What with all the butter I hear you’ve been going through lately, it sounds like there’s a lot of fun Christmas baking going on out there! I actually haven’t even started doing my baking yet, but I will start soon. Oh yes, the butter and sucanat are going to start flying around here.
As I began to make my baking plans, I put together a list of some of my favorite holiday cookies and treats. All of these are made with healthier flours and sugars (usually honey or sucanat). I won’t be making all of these treats, but I’m really hungry right now, so I just kept adding to the list.
Christmas Graham Crackers
Orange Cream Cheese Cut Out Cookies
What’s on your Christmas baking list this year?
Chocolate covered pretzel rods, with xmas sprinkles or crushed candy canes; pumpkin cheesecake bars, peppermint brownies, and basic frosted butter cookies. Maybe something from your list too!
I’m making candy again this year (so nothing representing real food), but my list consists of chocolate-covered pretzels, salt-water taffy, caramels, chocolate caramels, English toffee, and homemade Snickers bars. No chemicals, additives, or hydrogenated oils like store bought, but definitely a lot of sugar! They do include lots of butter and cream though … so I guess I can feel a little less guilty.
Thanks for the great recipes! This year I’m trying your Christmas Spice cookies and orange cream cheese cut-outs. I’m also making the flourless peanut butter cookies for my hubby, who is gluten-free.
All these look great! Just a question for you: Most cookie recipes that I’ve made call for softened butter that you cream with sugar, but your recipes call for melted butter. Is there a reason for the difference? Thanks!
Yes, big reason: I’m lazy. :)
I’ve found that melting the butter works fine for my cookie recipes, so I always do it that way instead of trying to remember to leave the butter out to soften. I love melting butter on the stove, them mixing it with the sucanat or other sugar.
thanks! I’m new to grinding my own flour and I’ve had some trouble with a few of my old cookie recipes with the butter/flour ratio. I thought maybe melting butter was the secret–maybe it is! ;)
All of that looks delicious!
We’ve been baking lots of cookies around here. Next week we might try something more elaborate. I’d like to make pretzel sticks with chocolate Christmas trees on top. Not sure how to go about that though!
Your chocolate snowballs, reindeer cuties and spice cookies are now on our December baking rotation. Delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made the reindeer cookies before and they are SO MUCH FUN!!! Except, it’s weird to eat a reindeer head. Just close your eyes to fix the problem.
My list: Grandma’s Anisette cookies – an Italian family favorite! Maybe I’ll try to make them healthier this year… I’ve never tried using whole wheat flour for these because I am so afraid of messing them up. Also be baking some good ole’ choc chip cookies, and your graham crackers which I dipped in chocolate last year and were a BIG hit!
Fresh ground flour in recipes that call for all-purpose flour need more liquid to be the proper consistency. I find I always need to modify when I’m substituting whole ground flour for store bought flours. I often use a tablespoon of vanilla instead of a teaspoon (we love vanilla here!) and a splash of water, milk, sour cream or yogurt, as is appropriate to the type of recipe, to make the consistency correct. I haven’t seen a whole lot of difference using melted butter over softened butter personally.
I’m excited about trying out several of these recipes for
some fun & healthy holiday baking~~~~~~~thanks!! ;o)
Was just wondering if Turbinado sugar or Demerara sugar is
the same as sucanat? Hmmmmmmmm
Thanks again for your website……….it’s been such a
BLESSING to “discover” this year!!! ;o)
Happy CHRISTmas to you & yours!!!!!!!
For some reason, I had never thought of using cookie cutters on the graham crackers before! Everyone who’s tried them loves them, so I think I’m going to put together a s’more gift bag with Christmas shaped grahams, mini marshmallows and some chocolate. Or maybe I’ll just give it to myself :)
It all looks wnderfully delicious! Thank you for sharing. My kids want to make the reindeer cuties! Just a suggestion- when looking at the cuties, i was thinking….place the m&m on the bottom half of the cutie and the kisses on the top half, just lower than the ear pretzels. Then it will look more like a large face :) can’t wait to try ’em!
Laura has a post on that… you can follow this link
https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners