Five Phenomenal Christmas Cookies Guaranteed to Put You on the Nice List

It’s a little-known secret that we at Elliott Realty have a direct line to the North Pole. Since opening our doors in 1959, Santa has dialed us up every December looking for the perfect little oceanfront rental where he and the missus can unwind after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.

While helping him find the perfect rental, Santa always likes to talk about his deliveries and complain about the hit-and-miss cookies that get left out for him every year. We felt bad for ol’ St. Nick. So, we scoured our cookbooks and raided our grandmother’s secret library to find a few of our favorite recipes.

Courtney’s Mint Hot Cocoa Thumb Print Cookies

Ingredients

• For Cookies
  
  • 2 oz (60g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (50g) caster/granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 cup (125g) plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for coating
• For Filling
  • 2 oz (60g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons double/heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • Hershey’s Kiss™
  • Miniature Marshmallows

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add your dark chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in thirty-second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and mint extract, and mix until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough.

Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls (about 0.7oz each). Roll each one in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking tray. Use your thumb, or the back of a measuring spoon, to make an indent in the middle of each ball. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until slightly firm and cracked around the edges. If the indents have risen, gently press them back down with the measuring spoon. Let the cookies stand for five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

To make your filling, add white chocolate and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for twenty to thirty seconds. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth, then add your mint extract. Fill the indents in the cookies with the mint chocolate filling, then top off with a Hershey’s Kiss™ and Miniature Marshmallow.

Corrine’s White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of butter
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp of baking powder
• ½ tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp of salt
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 °F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both kinds of sugar. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until your dough comes together. Add the white chocolate chips and mix until incorporated. Using a small ice cream scoop (or two tablespoons) scoop out your cookies on to your prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about fourteen minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.

Kyle’s Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients

• For Cookies
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 8oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
• For Glaze
  • 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat your oven to 375 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Once mixed, set this bowl aside.

 In a large bowl, combine your butter and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream your butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time, continuing to beat until incorporated. Add your lemon juice, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese. Continue to beat your mixture until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients from the medium mixing bowl and continue to mix until dough forms.

Scoop your cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet, and then bake for ten minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest for about twenty minutes.

To make your glaze, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir together until smooth. While the cookies are still warm, drizzle about half a teaspoon onto each cookie–using the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. As the cookies begin to cool, the glaze will harden and turn glossy.

Corrine’s Calypso Crunch Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• ¾ cup oats
• ¼ cup oats ground in a food processor
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tbs milk
• Optional: ½ cup dried pineapple

Preheat your oven to 350 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix butter (or coconut oil), sugars, milk, vanilla, egg, and almond extract and set aside. Grind your oats into a fine powder in your blender. Then add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the ground oats to your butter mixture. Beat well to combine your ingredients. Add your pineapple (optional), coconut and pecans to the batter and beat at low speed for about a minute. Scoop and make into balls. Place one inch apart on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for about fifteen minutes.

Renee’s Chocolate Crème Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz)
• 1 package chocolate crème Oreo™ cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, cream together your butter and sugars. Beat in your eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix your flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, along with chocolate chips, until just combined.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop to measure out dough, place a single Oreo™ between two equal scoops of cookie dough. Use your hands to mold the dough around the Oreo™ until your edges are sealed and the cookie is completely enclosed in dough. Repeat with each cookie until all dough is used.

Place the unbaked cookies onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Start Cooking in an Elliott Realty Property Today

Of course, to successfully prepare these holiday masterpieces, you’re going to need a full-size kitchen, complete with appliances and ample pantry space. To find the perfect rental to fulfill all your culinary needs during your Grand Strand gateway, explore the endless array of luxurious condos and opulent beach homes offered by your friends at Elliott Realty.

For over 50 years, Elliott Realty has been proudly providing impeccable accommodations for countless visitors to the Grand Strand. With hundreds of rental properties–each boasting an endless array of comfortable accommodations and amenities to meet all needs—we feel confident that we have the perfect unit for you. Give us a call or visit our website today!

 For other great recipes, visit our beach-worthy recipes Pinterest board or check out a few of our other recipe blogs. 

Happy Baking and Sea you Soon!