Get better cookies by chilling the dough
Chilling cookie dough before baking will give you better results and prevent over spreading.
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Holiday lovers across the High Desert have already begun the time-honored tradition of baking, decorating and eating Christmas cookies and treats.
Amid the holiday season, the Daily Press asked several people to share about their favorite Christmas cookies or dessert.
Country singer and “American Idol” winner Chayce Beckham, who was recently in Apple Valley to give away free guitars to youth, said, “There’s only one — the sugar cookie with the icing. That’s the only one I know.”
Oro Grande resident and cookbook author Carla Thomas said her recent time with friends chatting and preparing Christmas sugar cookies was “truly heartwarming.”
“It was a day filled with lots of sprinkles and frosting,” said Thomas, who was excited to share cookie recipes with others.
Nita Paddack of Apple Valley explained that one of her favorite holiday recipes, called “Kifli,” is a pastry filled with ground walnut filling.
“Because of the way they look, I only make them at Christmas time, my kids always call them Christmas Tacos,” said Paddack, about the traditional Hungarian baked treat often shaped like a crescent moon.
“One thing that is often made at Christmas time, but never by me, is divinity,” Paddack added. “My husband’s favorite is a simple sugar cookie.”
Stained glass cookies and biscochitos
Destiny Alexander said her late grandma’s biscochito cookies were her favorite at Christmas, adding that she tried making them since she passed but she “just can’t do it.”
The bizcochito, or biscochito is a thin, crisp butter cookie made with lard, sugar, cinnamon, and anise. The cookie is shaped like a fleur-de-lis, the Christian cross, a star, or a circle, symbolizing the moon.
The New Mexico Legislature said it adopted the biscochito as the official state cookie in 1989. This act made New Mexico the first state to have an official state cookie.
Jennifer Simpson shared how her children always ask her to make stained glass window cookies for the holidays.
Stained Glass Cookies are rolled sugar cookies cut out and filled with crushed colorful, hard candy. As the cookies bake, the candies melt and create a stained glass effect, culinary experts said.
Cory Baker of Barstow said his mother used to make rum balls, and wished he had the recipe.
According to Martha Stewart’s website, her adult-flavored rum ball recipe starts with a brownie mix combined with alcohol and made into a rollable dough. After baking, they are rolled into balls and coated in sanding sugar.
Russian Tea Cakes and Hello Dolly Cookies
Kimberly Hallmark said she is fond of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup candy cookies, while Sharon Bowman loves Russian tea cakes.
Russian Tea Cakes are buttery shortbread treats with nuts which are called by various names, including Mexican wedding cookies, Austrian Linzer Kipferl, butterballs and snowballs.
Evonne Jasman shared that her family favorites are chocolate crinkles, snickerdoodles, no-bake cookies, Hello Dolly, sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter cookies.
Fudge expert Greg Hinkle explained that his brother, Jim, is the cookie maker who likes to whip up Santa sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s Kiss in the middle.
“My favorites are his snickerdoodles, which are thin, crisp and cinnamon-tasty,” Hinkle said.
Brittles, barks and brownies
Debbie McGee of Apple Valley said her holiday baking tradition does not involve cookies.
“I make brownies for all of my neighbors who live within a mile from me,” McGee said. “I’ve been making brownies for neighbors for at least 30 years.”
Like McGee, Cindy Shattuck’s longtime tradition does not involve Christmas cookies.
“Both of our children and our niece always spent time baking every Christmas with Grandma Phyllis, so the cookie traditions are carried on by them now that they are all grown adults,” Shattuck said. “No one wanted to mess with my mother-in-law’s popcorn balls, so I’ve carried that tradition on for more than two decades.”
Shattuck confessed that she loves to make and eat them because they are truly delicious.
“Love me some Christmas cookies; I can’t think of one that I don’t like,” said Cheryl Causey, whose Christmas cookie-baking tradition began 45 years ago when she got married.
Causey explained that her father-in-law would encourage her and her three sister-in-laws to spend a weekend baking cookies, fruit bread, fruit cakes and making candies
“We’d bake dozens of every kind of Christmas cookie you can think of and all sorts of chocolates, brittles and barks,” Causey said. “When we were done, we’d pack up beautiful boxes full of treats for gifts and divide the rest to take home to our families.”
Causey said her father-in-law has passed, however, “We gals live states away from each other but every year when we’re baking Christmas cookies with our kids and grandkids, we talk about what great times we had together back then.”
Barstow’s Bryan Hartwick said his mother always makes homemade Christmas fudge from scratch.
Top trending cookies
Word Unscrambler analyzed Google search data, which revealed the top trending Christmas cookies this year in every U.S. state, including Christmas Monster Cookies in California.
The Food Network described Monster Cookies as giant, saucer-sized cookies packed with festive candies, peppermint chunks, salty pretzels and white chocolate chips.
According to unscramblerer.com, the other top trending cookies by state include:
Alabama – Oreo Christmas CookiesAlaska – Gingerbread CookiesArizona – Chocolate Crinkle CookiesArkansas – Gingerbread CookiesColorado – Christmas Bar CookiesConnecticut – Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Delaware – Gluten-Free Christmas CookiesFlorida – Cake mix Christmas CookiesGeorgia – Gingerbread Christmas Cookies Hawaii – Christmas Sugar Cookies Idaho – Italian Christmas Cookies Illinois – Christmas Spritz CookiesIndiana – Chocolate Peppermint CookiesIowa – Shortbread Christmas CookiesKansas – Christmas Crack Cookies Kentucky – Snickerdoodle CookiesLouisiana – Italian Christmas Cookies Maine – Shortbread Christmas CookiesMaryland – Christmas Crack CookiesMassachusetts – M&M Christmas CookiesMichigan – M&M Christmas CookiesMinnesota – Christmas Crinkle CookiesMississippi – Christmas Sugar CookiesMissouri – Snickerdoodle CookiesMontana – Peppermint Christmas CookiesNebraska – Italian Christmas CookiesNevada – Italian Christmas CookiesNew Hampshire – Italian Christmas Cookies New Jersey – Ricotta Christmas CookiesNew Mexico – Shortbread Christmas CookiesNew York – Chocolate Peppermint CookiesNorth Carolina – No Bake Christmas CookiesNorth Dakota – Christmas Sugar CookiesOhio – Christmas Cookie BarsOklahoma – Gingerbread Cookies Oregon – Peppermint Christmas CookiesPennsylvania – Christmas Sprinkle CookiesRhode Island – Chocolate Crinkle CookiesSouth Carolina – Peanut Butter Christmas CookiesSouth Dakota – Peanut Butter Blossom CookiesTennessee – Almond Christmas CookiesTexas – Italian Christmas Cookies Utah – M&M Christmas CookiesVermont – Italian Christmas Cookies Virginia – Christmas Thumbprint CookiesWashington – M&M Christmas CookiesWest Virginia – Christmas Sugar Cookies Wisconsin – Spritz CookiesWyoming – Peppermint Christmas Cookies
Christmas Crack Cookies are made with crisp saltine crackers layered with a buttery two-ingredient toffee and rich chocolate for a sweet and salty crunch in every bite, according to Show Me The Yummy.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz