Greetings, our dear readers. We continue our New Year's theme and today we will discuss such a topic as New Year's cookies. This is a big tradition, but not here, rather in Europe and the USA. Christmas is not complete there without gingerbread men. But even in our country, housewives are increasingly preparing such simple New Year’s cookies.
It's actually not that complicated. You can prepare it according to any favorite recipe. The most important thing is the decoration of these cookies. Here you need to use your imagination and decorate it beautifully. You can, and even need to, buy cookie cutters. This speeds up the process significantly.
Fortunately, there are now a great many of these molds in stores. But you can also make some beautiful three-dimensional figurine in the form of a Christmas tree or a cone with your own hands. In any case, you need to turn on your imagination.
But you can take a simpler route, just find various photos of New Year’s cookies on the Internet and repeat, again, you can prepare absolutely any dough, according to your signature recipe, for example, the rest is a matter of technology. If you have such recipes, then in our article, after the recipes, I suggest you look at Decoration options and icing recipes for cookies.
And if someone wants to learn something new for themselves or to cook such cookies for the first time, then I think our recipes will help you.
Why do you even need to make New Year's cookies? Yes, everything is really simple. First: decorating the holiday table. Cookies should be bright and fabulous, because the New Year is a fairy tale that both children and adults love.
This is also a treat, a sweet treat not only for children, but also for adults who love sweets. It's nice to drink tea with such beautiful and festive cookies.
Well, here we go.
Sweet “Mice”
The simplest, but very tasty recipe in the form of the symbol of the year is a homemade delicacy, equally suitable for a holiday tea party with the family and as a gift to friends with a sweet tooth. Minimum products, lots of fun. And the most pleasant bonus is that such baking is fun and interesting for the whole family; both adults and children can easily handle it.
Ingredients:
- flour (it is better to take finely ground premium flour) – 7-8 tbsp;
- starch (potato or corn) – 1.5 tbsp;
- eggs (preferably large) – 1 pc.;
- baking powder – 1 tsp;
- powdered sugar - 3 tbsp;
- vanilla sugar or powdered sugar - 1 tsp;
- raisins (seedless raisins) – 1 tbsp. (without slide);
- salt (coarse) – a pinch;
- vegetable (transparent - deodorized) oil - 4 tbsp.
How to cook:
Keep the washed egg in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, then break it and combine it with salt in a deep container. Stir, whisking lightly, until smooth (with a whisk).
Add vanilla sugar to the egg base - stir so that all the formed lumps melt, pour in the oil - shake.
Add starch in a thin stream and beat thoroughly: the final consistency is a uniform white-oily suspension.
Surprise your children with a delicious and bright New Year's dessert “Santa Claus's Cap”!
A New Year's feast always involves a large number of dishes that need to be eaten at night. Most often before...
Add the sifted flour in a thin stream (it’s convenient to do it with four hands - one pours, the other mixes) or in small portions. Mix first with a spoon in a bowl, then with your hands, placing the dough on a board “powdered” with flour until it becomes a greasy, soft plasticine that does not stick to your hands.
Form a thick rope, cut into 8-10 equal portions and one free (of arbitrary shape).
First roll the main lobes into a ball, then pull each one out in the form of a drop—the body of a mouse. Pinch off small pieces - ears - from the free part of the dough and flatten slightly. Closer to the tip (head) attach the ears, slightly curling them and pressing them with your finger.
On a note! To make the ears hold tighter, you can make a small cut and lightly roll the pieces (in a tube) at the base.
Roll small sausage tails and attach them to the rounded part of the workpieces on top.
Rinse the raisins. Steam with boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain the water. Dry. Place them closer to the little mouse’s nose, imitating eyes.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Transfer cookies. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15-20 minutes.
Cool. To give the “skin” fluffiness, sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional, but desirable). It is better to serve the cookies to the table not in a heap, but on a wide dish, placing the “mice” so that they touch in the center with their noses or tails.
Master class on how to make gingerbread cookies and paint them with icing
I suggest using the following cooking method using protein glaze. It is for her that we will paint homemade gingerbread cookies with our own hands. And this step-by-step description will help you cope with such work easily and quickly. All plots are simple and easy. The result is unreal beauty.
The main feature of this recipe is that the dough retains its shape well when baked in the oven. The cookies taste fragrant and tasty. And such concoctions are stored for about 1 month.
You will need:
Source
Stages:
1. To prepare the gingerbread dough, combine powdered sugar with butter + honey in a separate bowl. Place on the stove and bring the mixture until smooth. Cool afterwards.
Now, in another cup, pour the sifted flour, cocoa powder (if desired, to make the delicacy a little darker) and soda. Then add all the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger, a pinch of black pepper. Stir thoroughly.
2. Break a chicken egg into the cooled honey mixture and stir, pour into the flour mixture. Make a soft and elastic dough that will not stick to your hands.
The next step is to place the dough in a bag and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Next, cut a piece and roll it into a circle about 3 mm thick.
3. The dough behaves very calmly when working and is easy to work with. Use molds to squeeze out various patterns and shapes. Well, then transfer them to a baking sheet, which you cover with parchment paper at a distance from each other. And so on until all the dough scraps are used up.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 7-10 minutes. Inside, the gingerbread cookies turn out incredibly soft and tender.
4. For decoration, use the egg white, beat it with a fork and add powdered sugar. Stir and finally add lemon juice to taste.
Remember, the powdered sugar is taken of the finest grind and it is better to sift it through a sieve first.
Place the finished cream or glaze into a pastry bag and start drawing the now cooled treats.
5. Draw any patterns on the blanks. It can be just straight and wavy lines or droplets. For an attractive look, you can add a drop of dye to the glaze.
Such cookies are stored for a long time, for one month, in a dry container under a closed lid. During this time they will become dry, so before serving, place them for a couple of hours with apple slices or move them to a damp room. Gingerbreads absorb moisture well and after a while they will become soft again and melt in your mouth. Happy discoveries!
Draw and fantasize. Have a great experience!
Fortune Cookies
A surprise delicacy to make the New Year's feast sparkle with festive good predictions. You can create intrigue with your own hands by preparing a delicious treat for the filling - rolled into a tube or folded squares, printed or handwritten forecast sheets.
Ingredients for dough (13-15 cookies):
- flour – 1.5-2 tbsp;
- butter (without salty additives) – 1 tbsp. with a slide (40 g);
- powdered sugar - 3 tbsp;
- eggs (medium size - not necessarily the highest grade) - 2 pcs.
Ingredients for glaze:
- milk (preferably full fat) – 2 tbsp;
- cocoa (not granulated - powder without additives) - 3 tbsp;
- butter – 1-2 tbsp. (40-50 g);
- powdered sugar – 2-4 tsp;
- multi-colored confectionery powder - 2 tbsp.
How to cook:
Transfer the softened (not melted!) butter into a deep bowl, mix with powdered sugar, and grind into crumbs with a fork/whisk.
Separate the whites (the yolks can be used for other baked goods - they are not needed for cookies), add to the sugar butter and stir thoroughly.
These quick kefir cookies are very simple, but very tasty.
It often happens that guests are almost at the door, but there is no dessert on the table as a treat and…
Add the sifted flour into the protein-butter mixture, mix until you obtain a smooth, lump-free “pancake” consistency of the dough (the thickness of liquid sour cream or Varenets).
On the wrong side of the parchment, draw circles with a felt-tip pen/marker (it is best to circle a regular lid or the neck of a jar/cup) - the interval between the figures is at least 2-3 cm. Turn the paper over. Grease the core of the templates (along the entire diameter) with butter. Transfer to a heated baking sheet. Quickly and carefully (with a spoon) pour the dough (the edges of the circle are the border, do not step beyond it!). Bake 1-2 cookies at a time for 5-7 minutes. in an oven preheated to 200°C. The signal for readiness is a browned edge.
Remove the “pancakes” with a spatula. Place the cut and twisted/folded strip with the prediction closer to the center of the workpiece. Fold the cookies in half (covering the oracle), then roll into a bagel.
Advice! While the treat is warm, it is elastic and strives to unfold. To fix the shape, the baked goods must be cooled in a muffin tin, if you don’t have one, in a coffee/tea cup.
While the pieces are cooling, prepare the glaze: combine all ingredients (except for powder) in a deep metal container. Place in a water bath, melt with constant stirring.
Drizzle the glossy, moderately thick glaze over the cookies and immediately decorate with colorful sprinkles. It is better to serve a surprise delicacy on the table on a wide dish - it doesn’t matter: in bulk or in a slide. The main thing is that everyone can easily take their fortune cookies.
How to decorate Christmas cookies
Now that you have baked delicious, aromatic cookies, it’s time to make them a real decoration for the holiday table. Thanks to a variety of molds, delicious icing, food coloring and a culinary syringe, you can create real works of art. Here are some ideas for inspiration:
todomini.net
wday.com
festival-collection.com
readersdigest.ca
ikifashion.com
wallhere.com
Classic glaze
thekitchn.com
Ingredients
- 250 g powdered sugar;
- 4 tablespoons milk;
- vanillin - on the tip of the knife.
Preparation
Beat all ingredients with a mixer until smooth.
The icing should not spread, but at the same time you should be comfortable decorating the cookies. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk. Please note that it will increase in volume. You can then add food coloring if desired.
This glaze takes several hours to dry. But if you want to decorate the cookies with some kind of confectionery topping, it is better to do this immediately after applying the glaze. This way the decorations will stick better.
There are many original designs for New Year's cookies:
Protein glaze
kingarthurflour.com
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites;
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice;
- 330 g powdered sugar.
Preparation
Beat egg whites and lemon juice with a mixer. Add sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, and if it's too thick, add a little water.
Here are some ideas for decorating cookies with egg white icing:
Butter glaze
taste.com.au
Ingredients
- 75 g melted butter;
- 500 g powdered sugar;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife;
- 5 tablespoons of milk.
Treats on a stick
Crumbly New Year's cookies made from shortcrust pastry with a sweet layer of white chocolate, with colorful fancy sprinkles and on wooden skewers, displayed on the table in glass vases/glasses - a joy for children. Sweet treats can be made in the form of friendly hearts, Christmas balls, stars or Christmas trees - the richer the variety, the more interesting the presentation and the more positive the mood.
Ingredients for dough for 10-12 cookies:
- flour – 20 tbsp. (no slide!);
- powdered sugar – 2.5 tbsp;
- eggs (large sizes) 2 pcs.;
- butter – 16 tbsp. (1 pack and 1-2 tbsp - 260-270 g).
Ingredients for ganache:
- white chocolate – 100 g;
- butter – 4 tbsp. (100 g)
Ingredients for decoration:
- honey (liquid) or jam (apricot, sea buckthorn);
- confectionery confetti/sprinkling.
How to cook:
Mix flour with powdered sugar, combine with cold butter (the more, the better). Chop into fine crumbs with a knife, then knead the dough - elastic and tight (add a couple of drops of vanilla extract for flavor if desired). Roll into a ball, cover with film, and refrigerate for half an hour.
Lightly dust the cutting board with flour or grease it with vegetable (odorless!) oil - your choice. Separate a small piece from the cooled ball and roll it out (maximum thickness - 4 mm).
If you have cookie cutters, press the blanks into the intended shape - two identical ones for each skewer; if not, cut them out with a knife (kitchen or pastry knife).
On a note! If you decide to make a Christmas tree, use a knife to divide the layer into isosceles triangles, then use a knife (along the ribs) to cut out the corners. It’s even easier to prepare templates from paper (any Christmas tree decoration - from a star to a Santa Claus hat), put them on the dough and use a knife to cut out the desired shapes along the edges of the blanks.
Place a skewer on one half of the dough and lightly press it into the dough. Leave the second one untouched.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lay out the blanks (on sticks and without - side by side). Bake for 10 minutes. in an oven preheated to 180°C. Cool on a board or wire rack (be sure to remove the parchment!).
While the cookie halves are cooling, prepare the ganache. Crush the white chocolate bar and butter into a deep (preferably enameled) container. Melt in a water bath (the water is hot, but not boiling!) with constant stirring. Cool slightly until thickened.
Cookies "Snow"
Everyone loves homemade baking, but often there is not enough time and energy for it. I offer you a quick and simple step-by-step recipe with...
Grease cold cookies on a skewer with chocolate fudge - thickly. Cover with the loose half of the baked pan. Press lightly (just a little!). Use a spatula to smooth out the filling that has protruded around the edges (you can use a regular kitchen knife). Allow the filling to cool completely until the halves set and no longer come apart - 5-10 minutes.
Grease the cookies with liquid (can be melted, but not hot) honey or your chosen jam. Sprinkle with powder. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour, and then serve, placing chopsticks down in the selected container or placing it on a platter so that the skewers are on the outside and the figures are on the inside.
Secrets of making homemade cookies
- All cookie ingredients should be at room temperature. An hour before cooking, remove eggs, butter, sour cream or cottage cheese that are needed for the recipe from the refrigerator.
- To diversify the taste of cookies, try adding vanilla or cinnamon, nuts, raisins, dried fruits, and chocolate pieces to the dough.
- Roll out the finished dough to a thickness of 3–5 mm. This thickness will allow the dough to bake well and not burn.
- Before baking, line a baking sheet with parchment or grease it with butter. If you place the cookies on a dry baking sheet, they will stick during baking.
