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“We did it!!!” [I hope you hear that in the voice of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde…No? Am I alone here?]

We finally made it through 12 days of the second annual 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! You will never know what it took to actually pull this off.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies 2015
20 Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes sliced
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11 cookies in 3 days.

3 epic fails. [And I do mean EPIC]

25 pounds of butter; 10 pounds of sugar.

Marathon photography sessions crammed in before sprinting to catch the subway to work.

4 cookies baked in the wee hours of the morning after work.

One very tired and sore individual.

Soft, chewy cinnamon milk chocolate chip cookies with toasted pecans and candied orange peel. These Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip cookies will have you reaching for another before you realize what you’re doing!

And you know what? It was absolutely and completely worth it!

There were some fantastic cookies this year: some heirloom recipes; some heritage recipes; and some new creations of my own!

These Chewy Ginger Bars have a gingerbread base with a sweet candied ginger crumble topping!! There is candied ginger folded into the base for a perfect burst of ginger!

Just in case you missed any here is a run through of each delectable one! I’ve added a little comment about how easy or difficult the recipe was, so that you can pick one (or several) that fit your needs.

Because I am sure I don’t need to tell you, but Christmas rapidly approacheth….

[On that note, I haven’t started my Christmas gift shopping yet. I’ve, ummm, been a little busy…]

Day 1: Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars 

An easy bar cookie recipe where the same cinnamon streusel is used for the base and topping! Filled with homemade cranberry jam for a tart and sweet treat!

There are few homemade desserts easier than jam bars and these Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars are not only easy they pack serious holiday flavor! The cinnamon streusel doubles as both the top and bottom crusts with a gooey, spiced cranberry filling in between.
5 from 1 ratings

Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars

In these easy Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars the cinnamon streusel doubles as both the top and bottom crusts with a gooey, spiced cranberry filling in between.
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12 Days of Christmas Cookies 2015

These are easy and fast unless you make your own jam. They use the same dough for the top crumble and bottom crust!

Day 2: Rum Refrigerator Cookies

Taking a turn toward the easy cookies! Just roll into cylinder and slice and bake! A rum glaze brings a little extra holiday cheer.

Rum Refrigerator Cookies Delicious Overhead
5 from 3 ratings

Rum Refrigerator Cookies

These easy Rum Refrigerator Cookies are soft, chewy and moist. They are a classic slice and bake cookie with cardamom and citrus notes. I’ve drizzled the top with a simple rum glaze for even more flavor.
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Rum Refrigerator Cookies: Soft, chewy and moist – these cookies’ cardamom and citrus notes will positively brighten your holidays. A little nuttiness from the almonds rounds out these absolutely sensational cookies.

These cookies are easy but the dough does need to be refrigerated overnight before being sliced and baked.

Day 3: Cardamom Walnut Snowballs 

Everyone’s favorite Russian Tea Cookies with a dash of cardamom. Cardamom is my latest obsession. (See above!)

In these Cardamom Walnut Snowballs toasted walnuts blend perfectly with warm cardamom. Plus who can resist a cookie coated in powdered sugar?!
4.67 from 3 ratings

Cardamom Walnut Snowballs

These Cardamom Walnut Snowballs pair warming cardamom with walnuts in a buttery, crumbly cookie. The flavors just melt in your mouth starting with the powdered sugar and ending with the warm nutty cardamom walnut flavor.
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12 Days of Christmas Cookies 2015

Easy and fast!

Day 4: Chewy Molasses Sugar Cookies

You know I can’t resist a good molasses spice cookie. I would make them all year round if it were socially acceptable. These are soft and chewy with a little crunch outside.

Old Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookies Perfect Stack
5 from 1 ratings

Grandmas Molasses Sugar Cookies

My Grandma’s Chewy Molasses Sugar Cookies are chewy sugar cookies flavored with molasses, ginger and cinnamon. They have a crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside!
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Old Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookies Closeup

Easy but the dough does need at least 2 hours of refrigeration.

Day 5: Coconut Peppermint Pretzel Bark 

Love a recipe I can make in my microwave! Melt, spread, repeat! This bark is just a little extra, which is what the Holidays are all about! Sprinkle on that festive!

Coconut Peppermint Pretzel Bark Wood Slate
5 from 1 ratings

Coconut Peppermint Pretzel Bark

This easy Coconut Peppermint Pretzel Bark is a minty mix of white and dark chocolate with candy cane “snow”, salty pretzels and a hint of coconut! You will love the holiday mint flavor!
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Peppermint-Pretzel-Bark151125IMG_0993

Easy, fast, and no baking required!

Day 6: Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels

My Mom’s childhood favorite. These are my Great-Grandmother’s date pinwheel cookies! Soft, chewy and the perfect amount of sweet from the dates and brown sugar!

Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels close up
5 from 1 ratings

Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels

These Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels are soft, chewy cinnamon brown sugar cookies with a pecan date filling! They may be old fashioned but they are absolutely sensational!
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Old-Fashioned-Date-Pinwheels151125IMG_1060

These cookies are a bit more involved. The dough needs to be chilled several hours before being rolled out and filled with the homemade date filling. Then the cookies are rolled up and refrigerated overnight before being sliced and baked!

