Christmas cookies!

My whole life, baking has been one of my favourite things. One of my earliest memories is of my grandma holding me in her arms, teaching me to crack an egg. I bake all year long, but my urge to bake truly comes alive at Christmas. Shortbread, peanut butter balls, nanaimo bars, and my families favourite, chocolate chip cornflake balls, I love to make them all! Thankfully, I have a lot of people around to help me eat them!

Below are a few of my tried and true favourite Christmas cookie recipes!

Chocolate chip cornflake balls

Chocolate chip cornflake balls

2 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup soft butter

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. almond extract

3/4 cup crumbled cornflakes

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolk and almond extract, and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt, and add to the wet ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips and cornflakes, and roll into 1” balls, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes. Place on rack to cool before eating.

Chocolate oat coconut clusters

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 butter

1/2 milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

A pinch of salt

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring as you go. Remove from heat. Combine the oats and coconut, and stir into the hot cocoa mixture. Add vanilla and salt, and mix well. Let chill for 20 minutes. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spoon out small blobs of the mixture. Let chill until firm.

Shortbread

1/2 cornstarch

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup butter, softened

Sift together cornstarch, icing sugar, and flour. With a wooden spoon, blend in butter until soft, smooth dough forms. Shape into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft to handle, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and flatten with a lightly floured or sugar covered fork (a trick to get the sugar to stick for the first one is to rub a tiny bit of dough over the bottom of the fork, so the grease from the  dough makes the sugar stick). Decorate with candied cherries, sprinkles, or nuts if desired. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on a cooling rack.

Let me know some of your favourite cookie recipes, or if you've tried any of mine, in the comments below!