- Preheat the oven in advance. If you put the cookies in a cold or poorly heated oven, they may not rise.
- The optimal temperature for baking cookies is 180 degrees. If baked at a higher temperature, the cookies may become hard.
- Cookies should not be left in the oven. It is better to remove the cookies when they are barely browned. Over-dried cookies may also harden after baking.
- Store the finished cookies in tin boxes or plastic containers, layering the layers of cookies with parchment paper. If the cookies start to dry out, place a piece of apple in the container.
"Melting Snowmen"
An atmospheric delicacy in the shape of funny snowmen is a fun dessert for a sweet New Year's table in 2021. The tea treat will amuse not only the children, but also the adult guests of the feast: a sweet delicacy with an original presentation invariably brings a smile.
Ingredients for the dough:
- flour – 6 tbsp;
- milk 4.5 tbsp;
- sugar – 5 tbsp. (without slide);
- starch (potato) – 5 tbsp;
- butter – 14 tsp. (70 g);
- baking powder – 1 tsp;
- vanillin – 2 pinches;
- marshmallows - according to the number of cookies.
Ingredients for glazing and painting:
- egg (white) – 1 pc.;
- powdered sugar – 7 tbsp;
- gel food colors – black, orange, blue.
How to cook:
Mix flour with baking powder and starch in a deep bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine softened (at room temperature or over lukewarm steam) butter with vanillin and sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Separate half of the dry starch-flour mixture and pour into the butter mixture. Mix. Pour in the milk and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining half of the flour with starch and baking powder. Knead the dough. Form an even ball.
Place the dough on a sheet of parchment. Place the same sheet on top of the ball. Roll out with a rolling pin between baking paper into a layer 5 mm thick (a little thinner is possible, thicker is not necessary).
Use a round shape (glass/glass/jar turned upside down) to cut out “stands” for snowmen. Carefully separate the shapeless remains of the dough.
On a note! From the leftovers, you can re-roll out the layer for workpieces.
Without shifting the circles, carefully transfer the parchment with the preparations to a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. in an oven preheated to 180°C, without waiting for blush - snowmen need a white baked base.
While the cookies are cooling (completely!) prepare the glaze: beat the chilled egg whites with powdered sugar until thick, snow-white foam.
Place the baked coasters on a flat dish. Carefully pour 1 tsp into the center of each. icing, immediately place the marshmallow (snowman’s body) and lightly press with your finger (fix). A slightly spread mass is a plus, not a minus - imitation of melting. Leave until the protein “snow” dries completely.
Dip the tip of a thin brush into black gel dye, draw dotted eyes for the snowman, a smile (on the white soufflé) and pens (dashes from the “marshmallows” on the snow). The orange pigment is a carrot nose, the blue pigment is a bow or scarf. You can use other colors of dyes and patterns (for example, bangs, braids, a hat) - at your discretion and according to the will of your imagination.
Cover a square or round dish (or you can use a tray) with a napkin, arrange “melting snowmen” and serve for tea.
Perfect Christmas Cookie Recipe
And I'm not exaggerating. They are truly perfect!
- 250 g honey;
- 500 g flour;
- 1 egg;
- 130 g plums. oils;
- 100 g sugar;
- 1 tsp soda;
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cocoa (all optional, personally I only add cinnamon and ginger).
- Combine butter, honey, sugar in a saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until dissolved. When the mixture becomes hot, but not yet boiling, add soda and stir. The mixture should turn white and its volume will approximately double.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly. Then add the egg and mix.
- Separately, whisk together flour and spices. Add the honey mixture to the flour and stir until smooth.
- Roll into a ball and wrap it in film. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Take out the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 3-4 parts and roll out one at a time to about 0.5 cm thick (the thinner, the crispier the cookies will be) and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, bake the gingerbreads for about 5-7 minutes.
- Cool and store in an airtight container. Bon appetit!
"New Year's wreaths"
A colorful no-bake delicacy in the shape of Christmas wreaths is an unusual instant dessert. The juicy textured “needles” of the flakes and the bright balls of chocolate dragee are a feast for the eyes, not a holiday-themed treat.
Ingredients:
- sweet corn flakes – 350 g;
- butter (not salted or sour) butter – 120 g;
- marshmallows (large lozenges) – 30 pcs.;
- green food coloring (glossy or matte) – 1.5 tsp;
- vanillin - a pinch;
- vegetable oil (deodorized);
- chocolate jelly beans (red, yellow or both).
How to cook:
Place the butter in an enamel pan and melt over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely dissolved.
