Quick christmas cookies: Tips and recipes

Written by Christina Pichler, Dec 03, 2021

Christmas time is cookie time! Undoubtedly, delicious Christmas treats are the best thing about the festive season. The yummy treats amaze us in various forms and tastes during this cold time. However, sometimes we just don’t have the time for a long baking session. That’s why we have delicious recipes and tips on how to save time. So that you’ll get the most cookies in the shortest period of time. Get your baking gear ready!

Table of Contents:

Tips to save time

Studying for the last exams before winter break, buying presents, decorating the apartment and baking Christmas cookies – the time before Christmas can be quite stressful. We have some great tips on how to make a lot of quick and extremely delicious Christmas cookies, so that you can enjoy your delicious treats and still have time for everything else.

1. One dough, many cookies

You want a big variety of Christmas cookies in your jar, but you don’t have the time to make dozens of different recipes? No problem! A good basic recipe is an empty canvas for your creativity when it comes to taste. An easy short crust is a classic and you can easily switch up the taste. Make a big amount of dough, divide it up into portions and then give every portion a different taste: cacao, vanilla, lemon, dried fruit, nuts… Nothing is too crazy! Here’s a recipe for you.

2. Less decoration, more cookies

Sure, we love a good-looking cookie! But not every cookie has to be a masterpiece à la Michelangelo, some cookies can simply taste extremely delicious without being beautiful. Basic forms and less decoration save you a lot of time. Sometimes less is more. So, just grab some sprinkles and voilà your cookies are colourful and beautiful.

3. No bake Cookies

Who says cookies have to go into the oven? Many recipes avoid the baking time and are still extremely delicious. Almond truffles, rum balls and cornflakes clusters are super easy, quick and taste amazing.

4. Ditch the cookie cutters

The most time consuming part of baking cookies is cutting the cookies. Sure, snowmen, snowflakes and Christmas trees are really cute and beautiful, but it also takes forever to cut every single cookie. Avoid complicated forms that rip the dough easily because the cookies will taste just as good in a basic form.

There are also amazing “Cutting-Rollers” which produce hundreds of amazing cookies in a second. Spread your dough, drag the cutting roller across the dough and you’ll get nice cookies.

Tip: If you don’t want to buy a cutting roller, you can also use a pizza cutter and cut rectangular or triangular cookies.

Grab a friend and start baking Christmas cookies together! ©Adobe Stock

Now you can apply those tips to these popular Christmas cookie recipes. We have 5 quick and easy recipes for your baking session including classics, all-rounders and insider tips.

Grab a friend and start baking Christmas cookies together! ©Adobe Stock

1. Cranberry Cookies – The All-rounders

This dough is perfect as a basic recipe with a lot of variations. We recommend you make a lot of dough and then add different flavours and ingredients. Instead of Cranberries, you can also use chocolate, nuts, raisins, apple or dried raspberries.

Time: 20 min + 10 min baking time

Ingredients:

  • 150g soft butter
  • 80g white sugar
  • 80g brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla flavour
  • 250g flour
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 100g oats
  • 100g extra ingredients of your choice (cranberries, chocolate, apples…)

Preparation:

Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Then add flour and salt and form a dough. Add oats and your extra ingredients. On a baking tray with a baking sheet form cookies with a spoon and bake for 10-12 min at 175°C. Done!

2. Butter cookies – the classics

Butter cookies a classic Christmas cookie because they are quick, easy and diverse. So, these cookies have to be in your cookie jar.

Time: 20 min + 10 min baking time

Ingredients:

  • 200g butter
  • 100g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 400g flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 tbsp. cream or milk
  • Maybe chocolate, jam and sprinkles for decoration

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and knead into a dough. Spread dough on a surface sprinkled with flour and cut cookies. Bake for 10-12 min at 190°C. You ca leave them as be or add jam, melted chocolate and sprinkles.

3. Pudding Cookies – The specialties

Here’s something different, something exotic. These Christmas cookies will be a pleasant surprise and don’t take a lot of time. While the dough rests, you can get other stuff done.

Time: 25 min + 60 min rest + 12 min baking time

Ingredients:

  • 90g butter (room temperature)
  • 35g powdered sugar
  • 1 package vanilla sugar
  • 1 package vanilla pudding powder
  • 90g flour
  • Powdered sugar for decoration

Preparation:

Mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar. Add vanilla pudding powder and flour and knead dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 60 min in the fridge. Form small balls and put them on a baking tray with a baking sheet. Press them with a fork. Bake for 180°C for approximately 12 min. Let cool and add powdered sugar.

4. Gingerbread on a baking tray – The quick

You doesn’t love gingerbread houses? The smell of fresh gingerbread invokes the feeling of Christmas. To save some time, we have a quicker and easier recipe for you.

Time: 20 min + 20 min baking time

Ingredients:

  • 400g flour
  • 175g sugar
  • 50g ground nuts
  • 50g cacao
  • 150ml oil
  • 150 ml milk
  • 1 package vanilla sugar
  • 4 tbsp. gingerbread spice
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp. baking powder
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Whole or chopped nuts
  • 175g powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp. water

Preparation:

Mix oil, sugar, vanilla sugar, egg yolks and salt until creamy. Add flour, nuts, cacao, milk, gingerbread spice, cinnamon, baking powder and nuts. Spread dough on a baking tray and press. Bake for 20 min at 180°C. Mix water and powdered sugar and put onto cooled gingerbread.

The best cookies are made with lots of love! ©Adobe Stock

5. Cantuccini – The Italians

Buon Natale (= Merry Christmas) from our Italian neighbours. This classic Christmas pastry is fantastic and quick. Tip: Cantuccini go perfectly with a Latte Macchiato.

Time: 20 min + 30 min baking time

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 90g sugar
  • Half an organic orange
  • 225g flour
  • 5 tbsp. baking powder
  • 125g peeled almonds

Preparation:

Mix eggs and sugar until creamy. Add orange juice and peel. Add flour and baking powder and mix shortly, then knead dough with hands. Add almonds. Form three rolls and put onto an oiled baking tray. Bake for 175°C for 30 min. Take rolls out of the oven and cut into 1-2 inch pieces and bake for 10 min again.

The best cookies are made with lots of love! ©Adobe Stock

With these tips to save time and tasty recipes you are well equipped to bake a lot of great Christmas cookies in your STUWO common kitchen. Not only do the cookies taste amazing, but the smell of freshly baked cookies will make your surroundings happy and spread a festive atmosphere. If you want more tips for the festive season, here are Christmas traditions in Austria. Have fun baking!

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