With Christmas getting closer by the day I have a fantastic gingerbread bundt cake recipe for you. For me this is the ultimate Christmas recipe. Not only does it look amazing but it is also perfect for the holiday season in terms of flavor.
I love all things bundt. Even without any decoration a bundt cake is already pretty all by itself. I know a lot of people find baking a bundt cake somewhat intimidating. So in order for you to bake the perfect bundt cake I have assembled some helpful tips for the best result. Keeping those tips in mind baking this festive cake is really not that difficult.
BAKING TIP: My favorite bundt cake baking pans are from Nordic Ware. With these baking tins you can turn a relatively simple cake into a real spectacle!
As always make sure to check the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
As usual make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
For making the bundt it is easiest to start with the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. But it’s also possible to use a large bowl with a hand mixer. One thing to know is that the butter mixture might look a bit split when you have added all the eggs. You have added a relatively large amount of the wet ingredients at this point but once you add the flour mixture it will all work out. No need to stress at this point.
After adding the flour mixture and the golden syrup, mix until the batter is smooth and fluffy. Pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake in the preheated oven for around 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown. The bake time may vary so always make sure to double check if your cake is cooked properly.
You can also turn this into mini bundt cakes if you want. In that case make sure to decrease the baking time. The same goes if you turn it into a gingerbread loaf cake. That will significantly alter the baking time. Which is also why I have a handy converter in each recipe to help you decide on the correct baking time and ingredients.
Now before you turn the bundt cake pan over let the cake cool for roughly 10 minutes before doing this. A cooling rack is the best place to do this. After about 10 minutes you flip the bundt pan over and it should come out in one piece
Once the gingerbread bundt cake is completely cooled down you can have fun with the decorations. I used sugared cranberries this time, but a few years ago I went with melted white chocolate and decorated it further with holly leaves and edible pearls. So festive! But the fun part is that you can change the frosting to whatever you like. You can go for a simple vanilla glaze or a maple glaze for instance or just sprinkle over some powdered sugar, that will already look perfect for this time of year.
For making the white chocolate glaze I place the chocolate into a small bowl and made a double boiler. I placed the bowl with the chocolate on top of the pan and melted it slowly. Once melted you pour the chocolate over the bundt cake making sure it drips down from the center of the cake to all edges. And don’t worry if it is not perfect. It will still look amazing with all the other decorations added.
Do you know the difference between cupcakes and muffins? I get asked a lot about this subject so I thought it was time for an article that explains the difference for you!
Friends, family and colleagues: they all love my baking. But when I say that I have made them delicious muffins, they call them cupcakes again. “No, they are muffins,” I say. This is almost always followed by the next question: What is the difference between cupcakes and muffins? Well, dear colleagues, friends, family and blog readers (yes, I do get this question in my emails on a regular basis). So pull up a chair, because I am going to tell you in detail about each discipline: from their origin and appearance to the recipe and preparation. What is the main difference between cupcake recipes and muffins recipes?
I am not much of a history buff, and failing grades on the subject is on my list of achievements. I only remember the fun side facts that my teachers thought were unimportant. I do like the history of cupcakes and muffins, and it plays an important part in the difference between these two delicious baked goods.
The very first recipe for a cupcake came from a cookbook by Eliza Leslie in 1828. What I personally find surprising is that Eliza was an American writer, I always thought that cupcakes came from England. At that time, cupcakes were often served at high tea. In those days, cupcakes were baked in a cup rather than the familiar paper liners. This is probably where the name ‘cup’ comes from. (source)
The Americans and the British still disagree about who ‘invented’ the muffin. Samuel B. Thomas complicated matters. He was an English baker who lived in America. So an English recipe, as the British say, you can understand how the Americans feel about it. Actually, there is no point in discussing this, because the Germans and French knew about muffins much earlier. Here it was called ‘Mufflet’ (Germany) or ‘Moufflet’ (France). (source)
Above is a picture of my basic vanilla cupcake recipe on the left and my basic muffin recipe on the right.
Now we know a bit more about the history of the cupcake and the muffin. But what exactly is the difference, you may ask? If we analyse the appearance of these two treats, we have a good starting point.
Cupcakes are small cakes that actually have the structure of a cake. They are baked in (often brightly colored) paper baking cups and their flat tops barely rise above the paper. After baking, a cupcake is decorated with fondant/marzipan or a nice swirl of some sort of cream. It can also be filled with a delicious filling.
Muffins have a different structure to cupcakes, which are more like bread and are also often called quick bread. Unlike cupcakes, muffins rise quite high out of their paper cups. Muffins are also not decorated – as soon as they come out of the oven, they are ready.
Above is a picture of my ferrero rocher cupcakes on the left and my chocolate pretzel muffins on the right.
