12 Showstopping Christmas Desserts

Sugar cookies? Check! Snickerdoodles? Yep! Peanut butter blossoms? We got those too! This is our best and bigger Christmas cookie roundup ever. If you can’t find it here, it doesn’t exist. Happy holiday baking!

Every Holiday Cookie Recipe You Need In One Place

Take your pick from maple-mustard to root beer-barbecue—all use fewer than four ingredients, and can be ready to go in 5 minutes flat.

10 Ridiculously Easy Ham Glaze Recipes

Christmas comes but once a year, so it’s time to show off your cooking skills with a standout main dish (looking at you, beef rib roast!).

12 Christmas Dinners That Pull Out All the Stops

Keep big holiday breakfasts super simple with these easily customizable egg casseroles from our test kitchens.

5 New Mix-and-Match Egg Casseroles

Wrap up these delicious treats and give them to everyone on your gift list for something sweet under the tree!

The Best Gifts Come From the Kitchen

Essential Christmas How-Tos

Must-Make Sides for Christmas Dinner

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Celebrate St. Nick’s impending arrival by baking up a batch of <a href="/recipes/event-or-occasion/cookie-exchange-recipes/classic-christmas-cookie-recipes">Santa-inspired cookies</a> as a family!

7 santa cookie creations

7 Santa Cookie Creations

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These compliment-worthy dishes are the best way to get the Christmas festivities started.

festive apps for your christmas party

Festive Apps for Your Christmas Party

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These scrumptious desserts are worthy of your holiday table without taking all day to make.

impressive desserts that dont take all day

Impressive Desserts that Don’t Take All Day

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The ideal holiday meal is one you can smell just thinking about it! Maybe it’s a ham simmering in mustard and brown sugar, or brushed with bourbon and maple syrup. It could even be stuck with warm, woody cloves or covered with pineapple slices. No matter your preference, ham makes for a wonderful holiday meal and is as impressive as it is easy.

how to cook a ham

How to Cook a Ham

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Whether you’re attempting your first holiday ham or making roast beef for an easy Sunday supper, this chart will help ensure it’s done just right, every time.

timetable for roasting meats

Timetable for Roasting Meats

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A welcome addition to any  holiday table, our delicious Rainbow Christmas Wreath is made from Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ white cake, fluffy white frosting, sprinkles and food coloring.

rainbow christmas wreath

When you add the batter to the cake pan, don’t mix it with a spoon. Just pour it in so the colors rest on top of each other.

Tips

If you have a nonstick tube pan, it makes removing the cake so much easier.

The cake can be made a day in advance. Store it loosely covered at room temperature.

rainbow-christmas-wreath

Rainbow Christmas Wreath

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Feeling merry and bright? We’ve got a classic cookie that’ll keep your holiday spirit alive. For centuries, warming spices have filled homes with coziness, and we hope this tradition never ends. After all, cinnamon, cloves and ginger are the defining spices of gingerbread—the holliest, jolliest cookie of them all! But during the bustling holiday season, there’s not always time to make this traditional cookie from scratch, but don’t fret. Betty’s gingerbread cookie mix will help you bake up these tried-and-true Christmas cutouts without all the fuss. This low-ingredient recipe lets you focus on the decorating, making it a perfect weekend project to enjoy with the littlest bakers in your life.

easy gingerbread man cookies

Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies are filled with the classic gingerbread spices but start with a cookie mix, so you can get to the decorating fun and eating more quickly!

If your cookie dough is sticky, it might be because the butter was partially melted, instead of softened. The best way to soften butter is to leave sticks (still in their wrappers but out of the box) on the counter for about 1/2 hour. Or you can microwave unwrapped sticks on very low (20%) about 1 minute, turning the sticks once, about halfway through. If your dough is still sticky to roll out, refrigerate it about 15 minutes or until firm.

Want to pipe your cookies but don’t have a piping bag? No worries. You can use a resealable plastic bag—just cut the corner of the bag and fill it with the frosting of your choice. For more details, check out our instructions for making a <a href="https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/how-to-decorate-christmas-cookies#01" target="_blank">homemade piping bag</a>.

Gingerbread freezes well. If you’re anticipating a hectic holiday season, bake a batch now, wrap them up and store in your freezer for up to two months.

Try a batch from scratch! Betty’s easy <a href="https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/gingerbread-men-recipe/92eccbd8-33d2-4f05-a09e-ea6722d67786">Gingerbread Men</a> is the perfect recipe for beginning bakers and seasoned experts alike.

Recipe meets Kitchen Tested criteria.  Reviewed as part of SEO improvements Oct. 2019.

Dense, ginger-spiced basic gingerbread man cookies are one of the most iconic Christmas cookies, ever. The classic recipe has an amazingly long list of ingredients…which takes some time to mix. Our easy version starts with a cookie mix and just a few ingredients, so you can get to the fun of decorating and eating them sooner.Gingerbread Cookie Mix: A simple and quick way to create the base for these easy gingerbread cookies.Butter: Adds flavor, tenderness, and helps the cookies spread. Use softened, not melted butter.Egg: Helps to bind all the ingredients together.Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Water, vanilla frosting, red cinnamon decors.

