Cookies make every holiday happier, right? And after trying some of our staff’s family favorite cookie recipes out in our test kitchen, we’re sharing the best of the best with you. So preheat the oven, grab your ingredients and get ready to sugar and spice things up.
1. Italian Chocolate Cookies
Alyssa Benson, T&C Ballard
Alyssa’s ancestors brought this recipe with them from Italy, and it’s been a cherished holiday tradition in her family for at least five generations. Try them and get a little taste of La Dolce Vita from your cookie plate this year.
2. Cranberry Dream Bars
Karen Nakata, T&C Bainbridge Island
Dotted with bright red and white, this bar cookie sets the holiday mood on any cookie plate. The highlight: the combination of sweet, creamy white chocolate with that tart burst of cranberry flavor. It’s the perfect balance of merry and bright (and they freeze well too).
3. Yiayia's Melomakarona Cookies
Loren Murrell, T&C Shoreline
Loren’s Yiayia always taught him to make these Christmas cookies in the traditional GINORMOUS Greek quantity—enough "to last until Easter." They usually don’t, though. Because these crumbly little cookies with their amazing honey wanut glaze are the perfect two bites for dipping into your tea or coffee any day. But if they do last, they’ll stay fresh in an air-tight container for a looooong time!
4. Eggnog Cookies
Shaina Jewett, T&C Shoreline
Need a great cut-out cookie recipe for this year’s cookie decorating needs? We love these, and the family tradition they come from. Shaina’s family always bonded over making these for the holidays. Now she brings the flavors and aromas of her childhood to family time with her own kids, Rainier (age 3) and Aurora (age 5).
5. Paige’s Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Paige Appleberry, T&C Bainbridge Island
Paige made these cookies for her very appreciative co-workers at the Ballard store a lot over the 5 years she was there, slowly perfecting the recipe with each batch. They hold a special place in the heart of our staff, and when you bake them, you’ll know why.
6. Auntie Ilene’s Marzipan Dough Cookies
Julie Curtis, Market Support
Sculpting cute little fruits and vegetables with this almond-flavored dough is a fun family project that Julie and her aunt and cousins would do together every holiday season. They’re delicious and they make great gifts too. In fact, Julie keeps a few different colors of dough in her freezer each December, in case she needs to bake up an emergency batch to bring over to someone’s house, or to give as a last-minute gift, or serve impromptu guests. (We’re stealing that idea.)
7. Potato Chip Shortbread Sugar Cookies
Kimmie Thiesen, T&C Mill Creek
Need something fun to bring to the office during the holidays? Kimberly’s great aunt brought these to a family gathering one year, and they’ve been a Thiesen tradition ever since. Kimberly’s mom always brought trays of these cookies to share with her co-workers at the post office for the holidays, and with Kimberly’s dad’s co-workers on the graveyard shift at the airport.