While we were celebrating the winter holidays, an important question arose. What is the best holiday cookie? To answer this age-old question, we needed to make, bake, and decorate 4 different cookies with variations in each recipe.
While it was hard to narrow down the recipes, eventually it was decided to make 4 baseline cookies: snickerdoodle cookies, gingerbread men, classic frosted sugar cookie, and sugar cookies with mixed-in components. Of these options, we’d find out which cookie would be the one to rule them all.
First, we have snickerdoodles. These cookies were extraordinary in their buttery texture and sweet cinnamon exterior. The process for making the cookies was not too difficult, but certainly not too easy for an amateur baker. The steps themselves were relatively simple, though beginner bakers may struggle with browning the butter. The recipe was easy to follow and there was some flexibility in the ingredient measurements, but it is obviously best to stick to the recipe for the best results. For this recipe, we did not have access to European butter; while it is unclear what this means, it did not seem to affect our end result. Be wary of the amount of salt added in the recipe because the cookies tended to be on the saltier side. The best part of these cookies is the cinnamon sugar they are covered in before baking.
Overall, we would rate these cookies an 8.5 out of 10. They were delicious, but the execution of the recipe could have been much better on our part.
Up next, we have gingerbread men cookies. These cookies are perfect if you enjoy the taste of gingerbread. Even though not everybody likes gingerbread, it’s perfect to amp up your holiday spirit. The recipe was very easy to follow, but it took time for the cookies to chill in the refrigerator. The chill time required is at least 3 hours up to overnight. We suggest surrounding the cookie dough in saran wrap instead of leaving it inside the bowl when chilling. When the dough was left in a bowl, it was very difficult to remove, and we had to use a fork to remove it piece by piece. The cookies had a soft, light texture, and weren’t too sweet. After adding embellishments of frosting, a basic royal frosting, the cookies were a perfect dessert. In general, these cookies deserve a 7 out of 10, but more like 10 out 10 you like gingerbread. Specifically, Dr. Mary Adams stated that these cookies were rather enjoyable.
Moving on, we have standard cut out and frosted sugar cookies. We shaped these cookies into many shapes, ranging from Santa Claus all the way to a delicate snowflake. We also included dreidel cookies to celebrate Chanukkah. Of course, these cookies could be used to acknowledge many other holidays and traditions. While there was nothing wrong with the sugar cookies, they were not as tasty as the snickerdoodle and gingerbread cookies. The frosting used was a basic royal frosting, consistent with almost any recipe found online. Simply mix powdered sugar, vanilla, water, and meringue powder. While we decorated these cookies to the best of our abilities, we suggest that a little goes a long way with the frosting. The sweetness of the frosting was often too much when trying the cookies. In general, we rate these cookies a 5 out of 10 because they were nothing special, but still cute for the holiday season.
Lastly, we made sugar cookies with M&Ms and sprinkles mixed in. For these cookies, it is ideal that you follow the recipe exactly. Unfortunately, we did not have access to unsalted butter, which made these cookies extremely salty and therefore not as enjoyable. The M&M cookies were good, similar to a chocolate chip cookie, just with a sweeter base. Additionally, the sprinkles were perfect in the cookies to add a change of texture and keep the holiday theme. These cookies would be an easy dessert to bring to any holiday function, and as long as you don’t add too much salt, they’re very tasty. We were not able to remake these cookies with the proper butter, so in the end, these cookies get another 5 out of 10. If we tried again, the score would probably higher, but it is hard to know for sure.
This holiday season is the perfect time to hone in your baking skills and try out any of these recipes. Our top recommendation would definitely be the snickerdoodle cookies. If you love a soft, buttery cookie, this recipe is perfect. They are not too sweet, but still have enough cinnamon sugar to be a satisfying dessert. We encourage everyone to try these recipes and enjoy the cookies you make! All of the recipes we used are linked below.
Snickerdoodle cookies – https://cambreabakes.com/brown-butter-snickerdoodles/
Frosted sugar cookies – https://grumpyrecipes.com/best-sugar-cookies/
Sugar cookies – https://cambreabakes.com/soft-sugar-cookies/
Gingerbread cookies – https://www.savorynothings.com/soft-gingerbread-cookies/
Happy baking, and happy holidays!!!
0
0
