Skip to Content

Two Christmas Cookie Recipes: Raspberry Shortbread and Chocolate Caramel Treasures

This post contains links that, if you click on them and make a purchase, will earn me money. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. . Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will be good for my readers. Thanks for helping me continue to produce great content!

Are you looking for a recipe or two for some wonderful Christmas cookies?

I won two different cookie contests in my small ‘burg in the Boonies with these delicious recipes.
 Chocolate Caramel Treasures and Raspberry Shortbread are my two prize winning recipes.

And if you’re not looking to cook, the story of how I became the  Cookie Contest Queen is hilarious enough to warrant a read. After all, it’s always fun to see someone get his/her comeuppance, don’t you think?

So, from Gourmet magazine, here’s the recipe that I won my first contest with:

Chocolate Caramel Treasures

Chocolate Caramel Treasures

Chocolate Caramel Treasures

Ingredients


For the Cookie: 
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

 Caramel Filling:
10 plain caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons heavy cream

 Chocolate Drizzle:
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) finely chopped

Directions:

1. Beat together butter, sugar, yolk, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended well. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt and beat on low speed until mixture forms a dough. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls, then coat with egg white, letting excess drip off, and roll in nuts to coat. Arrange balls, as coated, 1 1/2 inches apart on greased baking sheets and press your thumb into center of balls to flatten, leaving a depression. Bake in batches in middle of oven until puffed slightly but centers are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press centers of cookies again (we used handle end of a wooden spoon). Transfer to racks to cool.

Make filling while cookies cool

Heat caramels and cream in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and mixture is smooth. Spoon into centers of cookies and cool completely.

Make chocolate drizzle one hour before serving

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool to warm and pour into a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Seal bag and snip 1 corner to form a small hole. Drizzle chocolate over the cookies and let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Makes about 2 and a half dozen.



And the second prize winning recipe, which is actually my favorite of the two because it’s easier to make, and makes more cookies, is from Southern Living. This recipe has more bang for your buck, so to speak.

I did not take this yummy looking picture, but this is just what these cookies look like. Image from here. 

Raspberry Shortbread
Yield: 6 dozen
Ingredients

 1 cup butter, softened
 2/3 cup sugar
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 (10-ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam, divided
 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
 3 1/2 tablespoons water
 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until blended. Divide dough into 6 equal portions; roll each portion into a 12- x 1-inch strip. Place strips on lightly greased baking sheets.

Make a 1/2-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-deep indentation down center of each strip using the handle of a wooden spoon. Spoon half of jam evenly into indentations.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; spoon remaining jam into indentations. Bake 5 more minutes or until lightly browned.

Whisk together powdered sugar, water, and extract; drizzle over warm shortbread. Cut each strip diagonally into 1-inch slices. Cool in pans on wire racks.


What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?