The ingredients in a cupcake and muffin recipe are also different. And when the ingredients in a recipe are different, the preparation is usually different too. You may have guessed it: the same goes for cupcakes and muffins.
In a cupcake recipe you will always see the following ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs and flour. When you use these ingredients to make cupcakes, you always mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Then you add the eggs until they are well mixed and finally you add the flour until you have a nice cupcake batter. This is the basis of a cupcake recipe. Of course, baking powder, salt and any flavorings are added. The final batter will have a smooth texture.
A muffin recipe often contains less sugar and butter than a cupcake recipe, and milk is added. Butter must be melted and is often replaced by oil. Muffins are much quicker to make than cupcakes. The mixing method is very different to cupcakes. You simply take two bowls, one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients.
Put the contents of the two bowls together and mix to a muffin batter in about 12 strokes. You need to stir as little as possible, which means there can still be some lumps in the dough. This is the right thing to do, because if you stir longer you will end up with a tough muffin and a much denser texture.
Above is a picture of my stroopwafel cupcakes on the left and my stroopwafel muffins on the right.
Finally, some baking tips for both cupcakes and muffins. Because yes, even the baking tips are different for the two recipes, as the preparation is quite different. And when you get into the kitchen to bake, you want a perfect result.
My tips for perfect cupcakes:
And here are some of my tips for delicious and perfect muffins:
Now that you’ve read this article, I think you’ll agree that cupcakes and muffins are not the same thing. Hopefully you can now tell the difference, or maybe you already knew, but now you have ammunition to convince others 😉 .
So which is your favorite? The muffin or the cupcake?
If you ask me, these red velvet crinkle cookies breathe Christmas. For years these Christmas cookies have been on my baking list and I finally got around to making them. They’re perfect for both Valentine’s Day and Christmas!
I had to go back to the kitchen three times before I could write down this recipe for red velvet crinkle cookies. Well, that’s just how it works sometimes. The first and second attempts were not necessarily ‘failures’, but they were not what I had in mind. The cookies had to be nice and round when baked, and I wanted both the cocoa (typical for red velvet) and the white chocolate to come through in terms of flavor.
All’s well that ends well, three attempts later, and I was totally successful. So, in today’s recipe, I can explain to you in great detail how to make these red velvet crinkle cookies with pieces of white chocolate. I think these red velvet cookies are a real Christmas cookie. Don’t they look perfectly festive?
As you might have guessed these pretty little chewy cookies get their name from the crinkles which they get from rolling the ball of dough through powdered sugar just before going into the oven. Then while baking the cookies rise a bit and burst open, creating the iconic crinkle effect.
I love the crinkle effect. I have made chocolate crinkle cookies before, but these red velvet crinkle cookies are the perfect cookies for the holiday season for me.
Making this red velvet crinkle cookie recipe is super easy to do. Just a few tips to get you started. When creaming the softened butter and the sugar in a large bowl (the first step in the cookie making process) make sure the mixture is light and creamy before you start adding the eggs one by one. I like to do this in a stand mixer as that is the easiest way to do it. But if you do not have one you can also use a hand mixer.
Just a note on the sugar; I use regular white sugar. Brown sugar is also an option but will make the baked cookies a lot less vibrant in color.
In a small bowl you add the other dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and unsweetened cocoa powder) Mix it well before adding the red gel food coloring. You want to have enough food coloring for that beautiful vibrant red color. The last step is to add the white chocolate into the dough. Do this on a low speed for best results.
Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill dough for at least two hours. Once it is chilled enough take it out of the fridge and roll the cookie dough balls into the size or a 2 euro or dollar coin. (or roughly a one inch ball). Now it’s time for the sugar coating. Roll each ball through a plate filled with confectioners’ sugar. You can repeat this twice if you want an extra crinkle effect.
Now it’s time to bake cookies! Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool to room temperature on a wire rack. They keep in an airtight container for 4 to 6 weeks!
If you love Christmas cookies as much as I do, you will love my tips for baking Christmas cookies. It’s a fun activity to do when it’s cold and gloomy outside or during the Christmas holidays!
The dough may not have been left to cool long enough, or you may have waited too long after cooling to put them in the oven. Another possibility is that you have added too much liquid coloring, which has affected the texture of the dough. I explain in this article why you should chill your dough.
I like to use a Wilton food coloring paste, it is a very concentrated color so you only need a small amount. For the reddest cookie you could also try reducing the amount of cocoa powder, but this will again be at the expense of flavor.
In theory, you should be able to color these red velvet crinkle cookies with a natural food coloring, but I haven’t tested it for you in this recipe, so I don’t have any specific tips. I will however soon post an article with the best tips on using natural food coloring.
No, it’s not necessary and I prefer that you don’t flatten them. The cookies will form on their own during baking, resulting in a beautiful crinkled cookie.
