The 12 Days of Christmas is about to get a whole lot sweeter thanks to ten delicious cookie recipes!
Today (Day 2) is packed with holiday sweetness. Ten bloggers (a.k.a. Christmas Cookie Squad), including yours truly, have teamed up for a fun and delicious cookie swap. This is your one-stop spot for holiday cookies.
Because there’s a lot going on in this post, let me give you a quick overview. First, I’ll share my cookie recipe. Then, I’ll tell you about today’s giveaway. Finally, I’ll link up to the nine other cookie recipes.
Sound good? As always, if you happen to recreate anything you see on IBC’s 12 Days of Christmas, be sure to post it on social media with the hashtag #IBCholiday. Additionally, if you’re making any of these cookie recipes, you can share those with #ChistmasCookieSquad. All of us bloggers love to see your take on our ideas, so be sure to let us know about your creations.
For my Cookie Swap contribution, I’m sharing my absolute favorite cookie – Cream Wafers. I will use any excuse to make these cookies, and I will pass up every other cookie if these are available. Sorry, chocolate chip.
Why are these cookies so yummy? Well, they are basically sugar and butter with a little flour to hold them together. How bad can that be? Soft flaky cookies sandwiched together with heavenly buttercream. Sometimes simple is best, and this recipe proves it!
I bake these cookies every year, but typically I just make them round. Since this is a special occasion, I decided to get creative and make trees. I made them fairly small, too. For easy eating of course. You can just pop them whole, right into your mouth.
These cookies are simple to make, but they do take a little time and patience. Be sure to chill your dough before attempting to roll it out; it makes a huge difference.
Also, since these have a somewhat intricate shape, I decided to use a piping bag to add the filling. Normally, when working with round cookies, I use a butter knife, but piping made the process go faster. Plus, it cut down on mess.
Cookie perfection. If you’ve never tasted or made these, I hope you’ll give them a try. They might become your new favorite. Let’s take a peek at the recipe.
Cream Wafer Tree Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen small cookies
Here's what you will need:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar for dusting
Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Food coloring, optional
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter 3-5 minutes until it's light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and then the cream. Mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a small tree-shaped cookie cutter. (Alternatively, you can use any style of cookie cutter you prefer.)
Add the sugar to a separate small bowl. Press the cut out trees into the sugar. Then, place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with a toothpick or fork.
Bake 7-9 minutes, removing the cookies from the oven just before they start to brown. Remove them from the cookie sheet to cool.
In the meantime, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and salt until light and fluffy (This will take 3-5 minutes.) With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Then add the food coloring. If the filling seems too thick, add more heavy cream until desired consistency is achieved.
To easily frost the cookies, put the filling in a piping bag. Once the cookies are cool, pipe the filling on the back of one cookie. Top with another cookie and press to secure.
Pack and store in an airtight container.
Print
Okay, the cookies are baked so it’s time for today’s giveaway.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Since I want you to have everything you need to make a generous supply of holiday cookies, I thought a $100 Visa Gift Card would come in handy. (If you’re a savvy shopper, maybe you’ll have enough dough (pun intended) to buy the ingredients for all ten Cookie Swap Cookies.)
So today, I’m giving away one $100 Visa Gift Card to one lucky IBC reader.
To enter to win, use the entry form below. (Those viewing this on a blog reader may need to visit the actual post by clicking here.)
Simply type in your email address in the box.
Bonus entries are available for follows / sharing on social media.
This giveaway is open to readers worldwide. You must be 18 or older to win. Void where prohibited. This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday, December 7. The winner will be randomly selected, contacted by email, and announced at the top of this post.
Best of luck!
Now that you have my cookie recipe and details about the giveaway, it’s time to check out the rest of the cookies recipes in the swap. Happy Baking!
THE #CHRISTMASCOOKIESQUAD
Everything Sweet Sugar Cookies – Sugar & Cloth
Peppermint Drops – Julie Blanner
Linzer Christmas Cookies – Freutcake
Elf Quote Christmas Cookies – Lovely Indeed
Blood Orange Vanilla Bean Meringues – Paper & Stitch
Italian Meatball Cookies – The Sweetest Occassion
Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies – The Effortless Chic
Color Dipped Gingerbread Cookies – Studio DIY
Candy Cane Peppermint Bark Fudge (Coming Soon!) – Sugar and Charm
The post Cream Wafer Tree Cookies appeared first on Inspired by Charm.