How to Arrange a Holiday Cookie Platter Your Friends and Family Will Love
I am SO in the holiday baking mood already. My youngest daughter loves baking and has been so helpful in the kitchen this year and we have already done a ton of baking. During the holidays I really enjoy gifting friends and family with holiday cookie platters, here are a few tips to put together the BEST cookies platters.
Bake A Few Batches at a Time and Freeze Them
Speaking of early holiday baking! This is how I manage to bake a boatload of treats at the holidays for friends while still being able to keep up with everything else we have going on: I schedule a couple of “baking days” usually on a Sunday, and tackle 2-3 different types of cookies, once they are cooled I pop them in the freezer. Then once Christmas rolls around I usually have a stockpile of 12 different cookies! Easy Peasy!
The best cookies to bake and freeze are:
- Bar cookies
- Sugar cookies, plain or decorated with icing
- Drop cookies, like oatmeal, chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies
- Biscotti
How to Package and Present Your Holiday Cookie Platter
Over the years I’ve experimented with different types of platters and containers. Currently, my personal favorite are large platters I’ve picked up at thrift stores and garage sales. I can usually find platters of all shapes and sizes at my local thrift stores, and they cost about the same as the disposable plastic platters you can get at the dollar store. Once my cookie platter is piled high with lots of treats I wrap it all up in plastic wrap, and top it with a bow.
You can also package smaller amounts of cookies into cute little tins. For couples, and small families I find the tins are the best way to gift cookies, they keep the cookies fresh, and make gifting super easy. Try to make sure there are at least one cookie for each person in the family to try if you go this route.
10 Christmas Cookies the will Definitely be on My Cookie Platter
I think the best holiday cookie platters include a variety of different types of cookies. I like to take flavors and visual appearance into consideration when I am planning my holiday cookie platter. Try a mix of traditional cookie flavors like anise with newer favorites like eggnog. And for a pretty cookie platter add cut out cookies, drop cookies, with candies and bars served in festive paper liners.
Fudgy Chocolate Crinkles
Rich and fudgy these crinkle cookies have an irresistible moist center and crispy crackly exterior. I add a “secret ingredient” that boosts the chocolate flavor!
Anise Pierniki
These tender Polish Pierniki Christmas Cookies are a holiday favorite. The licorice-flavored cookies capture the holiday spirit with a generous topping of festive sprinkles.
Eggnog Cookies
This recipe for eggnog cookies was my first brush with “going viral”. It was featured on Yahoo’s Lifestyle interest tab, and a week later it was listed as
Italian Ricotta Cookies
These Italian Ricotta Cookies are soft and light and a holiday favorite at my house! Lightly lemon flavored and decked out in holiday sprinkles, no Christmas cookie tray is complete without these!
Gingerbread Cookies
No holiday cookie tray is complete without a gingerbread man! These cut-out cookies are soft and chewy, with the classic spicey gingerbread flavor.
Pineapple Cookies
This Vintage
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
I love ginger. I love it’s aromatic and explosively spicy flavor. One of my favorite holiday cookies is Big Soft Ginger Cookies, they have all of the gingery
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
My favorite cookie recipe for cut-out sugar cookies comes from Allrecipes and has 8k+ postive reviews, it is a keeper!
Peanut Butter Blossoms
These classic Christmas Cookies are as much fun to make as they are to eat. I love having the kids in the kitchen helping out with these cookies, my youngest is all about taking the candy kisses out of the foil wrappers so she can pop a few in her mouth while she works, and my oldest daughter likes to smoosh the chocolate candies with the still warm cookies.
Thumbprint Cookies
The almond flavored cookies with raspberry jam centers are my
I’d love to hear what is on your baking list this year! And what other cookies I should try?
