Cookies for Christmas

"While visions of Christmas cookies danced in her head." I think it is known that I love to bake. Unfortunately living in a sorority house makes having kitchen access non-existent. This is why I always take advantage of my mom's fully stocked kitchen when I'm home.

Today I am sharing a recipe and some of the Christmas cookies dancing around in my head. I am already making headway with my list. On Saturday I made gingerbread sandwich cookies with an orange buttercream. I saw these last week on Vmac+Cheese and they went to the top of the list. Step-by-step pictures and the recipe are included below.

My Christmas cookies are hanging on the tree waiting for you to see! Click the links below to be taken to the original recipe and see enlarged photos.

Made these hot chocolate cookies last night. They are a fun take on a regular chocolate chip cookie, but extra tasty with the addition of hot coco mix and mini marshmallows.

Vmac+Cheese made these gingerbread sandwich cookies with orange buttercream filling for her blogger cookie swap. I was very pleased with the results.

Soft Spice Cookies with Cranberry Sugar have my mouth watering. Cranberry sugar?? I have to make!

Chocolate Crinkle Peppermint Kiss Cookies. These may seem like a cliche` Pinterest cookie, but I'm telling you they are delicious! Mom made these last year and I have craved them ever since.

Mexican wedding cookies disguised as snowball cookies. This is a relatively healthy recipe compared to most.

My Signature Sugar Cookies were originated forever ago to make and leave out for Santa. My sisters and I still bake and decorate Christmas cookies every Christmas Eve! I've posted the recipe on the blog before, but the picture is them all decorated from last Christmas.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream Filling original recipe from Vmac+Cheese
makes about 3 dozen sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoons coarse salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 cup (1 sticks or 1/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (see note)
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses (see note)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the orange buttercream:
2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
zest of 1-2 oranges
2 tablespoon orange juice
pinch of sea salt

Directions:

For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a separate large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar, until the sugar is well incorporated and the mixture has increased in volume. Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, and continue beating until well combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour in thirds and slowly mix until just combined with the wet ingredients. Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When you are ready to roll out the cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour your workspace and your rolling pin. Roll out the first half of dough to about 1/4 in. thick. Cut out using any shape you want and transfer to a lightly greased or parchment paper lined cookies sheet. Gather up the scraps and continue rolling and cutting out cookies until you have used all the dough. Repeat with the other half of dough.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until well blended and very smooth, like frosting. Use the whisk attachment on your mixer, beating the mixture will increase the volume and airiness.

To assemble the cookies:
Once the cookies are cool, put a small dollop of the frosting in the center of the cookie. Do not spread it out. Top with another cookies and lightly press down. The filling with smush out to the sides. Twist the cookies to evenly distribute it the frosting.