Day 7: Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

I got this recipe from a winery in Napa Valley somewhere around 2010. I held on to it for half a decade waiting to make these thumbprints. It was worth the wait!

Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies Wood Slate
5 from 1 ratings

Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

These Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are a buttery shortbread cookie dough filled with a Moscato cranberry jam and baked to soft, tender perfection.
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These Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are a buttery shortbread cookie dough filled with a Moscato cranberry jam and baked to soft, tender perfection.

These cookies are easy but it does require an overnight stay in the refrigerator and homemade jam!

Day 8: Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Another no-fail recipe by my grandmother! Chewy and packed with oats and raisins. Make these for the holidays AND all year round!

Old Fashioned Oatmeal cookies on metal cooling rack.
5 from 1 ratings

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

These Old Fashioned Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are soft, tender and little cakey.
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Oatmeal Raisin cookies on vintage cooling rack.

Quick and easy! You can have cookies in the jar in 30 minutes!

Day 9: Moravian Christmas Cookies

These are a favorite cookie from college that I finally replicated! Papery thin spiced cookies that even the snootiest North Carolinian would be proud of!

Moravian Christmas Cookies - Featured Image
4.85 from 13 ratings

Moravian Christmas Cookies

Moravian Christmas Cookies are paper-thin, crispy, spiced molasses cookies. Sweet and gingery, they taste a bit like gingerbread but are waaaay more addicting!
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Moravian Christmas Cookies are paper-thin, crispy, spiced molasses cookies. Sweet and gingery, they taste a bit like gingerbread but are waaaay more addicting!

Brace yourselves! This dough needs to be refrigerated overnight and then rolled out to the thickness of paper. Bring your patience because it’s totally worth it!

Day 10: Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

An easy, chewy cookie bringing all the flavor! Homemade Candied orange, toasted pecans and milk chocolate chip for the perfect trio of goodness.

Soft, chewy cinnamon milk chocolate chip cookies with toasted pecans and candied orange peel. These Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip cookies will have you reaching for another before you realize what you’re doing!
5 from 1 ratings

Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, chewy cinnamon milk chocolate chip cookies with toasted pecans and candied orange peel. These cookies will have you reaching for another before you realize what you’re doing!
View Recipe
Soft, chewy cinnamon milk chocolate chip cookies with toasted pecans and candied orange peel. These Orange Pecan Milk Chocolate Chip cookies will have you reaching for another before you realize what you’re doing!

Easy, fast and insanely chewy!

Day 11: Fruitcake Cookies with Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting 

Don’t turn up your fruitcake-hating nose just yet! These are soft, tender and not even a little bit dry! Everything that fruitcake has been dying to be plus a cream cheese frosting.

Fruitcake Cookies are chewy sugar cookies stuffed full of candied fruits, raisins and toasted pecans for a unique twist on the classic Christmas fruitcake! Topped with a brandy cream cheese frosting, these little cookies are irresistible!
5 from 1 ratings

Fruitcake Cookies with Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting

Fruitcake Cookies are chewy sugar cookies stuffed full of candied fruits, raisins and toasted pecans for a unique twist on the classic Christmas fruitcake! Topped with a brandy cream cheese frosting, these little cookies are irresistible!
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Fruitcake Cookies are chewy sugar cookies stuffed full of candied fruits, raisins and toasted pecans for a unique twist on the classic Christmas fruitcake! Topped with a brandy cream cheese frosting, these little cookies are irresistible!

These seemingly complicated cookies come together quickly and need no time in the refrigerator. Whip up the cream cheese frosting while they cool and you can have an impressive holiday cookie in no time at all! Ok fine. In several hours. But most of that time is waiting for them to cook!

Day 12: Chewy Ginger Bars

Bringing the ginger in another form this year! Molasses gingerbread base with ginger crumble topping. More is in fact more!

These Chewy Ginger Bars have a gingerbread base with a sweet candied ginger crumble topping!! There is candied ginger folded into the base for a perfect burst of ginger!
5 from 3 ratings

Chewy Ginger Bars

These Chewy Ginger Bars have a gingerbread base with a sweet candied ginger crumble topping!! There is candied ginger folded into the base for a perfect burst of ginger!
View Recipe
These Chewy Ginger Bars have a gingerbread base with a sweet candied ginger crumble topping!! There is candied ginger folded into the base for a perfect burst of ginger!

These flavorful bars are fast and easy and don’t even require a mixer!

And just in case you want more options, there is always last year’s 12 Days of Christmas Cookies 2014!!!

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Round Up 2014 | American Heritage Cooking

Hi, I’m Chef Lindsey!

I am the baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Chef Lindsey Farr. I believe in delicious homemade food and the power of dessert!

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5 Comments

  1. wow I missed so many delicious recipes, these all look incredible! Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas Lindsey!

  2. Great summary! Thank you for the tips on how easy, hard, time required etc. Very helpful and nice to have all the choices in one place!