by Sharlene

Christmas cookies #WeekendCooking

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

although my cookie flavours this year really aren’t Christmassy at all!

This year I have been making cookies to give to friends from school as well as to send to the husband’s mentor.

You might notice that this year’s recipes are mostly from the same website! I like her recipes for its Asian flavours and its detailed instructions.

Chinese-style Walnut Cookies (Hup Toh Soh). Recipe here. I like this as it doesn’t use shortening (which I never have at home and can’t be bothered to make a trip to the supermarket to get).

Matcha Sesame Seed Shortbread. Recipe here. Another easy recipe that’s quite effective and I suppose, with its green, somewhat Christmassy? I added more salt to the recipe though, as I tend to prefer shortbread that’s not too sweet.

Red Bean Crinkle Cookies. Recipe here. I made a regular batch and then another batch replacing a tablespoon of floor with a tablespoon of matcha powder. I quite like it!

Lemon biscotti. Recipe here.  Previously I used the KAF American-style biscotti recipes, but this time went with the lemon biscotti. I didn’t want to use the almond extract though so I replaced it with lemon extract for extra lemony flavour. Also, I feel that most lemon recipes don’t have enough lemony-ness, so I increased the amount of zest and juice. It’s also a combination of regular lemon and Meyer lemon.

Do you bake Christmas cookies? What are your favorites?

Weekend Cooking was started by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by The Intrepid Reader and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, beer, wine, photographs

12 Comments

  1. Nothing nicer than baking Christmas cookies to share with friends! It’s a big part of our Czech Christmas tradition (typically you’d have friends over throughout advent and have a cookie plate out to share with them, as well as giving them boxes of cookies) and the key is to bake as many different types as possible. I’m at 12 this year, which makes me culturally an underachiever but it’s been a tough year 😛

    My absolute favourites to make (though also the most time-consuming) are called Bear Paws, which have a walnut and cocoa based dough and are pressed into molds. The most traditional shape is like a madeleine which, if you decorate the wide end with slivered almonds, makes it look like a bear paw with claws. There are lots of other mold shapes – fish are popular – and it’s a fun activity when you have lots of helpers.

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    1. Oh yes I remember reading about your Christmas cookies last year (at least I think it’s last year? This year has gone on for many years, everything in relation to time never feels quite right to me anymore).

      Bear Paws sound delicious!

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  2. I usually bake cookies to give to others and to have on hand for visitors. Alas, this year I’ve opted out of cookie baking because the two of use shouldn’t eat dozens of cookies. LOL. Though now you’ve made me think about biscotti and shortbread. Hummm.

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  3. Those look fabulous!! This year so far I have made sugar cookies, candy cane cookies, gingerbread men (bad), and a gingerbread house (with new nordicware bundt pan – love). The candy cane cookies in particular were great. I really want to take another try at cheese buds, a childhood favorite savory cookie. We are gluten free, which can make recipe conversion a challenge. Next weekend I will probably make some easy family faves – choc chip, oatmeal raisin.

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    1. Thank you! I usually make gingerbread but haven’t yet this year. Maybe we will make a small batch next week when the school vacation starts. My 7yo has been asking for gingerbread cookies.

      Cheese buds sound fun. In Singapore there’s a cheese cookie that’s sweet and savory at the same time. It’s actually made with tapioca flour and corn flour so technically no gluten!

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  4. Baking gifts is a lovely thing to do. My kids are finding it hard to think of things to give me for Christmas and I will suggest that to them – I would love it if they found a recipe they wanted to try and made it (neither is that keen on cooking and one really doesn’t like doing it much.)

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    1. It could work but if I’m not wrong whole wheat flour tends to require more liquid? This cookie tends towards a drier texture, a bit more melt-in-the-mouth type of texture, if you know what I mean. So all whole wheat could mean a very dry cookie unless you increase the oil.

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