Holiday season means quality time with your loved ones, and the warm smell of baked treats can only add to that ambience of holiday cheer and cosy comfort. Baking can be a form of self-care, and baking with your family and friends can be a fun bonding activity. Here are some ideas for tasty festive treats to indulge your festive sweet cravings. These delightful recipes will yield delicious results that will have everyone asking for more.

 

1. Holly Cupcakes

 

Serves: 12

 

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• Softened butter: 110 g
• Coconut sugar: 110 g
• Large eggs: 2
• Vanilla extract: ½ tsp
• Self-raising flour: 110 g
• A pinch of salt

 

For decoration (20 servings):

• Coconut oil: ½ cup
• Maple syrup: 3 tbsp
• Cocoa powder: ½ cup
• Unsweetened applesauce: 1 cup
• Green icing
• Cranberries or round red candies

 

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with liners.
2. Beat 110 g butter and the coconut sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add in the eggs one by one, whisking the mixture well.
3. Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, along with 110 g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, and whisk until it is mixed well. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until the cupcakes are golden brown. Leave them to cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, and cocoa powder, and mix well until the mixture is glossy. Add in the unsweetened applesauce and mix further. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or more, depending on the texture you want.
6. When the frosting is ready, use a piping bag to frost your cooled cupcakes.
7. Make Holly leaves out of the green icing and add two to each cupcake. Use cranberries or round red candies as the berries for decoration.

 

2. Thumbprint Cookies with Dates

 

Yields: 54 small cookies

 

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: 315 g
• Baking powder: ½ tsp
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Unsalted butter: 227 g, at room temperature
• Powdered dates: 300 g
• Large egg: 1
• Vanilla extract: 2 tsp
• Berry jam (any): 1 cup

 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Take the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and 1 cup powdered dates (reserving the rest for rolling) together until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract thoroughly.
4. Stir in half of the flour mixture until just combined, then add the remaining flour mixture.
5. Roll the dough into 1″ balls and coat in the powdered dates, then place them on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Make an indent in each cookie using your thumb and fill with a berry jam of your choice, slightly overfilling.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

3. Gingerbread Cookies

 

Ingredients

• Butter: ½ cup
• Coconut sugar: 1 cup
• Egg: 1
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Molasses: ¾ cup
• Cinnamon: ¾ tsp
• Ground cloves: ¼ tsp
• Ground nutmeg: ¼ tsp
• Ground ginger: 5 tsp
• Baking soda: 2 tsp
• Salt: ½ tsp
• All-Purpose Flour: 3½ cups
• Frosting of your choice

 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine and beat butter and coconut sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla and whip well.
3. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, clover, nutmeg and ground ginger, then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined to form a semi-dry dough. Chill for at least two hours.
4. Scoop an adequate amount of the gingerbread mix and shape into balls. Roll them in crystalised white sugar.
5. Place cookie balls with enough distance between each other, and lightly flatten.
6. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, then cool.
7. Use frosting in between two cookies to make a sandwich.

 

4. Christmas Spritz Cookies

 

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: 1 cup, softened
• Coconut sugar: ⅔ cup
• Large egg yolks: 2
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Almond extract: ¼ tsp
• Flour: 2 cups
• Salt: ¼ tsp
• Sprinkles for decoration

 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line your cookie sheet.
2. Stir together the flour and the salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks, the vanilla and the almond extract and mix just until combined.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time until well combined.
5. Use a cookie press to place the dough on the cookie sheet in desired festive shapes. Decorate with sprinkles. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, and then allow them to cool.

 

5. Jam Sandwich Cookies

 

Ingredients

• Flour: 300 g
• Ground almonds: 100 g
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Unsalted butter: 200 g
• Caster sugar: 200 g
• Egg yolks: 2
• Strawberry jam

 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, then mix in the egg yolks.
3. Fold in the flour, almonds and salt.
4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 0.5 cm thick. Cut circles from the dough and place on a greased baking sheet.
5. Prick the top of the dough circles with a fork and bake in the oven until golden, then cool.
6. After cooling, spread strawberry jam on one side of a cookie and add another cookie on top to make a sandwich.