Christmas Candy and Cookie List
I have lots of people I love and want to make feel special this year. If you haven’t noticed, cooking is my love language. The plan was to make chocolate-dipped pretzel rods, grab a few Starbucks gift cards, write a heartfelt note and call it good.
There are no pretzel rods.
Seriously.
Within about a 60 mile perimeter of my house there are NO PRETZEL RODS.
So I’ve got to dip back into my bag of tricks. And should there be a pretzel rod shortage in your neck of the woods too, I’ve got you covered, too.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups
Chocolate Almond Butter Cups with Raspberries, Roasted Almonds & Sea Salt
Cranberry Kissed White Chocolate Bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Pumpkin Molasses Cookie Dough Balls
Help a sister out. Or a sister’s teachers, neighbors and great aunts.
What would you want me to make you from this list? What are you making? (feel free to share a link in the comments!)
And don’t even think about saying chocolate-dipped pretzel rods.
We have an overabundance of pretzel rods in my neck of the woods (SoCal), but no round pretzels. Maybe we could send each other some of each!
Pretzel swap!!! What do you do with round pretzels?
I’m on an “any and every single thing has to be gingerbread” kick right now. But I have a feeling that you know that.
Hope you are gearing up for this weekend, Sus. I feel like I’m about to go into battle. We could all use some gingerbread for backup.
Is gingerbread costume approved? Gearing up isn’t really what I’m doing. I’m trying to not be sick. I mean, I’m not sick. I totally have got this. I’m good. And, honestly, either way I’ll be there.
I love your peanut butter cookie dough balls, they are one of my favorites! I baked a few batches of different kinds of cookies, and had to package them all up for the neighbors so that we wouldn’t be tempted to eat them. I have discovered that frozen cookies are even better than fresh!
Yes, I do believe dough balls are going to have to make the cut.
Just made your pumpkin molasses cookies last night. Love them!!! There isn’t a cookie on your list that your friends wouldn’t be thrilled to get. Maybe a little sampler of the sugar cookie dough balls w/ festive sprinkles and the chocolate balls w/ nuts? Yum! You’ve got me wanting to pull out the cookie sheets and its 11:30 here…Must leave kitchen now. Must.
I like the idea of the dough ball sampler. So fancy! Glad you liked the pumpkin molasses cookies.
There’s a rod shortage here too! Seriously, I went to EVERY grocery store this weekend. I ended up with regular pretzel twists, each half dipped in chocolate and then sprinkles. Darn pretzel companies…
I blame Pinterest mania. Everyone’s a foodie/crafter/six pack wielding/fashionista these days.
I made the candy cane crinkle cookies (I LOVED them, and they went over great at a party), and the peanut butter cookie dough balls are on the list to make yet. I also made Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles from Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/2009/09/mexican-hot-chocolate-snickerdoodles/) and they were fabulous! I cut the cayenne in half. They were only mildly hot, had a nice warm “after taste”.
I also learned that if you are going to include a surprise ingredient (like hot pepper!), you better label the cookies.
I really think the candy cane crinkle cookies are my newest favorite…. They’re a real keeper….
Ha! My kids would revolt if I put cayenne in anything. But they sound delicious to me!
Yes, not a kid friendly cookie! Stick with the peanut butter dough balls, cannot go wrong!
Oh my goodness how to choose?! Imagine giving a giftbox with a selection of these treats?! Amaaaazing. Having said that the No Bake Snowball cookies are so incredible I have banned myself from making them till the day before Christmas- seriously. I have a problem. I ate them all with my hubby ( even opened a gift wrapped packet:(
I haven’t made those in a year. Now I’m tempted!
A friend takes little regular pretzels, puts a dot of melted chocolate in the middle and a Christmas m n m on top. They are cute!
I know I commented on your Hello Dolly bars, but still haven’t gotten around to trying them!!! I’m hoping over Winter Break I’ll have some extra time to do so.
You should make a homemade granola and put it in jars with a christmas ribbon on it! Try using any variety of nuts, oats, even dried fruit and clumping pieces together by using honey and sugar and baking it in the oven!!
I’ve been craving granola, so that’s a great idea. Thanks!
Have you heard of buckeyes? You should definitely try to do a healthy version of those, they are a Christmas favorite at our house
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Today is my Christmas baking day. I have out 3 pounds of butter and I am ready to go. Bars, biscotti, sugar cookies and gingerbread men.
Get ‘yo bake on, girl.
I made your sugar cookie doughballs for my family last year and so many people asked me for the recipe, they loved them!
Tomorrow night I’m going to a cookie swap and have to bring 8, yes 8, dozen cookies…I have a lot of baking to do in the next day and a half!
Yup, I’m definitely making the candy cane version. Glad they’ve been a hit for you!
The peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough balls! When I got to try one when I met you, I was in HEAVEN! The cookie was so good!
Happy weekend to you and the family! xo
You too, Katie!
Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to start with these!! Everything looks so delicious! I’ve got a few things that I’d like to bake this Christmas (including lots of your recipes) but earlier this week we had a potluck at work and I made reindeer cupcakes, which you’ve probably seen several versions of floating around on Pinterest. They were just too cute to resist, and they were super fast and easy to make as well. Certainly not healthy, but adorable!
