Santas & Snowmen

Classic Sugar Cookies and buttery Shortbread are my favorite recipes for the Santa faces. The kids eyes grew big when they saw their beloved Santa and his extravagant ’stache and beard! For the Snowman Pops, I turned to my chocolate sandwich cookie recipe, filled with decadent dark chocolate ganache and covered in a thick white chocolate coating. The cute snowmen pops have a whimsical look on their faces and their winter caps made “furry” with sweet jimmies are the perfect topper. Yum.

Christmas Shapes

My full-bearded Santa is a diamond-shaped cookie with a fluted edge and half-circle cookies for the mustaches. The round Santa with the rosy cheeks is a simple round cookie with a lot of personality. The snowmen are also round because that’s the way snowmen like to be. Merry Christmas!

Sizes

Sizes range from 2½-inch rounds to larger 4-inch diamonds. 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating!

Greetings & Plaques (not shown above)

square, circle, rectangle, triangle, free-form...numerous plaque shapes, plus straight, fluted, and zig-zag edges

Cookie Recipes from These Talented Cookie Artists

Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookies. Original recipe from Lila Loa.

Soft Sugar Cookies. Original recipe from The Food Charlatan.

Old (and New) Family Recipes

This Shortbread recipe was developed over several months in my quest to duplicate the taste and texture of a shortbread cookie from a now-closed bakery in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Classic Sugar Cookie. A recipe based on one from Mrs. Gregor, a neighbor of my mom’s when she was a newlywed.

Cookies

Classic Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt

Soft Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, almond extract, pure vanilla extract, salt

Shortbread: flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: flour, cocoa, butter, sugar, vegetable shortening, egg, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, salt

Icing & Decorations

Vanilla Glaze: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring, vanilla extract for flavoring, sprinkles, jimmies, mini eyeballs

Chocolate “Dough”: corn syrup plus either delicate white, creamy milk, rich semi-sweet, or deep bittersweet chocolate

Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring (optional)

White Chocolate (Snowman Pops coating): sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla

Fillings

Ganache (for the Snowman Pop chocolate sandwiches): rich bittersweet chocolate; either water, cream or coconut milk; vanilla extract

Box or Bag?

Box. Cookies were packaged in a white cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek! I was able to fit about 18 cookies in a box.

Bags. Since I gave the Santas as little gifts, I wrapped them individually in clear food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This also made the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations.

Mailing. I mailed both Santas and Snomen cookies to my family throughout the U.S. I always send them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged. I know the packages were appreciated when they arrived because of the texts I got with all those smiling faces.