One of my favourite aspects of Christmas time is partaking in holiday cookies. I love to bake cookies for my friends and coworkers. This year I’m participating in a virtual cookie exchange with a few other craft bloggers, and for the exchange, I’ll be sharing not one, but two cookie recipes!

These cookies are both delicious and pretty to present on a plate to your cookie exchange recipients. One recipe is for Candy Cane Cookies, and the other is for Chocolate Snow-Top Cookies.

Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes: Candy Cane Cookies and Chocolate Snow -Top Cookies

The candy cane cookies are more labour intensive but are very fun to make.  The snowy cookies require some resting time for your dough, the perfect amount of time to sit down and take a break with a cup of freshly steeped hot tea.

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Twist Cookies

This recipe was adapted from a Robin Hood Flour recipe pamphlet that has been in my mother’s recipe collection for years.  My mother has made it many times and this was my first time making it.  It’s a tried and true recipe in my family’s household!

The recipe officially yields 4 dozen cookies, but we like them chunky so we made 2 dozen cookies from this dough.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 0.75 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional – I skipped this)
  • 3/4 tsp red food colouring
  • In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
  • In a large bowl in a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and peppermint extract.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture until blended.
  • Divide the dough into two equal portions.
  • Stir red food colouring into 1 portion, kneading the dough until the colour is thoroughly blended in.
  • Divide each of the dough portions into 24 equal pieces for chunky candy canes or 48 equal pieces for skinny candy canes.  Roll those pieces into 4 inch long ropes.
  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Pair a plain rope with a red rope and lightly press together.  Twist and shape into candy canes.  Place candy canes on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges just begin to brown.
  • Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Chocolate Snow-Top Cookies

Chocolate Snow-Top Cookies

This recipe was adapted from the Great American Brand Name Baking cookbook, 1991.  Yields 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • icing sugar, to coat
  • In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Heat for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each microwaving.  Don’t over-melt.  Set aside.
  • In a large bowl in a stand mixer:
    • Beat the granulated sugar and butter until creamy.
    • Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
    • Beat in eggs.
    • Gradually beat in flour mixture.
    • Stir in remaining half cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
  • In a small dish, pour in some icing sugar.  Roll each ball in the icing sugar to coat.
  • Place each ball on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the tops appear cracked.
  • Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transfering them to wire racks to cool completely.

Virtual Cookie Exchange

Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipe Ideas - Christmas #virtualcookie recipe round up for 2016

Looking for more holiday cookie ideas? Check out the recipes of other bloggers who participated in this virtual cookie exchange. YUM!  #virtualcookies

Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!  Happy holiday baking, everyone!

Cookie Exchange Recipes: Candy Cane Cookies and Chocolate Snow -Top Cookies

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