The holidays are here, and it’s time to embrace the joy of baking and sharing seasonal treats! Whether it’s a cherished family recipe or a modern twist on a classic, the magic of holiday baking lies in the personal touches that make each creation uniquely yours.
This season, Hamilton Beach Canada has teamed up with award-winning food writer Rita DeMontis to bring you a collection of festive recipes sure to inspire your holiday kitchen adventures. From perfectly spiced gingerbread cookies to show-stopping desserts, these recipes are perfect for gifting, sharing at cookie swaps, or simply savouring at home.
Each recipe is accompanied by expert tips and commentary from DeMontis, adding her personal touch to these holiday favourites.
“Here are 12 cookies for Christmas, along with a terrific icing recipe, that’ll get you into the holiday spirit, starting with my all-time favourite - my mom’s Sardinian papassini cookies,” said DeMontis. “You know you’re deep into the holiday season when your kitchen fills up with the heavenly aromas of freshly baked cookies!”
So, dust off your rolling pins, grab your favourite cookie cutters, and let’s make this holiday season one to remember—one delicious bite at a time!
Candida's Papassini Cookies
When I think of Christmas, I think of my late mother Candida baking her special Sardinian cookies. They were called papassini, an Italian shortbread, and they filled the house with the fragrance of almonds, walnuts, and oranges with a dough so fragrant, if Christmas had its own scent, it would be this cookie.
As with any cookie, every Sardinian family has its own version - the original cookies were made with lard. Here we use vegetable shortening. Note - the vanilla powder, levitto Bertolini, and baking ammonia are all available in any Italian supermarket or grocery store, or just ask your grocer.
Ingredients
- 12 oz.(300g) almonds
- 2.2 (1 kg.) all-purpose flour
- 1 pkg. vanilla powder
- 1 1/2 pkgs. levitto Bertolini (a baking soda and baking powder mix)
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (300mL) sugar
- 3/4 lb. (340g) vegetable shortening, Crisco brand suggested
- 1 Tbsp. (15mL) plus 2 tsp. (10ml) baking ammonia
- ¼ cup (50mL) whole milk, heated
- Rind of one lemon and one orange
- 1/2 lb. (225g) golden raisins
Directions
1. Prepare almonds by placing them in warm water for 1/2 hour to remove all coating. Rinse and dry. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes, or until almonds are lightly golden. Cool. Place almonds in a food processor and process to fine ground. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix ground almonds with flour, powdered vanilla and levitto Bertolini. Make a well and add eggs and sugar and work together. Cube Crisco and work into mixture.
3. Add baking ammonia to heated milk and quickly stir -- mixture will boil up. Add to dough mixture and continue working dough until it pulls from edge of bowl. Mix in lemon and orange rind and raisins until completely incorporated.
4. Remove large pieces of dough and place on a floured surface. Shape into a ball. Roll to 1/2-inch (10mm) thickness. Dip your favourite cookie cutter into flour and cut out shapes. Keep re-rolling the dough until completely used up.
5. Place cookies on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
Makes dozens of cookies!
Tip: The best icing for these cookies is Royal Icing, listed below.
Spice Cookies
Similar to gingerbread, these Danish Christmas cookies are usually rolled and cut into any shape you like. You can also form the dough into logs, ready to slice and bake when fresh cookies are needed. I adapted this recipe from an old Canadian Living's Family Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250mL) butter
- 1 cup (250mL) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (125mL) amber corn syrup
- 2 cups (675mL) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (250mL) almonds, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. (15mL) cinnamon
- 2 tsp. (10mL) ground ginger
- 2 tsp. (10mL) ground cloves
- 1 tsp. (5mL) baking soda
Directions
1. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until creamed; stir in corn syrup. With a wooden spoon, combine flour, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda and gradually stir into butter mixture to make soft but not sticky dough.
2. Divide dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a 1-inch (94 cm) diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 1 month; thaw before baking.)
3. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch (5mm) thick slices; place 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on greased baking sheets. (Or roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper, and cut, using 2 inch /5 cm cookie cutter.)
4. Bake in a 400F (200C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on pans for 3 minutes; remove to racks to cool completely.
Makes about 96 rounds or 72 cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutter.
Gingerbread Cookies
No holiday is complete without this iconic cookie on the table. What I personally love is that you can have the whole family involved in decorating—just add your imagination!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250mL) packed dark brown sugar
- 1-1/4 cup (250mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50mL) dark molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (675mL) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. (10mL) baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp. (15mL) ground ginger
- 2 tsp. (10mL) cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. (2mL) ground cloves
Directions
1. Cream together brown sugar, butter, molasses, and eggs thoroughly until light and fluffy. Gradually add the remaining ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing well. Form dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic and chill.