I haven’t seen them–they sound cute!
Oh Mama Pea, those all look amazing. I would say the Hello Dollies, because I haven’t made them yet. I have made the Almond Joy cookie bars for several events and people RAVE about them. I got 3 bags of the Trader Joe’s Peppermint Bark baking bits so I will make those for family and friends.
The Aldi in our neighborhood usually has pretzel rods. Now I’m going to have to see if they have them!
I’m probably going to make the Chocolate Almond Butter Cups with Raspberries, Roasted Almonds & Sea Salt in massive quantities. Merry Christmas to me…oh, and the rest of the fam
what kinds of grades did you get in English and Writing classes in high school and college? it’s so rare that someone’s writing makes me laugh like yours…it’s so concise and there are no unnecessary words, and always a word or phrase that crack me up, it’s the best thing in the world FOR ME to smile before all of the coffee has made it down my gullet…it’s a real gift from “stranger” to “stranger!” thank you…
and, for a minute as i scrolled the cookie photos i thought, “wow, she did a LOT of baking!” AS IF! i made myself laugh thinking you did all that in one day! again with the coffee, i hadn’t yet drunk enough to make logical sense of the world i was looking at!
if i could overnight a million pretzel rods to you from san diego, I WOULD!
Thanks, Gail! I actually majored in Communications. I was going to be a journalist. But then came law school and kiddos. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m glad to have brought you a smile. Have a great weekend!
Solution! Use pretzel wheels, put a rolo caramel candy onthem, heat for like 2 minutes in the oven, then squish a pecan on top. Pretzel rod flavor with no pretzel rods and half the work!
Snickerdoodle Dough Balls! I love snickerdoodle! Such a strange name for so simple a flavor combination. And I’m sorry about the pretzel rods. All things happen for a reason
toffee bar!
YUM- you are so organized. I started teaching full time this year and Christmas cookies are at the bottom of my list…can I just come to your house and eat yours?
Hi to first year teacher! Just you wait for next week….you will be drowning in cookies, candy, chocolate, candles, ornaments, lotion and soap!!!
Best presents for teachers are handwritten notes/cards from the kids or the parents and/or a giftcard to Target, starbucks, etc!
Yes, you can!
Wonderful. See you next week!!
Anything on that list sounds amazing, but I’d probably choose the peanut butter dough balls. As for what I’m making, the hubby just started in on making homemade beer, and since we are broke college students, I’m making soft pretzels to complement the beer and a few different sweets for all the people who don’t drink beer (most of our family) to wrap up as sharing gifts for our respective families. The longer I put it off, the less cookies I’ll end up eating myself, right?
That is such a fun idea!
Mmmm I am looking for something sweet to bring along to a potluck and this has given me too many options!
Your peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough balls are an instant classic! They are dangerous in my house
Merry Christmas!
This post was so timely! I want to win the running group Christmas party dessert contest, but I don’t know which balls to make… Which ones do you think would win? Classic peanut butter, pumpkin molasses…my 2 favorites. Haven’t tried the sugar, maybe those. I’m so confused…
Anything with Snickerdoodle attached to it sounds good to me! One year I couldn’t find pretzel rods here either so now I purchase them right after Thanksgiving day. I like to dip them in caramel first and then chocolate – yummy! Since so many people give sweets I like to switch it up and give seasoned nuts, granola, salsa or hummus with whole grain chips! People really seem to appreciate anything homemade.
Ahhh! So happy you made this list! I feel the need to go through and make them all one by one and eat them all myself:)
In terms of edible gifts, I’ve been giving the same thing since I was a kid–my mom’s pumpkin bread. I have a vegan version up on my blog, but nothing beats mom’s, right?
The top picture looks divine, and ultra gourmet. If it was me, I would make three of those and bag them up. I like diversity.
Thanks for such a great list!! I think I will make the sugar cookie dough balls (candy cane too) and the pumpkin molasses dough balls and…and… LOL! Have you ever made these balls and then frozen them? or would you make the dough, freese, then dethaw and bake? I would like to try to get as much baking done ahead of time as I can! Thanks.
You can bake them and then freeze. It works great!
the snickerdoodle and sugar cookie dough balls are calling out to me!
If you still want to make something with pretzels, try these:
http://www.whatmegansmaking.com/2011/12/peanut-butter-pretzel-bites.html
They are AMAZING!!!! (and easy!)
Made the dough balls with my girls this morning. I’m not sure what was more fun for them, eating the dough or crushing all the candy canes with their toy hammers before rolling the dough in them! Sarah, I also wanted to mention how much I love your vegan baking recipes because I don’t have to worry about my kids getting samonella from raw egg. I do have to worry about them getting upset tummies from how much they consume, but at least it won’t be poisonous! We are not vegan but baking vegan is really great with kids (and with mommies who enjoying tasting as well!).
I just pulled a batch of the same cookies out for our teachers! We too had a blast. Thanks for the sweet comment and for reading. Merry Christmas!
I can never find gluten-free pretzel rods; I’m usually stuck with the round ones. Why do they even make round pretzels? No fun, I tell ya.