Scones are perfect for high tea, weekend breakfasts and of course the holiday season. You can serve them for breakfast, brunch or even lunch. This gingerbread scones recipe is perfect for Christmas breakfast. Serve with clotted cream and – perfect for this time of year – homemade cranberry compote.
Not a fan of cranberry compote? You can use any jam you like. The scones are quick to make, so you can bake them in the morning or make them in advance and heat them up just before you need them. The choice is yours! Looking for a classic scones recipes, I have that one too!
Making these gingerbread scones is super easy to do and with the delicious gingerbread flavors it is one of my favorite things to serve on Christmas morning.
It took me a while before I learned to love baking my own scones. It also meant several failed attempts but there is nothing better than homemade scones and once I got the hang of it, it turned out they are really not that complicated to make.
For making these easy gingerbread scones you will need the following (make sure to check the recipe card for full details)
For making the scones you don’t even need a food processor. Just a large bowl and your hands. How’s that for convenience?
You place the butter and the self rising flour in a bowl and you use your fingers to rub them into coarse crumbs. Now add the other dry ingredients (sugar, salt and gingerbread spices) and mix it through.
Add the milk in and work it into a firm dough. You can use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula or your hands to do this. Your hands will be the best tool. Don’t overwork the dough!
Now roll the dough into a ball and shape it into a flat disc of around 3 centimers thick (a little more than one inch). This is best done on a lightly floured surface. Use a pastry cutter or cookie cutter and cut the dough into 8 equal sized circles or equal wedges like I did here. Place them on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the tops of the scones with a little bit of milk. You can use egg wash (one egg yolk) instead of the milk if you prefer.
Bake them in the preheated oven for around 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Usually you want a good scone to not be very brown, but due to the gingerbread spices the looks of this scone is slightly different than your normal scone.
You can serve them hot or let them cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Serve with clotted cream and cranberry compote. The flavor of these scones is just absolutely fantastic and goes so well with a nice cup of coffee.
With scones the saying goes; as little as possible. You should not overwork your flour mixture as that will result in tough scones that are too firm.
You can keep them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Don’t place them in the fridge. In the freezer they last for 3 months.
I learned from an English lady that how you cut out the scones is important. Twisting and turning your cutter might result in scones that don’t rise as well. The trick is to push down and take the cutter away. No twisting and turning! This should help with making them rise properly. Also they need to bake in a hot oven of 220˚C (430˚F) for perfect scones.
If you don’t want clotted cream or can’t find clotted cream (I’ll soon be sharing a recipe for making your own too!) you can also use heavy cream or even a thick sweetened Greek yogurt will be delicious.
If there is any fruit that signals the holiday season it is without a doubt cranberries. These beautiful bright red berries are perfect for making things like cranberry sauce or cranberry compote, but did you know you can also turn them into sugared cranberries? Making sugared cranberries turns them into a very tasty and sweet snack. The sugar bath gives them a crunchy exterior and a sweet, soft interior.
As well as being delicious, sugar-coated cranberries are ideal for adding a festive touch to your baking. Sprinkle them on a cheesecake, for example, and you have a great cake to put on the table at Christmas. But there are so many different things you can do with sugared cranberries as they do make for a beautiful garnish. Pop them into holiday cocktails for instance or add some sparkling cranberries to a festive cake. They also look good in just about all holiday desserts.
For making these easy sugared cranberries you really need just two ingredients (three if you count the water): A bag of fresh cranberries and granulated sugar. And that’s all there is to it.
Now the first thing you do is make a simple sugar syrup. You add 150 grams (5.3 oz) of the sugar to a little less than a cup of water and put in a medium saucepan. Bring this to the boil. Let it simmer on low heat until sugar dissolves. Now place the (washed) cranberries in a small bowl (or at least a bowl that will fit the cranberries plus the sugar water) and pour the hot syrup over the cranberries.
Let this stand for about three hours and occasionally give it a quick stir.
After three hours the cranberries will be sweet and sticky and it is time to move onto the next step. For this you remove the cranberries from the syrup. You can either do this with a slotted spoon or – as I like to do – use a sieve for straining the syrup away from the cranberries.
Now have a bowl of sugar ready and pass the cranberries through the sugar in stages. Depending on how big your batch of cranberries is of course. Once they are coated in sugar you need to let the sugared cranberries dry. This is best done in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Let them dry completely at room temperature and once they are dried they are ready to use!
Now once you’ve made the candied cranberries there is no limit to what you can do with them. I’ll give you some suggestions for things I like to do with them.
I already mentioned adding them to a cranberry cake or a cheesecake but they are really an easy way to decorate holiday drinks or charcuterie boards or cheese boards. Edible decorations that is.
Some other ideas on what to do with them:
This is really one of my favorite holiday recipes as it is so easy to make.
You can keep them in an airtight container for maximum a week but I would make them as close as possible to when you need them.