2. Roll dough 6 mm thick on a floured board. Cut with gingerbread cutter or other favourite shaped cutters. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake in preheated 350F (180C) for 10-12 minutes, or until set. (Time will depend on size of cookies.)
3. Cool and decorate as desired.
Makes about 15 cookies.
Tip: Royal Icing is best for icing!
Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are the blank slate of the cookie world - you can enjoy them plain, or decorate them to your heart’s desire, especially during the holidays, when you can really go to town with vibrant colours and plenty of bling!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. 1 mL) salt
- 1 cup (250mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (150 mL) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) light corn syrup
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) pure vanilla
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F, in a medium-size bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar, stirring in the egg thoroughly. Add corn syrup and vanilla extract and mix well.
2. Add the flour mixture in batches of three until thoroughly mixed. Pat the dough into two disks, wrap both in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll. If the dough is too firm, soften it at room temperature for a few minutes.
3. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and cut out cookies with your favourite cookie cutters. Carefully transfer the cookies to parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch between cookies.
4. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies start to brown lightly around the edges. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month or for three days at room temperature before frosting them.
Makes 12 to 50 cookies, depending on size.
Tip: For festive-coloured cookies, divide the dough into portions and add liquid food colouring a few drops at a time until you reach the desired hue. Carefully knead the dough until the colour is evenly distributed.
Festive Jam Cookies
With their star cut-out centre, these cookies are too pretty to eat - but we know you can’t stop at just one!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (250mL) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- Pinch cardamom
- Raspberry or cherry jam, smooth
- 2 cups (220 g) confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Assemble a round cookie cutter and a small star cookie cutter.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat. Sift together flour, salt, and cardamom. Gently stir into the butter mixture. Note: The dough will be stiff. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
3. Remove from fridge, allow a few minutes to soften, and roll dough to 1/8 thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies. Using a smaller star cutter, cut stars into the centre of half of the cookies.
4. Place cookies 1 inch (10mm) apart on cookie sheets and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove and cool. Once the cookies are cooled, place a dollop of jam on each round cookie. Dust the star-shaped tops with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully place star-cut cookie tops on jam bottoms.
Makes about 24 cookies.
Traditional Shortbread Cookies
You can’t have a holiday table without traditional shortbread cookies to dunk in your tea or coffee! This wonderful recipe is courtesy of famed executive chef John Higgins, who worked for the Royal Family when he first started his culinary career and created these delightful cookies during his kitchen tenure at Buckingham Palace!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) soft butter
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) cornstarch
- 1 cup (250 mL) flour bread
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together until it forms a dough-like consistency. Roll out to a 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thickness and cut into circles or fingers.
2. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When golden in colour, remove from oven and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Leave on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Makes 16 cookies.
Ugly Holiday Sweater Cookies
For these awesome cookies, you'll need a sweater-shaped cookie cutter—you can find them wherever they sell cookie supplies. You can also shape them with your hands. I used M&M’s candies to make the cookies look sensational.
Ingredients
- 2 pkg. (42 g each) M&M's candies, divided
- 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) icing sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- Coloured frosting tubes, for decorating
- Chop half of M&M's; set aside
Directions
1. Whisk together flour and salt; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat together butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Stir in chopped M&M's. Pat dough into disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼-in. thickness. Using a 2-inch sweater-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many sweaters as you have dough, re-rolling scraps as needed.
4. Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
6. Decorate with frosting, remaining candies and sparkles.
Cake Mix Cookies
My sister, Josie, swears by these quick and delicious cake mix cookies for her grandchildren. With only a handful of ingredients, you can make the perfect cookies in a pinch! Dust with icing sugar or lemony icing, and you’re good to go.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. vanilla or lemon cake mix
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) melted unsalted butter, cooled (or vegetable oil)
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and blend until the mixture forms a ball.
3. Using your hands, roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
5. Remove and cool. Dust with icing sugar or regular icing and decorate with holiday motifs.
Tip: You can do the same with a box of chocolate cake mix. Add 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) nutmeg to the dry mix for an added flavour bump.
Date Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread is the It's A Wonderful Life of the baking world. The addition of dates to this classic recipe brings this cookie to a whole new level. This recipe is courtesy of Medjool Dates (Naturaldelights.ca.)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pitted and chopped dates
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) water
- 2 1/4 cups (675 mL) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) ground ginger
- 1 tsp. (2 mL) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) each baking soda and ground cloves
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) fancy molasses
- 1 egg
- Icing, for decorating (optional)
Directions
1. In a saucepan, bring dates and water to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes or until very soft. Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in date mixture and molasses. Beat in egg. Stir in the flour mixture gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the flour is added. Knead in the bowl to bring the dough together into a smooth ball.
