Cookies for Santa
Leaving cookies for Santa is a tradition that started as a result of an old Scandinavian Mythology. A story about a hunter named Odin and his hunting buddies. they flew through the sky on their Yule hunting adventures. Children would leave hay and treats for the hunter’s eight legged horse. The children hoped that Odin would stop by and feed him, and that he would be grateful and leave candy and treats for the children. This tradition was passed on to Dutch children who would leave treats for Father Christmas’s horse. Over the years the custom found its way to America, where it evolved into the tradition of leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer too.
I am sharing a few cookie recipes I think Santa (and you) might enjoy.
You can find my Peppermint Topped Chocolate Cookie recipe and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipes in my recipe section ( desserts)
I am proud to be a Taste Of Home Blogger, I am also sharing two of their great cookie recipes too
Snowman Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Miniature semisweet chocolate chips and green and red M&M’s Minis
FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Red and/or green food coloring
Miniature milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325°. Shape dough into thirty 1-in. balls, thirty 3/4-in. balls and thirty 1/2-in. balls. On ungreased baking sheets, place one ball of each size, side by side, for each snowman.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven; immediately add chocolate chips for eyes and M&M’s for buttons. Remove carefully from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
- For frosting, in a small bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, extract and enough milk to reach a piping consistency. If two colors of frosting are desired, transfer half of the frosting to another bowl; tint with food coloring.
- Cut a small hole in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; fill with frosting. Pipe scarves on snowmen. Use frosting to attach chocolate kisses for hats.
- Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.
Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place cookie dough in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 5-10 minutes to soften. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; beat until blended. If desired, tint green with food coloring.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Using a floured 2-in. scalloped round cookie cutter, cut out 18 cookies. Repeat with 1-1/2-in. and 1-in. scalloped round cookie cutters and a 5/8-in. star-shaped cookie cutter.
- Place colored sugar and sprinkles in separate shallow bowls. Dip tops of stars in colored sugar to coat. Roll edges of scalloped cookies in sprinkles. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake 6-9 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- If desired, tint frosting green. For each Christmas tree, place a 2-in. cookie on a work surface. Pipe frosting onto center of cookie; top with a 1-1/2-in. cookie. Repeat with additional frosting and a 1-in. cookie. Attach a star cookie to the top using additional frosting. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.
Do you leave cookies for Santa?
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Hi Katherine,
I have fond memories of leaving cookies and milk for Santa every year as a child and we have continued this tradition in our home. Thanks for sharing some great holiday cookie recipes. I’m inspired! Aloha, Lori
We would leave carrots for his reindeer too. So happy this post sparked happy memories. Merry Christmas my friend xo
We will be making and decorating our cookies this weekend! Yes we still leave cookies out for Santa because my oldest daughter and grandchildren always spend the night at my house on Christmas Eve so Santa has to bring the presents to my house!! I love your cookie ideas!
Love both of those cookies. I was told by Emma that Santa wanted real, gingerbread cookies this year. So, that is what I did and baked the real deal from scratch and now we are going to decorate them closer to Christmas Eve to leave out for Santa!! 🙂
OMGH!!!!!! I love it!!!! They are so cute….hmmm…But I dont take Cheese…I wonder what I can replace it with….
I just made a batch of Gingerbread cookies…my first attempt…looks ugly but…well…hope to improve soon
Katherine, The recipes are wonderful! I am trying them all with my family. Yes, I have always had the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa. My favorite time of the year! 🙂
I love the Christmas Tree cookies! How delightful.
So wonderful. My girls are already excited to leave cookies for Santa!! I love cookies :))) Such a sweet tradition :))) Have a sweet day doll xx
We still leave cookies for Santa. It is one of our favorite things to do. Thanks for the recipes.
Yes, I leave cookies for Santa! Just love your recipes! Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I still leave cookies for santa. Yours are so cute.
By the way, stop by my blog this week. I’m giving away a gorgeous scarf courtesy of Fresh Produce!
Hi lovely lady.
We do leave Christmas cookies. I love your recipe for the Christmas trees for Santa !!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Holiday with your family.
xxoo
Diane
Hi Katherine,
In Sweden, we leave a bowl of Christmas porridge (almost like a rice pudding kind of thing) with sugar, cinnamon and milk out on our doorstep. Santa needs more than cookies in his stomach 😉
Holiday hugs from Australia♥ ~Pernilla
Both ideas are so adorable! 🙂 I will try them as soon as tomorrow:)
You have such a great blog! Following you 🙂 Keep up the good work!
XoXo
Plami
Katherine,thanks for sharing the story of santas cookies– this is a tradition on christmas eve and we have two new cookies to bake this year! Thank you!!
hey Katherine! Just stopping by to wish you a beautiful Festive week ahead spent with the people who love you! ..By the way those look so yum! maybe i should be santa this year!!
Thandi. xo
These are great and I pinned them. Im here to wish you a Merry Christmas!!