I would advise against using frozen cranberries as those tend to be a bit softer and won’t look so pretty. Fresh cranberries is best.
You can vary with different types of sugar but keep in mind that you preferably want that crunch of a coarse sugar. Things like icing sugar wouldn’t work so well but you can vary with organic cane sugar for instance or another kind of sparkling sugar.
Christmas cookies, I love them. And although I bake gingerbread at least once a year, I also like to come up with new recipes for Christmas cookies. For this holiday season I made cranberry orange thumbprint cookies and red velvet crinkle cookies.
Orange and tangy cranberries go really well together. In this case, the orange zest went in the cookie dough and I spooned some cranberry filling into the center of each cookie before putting them in the oven. The result: delicious jam-filled cookies. Crispy on the outside thanks to the layer of sugar and soft on the inside. Perfect for this time of year.
As with most cookies these cranberry orange thumbprint cookies use pretty basic and simple ingredients.
You will need the following:
As always make sure you have all the ingredients at room temperature. Starting by creaming the butter and sugar in the food processor or hand mixer for a few minutes on medium speed until nice and creamy. Add the flour, salt and orange zest and knead into a firm dough. You can keep using the food processor if you set it to a low speed.
Now wrap the dough (form dough into a disc first) into some plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Want to know why you need to chill your dough?
Once the dough is chilled enough you form balls with around 40 grams (1.5 ounce) per ball of dough. They should be roughly 1-inch balls. Roll each ball through the cane sugar and place on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough space between the cookies.
Now press a thumb in the center of the cookie and use a small spoon to add some cranberry compote. I use about 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce or compote per cookie. Bake the cookies in the center of the oven until golden brown.
Let them cool a little on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. You can keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
It depends what you use to fill the cookies with. Jam or compote are typically added before baking, but if you fill them with a chocolate ganache or cream cheese you would do that after baking. For a classic thumbprint cookie the filling is usually added before baking.
Sure! You could use any kind of jam and even cherry pie filling is an option.
If you want to make substitutions to the recipe, for instance by adding almond flour or oat flour or changing the sugar to brown sugar, all the other elements will likely have to change as well. I have not tested this myself but you could probably make several changes by testing it thoroughly.
Press gently into the cookie dough balls and it usually helps if you use the back of a spoon or the back of a cookie scooper for making the indent.
You likely did not chill the dough enough, used butter that is too soft or not enough flour.
Most importantly is not to add too much of your filling to the cookie indent. It also helps using a thicker jam or compote.
You can! You can sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the top just before serving or sprinkle some nuts over the top before baking. A drizzle of white chocolate just before serving is also delicious.
Poached pears are a perfect recipe for fall or Christmas dinner. As well as being delicious to use in recipes, poached pears are also delicious to eat just as they are. And with this simple poached pears recipe you can’t go wrong. It doesn’t contain wine so it’s suitable for everyone.
Another recipe I can cross off my never-ending baking list is poached pears. I used to eat them regularly, but had never made them before. And yet it really is an incredibly simple recipe. Just peel them, place in a pan and wait.
I made a kilo and a half of poached pears and they were gone in a couple of days. I used most of them in new recipes and the rest in my yogurt for breakfast. It is delicious, let me tell you.
Now it depends on where you live which kind of pears you can find. In the Netherlands we have Gieser Wildeman pears but in the states you would find bosc pears, bartlett pears or anjou pears. So just check what is available in your area and if in doubt ask what the best pears would be for poaching.
As mentioned this recipe does not use wine, but you could replace part or all of the wine for a splash of white wine or red wine.
For additional flavors you could add a vanilla bean or some vanilla extract.
For giving poached pears that traditional pretty red color it’s customary to use red wine, cranberry juice or port but this is not even really necessary. If you cook the pears long enough (3-4 hours) they will turn a nice red color all on their own. That does depend on the kind of pear.
For making this easy poached pears recipe you need a large saucepan or a big soup pot. You peel all the pears but keep them whole. You can also use pear halves if you prefer but I love the look of the whole pear which makes for quite an elegant dessert.
Place all the peeled pears with the stalk facing upwards and the bottom of the pear facing down and make sure they are all covered in the liquid. You want them to cook evenly so it’s important to have enough liquid in the pan. If necessary add a few cups water so they are submerged.
Now add sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves and place the pan on medium heat. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 2 hours. Make sure to cover the pan as you don’t want all the liquid to evaporate. Check the level from time to time.
I decided to make my poached pears without wine, using only the juice of the berries. I cooked them a little longer than I usually do with juice to give them a nice red colour. As a result, my poached pears are beautifully red on the inside rather than just on the outside. And that’s what you want so they can really shine at your dinner party. Serving the poached pears is delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for instance but I also love serving it with some flavored and sweetened creme fraîche or mascarpone.