4. Divide the dough in half and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 2 days.
5, Roll out one disc at a time to about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm). Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place it on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
6. Bake in the centre of a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.
7. Let cool completely before decorating or freezing.
Yield: about 4 dozen cookies.
White Chocolate and Dried Cranberry Fudge
Fudge is always a delightful addition to the holiday table. I credit a can of Carnation Milk (Carnationmilk.ca) for this lovely treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) sugar
- 2/3 cup (150 mL) regular or 2% evaporated milk
- 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) butter
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) salt
- 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) good quality white chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (250 mL) dried cranberries
- 1 cup (250 mL) miniature marshmallows
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) pure vanilla
Directions
1. Line an 8-inch (2L) baking dish with parchment or waxed paper; set aside
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate, dried cranberries, marshmallows, and vanilla until chocolate and marshmallows melt and blend.
4. Pour into the prepared dish. Chill until set. Cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) squares. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Tip: You can replace the cranberries with dried cherries, blueberries or apricots.
Linzer Cookies
These cookies taste like Christmas morning!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) pure vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (125 g) almond flour
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) orange zest
- 1/2 tsp. (1 mL) each ground nutmeg and cinnamon
- 1 cup jam (250 mL) apricot jam, for filling
- Powdered sugar
Directions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until just combined.
2. In a separate bowl, sift flours, baking powder, salt, orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue beating until the dough comes together.
3. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour or until chilled.
4. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using your favourite cookie cutter, cut out the dough and place the cookies one inch apart on the tray. Using an extra-small cutter, cut a hole in the centre of half of the cookies.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let cool before filling the lower cookie with jam. Dust the top cookie with icing sugar before carefully placing it over the jammed cookie.
Makes about 24 cookies.
Candy Cane Cookie
It wouldn’t be Christmas without candy canes. This cookie embodies the spirit of this special treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
- Dash peppermint extract, (optional)
- 1-3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (31 g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (250 mL) candy canes, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Gently blend in peppermint extract, if using.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
3. Transfer dough to a floured surface, dusting lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps once. Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle the surface of each cookie with chopped candy canes. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until firm to the touch and the candy has melted. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
Cordial Cherry Cookies
I used Purdy’s chocolate with cordial cherries in the centre for this chocolatey recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 mL) butter
- ¼ cup (60 mL) sugar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) each, vanilla and water
- 1 cup (250 mL) flour
- ½ cup (125 mL) almonds, finely chopped
- 14 pieces cherries in chocolate (cordial cherries suggested)
- Icing sugar (as needed)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and water. Mix in the flour and almonds. Cover the dough and chill for 1-2 hours.
2. Divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Flatten each piece and wrap it around a chocolate.
Tip: To prevent cracking, fully cover each chocolate in the dough, leaving no gaps. Bake for 12 minutes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool completely, and dust with icing sugar.
Makes 14 cookies.
Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies Infused With Earl Grey Tea and Lemon
Holiday cookies are great any time - especially tea time!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (250 mL) sugar
- 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Earl Grey tea leaves
- Pinch salt Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup (250 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
1. Add the first five ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Turn it on low for a few seconds to incorporate. Slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil until it forms a pastry dough.
3. Roll into a log shape and chill for 30 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch disks and arrange on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350F (180C) for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve.
Makes about 18-24 cookies.
Royal Icing
This is just about the easiest frosting around. You can use food colouring for the various Christmas shapes. (I used green for my Christmas trees.)
Ingredients
- 2 large pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
- 3 cups (375mL) confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tbsp. (15mL) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Pinch of salt
Directions
1. Combine egg whites, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a non-plastic mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat ingredients at low speed until just combined. Increase speed to high and beat for about five minutes until the mixture holds soft peaks and is glossy. If it feels too stiff, add a few extra drops of lemon juice.
Icing can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
YIELD: 2 cups (500mL)
How to Flood a Cookie
Practice makes perfect when preparing cookies for decorations. Remember, a thicker icing is used to outline the cookie and a thinner one to “flood” the interior of the cookie.
First, fit a piping bag with a small tip and carefully fill the bag with icing. Twist the top of the bag to remove all air and squeeze from the centre when outlining the cooking. NOTE—if you don’t have a small tip to use, just snip the bag and create a tiny hole for the icing to come through.
Carefully outline each cookie, keeping the piping bag ½-inch from the cookie’s surface. Let sit a few minutes. Using a bigger tip (or a bigger hole), gently “flood” the cookie, covering the whole surface. When you are through, gently shake the cookie back and forth along the counter to even out the icing. Use a needle to prick any bubbles that have formed. Let dry thoroughly before decorating with additional icing and candy.
**All recipes are provided on behalf of Hamilton Beach Canada.
