.

Gather and press dough together. Cut dough in half and place each half on a sheet of waxed paper.
Form each half into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Square off each log to form a bar (pressing two rulers along the length of the dough is helpful), and wrap each bar in waxed paper.
Chill until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350. Meanwhile, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, beat egg. Brush egg over logs on all sides.

Place coarse sugar on a separate sheet of waxed paper. Roll bars in sugar, coating well.
Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to keep square shape. (If dough is too soft to slice, freeze briefly until firm.)
Arrange cookies about a half inch apart on lined baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes.
Transfer cookies from parchment to racks and cool completely before serving.

These are yummy...... but they would not be an expected/typical Christmas cookie...

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Serves: 44 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

You had me at "lemon." Yum!

I love making peppermint (candy cane) overnight meringues at Christmas. They are so easy and delicious, low fat, etc. Not sure how they would be for an exchange as they have to be stored airtight, but am sure one could figure that out.

Peppermint Meringue Cookies Recipe

Yield: Makes 24 meringue cookies.

It's easiest to separate the eggs when they are cold. Since you'll want the egg whites to be at room temperature before whipping them (they will get more lift that way), for best results, separate your eggs at least a half hour before starting this recipe, and leave egg whites out to come to room temp.

Make sure that all bowls, hands, and utensils that might touch the eggs are clean and free from oils. For best results, avoid making on a humid or rainy day.
Ingredients

2-3 Tbsp thoroughly crushed peppermint candies*
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar (use superfine if you have it)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

* Pulverize candies by placing them in sealed, doubled-up freezer bags. Use a meat mallet (smooth side) or hammer to gently pound them into a fine powder.
1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Put egg whites into a standup mixer, add a pinch of salt. Start the mixer on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium until quite foamy and soft peaks can just begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Egg white bubbles should be small and uniform.
3. Increase the speed to medium high and slowly add the sugar, a little (1-2 teaspoons) at a time. Continue to whip egg whites and sugar for a few minutes, then add the vinegar. Increase the speed to the highest setting and whip the egg whites until they are glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the crushed peppermints (and the mini chocolate chips, if you are using).
5. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. If you are using parchment paper, you can put a dollop of the meringue mixture in the corners of the pans before placing the parchment paper on them, to help secure the parchment paper in place. Either use a spoon to drop teaspoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the cookie sheets (spaced an inch apart) or use a pastry piping bag (can make one with a plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off) to pipe mounds (1 1/2 inches wide) onto the lined cookie sheet. (I like to sprinkle some more crushed peppermints on top before baking).
6. Put the cookie sheets in the 300°F oven, close the door. Wait for one minute only, then turn the oven OFF. Do not open the door for another 3 hours. You can leave them in the oven overnight. The meringues will gently cook in the residual heat of the oven. When done, the meringues will be lightly crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. If they are still a little chewy after 3 hours, just let them dry out for a few more hours. Store in an airtight container.

I doubt very much that anyone will bring Biscochitos, which are our very traditional New Mexican cookie. It wouldn't be the Christmas Season here without them! Many still make them using lard, but I prefer butter or Crisco.

New Mexican Biscochitos
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Crisco (or butter)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons anise seeds, crushed slightly
2 eggs
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2) Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3) In a large mixing bowl, cream together the Crisco and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir in the anise seeds and eggs. Beat until fluffy.
4) Gradually add in flour mixture and then brandy, stirring until just mixed well.
5) On a floured surface, roll out cookie dough until 1/2-inch thick. Cut out using a fleur-de-lis (which is the traditional shape ) or another cookie cutter shape of your choice.
6) In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and reserved 1/4 cup of (white) sugar. Sprinkle over cookies. Place on greased baking sheets.
7) Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until bottoms are slightly browned.

This recipe makes 6 dozen cookies.

* BTW, Biscochitos are actually the official state cookie of our beautiful Land of Enchantment.

Lynn

These Merry Mice are cute. Just molded marzipan dipped in chocolate with simple decorations.

I adore these miniature tartlets and have made them every year since I saw them in this picture from the Nov. 1979 Bon Appetit. One batch of dough can make 3 different cookies. My favorites are the Opera Tartlet (chocolate and coffee) and the Almond Tartlet with its yummy frangipan filling. I also love the Viennese Triangles but they disappear too fast! If any of these look interesting, I'll be happy to post the recipes.

Last week I made a couple of batches of pfeffernusse, a traditional German cooky, and the hands down favorite Christmas treat in our house. They are best made ahead of time and mellowed with an apple slice in the container. They are fun to make with kids, can be made in steps, so don't take a whole day to complete, and are so, so, simple. The real attraction is in the flavor--they are addictive!

Since you can make them any size from about nickel-sized and up, you need to decide how many will be equal to a dozen regular-sized cookies. I pack that amount in a cellophane bag, with a dried apple slice, and maybe another apple slice and a cinnamon stick, tied with jute string to decorate the bag.