Or check some of the other recipes with poached pears I will soon be sharing. In the meantime you can check all my fall recipes or all my christmas recipes.
You have probably peeled the lemon too thick, using not only the peel but also the white part of the peel. When using lemon peel in a recipe, you should only use the yellow part of the peel. The white part (underneath the yellow peel) is very bitter and can give an unpleasant flavor that can ruin your pears.
Yes, it’s a flavoring, so you can leave it out or replace it with the peel of another citrus fruit (like an orange, which is also delicious!). The great thing about this recipe is that it is super flexible.
Of course you can. Grape juice or red wine are great substitutes for berry juice, and you can also use a combination. The flavors of the poaching liquid can vary and you can change the recipe easily.
Several readers have given a nice tip in the comments below the Dutch version of this recipe: use mulled wine to cook the poached pears in. Mulled wine is sweet and spicy on its own and relatively cheap to buy. However, if you use mulled wine, keep these characteristics in mind and add less spices and no sugar. The mulled wine already has some hints of spice and is sweeter than regular red wine, so be sure to make the necessary adjustment.
The longer you cook the pears, the softer they will be. I found them soft enough after the two hours I give below in the recipe card but you can cook them longer if you want to.
You can store poached pears in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze poached pears, which will keep for up to 3 months.
It depends on where you live which kind of pears you can find. In the Netherlands we have Gieser Wildeman pears but in the states you would find bosc pears, bartlett pears or anjou pears.
This recipe for cranberry compote is super quick and easy. It’s great for all sorts of Christmas or Thanksgiving recipes and so delicious! The perfect recipe for the holiday season.
I finally got to work with fresh cranberries this year and this cranberry compote was one of the recipes I made. It is so good you might want to make a couple of jars to get you going. I love using this fresh cranberry compote recipe in so many different dishes. I will give you some pairing tips below.
BAKING TIP: If you have leftover cranberry compote, you can store it in a sealed glass jar.
The funny part is that I only really discovered fresh cranberries a few years ago. For some reason I was always convinced I wouldn’t like cranberries. Especially the dried cranberries. Turns out that was all in my head because they are so delicious!!
I have been baking up a cranberry storm ever since and will soon be sharing more recipes featuring cranberries. I’ve got a lot of them lined up already! For now, my easy sugared cranberries recipe is a perfect place to start.
Now let’s start with this cranberry compote. Not counting the water you need just a few simple ingredients. Cranberries, sugar (either brown sugar or white sugar) and some lemon zest. I swap the lemon zest for orange zest/orange peel when I feel like it. Keep in mind that using brown sugar will also darken the color. If you want that bright red festive color of the compote, stick to white sugar.
Making this recipe is as simple as adding the cranberries together with water and sugar in a medium saucepan and place on medium-high heat. An easy swap to add more flavor is to replace on cup water with apple juice or a cup orange juice. That will enhance the rich flavor of the compote. Check the recipe card for full details.
I warned you earlier in this article that I have lots of tasty recipe ideas that you can use with this compote coming up soon. You can go for the classic combination: serve the cranberry compote with the main course at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, along with some poultry or game. It goes so well with savory dishes and is really the perfect side dish for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
But it also works really well as a dessert sauce with sweet dishes like ice cream or add some to your breakfast. I have so many favorite ways to use cranberry compote! Try it with cheese boards as well.
TIP: On Simone’s Kitchen you will find a nice explanation of how to cook duck breast. The cranberry compote will be brilliant in combination with the duck.
Somewhere in between, I think. Cranberries are naturally sour, so I don’t think you should lose that completely in a compote. At the same time, of course, a compote should be nice and sweet, and this fresh compote certainly is. Feel free to add more sugar (or less) if you like it better.
Unopened, the compote will keep in the cupboard (if properly stored in a sterilized jar) for up to a year. Once opened, keep the compote in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Yes, you can! Just thaw them completely and drain them before using.
In this recipe I used lemon to flavor the compote. I use both the juice and zest of the lemon. In fact, you can use all kinds of citrus fruits and spices to add flavor to your compote. For example, I have made a cranberry compote with orange and a cinnamon stick which is also super delicious. You can also make an apple cranberry compote by adding small pieces of apple to the pan as well. It’s not difficult to make your own compote recipes
Pecan Snowball Cookies are quintessentially American, although there are plenty of similar recipes floating around the internet. They do resemble Mexican wedding cookies for instance too and apparently are also similar to Russian tea cakes.
Anyway, they’ve been on my baking list for ages and I’m glad I finally got around to making them. They are such delicious cookies and super easy to make too. The base of the dough is very similar to shortbread, but with lots of pecans. After baking, you place the pecan snowballs in a bag filled with icing sugar and you do that twice. That creates that lovely festive snowball effect. Perfect for the holiday season!
