Tis the season for holiday parties, Secret Santas, and cookie exchanges. I don’t think of myself as a particularly inventive gift-giver, so the holidays tend to be a little stressful for me–except when it comes to cookie exchanges, that is. I’m one of the few remaining women on the planet who actually enjoys spending some time in the kitchen. A cookie exchange gives me an excuse to put baking on my to-do list. (It also assures that I won’t end up eating an entire batch of cookies by myself.)
If your family has a favorite holiday treat, then you might already have a go-to cookie recipe. If not, you’ll find a few suggestions in this post. Most are easy to make, some are a little unusual, and all are very tasty. If you’re a cookie purist, this list might not be all that helpful. If you’re a little adventurous, though, I hope these suggestions will come in handy.
By the way, I’m including several suggestions for gluten-free options, in case you’re trying to keep gluten out of your diet (or baking for someone who is.) Over the holidays, with baked goods everywhere you look, that’s particularly difficult. But my gluten-free recipe suggestions will help you make sure that everyone can enjoy your holiday celebrations.
Key Lime Coconut Snowballs. This is a no-bake recipe featuring the basic ingredients you’d use for key lime pie, with the addition of coconut “snow” on the outside. You could always skip the coconut coating, if you want a more authentic key lime flavor. I love these things–and they’ve been a huge hit every time I’ve made them for a party or pot luck. If you use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, they’re also safe for anyone who’s avoiding gluten.
Coconut Date Balls. My sister used to make these all the time. We called them “skillet cookies” because (obviously) they were made on the stovetop, in a skillet. I prefer this name, because it actually tells you what kind of heavenly delight you’ll enjoy when you bite into one of these treasures. They’re a little bit crunchy, a little bit chewy, and a whole lot of deliciousness. They’re also gluten-free.
Jam Thumbprint Almond Cookies. I’m a huge fan of King Arthur Flour products in general, but especially their almond flour. (Note that almond flour and almond meal are not exactly the same thing–one is more coarsely ground that the other, and almond meal usually includes the almond husks as well. Sometimes that doesn’t matter, but in delicate cookies like these, it does.) This recipe will help you create an authentic shortbread cookie that is absolutely gluten-free. Guidelines for making jam thumbprint cookies are at the bottom of the page. If you want to make your own lemon curd for filling the thumbprints, I highly recommend this recipe for microwave lemon curd. It hasn’t failed me yet, and it’s easier than you might imagine.
Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies. This recipe includes directions for making a lemon filling, because ginger and lemon are a match made in heaven’s kitchen. But these sandwich cookies are equally delightful with cream cheese frosting in the middle, or plain old vanilla buttercream. Spicy ginger cookies always taste like the holidays to me. (Note: I haven’t yet tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend in place of the wheat flour. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.)
Candy Cane Cookies. These are the most labor-intensive suggestion I’m offering here–but they’re also the cutest. I wouldn’t recommend trying to make them gluten-free, simply because gluten is what gives wheat-based dough its stretch (a quality these cookies rely on, when it comes to twisting the strands of colored dough together.) I remember these from Christmases when I was a kid, and I enjoyed making them with my own children. Even though I can’t eat them anymore, I still love seeing them on the holiday dessert table.
If you have friends you know will enjoy a homemade gift, a simple plateful of homemade cookies can be a terrific option. I suspect the gluten-free options I’ve suggested here would be particularly welcome, since the holiday season often feels like a non-stop festival of self-denial for those of us who have to stay away from traditional sweets.
If you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe, feel free to share it in the comments!
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