This is copied from an email to someone who recently asked for my recipe, which I've had long before I had a computer, so this is basic.

Pfeffernusse (there's an umlaut in there somewhere):

Beat together, until fluffy:

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine

Add:

2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 Tlb. dark or light corn syrup
1 pinch ground white or black pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat in:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, one cup at a time

Refrigerate for at least one hour, or until dough can be shaped into thin rolls,
about the same diameter as your fore finger. Freeze to make slicing easier.

Slice into thin pieces, ap. 1/4 inch thick. Place on ungreased cooky sheets, about
1 inch apart--they will spread while baking.

Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes, until just turning brown around the bottom edge.

Watch the first batch closely, in case you need to adjust baking time.

Store in an airtight container, for at least one month before using, to allow the taste
to mellow. A sliced apple may be added to help develop flavor. Frozen dough can
be wrapped and kept indefinitely, then baked as needed.

******My adjusments:
I use butter, light corn syrup, and freshly ground black pepper.
I also bake at 350 for 5 minutes, on an upper rack--just until the bottom edge starts to brown.

Funny, You should mention French Macaroons because I just watched a Canadian Cooking show on CBC that showed how to make these.
Here is the link, they looked fairly easy to make.

Here is a link that might be useful: Look Here

Ive been making the white chocolate cranberry macadamia nut cookies for years-- they are a little too sweet for me but the nieces and nephews would scream if I didnt make them.

Love all these recipes-- you had me at kruschiki.. and pistachio cranberry .. and lemon ricotta.. and pfeffernusse .. and biscochitos.. and toffee.. and.. and .. i better get on the treadmill!

The white chocolate cranberry macadamia nut cookie recipe sounds so wonderful. It looks like a souped-up version of the Nestle toll house cookie recipe - my all time favorite cookie, so how could it be anything but great . . .

The dough is a little sweeter than tollhouse cookies and denser-- but in a rich, thick cookie way, Graywings. They are definitely a "fan favorite" around here. I buy macadamia nuts in bulk to cover christmas and college care packages.

Another favorite is my pistachio chocolate chip-- basically a tollhouse recipe with pistachios. Lots of pistachios.

OMG what yummy suggestions.

I think I will in fact make granola bars, because I know no one else will.

But I will also make either the fudge or those peppermint meringues.

BTW, there is a great youtube video on making french macarons. Make no mistake about it, they are not easy!

Here is a link that might be useful: macaron tips

Wow, great video! Last summer there was a TV show about a bake off among a group of amateur bakers, and the French macaron was one of the tests.

Have any of you tried Oreo Cookie Balls yet? My husband brought me one home that someone at his office made. It was so good! I plan to make them for our holiday party this year. They sound very easy to make. Only three ingredients and no baking. If any of you are familiar with chocolate wafer ice box cake these work on the same principle.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
4 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into pieces, melted

MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.

SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oreo cookie balls

Great thread, as I will be attending a neighborhood ladies brunch and cookie swap. I don't normally do cookies, so these are all great - thanks.

On a semi-side note: I have lost a few pounds/ two sizes the last few months. I don't want to gain it back by eating cookies (or anything in abundance) during the holidays. Would it be rude to go to the brunch/swap w/o cookies in hand? This way, I'm not obligated to bring any home or eat any cookies there - I seriously would not knowing I did not bring any with me. If I take, but say ahead of time to myself I won't eat, that won't work. I am a chocoholic.

Congrats on the weight loss! 2 sizes is more than a few pounds!

I would take cookies, bring cookies home and then bring them someplace as a gift the next day...to where you work, or to someone else's office like your favorite doctor or dentist or hair dresser, post office....they will be both appreciated and out of your hands. When I was working and went to a family holiday gathering, I'd end up with leftover dessert...I always brought them to the guys at security in our building who had to work through the holidays. You could also bring them to a homeless shelter.

People often give cookies and such away at the Y where DH works out...only rule there is they can't have nuts due to child allergies.

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Thu, Nov 21, 13 at 22:50

Terriks, I made those oreo cake balls last year and they were a HUGE hit...it's hard to believe how good and easy they are.

Allison0704, if you don't feel comfortable bringing cookies home, I'd still take some to the swap and then let the rest of the participants just have the extras that would have been yours. But if you can handle it, I'd do like Annie suggested and give them away.

Hi Allison,

How did your cookie swap go? What were some of the favorites?

I totally hear you on the temptation. I am part of a cooking club, and hosting the swap comes up in rotation. Luckily I scheduled it the day before a teacher appreciation event at one of the kid's schools. That's where mine will go!

I tried making granola bars, for something different and "healthier" (a Barefoot Contessa recipe). I wasn't crazy about them. I am not sure if other people will be, either. So tomorrow I am going to make a few batches of madelienes. I have the pans so I try to make them when I can!

Congratulations on your weight loss!