Remove the pan from the stove. Add flakes, vanillin, add dye, mix thoroughly (with a spatula or spoon) (the mass should acquire a uniform green color).
Lightly grease the parchment with vegetable oil. Place the still hot mixture on paper - 1 wreath = 1 tbsp. While the mixture has not cooled down, slightly flatten the green ball with your palm, form a wreath, and immediately glue the dragee.
Advice! Sprinkle the dragee around the entire circumference or only on one side - with the inflorescence.
Leave the workpiece on the table until it hardens completely. Once dry, place on a plate and serve for a festive tea party.
A simple and successful Christmas cookie recipe
Recipe:
- 100 g sugar;
- 150 g butter;
- 150 g honey;
- 1 egg;
- 1-2 tsp. baking powder;
- Flour about 600 g;
- Spices to taste.
- Mix sugar, honey and spices and dissolve over low heat. Don't boil!
- Remove from heat, cool slightly. Add baking powder, egg, butter and flour. Add flour gradually. The dough should not stick to your hands, but you shouldn’t make it too hard either.
- You can cool the dough a little before cutting the shapes, but this is not necessary.
- Bake on parchment paper for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees)
Bon appetit!
Oatmeal Christmas trees
The stunning aroma of oatmeal cookies with cranberries and tangerines will gather everyone at the festive New Year's table, regardless of how much Olivier and hot appetizers were eaten. Christmas trees generously decorated with “confetti” made from confectionery powder and nut crumbs are a treat option that is in great demand.
Ingredients:
- oatmeal or flour – 80 g;
- wheat flour – 1 tbsp.;
- sugar – 6 tbsp. (with a slide);
- ground cinnamon – 0.5 tsp;
- vanillin – 1 g;
- butter (you can use homemade fat) butter – 80 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- soda - on the tip of a knife;
- tangerines (sweet, medium size) – 3 pcs.;
- dried cranberries – 30 g;
- nut crumbs – 0.5-1 tbsp;
- confectionery powder (preferably in different colors);
- candied fruits (optional component).
How to cook:
Wash the cranberries, dry them, cut into small pieces.
Wash and wipe the tangerines with a cloth. Grate the zest from all the fruits. Squeeze out the juice - for cookies you need 50-60 ml, no more.
Grind the flakes into flour.
Soften the butter, combine with cinnamon powder, sugar and vanilla - mix, gradually adding zest shavings and nut crumbs.
Pour the juice into an enamel bowl/pan. Add salt. Place on low heat. Simmer (with constant stirring) until the salt is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Add oatmeal and juice to the sweet butter mixture. Stir until viscous homogeneity.
Sift wheat flour, combine with soda. Add to other ingredients. Knead the elastic soft dough (if it still sticks to your hands, adjust the viscosity with flour).
On a table surface/board/mat sprinkled with flour, roll out a layer 5 mm thick (no more!). Cut out Christmas trees (using pastry cutters or a paper template).
At the top of the New Year's dough tree, press a “star” into the dough - a piece of candied fruit/cranberry/zest. Sprinkle the “paws” with “confetti” - multi-colored curly powder. Press with your finger.
Preheat the oven to 200-210°C. Place the cookies on a baking sheet (it’s better to line it with parchment paper rather than grease it with butter), leaving 2 cm gaps between the pieces. Bake for 10 minutes. (do not overexpose until blush - it will dry out and harden).
Cool and only then remove from the baking paper, otherwise it will crumble.
Before serving, you can add “snow” to the fragrant Christmas trees - lightly sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.
Caramel apple cookies
What to cook with
- 360 g flour;
- 240 g butter;
- 130 g sugar;
- 2 eggs;
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife;
- half a teaspoon of salt;
- half a teaspoon of baking powder;
- 1 teaspoon of soda;
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon + a little more for decoration;
- half a glass of chopped walnuts + a little more for decoration;
- half a glass of white chocolate chips + a little more for decoration;
- 1 large apple;
- a quarter cup of caramel sauce.
Preparation
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder, soda and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Gradually add flour, constantly stirring the dough.
Add chopped nuts and chocolate chips to the dough. You can make it yourself: just finely chop white chocolate. Peel the apple, remove the core and cut it into small cubes. Add the apple to the dough and stir.
Form the dough into small balls and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with your hand, make a small indentation in the middle of each and fill it with caramel. Sprinkle with nuts, chocolate chips and cinnamon. Flatten the cookies with a spatula until they are flat.
Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 180°C for 12 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Cool completely before serving. By the way, the next day these cookies will be even tastier than immediately after cooking.