My tasting panel also immediately thought of typical Italian wedding cookies because they are nice and crunchy, melt on the tongue, have lots of nuts and are covered in icing sugar. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
For making these buttery cookies you need just a few simple ingredients. Best if they all are at room temperature:
As usual make sure to check the recipe card for full details on quantities and preparation.
For making these buttery pecan snowball cookies you start by creaming the butter and icing sugar together on high speed. This is best done in a food processor with the paddle attachment or use a hand mixer. Once creamed you turn the machine to a lower speed and add the dry ingredients: flour, pecans, vanilla and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all gets combined. Once it forms a dough you can turn the machine off.
Prepare a baking tray or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. You can use your hands or a small cookie scoop if you think that is easier.
Bake the cookie dough balls in the oven for around 11 to 12 minutes. You don’t want them to be too golden brown. Lightly browned is what you are looking for.
Now once the cookies are baked you place them on a wire rack and let them cool down briefly. They should still be warm but not too hot for the first dipping into the icing sugar. Add the icing sugar to either a large bowl or a freezer bag and place the cookies inside. Carefully shake it around so all cookies are covered in a nice layer of icing sugar.
Now place them back on the cooling rack and let them cool down completely. Once they are cool you dip them into icing sugar again. This will create a lovely snowball effect on the finished cookies.
You can keep them in an airtight container for up to two weeks. This is really one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes, although I do have a lot of favorites. Want to check out some of my other cookie recipes? Check below!
Toasting the pecans prior to adding them to this simple cookie is definitely a flavor enhancer. It’s not absolutely necessary but it does increase the nutty flavor.
Double dipping in the sugar usually already makes sure that the baked cookies look evenly coated, but you can always give it an extra dusting of icing sugar just before serving.
Yes you can add other flavors but make sure not to add too much liquid for instance or the texture of the cookies will change. You can swap the vanilla extract for orange extract or almond extract for instance. Adding a bit of cinnamon to the dough is also an easy addition.
You sure can freeze the cookies as well. The dough freezes well but you can also freeze the baked cookies. Do the icing sugar dusting after defrosting though and it might not stick so well.
Every year I make Dutch spiced cookies (pepernoten) according to my basic recipe. You can read all about the history of these pepernoten in the basic recipe post. The Dutch love baking them every year around Sinterklaas but they are also a perfect Christmas cookie.
I often give them a twist and today I am sharing one of my favorite twists which is chocolate covered spiced cookies. I love using both dark chocolate and white chocolate. But my favorite is milk chocolate. Now the good news about making these yourself is that you can pick any kind of chocolate you want! For me these are the ultimate holiday cookies.
For making these spiced cookies you need the following ingredients to get going (check for exact ingredients in the recipe card):
And while I recently told you all about waiting with baking until you’ve chilled your cookie dough properly, the good news is that you can skip this step for this recipe. It’s still better if you do as it does add more flavor but you can proceed right away.
Making these delicious treats is super easy to do. All you need is a large bowl, a food processor or a hand mixer and the above simple ingredients. You start by making sure all ingredients are at room temperature which is always a good idea when making cookie recipes.
You add the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk them until creamy. Once that stage is reached you add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate!) Knead it into a smooth firm dough. If you want to place it in the fridge, make sure to wrap it in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. While you can proceed right away, it does help getting more flavor into the dough.
Once the dough is chilled (or not) you can start by making your dough balls. These should be small. Think marble sized. Place them on a cookie sheet or baking tray lined with parchment paper and try and make equal sized balls. Make sure you have enough space between the cookies as they may spread a little bit.
This recipe makes quite a bit of Dutch chocolate spiced cookies so you will probably need 2-3 baking trays. Of course you can also bake it in batches if you have only one baking tray. They need about 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven. You can leave them to cool on the baking tray. They’re a bit too small to place each one on a wire rack.
Once the spiced cookies are completely cooled it is time to dip them in the chocolate. It’s easiest to divide the batch of cookies into three equal parts. You will work on one color chocolate at the time. So start your first batch with – for instance – white chocolate.
You use a double boiler for melting the chocolate and a small bowl is easiest as the amount of chocolate is not huge. You want it to be deep enough so you can dip the cookies in. You start by first melting 2/3 of the chocolate color you’re starting with. Melt it, take of the heat and add the remaining 1/3 to the bowl.
You dip each pepernoot in the melted chocolate (placing it on a fork and dipping that way usually works best) and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow the chocolate to set completely before you place all the yummy cookies in a glass jar or in a serving bowl. They might just be your new favorite cookies.
Yes you can definitely add little extra’s to the pepernoten if you want. I love adding a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the milk chocolate ones and a tiny bit of sea salt flakes on the dark chocolate ones. You can also think about adding other sprinkles or some zest. If you want a little extra kick you can even think about adding a tiny bit of chili powder to the dark ones. Best to do this when the chocolate is still wet so it sticks to the cookies.
