It’s that time of year again – Christmas cookie time!  My family has always been known for their Christmas cookies (my Dad usually makes about 15-20 varieties every year!).  Needless to say, we take the Christmas Cookie season very seriously.  I love the traditional Italian cookies, and I love the act of distributing Christmas cookies to friends and family.

Despite my usual love of baking and tradition, this year, I’m planning on keeping it simple.  I have no weekends left at home in the month of December (shout-out to a late Thanksgiving, an upcoming San Francisco trip, and a long-distance relationship that keeps me on the move!).  Because of this general lack of time, I’m planning on making a shortbread series.  This way, I can make one simple dough recipe that can be flavored in different ways.  I’m hoping to be able to knock out 2-3 nights of baking after work and be ready for gift giving throughout December.  I’m personally proud of myself for not trying to overcomplicate an already busy time of year, and I think the flavors that I picked are going to be super fun and seasonal!  The menu that I have selected for this year is below:

My Christmas Cookie Menu for 2019:

1. Meyer Lemon
   • Lemon zest in the shortbread cookie dough, topped with a lemon juice based royal icing glaze.
2. Matcha
   • Matcha powder added to the shortbread cookie dough, topped with a sugar dusting.
3. Ginger
   • Chopped crystallized ginger pieces added to the shortbread cookie dough, dipped in dark chocolate.
4. Cranberry Orange
   • Chopped dried cranberries and grated orange zest added to the shortbread cookie dough.

I’m super excited for my cookie ideas for this year, and I look forward to posting some pictures soon!  In the meantime, I’ll be scrolling through my Instagram feed admiring all of the pretty, fancy cookie posts, all the while feeling pleased that my cookie plan has been set for this year.