Recipe Ingredients

These Easy Gingerbread Men Cookie treats come together amazingly fast!<h3>1. Mix the Ingredients</h3>With just a few ingredients, the dough for simple gingerbread cookies comes together effortlessly.&nbsp;<h3>2. Roll, Cut, and Bake</h3>The dough is rolled out and cut with cookie cutters, to form the cutest cookies ever.&nbsp;<h3>3. Decorate</h3>After they are baked, they are decorated with frosting and cinnamon candies.

How Do I Make Easy Gingerbread Cookies?

Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies can remain a delightful treat for days or even months by following the below instructions.<h3>Room Temperature</h3>Store the cookies in an airtight container. Use parchment paper or wax paper if you are layering to protect the decorations. Your cookies will stay fresh up to 4 days.<h3>Freezer</h3>Arrange the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Once the cookies are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag (squeeze out any excess air from the bag to prevent freezer burn). Store for up to 3 months.

How to Store Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

If you are looking for frosting for your easy gingerbread cookies that will set up so that you can store the cookies or mail them, try our <a href="https://www.bettycrocker.com/products/dessert-decorating-products/icing/betty-crocker-white-decorating-cookie-icing">white decorating cookie icing</a> or <a href="https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/royal-icing/4524eb23-0e3c-4a3f-960d-1f7ca4b1c819">royal icing</a>. They both are great choices.

What are more ways I can decorate simple gingerbread cookies?

Yes! You can use any cookie cutters you wish! Stars or trees are a few of our favorites. Just know that if the shape of the cookie cutter has small, tight areas (like Santa’s boot on a Santa cutter), some of the dough might get stuck in the cookie cutters and the intricate shape might be lost as the cookies puff up during baking. Also note that different-sized cutters will change your cookie yield and may need adjustment to the bake time.

Can I cut my Easy Gingerbread Cookies with other cookie cutters?

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Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

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A perfect dessert to treat a big crowd on the occasion of Christmas – wonderful truffles that are made using Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ cake mix and Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting.

christmas truffles

Sprinkle half of the truffles with Betty Crocker™ green sugar to add additional sparkle to your holiday cookie tray.

To make truffles uniform in size, use a spring-handled cookie scoop available in a variety of sizes at most grocery and discount stores.


christmas-truffles

Christmas Truffles

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A spoonful of marshmallow crème tops steaming homemade cocoa with rich chocolate flavor and a hint of spice.

christmas cocoa

Make Mint Cocoa by omitting cinnamon and nutmeg and stirring in 1/2 teaspoon mint extract or 3 tablespoons crushed hard peppermint candies.  Make Mocha Cocoa by stirring in 1 to 2 tablespoons instant coffee (dry).

Variation

Serve cocoa with candy canes to use as swizzle sticks!

Special Touch

christmas-cocoa

Christmas Cocoa

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Oh what fun it is to make a Santa’s Candy Sleigh!  Hey!

santas candy sleighs

Gift a special person with a fun holiday candy sleigh.  Personalize sleighs by adding tiny gift boxes with a name written with a metallic pen.

Special Touch               

santas-candy-sleighs

Santa's Candy Sleighs

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You'll roast the perfect, succulent Thanksgiving Day turkey thanks to our homemade brine made with salt, sugar, cloves and bay leaves. 

the best brined turkey

- Brining – “a technique whereby meat is soaked in brine which tenderizes, moisturizes and flavors the meat, as well as reduces the cooking time.”  (Food Lover’s Companion – Herbst and Herbst)

- Brine overnight – at least 18-24 hours; be sure brine completely covers the turkey.

- I recommend brining in a 12-quart stockpot or food safe bag that can accommodate the turkey and the brine.

- Turkey – how much should you buy?  Allow about 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person.

- I recommend trussing the turkey - Truss – “ to secure meat with string, pins or skewers so the food maintains a compact shape during cooking.” (Food Lover’s Companion – Herbst and Herbst)

- Bake to internal temperature of 165 degrees – take temperature in thigh of turkey.

- Brined meat will have a slightly pink tinge – even though thoroughly baked.                 
                               

Tips from blogger, Catherine McCord

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The Best Brined Turkey

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Betty's Guide to Christmas

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Every Holiday Cookie Recipe You Need In One Place

Festive Apps for Your Christmas Party

12 Showstopping Christmas Desserts

10 Ridiculously Easy Ham Glaze Recipes

Timetable for Roasting Meats

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Try these

Rainbow Christmas Wreath

Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

Christmas Truffles

Christmas Cocoa

Santa's Candy Sleighs

The Best Brined Turkey

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Bake Up Something Special

Betty's Guide to Christmas

Every Holiday Cookie Recipe You Need In One Place

Festive Apps for Your Christmas Party

12 Showstopping Christmas Desserts

10 Ridiculously Easy Ham Glaze Recipes

Timetable for Roasting Meats

Try these

Rainbow Christmas Wreath

Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

Christmas Truffles

Christmas Cocoa

Santa's Candy Sleighs

The Best Brined Turkey

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Betty's Guide to Christmas

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Try these

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Bake Up Something Special

Betty's Guide to Christmas

Try these

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