If you plan to bake and mail Christmas cookies as homemade edible gifts from your kitchen, I have two things to tell you. First, my home address. (Just kidding. Or am I?) Second, you'll want to bake cookies that can survive the trip. Here are the ideal Christmas cookies that have the best chance to arrive without crumbling in the mail.
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Gingerbread Biscotti
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Crisp, dense cookies like shortbread, biscotti, and snowballs are sturdy enough to hold up for the long haul. Be sure to let your biscotti logs cool completely after the first baking so they'll slice without crumbling.
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Citrus Shortbread Cookies
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"I changed one thing only and that was the amount of cranberries. I reduced them to one cup," says home cook redcop. Dust the cranberries with flour — this separates them and makes them easier to chop.
- Get more shortbread cookie recipes here.
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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
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"I seriously wish I could rate this one 20 stars! This recipe is going to be a problem because these were intended to be for office Christmas gifts, but I think I'll have to make a couple more batches because this one isn't going to make it till Monday morning," pinkypink says.
- See our entire collection of Biscotti Recipes.
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Snowballs II
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Some reviewers recommend chilling the dough after mixing to make it easier to work with. And don't forget the roll the cookies in confectioners' sugar twice.
- 22 Christmas Cookies Just Like Grandma Used to Make
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Ashley's Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Softer, chewier chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and ginger cookies ship well, but they tend to dry out if they're traveling for more than a week. It's worth it to pay a little extra to send these the quickest way you can. "These cookies turned out great! They stayed soft and they had awesome flavor," reviewer MAXIMOMOF3 says.
- 18 of Our Most Chocolaty Chocolate Cookies
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Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles
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Home cook ROUVER gathered up these helpful tips from reviewers: "Bake for eight minutes, not until they look done. For easier cleanup, and for immediate removal from cookie sheet to wire rack, bake on parchment paper. Increase the coating mix to 5 tbsp. white sugar and 5 tsp. cinnamon. Put sugar/cinnamon mix in baggie and roll cookies in it. (Do not shake. Too much cinnamon gets on cookies.) You might need to refrigerate the dough, although it will be sticky either way."
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Big Soft Ginger Cookies
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The dough can be quite sticky, so let it chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle. It's worth the wait. "Do not make these cookies unless you are on an all cookie diet. You have been warned," says SWEETNOTHINGS.
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Excellent Oatmeal Cookies
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You can't go wrong with sending classic oatmeal cookies for as a holiday treat. "Very tasty and chewy. The cinnamon adds a good kick," lizk says.
- More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
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Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These cookies live up to their name. "My husband and kids all loved them and gave rave reviews on taste and how chewy they were," says RBEKc*ms.
- 15 Best Ways to Get Your Peanut Butter Cookie Fix
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Coconut Macaroons III
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Coconut macaroons and Italian pignoli cookies not only mail beautifully, but their texture seems to improve after a few days. "I like to refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours which results in a much rounder macaroon that can be dipped in chocolate," reviewer mjwilly says. "Parchment paper is a must here. "
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Pignoli Cookies I
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These gluten-free cookies are made with almond paste and pine nuts, but a note of caution from reviews: Read the label to make sure the paste you're using is indeed gluten free, and you'll get better results if you use canned paste instead of paste from a tube.
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Best Brownies
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Dense bar cookies and brownies do well, too, as long as they don't have cream cheese or custard layers. (Sorry, Nanaimo Bars, lemon bars, and cheesecake bars. You're not going anywhere.) You can't go wrong with our Best Brownies.
- Get more best-loved Brownie Recipes here.
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Peanut Butter Bars I
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"So yummy and so easy! I took the suggestion from other reviewers to melt the peanut butter with the butter for easier mixing." — MizzWycked
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Brown Sugar Cookies
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Dust this cookie dough with powdered sugar instead of flour when you're rolling it out. And line your cookie sheets with parchment paper for a guaranteed non-stick surface.
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The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
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Go on and show off your mad decorating skills, but with these caveats. One: Be sure to chill the dough thoroughly for easier handling. Two: Choose shapes without fragile bits that easily snap off. Three: Decorate with royal icing. It hardens as it sets, so your gorgeous work doesn't smear.
- 13 Fun, Festive Christmas Cookie Decorating Ideas
- Find our entire collection of Christmas Cookie Recipes here.