By Rose Caisley ‘26
From sugar cookies to gingerbread men, no holiday season is complete without some appropriately merry desserts. And don’t worry, we here at DSJ have all your holiday baking needs covered! Here are three delicious family cookie recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth this winter!
Photo Courtesy of The Food Network
Cracked Brown Sugar Cookies:
Photo Courtesy of the kitchen is my playground
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar, plus ½ cup separated
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream sugars and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and stir to incorporate.
Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and beat until blended.
Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in excess white sugar. Place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake at 375* for 10 mins.
Pecan Balls:
Photo Courtesy of Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 cup flour
2 cup finely chopped pecans*
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter in a larger bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. And ½ cup of the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in flour and pecans.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets. Immediately roll hot cookies in the remaining 2 cups of sugar. Place sugared cookies on wire racks to cool. When cool, roll again in sugar.
*For a nut-free version of this recipe, used finely chopped oats instead of pecans
Chocolate Drop Cookies:
Photo Courtesy of Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 squares melted baking chocolate
½ cup butter or sour milk
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
Directions:
In a large bowel with an electric mixer, combine the first 6 ingredients. Mix the salt, flour, and baking soda together in a separate small bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
Refrigerate dough for several hours or overnight.
Form 1” balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet 2” apart. Bake for minutes at 375 degrees.
Frost each cookie and serve.
Frosting:
¼ cup milk of choice
¼ cup butter
3 Tbps cocoa powder
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all frosting ingredients. Add a splash of water as needed for desired
consistency.