Holiday Cookies

With the holiday baking season here it is time to dust off the holiday cookie recipes and I thought that it was a perfect time to share some of my favourites with you. When I was growing up cookies played an important roll over the holidays and no matter who's house your were visiting there would be a platter of cookies just waiting to be sampled. Cookies are perfect for serving at parties or any kind of social gathering and they also make great gifts so if you are attending a party, bring some along with you when you go. Christmas cookies come in many shapes and forms from Santa's chocolate chip cookies, to gingerbread men, to bars, to balls, to biscotti, to brittles and barks. Enough with this, lets get on to the cookies! I do hope that you enjoy this holiday cookie guide!

Christmas Fruit Cake (photo above) is a classic for a good reason! This moist boozy fruit cake is a welcome addition to any holiday cookie platter, though you need to start making it really early.

Nanaimo Bars - These nutty chocolate and and cream layered bars hail from Canada and they are best served chilled.

Maple Butter Tarts - Another Canadian treat! These butter tarts are like mini pecan pies except they are more commonly filled with raisins and walnuts. You just can't go wrong with the all butter flaky pastry filled with maple-y goodness!

Orange Cookies Dipped in Chocolate - Chocolate and orange is a flavour combo that is hard to beat but when you throw them into short bread you take them to an all new buttery heaven!

Gingersnap Cookies - These cookies are among my favorites and I just can't seem to get enough of the gingery delicacies.

Cranberry Turtle Bars - Cranberries are in season over the holidays and in these fantastically divine bars they are used in a cranberry caramel sauce that is poured over pecans and then covered in a chocolate drizzle that is not to be missed!

Chocolate Turtle Cookies - Chocolate turtles have long been a staple at Christmas for my family and these chocolate thumb print cookies filled with dulce de leche and pecans are even better then the store bought candy version!

Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti - Biscotti is a cookie that is baked two times and that makes it extra hard which makes it perfect for dipping in coffee of a cup of hot cocoa!

Shortbread - Another holiday classic! There is just something magical about shortbread with its dead simple recipe including nothing more that flour, butter, sugar and a touch of salt.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies - If chocolate chip cookies are Santa's favourite then you really can't go wrong baking a batch for Christmas and this version includes some salty bacon that goes surprisingly well in a sweet cookie!