12 Cookies of Christmas

Cookies are a large part of every holiday food tradition in our family, but especially so at Christmas. There is nothing like the smell of buttery goodness wafting from the oven to make memories! I usually like to have at least twelve different kinds of cookies on my cookie platter.

This ensures that each family member’s holiday favorite is represented and that there is a wide variety for friends to sample.

Why Twelve?

While some family favorites have remained stalwart in the repertoire. One bite of a candy cane cookie, my late aunt’s recipe brings back memories of childhood. Others have changed from year to year. I like to try at least one new recipe every year. While of course, homemade is best, sometimes it is just not possible to make that many yourself. Rather than give up on the project all together, balance homemade with bought cookies. Bakeries and supermarkets have many holiday options on hand.

No matter how many cookies you decide to make, planning makes the task easier. Our daughter, Jennie Leotta. Now makes some for us along with the many dozens she bakes for friends and church. She also works at a very demanding job, so I turned to her for expert advice in how to organize twelve days of cookies.

Jennie says, “First, list the cookies that you’re making. Look through your list and see if there are any specialty ingredients that you’ll need. If you can, wait for the sale prices on butter sugar and flour! Then schedule dates for when you will be doing the baking.” When scheduling, I like balance out the bar cookie days (easiest) with dates for cookies that require lots of rolling and cutting and decorating. Some cookies require overnight dough refrigeration and others, once baked, can be stored to ice at a separate time.

Over the years various cookies have joined our family cookie platter. I’m always looking for a new cookie to add or replace one that I feel is tired or not longer matches our tastes. I have books of recipes just for cookies, search interest, web feeds, the back of boxes, advertising cards, email newsletters, and facebook and shamelessly ask friends for recipes when I taste something delightful that they have made. This year, staff and freelancers at The Sun News contributed some of their favorite recipes to a list for cookie consideration as have local cookbook authors, Ally Phillips, award-winning blogger (Ally’s Kitchen) and Heidi Vukov, owner of Croissants Bakery and Bistro, from her cookbook, Bonjour Y’all. I have also included one (with permission) from the Extra Ingredient’s newsletter. The Extra Ingredient is a kitchen store in Greensboro, N.C.

This year, Jennie and I will make the candy cane cookies when she comes, just as I used to make them with my aunt. I might also save decorating duties on those delightful sounding orange-flavored Christmas trees to share with her since she is the artistic one in the family.

Take a look at these to see if there are any you might want to add to your family’s repertoire.

Ciambelle di magro

Jennie Leotta’s Peanut Butter Chip

Aunt Claudia’s Candy Cane Cookies

Claire Byun’s Creme de Menthe Cookies

Heidi Vukov’s Coconut Macaroons

Mathews’ Family Oatmeal Cookies

Almond-Orange Tree Cookies

Joan’s Date Bars

Holiday Almond Crescents

Best Molasses Cookies Ever

Persian Dream Bars

Ginger Cut Outs for Gingerbread Men

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "12 Cookies of Christmas."