Stored in an airtight container you can keep them for 2 to 3 weeks
No you should not store these chocolate covered cookies in the fridge. The moisture in the fridge might cause the chocolate to bloom and create a white film over the chocolate. However if you live in a really warm area you might have to place them in the fridge as it might be too warm to keep them outside. In that case make sure to store them in an airtight container and let them get to room temperature before serving.
If you want you can definitely add a bit of natural cocoa powder to the dough to increase the chocolate flavor!
I think homemade cookies are one of the most fun things to bake. Nine times out of ten, I use my favorite basic cookie recipe to make different perfect cookies each time. By adding different ingredients, you create a different cookie recipe every time.
But to be fair, cookies can be quite tricky to bake. After all, they come out of the oven still soft, so you might be tempted to leave them in longer, but if you do, you end up with rock-hard cookies. Not very tasty either. Or they are still completely soft when you really wanted crispy biscuits.
After the thousands of cookies I have baked, things still go wrong sometimes, but I now know what to look out for. In this article, I have summarized all those tips for the perfect cookies. So you too will have consistently well-baked cookies.
A good start is half the battle, so for best results let’s start with the dough. Without good dough, there is little chance of perfect cookies coming out of the oven any time soon. The first thing I would suggest is to use a kitchen scale instead of a measuring cup. While the latter are very convenient, the first one is way more accurate when you’re dealing with smaller quantities. So invest in a kitchen scale to get started.
Even if you follow a recipe to the letter, your dough may still be too sticky or too dry. This could be due to the weather conditions (very hot or humid, for example) or because you have used different ingredients to what the recipe said. If your dough feels too sticky, you can easily make it work again by adding some flour. Do this gradually, one tablespoon at a time. You don’t want too much flour either. Is your dough not sticky but is it very dry? You can remedy this by kneading it by hand, which often helps. Still very dry? Add a little butter to the dough. A teaspoon or tablespoon milk will help too.
Recipes almost always tell you to chill the dough. Please don’t be stubborn and start baking right away, but take the time to chill the dough. It will make for better cookies. They will taste better and it will improve their texture.
If you want to use a round cookie cutter or any other cookie cutter, such a hard cookie dough ball is not very easy to handle. It needs to come back to room temperature before you can roll it out. But if you’ve already flattened the dough into discs and put it in the fridge, you don’t have this problem. The dough will be easier to handle and you can start rolling almost immediately.
Read the full article on why you should start chilling your dough here.
Once the dough has cooled, you can roll it out. That is, if you want to cut out cookies. Anyone who has ever done this knows that the dough sometimes sticks to the rolling pin. Making it almost impossible to roll out properly. You can dust the dough with all purpose flour, which definitely works well. But there is a downside to this method. The more you roll the dough (and the more flour you use) the drier the dough gets. And that will not get you the best cookies.
Fortunately, there are flour-free alternatives. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Rolled out to the right size? Remove the top sheet (when using parchment paper. Obviously if you use plastic wrap you have to remove both layers) and cut out the cookies in whatever shape you want.
Cookie dough keeps very well. Either in the fridge or in the freezer. In both cases, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. You can keep it for a few days in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer! If you freeze your dough, make sure you freeze it in portions.
Don’t make one big ball of dough – make separate balls or slices. That way you can bake them straight from the freezer! Just place your slices or balls of dough on a plate in the freezer for half an hour and than store them in an airtight container or freezer bags. Next time you feel like eating chocolate chip cookies you just have to pop them in the oven!
With the tips above, you should be able to make a good cookie dough. Once you have made the dough, the next challenge is to bake the cookies. Believe it or not, there are a lot of things you need to pay attention to and yes also a lot of things that can go wrong.
Cookies excess spread because they contain unsalted butter, which melts in the oven. But an egg can also make your cookies lose their shape. How do you fix that? Quite simply! To chill cookie dough is the most important thing, so chill it (yes I keep repeating this important fact!) The colder the dough, the better the result.
If this doesn’t work, you need to look at the recipe more closely. It usually comes down to too much (or the type of) butter or sugar (because sugar melts). So try using less butter and/or sugar next time. If you still have a ball of dough with too much butter, you can also add some flour to change the ratios.
Cookies come out of the oven soft, so you may be tempted to give them some extra minutes and move your cookie sheet back into the oven. But don’t worry and don’t stick your fingers in the soft cookies. Use your eyes to see if the baking time of the cookies has been sufficient. Are the edges nice and golden brown? Then I can almost guarantee you that the cookies are cooked correctly. Take them out of the oven and let them sit on the baking tray for a few minutes. You will see that they become firmer and crispy in no time at all. Place them on a cooling rack or wire rack to cool completely.
Also if you’re not using cookie cutters it can help using a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to place the cookies on a sheet of parchment paper. Equal size cookies makes for equally baked cookies.
