Thanksgiving may be all about the pies, but Christmas is all about the cookies! I find that people fall into one of two camps: those who love decorating holiday cookies, and those who don't.
What may come as a surprise to most is that I fall into the latter camp. While I love baking, gifting, and eating (of course) Christmas cookies and I love how the end result looks, I kind of hate any kind of fussy, time-consuming decorating.
I'm always on the lookout for some shortcut ideas for creating adorable, festive cookies without having to block off half of my day to get them finished. So if you find yourself needing to churn out a bunch of decorated cookies for an office/classroom party or cookie exchange, I'll tell you how to create a variety batch of gorgeous cookies and you'll still have time to collapse on the couch with your favorite Christmas movie and a mug of hot cider.
Ready? Hold your breath... you're gonna start with a box of Krusteaz Butter Vanilla Sugar cookie mix. This is my all-time favorite boxed cookie mix and is the only one I feel good about serving or gifting to others. They yield a buttery, perfectly chewy cookie and can totally pass as homemade.
Now for the decorating. I wanted to decorate cookies that I could stack in tins and bags without worry of the frosting sticking or getting smeared. Not wanting to deal with mixing royal icing and having to stress over getting it the perfect consistently, I opted to use chocolate melts instead.
Here is everything you need for this project:
- White, dark, and or milk chocolate melting wafers. I used Ghirardelli brand because they melt perfectly and taste fantastic
- A batch of sugar cookies, baked and fully cooled
- A double boiler
- Wax paper
- A variety of holiday sprinkles or colored sanding sugar - anything and everything will work
- Crushed peppermint candies
- Coarse sea salt
- Chopped sweetened coconut flakes
- Finely-chopped toasted nuts
Melting the chocolate: Though you can use a microwave to melt the chocolate, I think that using a double boiler is easier when dipping cookies, because once the chocolate is melted you can keep the top bowl over the simmering water and keep the chocolate fluid without worrying about it cooling and becoming lumpy before you've finished dipping your cookies. You'll want to fill the bottom of the double boiler with about an inch of water, place the chocolate in the top bowl and heat on medium low with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.
Dipping the cookies: Dip half of each cookie and then transfer to wax paper. You'll want to decorate the cookies after every half dozen or so that you've dipped to ensure that the chocolate doesn't cool and harden too much and will be able to hang onto your decorations. If your melted chocolate isn't deep enough to dip the cookies straight down, you can dip the fronts and the backs separately by rotating the cookie towards and away from you... or you can just dip the tops! Allow the decorated cookies to cool completely before stacking (you can put them in the freezer for a bit to speed up this step).
Decorating the cookies: I don't even need to give you much instruction for this part - just go to down with those sprinkles and toppings! The sprinkles will simply look cute, while toppings such as crushed peppermint, sea salt, and chopped coconut will add some extra flavor. You can even use a fork to drizzle on some of the opposite color of chocolate.
This is one of my favorite decorating tricks - use Christmas tree shaped sprinkles (I use the trees from this mix) and some small red sprinkles to create holly leaves and berries! Wilton also makes a special holly mix sprinkles that would be perfect.
What Kind of Cookies To Make?
You can't throw a candy cane without it shattering against 100 different cookie recipes this time of year, so how in the world do you decide which ones to make to take to all of those holiday parties and cookie swaps? Try taking this fun quiz, the Cookie Helper, to determine your cookie personality and get your perfect recipe. In addition, for taking the quiz you'll get a coupon for a Krusteaz cookie mix and be entered to win a gift card for $100!
Krusteaz Cookie Mix Prize Pack Giveaway!
Because cookies really are the ultimate Christmas treat, I'm giving away a prize pack of Krusteaz goodies! One randomly chosen winner will receive everything in the photo above, including a variety of cookie mixes, cookie cutters, and an amazing bottle of fancy, wintry sprinkles! You'll also receive a Krusteaz-branded red tote bag. Just use the widget below to enter! The giveaway ends Wednesday, December 27th. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post brought to you by Krusteaz, but does not affect the opinions that we share with you all.
Yeah, such an amazing ideas. Looking forward to decorate my Christmas cake like this.
Can I just say what a relief to discover somebody that really understands what they're discussing over
the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
A lot more people have to look at this and understand this side of your story.
I was surprised you aren't more popular because you surely
possess the gift.
Snickerdoodles are my favorite.
I like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
My favorite Christmas cookie is the Krusteaz Triple Chocolate Chunk cookie.
Pizzelles are my favorite!
Butter cookies are my jam
I love sugar cookies!
My favorite Christmas cookie ---> Gingerbread !!!
Love sugar cookies ty
I love the oatmeal raisin cookies! So good!
I just have to make those nice Chocolate Chip cookies several times each Christmastime season.
I love chocolate chip and walnut cookies!
my favorite cookies are italian snowballs!! so nutty and chewy!
My favorite Christmas cookies are the decorated frosted sugar cookies.
mint chocolate chip cookies
One of my favorite is gingerbread men.
My favorite Christmas cookies are sugar cookies!!
We like sugar cookies
Peanut Butter cookies are my favorite!
I like oatmeal raisin cookies
My favorite Christmas cookie is peanut butter cookies
I love Snickerdoodles fresh ot of the oven on Christmas morning.
My husband likes the butter cookies the best, but I like chocolate chip.
