It’s almost that time of the year again and I couldn’t be more excited! We are all probably drowning in schoolwork and cannot seem to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the upcoming due dates of (excessively long) term essays and finals. If, like me, you are in desperate need of a simple, inexpensive but somewhat productive activity to distract you from your responsibilities, go ahead and try baking some delicious, wintery holiday cookies!
Not only will you discover how easy and foolproof baking can be, but also you will be amazed by how soothing and rewarding it can be! As someone who would describe spending five minutes sitting cross-legged and quietly meditating as pure agony, I truly believe in the soothing, mindful practice of baking (for the most part edible) cookies.
The most useful piece of advice I wish I had received when I first started baking is that it is absolutely necessary to have little to no expectations about how your creative masterpiece will turn out. It seems odd, but it’s very easy to expect your cookies to look and taste amazing, especially after reading KarenLovesBaking, CookieMonster65 or SugarAddictMatt’s comments on how amazingly tasty and good-looking their cookies turned out. If your only expectation is not to set the kitchen on fire, you won’t feel too disappointed if when you take them out of the oven your cookies suck; instead, you might just want to know what went wrong and maybe give it another shot later, this time remembering to add the baking soda. Good news is there’s tons of different holiday cookie recipes out there for every taste and skill level. Here are some of my favorites from Delish!
- Sugar Cookies
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This is a staple for both rookie and seasoned bakers out there. These cookies are very easy to make, very pretty to look at and extremely tasty! Decorating them with royal icing is extra fun, even though a little challenging if (like me) you don’t have the steadiest of hands! It’ll probably take you a whole afternoon, but the results will definitely be visually striking!
- Gingerbread cookies
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I’m not a huge fan of gingerbread but I have to admit these cookies have a rather balanced taste. Just like sugar cookies, you can decorate them how you like and maybe even gift them to friends and relatives for the winter festivities.
- Chocolate crinkle cookies
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These cookies are super easy to make mostly because all you need to do is roll the dough into small balls, bake them, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and voila!
- Biscotti
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I find this recipe to be slightly more complicated than other cookies, mostly due to the fact that the shape needs to be on point and so does the consistency, especially if you don’t want them to break while they’re in the oven.
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
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These are probably the healthiest cookies on this list. They are vegan and gluten free and absolutely delicious! Just like gingerbread, I’m not a huge fan of peanut butter, but I don’t mind this recipe at all!
This ends my holiday cookie roundup! I can’t say I’m a terrible baker, but I also don’t really get along with measuring cups and sometimes use teaspoons and tablespoons interchangeably, which is obviously not recommended!
The truth is, baking cookies goes beyond wanting them to be tasty and good-looking…It is all about trying new things and gaining more confidence in things that don’t necessarily come super easy!
Enjoy!