Some cookies should still be a little soft, while others should be nice and crispy. Chewier cookies are easier to make than crispy ones, but if you know what to look for, it is not that complicated. For crispy cookies, it is best to use granulated white sugar in the dough, which is a hard sugar and makes for crispy cookies. Something like brown sugar will be softer and will get you more chewy cookies.
For cookies it is best to use a quality all purpose flour. It is also important that you let the dough rest in the fridge (yes, that again!) and that there is not too much moisture in the dough. Think about milk, eggs and butter. Play around with the amounts if it doesn’t work like you want it to the first time.
The baking method and baking temperature is also important. Crispy biscuits are baked for a short time at a higher temperature. And of course you want the right oven temperature (if unsure of the temperature of your oven use a separate oven thermometer to double check) to prevent uneven baking.
Once you have baked the perfect cookies, you may find it hard to put them down. But chances are you’ll still want to save some when you’ve made a full tray of cookies. The best way to store your cookies is in airtight containers, which will keep them for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Don’t mix too many different types of biscuits. If you put crunchy and soft cookies in the same container, your crunchy cookies will naturally go soft.
I hope all these tips will help you to get perfect cookies out of the oven! If you’re still a little unsure? Make sure to read all the articles in the baking tips section as I will adding much more baking and cookie tips soon.
Every year around Christmas time you will find them everywhere. Those delicious and famous cinnamon star cookies. They’re absolutely delicious and also make for a great Christmas gift during the holiday season. Originally these cookies are called zimtsterne cookies and are German cinnamon star cookies. They are still incredibly popular during Christmas season in all German speaking countries. You can find them on all Christmas markets.
Yessss, a recipe for one of my favorite Christmas cookies! Every year I buy several packs of Cinnamon Stars, I can’t get enough of them. I find it somewhat annoying though that I have to wait for december to come around before they are in the grocery stores. While all Sinterklaas goodies are available in August! If not sooner.
In the case of the Cinnamon Star biscuits, I am no longer dependent on December, because I just make them myself. I have been enjoying these fantastically delicious (and beautiful!) cinnamon star cookies all summer. Delicious crispy biscuits with sugar, cinnamon and white chocolate in the shape of a star.
Who else wants to fill their cookie jar with these edible stars? Or maybe you just like to make them in a different shape than a star, fun too!
Baking tip: I used an 8cm (3.2 inch) star-shaped cookie cutter for this recipe.
For making this easy recipe you start by creaming the butter and the sugar together in a food processor until soft and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix it well. Last you add the all purpose flour and the cinnamon of course and you mix it until it forms a firm dough. Wrap the dough into plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Once chilled take it out and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Also prepare a bowl with cinnamon sugar (simply fine sugar combined with cinnamon).
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin on your work surface and using a cookie cutter make star shapes out of it. Dip each cookie in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Once on the baking sheet sprinkle some extra cinnamon sugar on top.
Now bake in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes. Once baked take out and let them cool down completely to room temperature before moving on to the next step.
Once the cookies are cooled down you melt the white chocolate in a double boiler and dip each cookie into the white chocolate. Wait for the chocolate to set completely before storing them in an airtight container.
If you find it difficult to dip the bottom of the cookies, you could also use a knive and spread some chocolate on the cookie.
Christmas cookies are a fun homemade gift. They are great to give to the teachers at school, or to a family member or friend who could use a treat. There is nothing better than a homemade gift, because what feels more special than someone who has personally gone into the kitchen and lovingly baked delicious cookies for you? I mean, there is really nothing better!
These cinnamon stars (cinnamon biscuits) are a favorite Christmas cookie of many people around the world, so they make a great Christmas gift. All you need are bags with a wide and straight bottom to wrap the biscuits in and some decorating materials. I have already gathered the essentials for you:
Now all you have to do is think about who you want to give the cinnamon stars to and get into the kitchen.
Yes, you can. The dough keeps fresh up to one week in the fridge.
There are several reasons. From a practical point of view, the biscuits work better when the dough is firmer and less sticky. It also improves the flavor. By resting, the structure of the biscuits becomes tastier (crispier), but in the case of these cinnamon stars, the cinnamon flavor is also better absorbed into the dough. Want to know more? I explain it in more detail in this article with cookie tips.
I didn’t have this problem, but another reader gave me a good tip: brush the biscuits with a little water (e.g. with a pastry brush) and then dip them in the sugar. This makes the sugar stick better.
Yes, you can use any kind of chocolate you like. Whatever chocolate you like. I prefer to use Callebaut chocolate because the quality is very good and there is a wide range of different types.
Cookies always come out of the oven soft. Cookies harden as they cool, you can’t tell if they’re cooked by touching them. So trust the recipe and don’t put them back in the oven as they will get too dark or even burn.