I really like gingerbread cookies.
My favourite cookies are probably Pfeffernüsse.
I love those Russian tea balls. My friends called 5em Santa’s balls!
My favorite Christmas cookie is oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
frosted sugar cookies
No-Bakes are my favorite -- chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal. Yum!
I like sugar cookies with frosting & decorations.
chocolate chip cookies.
I like frosted sugar cookies.
I love snickerdoodle cookies.
Iced sugar cookies
Mom's Spritz is my cookie of choice!
I love gingerbread cookies!
Classic Suger Cookies with buttercream frosting
I LOVE Gingerbread Cookies 🙂
I love Snickerdoodles.
I like gingerbread cookies.
It would have to be the traditional sugar cookie.
I like the Swedish snowball cookies.
I love the snickerdoodle
I love peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kisses in the middle. They so delicious 🙂
I love chocolate chip cookies.
My wife takes you gingerbread mix, 1/3 cup of water, 1 cup raisins and 1 cup almonds or other nuts. Then she rolls the mix into balls and bakes them for 10 minutes at 350.
I love peanut butter cookies around Christmas time.
I love chewy, soft molasses cookies and five layer bars.
I like sugar cookies!
Sugar cookies are my fav.
My favorite cookie is definitely a snickerdoodle. 🙂
I like snowball cookies.
Can I say Chocolate Chip Cookies? They are my fave anytime! Yum! Thanks and God Bless!
sugar cookie cutouts
I like Sugar cookies with Frosting best.
I like old fashioned chocolate chip cookies!
Peanut butter blossoms.
Shortbread
I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES.
I like sugar cookies, and I love making them so the kids can decorate them with icing and sprinkles.
I love chocolate chip cookies.
I like Kiffles and Thumbprint cookies.
I like frosted sugar cookies.
frosted sugar cookies
Sugar Cookies sprinkled with Ginger before baking.
Shortbread!
Sugar cookies for sure! yum
My favorite are sugar cookies.
Peanut butter blossoms.
Iced Christmas Sugar cookies from a local lady that makes them
I love decorated sugar cookies
Chocolate chip
sugar cookies with peppermint chocolate candy piece in the middle
My favorite are gingerbread cookies.
I love oatmeal raisin
I love 7 Layer Bars!
Frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles!
My favorite Christmas cookie is Snickerdoodles.
I love Christmas Snowball cookies.
I love thumbprint cookies. Been trying to find my dad's old recipe for christmas!
I really like decorated sugar cookies.
I love decorated sugar cookies!
My favorite Christmas cookies are iced sugar cookies.
I love seven layer cookies.
Snickerdoodle cookies are my fave.
I enjoy sugar cookies with sprinkles
My favorite Christmas cookie is Snickerdoodles.
Snickerdoodles are mine!
Gingerbread cookies
Chocolate chip
I love Lemon Cookies at Christmas time.
Chocolate Chip
gingerbread
Gingerbread
I love gingerbread at Christmas!
My mom makes the best snowball cookies every Christmas
Big, soft sugar cookies.
I love frosted sugar cookies, but they are such a pain to make. :/
Ginger bread cookies, preferably soft.
I love gingerbread cookies!
I like to msle the xmas tree cookies
I love Gingerbread cookies!
I like decorated cutout sugar cookies.
Love biscochos a Mexican cookie
Nut Cresents, followed closely by Gingerbread men!
I like candy cane cookies.
i love a good snickerdoodle. they are my favorite cookies.
gingerbread
I like sugar cookies
I like raspberry maple cookies.
My grandma makes some almond cookies at Christmastime that are my favorite!
Triple chocolate truffles
potato chip cookies are my favorite
Classic Sugar cookies with buttercream frosting
I love the pecan sandies covered in powdered sugar. I think they are called snowballs. I also like peanut butter cookies topped with buttercream frosting and dotted lightly with cinnamon red hots.
I like frosted sugar cookies.
My favorite cookie is a sugar cookie with sprinkles.
Our favorite are molasses cookies.
If had to pick one chocolate chip.
Sugar cookies with royal icing is my favorite Christmas cookie.
I love SHortbread. It is so good with Coffee 🙂
For Christmas I love Mexican Wedding Cakes or Pecan Crescents.
I like oatmeal scotchies, specifically the butterscotch chips I eat before making them.
I like date pinwheel cookies.
I love iced sugar cookies
Gingerbread cookies are my favorite.
I love Snickerdoodles!
My favorite Christmas cookie is the Sugar Cookie.
My favorite Christmas cookie is decorated sugar cookies!
I like peanut butter kisses!
I love sugar cookies, with sprinkles.
My favorite is cranberry walnut biscotti.
My favorite Christmas cookie is a cream cheese based dough filled with cherry preserves and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
My favorite is Gingerbread Man Cookies.
My favorite is my mom's chocolate chip with walnut cookies!
My favorite Christmas cookies are Italian Wedding Cookies (aka Cocoa Wedding Cakes or Snowball Cookies).
I love sugar cookies or molasses cookies.
I like snickerdoodles.
I love soft ginger cookies.
I like gingerbread cookies.
Sand Tarts are my favorite Christmas cookie
Gingerbread is my favorite. It's the first one that makes me think Christmas time.
I like seven layer cookies the best.
I love frosted sugar cookies.