You Should Try These Best Christmas Cookies

The best Christmas cookies I have ever encountered in all my life’s Christmas seasons were the colorful ones. I love them in the red and green, even silver and gold trimmings.

But the best Christmas cookies for me are Whoopies, adapted from Stephanie Jaworski (JoyofBaking.com).

Best Christmas Cookies 

Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Ingredients (Pie)
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg, toom temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup strong coffee or water, lukewarm
Ingredients (Marshmallow Filling)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 jar of marshmallow crème or fluff
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
6-8 drops of red liquid food coloring
1/3 cup crushed candy canes
Preparation (of the best Christmas cookies ever!)

PIES: Preheat oven to 375°F and place oven rack in oven center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beating well. Beat in vanilla extract. In a small measuring cup, mix buttermilk and coffee (or water). With mixer on low speed, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. With moistened fingers or with the back of a spoon, smooth the tops of the cookies.

Bake for 9-10 minutes or until cookie tops, when lightly pressed, spring back.
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely.

MARSHMALLOW FILLING: In a bowl, beat butter until smooth and well-blended. Beat in vanilla extract and marshmallow crème. Gradually beat in sugar.

Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. On high speed, beat filling until light and fluffy. Add a little cream to to thin down, or sugar to thicken, to get the right spreading consistency. Stir in crushed candy canes.
Assemble the best Christmas cookies like sandwiches. Recipe for one of the best Christmas cookies ever yields fifteen whoopies. 

My other candidates for best Christmas cookies are: Gingerbread Cookies and variations of the classic Chocolate Chip Cookies.  For checking other cookie recipes click here.

When serving my best Christmas cookies, I want guests to wash these down with homemade ginger ale: Boil 2 cups of water and stir in 1 cup chopped ginger. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard the remaining ginger pieces.

Happy Christmas!