Chocolate Holly Berry Cookies

Christmas baking is never complete without a cookie recipe or two that requires one to break out their stash of cookie cutters. In the case of these Chocolate Holly Berry Cookies, it’s just a round cookie cutter, but it still feels Christmassy to use any shape! These cookies have a crispy, chocolaty cookie base with a bright red holly berry center – aren’t they festive?

I’m starting off the second week of my 24 Cookies of Christmas series with these gorgeous Chocolate Holly Berry Cookies. Christmas cookies that were made using cookie cutters have been a regular part of Christmastime sweets and treats all of my life.  I remember how they were planted on the table in the colourful tin they were bought in; don’t you?

What!? Your parents made cookie cutter cookies from scratch?  Mine didn’t.  I’ve said it a million times that my mom was a great cook and baker.  But, in all of my lifetime, she never once ventured to make her own cookie cutter cookies. Both of my parents worked. In addition to being a mom of three, she also needed to go to work every day.  There was never a time that we didn’t have delicious cookies in our kitchen. But, she never did mess around with cookie cutters.  Shortcuts were sought out and expected in almost everything she did.

I really do believe that she loved to cook and bake. However, I know 100% – without any doubt – that cooking and baking had two purposes. First, it had to taste good. And, secondly, she had a family to feed. Never once did she consider how food would look or how she would present it. Sometimes, I wish I could be more like her, but I pride myself on making food look as good as it tastes. After all, we eat with our eyes first, right?

COOKIE CUTTERS AND CHRISTMAS

Cookie cutter cookies were never eaten throughout the year.  I can only remember eating them at Christmastime. They always came packaged in a tin can that would be later used for storage. Usually, it was buttons or another cookie recipe that mom would make later in the New Year.  Sometimes, that tin would hold a cake as well.  You could always find them stored in the basement in the deep freezer.

You know the tin I’m talking about, right?  It was the vibrant purplish-blue round tin with gold accents.  The brand was Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies.  There were pictures on the lid of the various cookies (butter cookies) inside. And a lovely image of what looked to be an English Countryside manor.  Every time we go shopping for antiques, I see these tins everywhere.

I know those were in fact shortbread cookies. They were the only cookies I knew to be cookie cutter cookies as a child.  In my adult years, I took to making my own cookie cutter cookies. I don’t save them just for Christmastime, but throughout the year or whenever the mood hits me.  In some instances, I will colour the cookie dough with food colouring. It creates a festive cookie to fit a particular occasion. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – life if too short to save things for special occasions. If you want to eat Christmas cookies in July – go for it!

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes.  In cookies, the sugar will help the dough to spread, and will create a crispness to the bottom of the cookie.
• Egg – One large egg is all you need. Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.  You can substitute vanilla extract for coffee extract in this recipe. It’s so good!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product which adds deep chocolate flavour to desserts and beverages.  Use a good quality cocoa powder, not the kind we used to stir into milk as kids! If you don’t have dark, you can use regular cocoa.
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Red Candy Melts

WHAT ARE CANDY MELTS?

Candy melts are a small, round disc that is made to emulate white chocolate. They come in a wide range of colours and are usually melted down and used in confections such as the coating on cake pops. I think the term candy melts is owned by Wilton, which is the only type I’ll use.

I use Wilton’s because I have used the brand many times before and have never been disappointed, but also because they have a lot of different colours to choose from. Oh, and the price is always good too!

If you cannot find candy melts, you can either order them online here, or you can use generic brands that can be found at your local baking supply store. The generic brands and sometimes called melting wafers. As you can see, I used only red for these Chocolate Holly Berry Cookies, so that I could emulate to look of an actual holly berry.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE HOLLY BERRY COOKIES

These are easy enough to make, even though there are a few steps to getting them to look perfect. By perfect, I mean a dough that will not spread or rise while baking. I also mean a dough that is clean and perfectly brown without any flour residue from the rolling of the dough. I’ll break down the steps here and walk you through it.

First, in a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar and beat into the butter until well combined.  Next, add the egg and the vanilla and beat into the butter mixture. You want this mixture to be creamy and smooth, so give it a good beating – at least 3 minutes.

Next, add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and with the mixer on low speed, blend into the butter mixture just until the flour is incorporated. Divide the cookie dough in half and place it onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press the dough to a flat circle shape about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap them up and place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.  Set aside. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and roll the dough a 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper.  Do not dust with flour! The flour will colour the cookies and you want to keep them a dark brown colour. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles. My round cookie cutter was just over an inch in diameter.

Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet.  Press one red candy melt into the center of each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a full 10 minutes of the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.  DO NOT REMOVE THE COOKIES FROM THE BAKING SHEET UNTIL A FULL 10 MINUTES HAVE PASSED. It’s important that they set up firmly before removing them from the baking sheet. Roll out the rest of the dough and start again.  Repeat until all dough has been used.

ROLLING COOKIE DOUGH

How are your dough rolling skills? Mine are horrible, which is why I cheated! I love using my rolling pins and any excuse I can get to practice my rolling skills, I’m up for it.  A while ago, I used to have a collection of wooden rolling pins, but I got rid of them all just because I was short on space.  We still have the rolling pin that belonged to John.e’s mom.

Cheated; oh, yes!  A few years ago, I purchased a Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin.  You must Google it if you don’t know what type of rolling pin I’m referring to.  I always have a problem with rolling dough evenly, no matter how much I love to practice.  This particular rolling pin eliminates my inadequate dough rolling technique. It has interchangeable disks on each end of the wooden pin with specific measurements. You can get perfectly flat dough every single time!

Maybe I should hashtag the Joseph Joseph product line with hopes that just like the sugar plums dancing through those children’s heads in T’was the Night Before Christmas poem, that I might too inspire the product line to gift me another rolling pin.  Why not!?  T’is the season of giving, after all!  #josephjoseph

TIPS & TRICKS: If you want to put out a tray of cookies which will impress your guests and possibly make you look like a professional baker, try this! Bake a few cookies just plain; without the candy melt. Dust those cookies with confectioner’s sugar and randomly place them with the holly berry cookies on your platter. It looks gorgeous every single time!

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Chocolate Holly Berry Cookies, you certainly can! Once they are completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 100 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!