Twelve Cookies of Christmas #6: Orange Creamsicle Cookies

It took me a while to figure out which sandwich cookie I wanted to make this year. For the longest time, the linzer cookie was the favourite, but in the end I decided to scrap it as I already had a jam cookie on the list (see Raspberry Cream Thumbprints). I also briefly flirted with the idea of making Thomas Keller’s TKOs from his new cookbook Bouchon Bakery, before deciding that wasn’t a wise decision for my Twelve Cookies of Christmas list. And then I came across this recipe for Orange Cream Star Cookies from Fine Cooking. Perfect.

I remember having orange creamsicles as a kid. There was something very satisfying when you bit through that tart, orange layer and got to the creamy vanilla ice cream inside. I’ve played with this flavour combination before with cupcakes, so I thought it would be equally as fun (and delicious) in cookie-form.

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Twelve Cookies of Christmas #5: Gooey Turtle Bars

These turtle bars weren't actually on my original shortlist for this year's holiday baking; however, I had received so many compliments on them last year that I decided to bring them back by popular demand.

What make these bars so awesome is the incredibly gooey caramel. There are strings of caramel all over the place as you bite into a square. And the caramel itself is deliciously creamy with the addition of condensed milk—an almost cheater’s version of dulce de leche.

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Twelve Cookies of Christmas #4: Pecan-Cocoa Nib Florentines

These were probably the most labour-intensive cookies on my list this year. What had originally started out to be (what I thought would be) an easy project turned into a three-hour-plus affair that took me well into the wee hours of the morning.

It's not that the recipe itself is complicated—the dough comes together in a matter of minutes. What takes so long is the actual baking time. Because florentines, like any tuile cookie, spread while baking, there are only so many cookies you can fit on one pan. Then you have to let them cool properly before you can even move them off the pan without deforming then. And being the neurotic baker that I am, I also had to use a circular cookie cutter to "cut off" the raggety edges to get as close to a perfect circular cookie as possible. All those different steps and waiting adds up. (I should also add that the recipe made a LOT more dough than I thought it would on paper, which meant that it felt like the never ending bowl of cookie dough).

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Twelve Cookies of Christmas #3: Peppermint Marshmallows

I usually have two or three non-cookie items on my list to mix things up a bit. I made homemade marshmallows for the first time last year and was surprised by how easy they were to make. If you've never made marshmallows before, it's one of those "must try at least once" experiences. Because trust me, homemade marshmallows taste nothing like the commercial store-bought kind, and will completely change your view on marshmallows.

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Twelve Cookies of Christmas #2: Raspberry Cream Thumbprints

Here's another cookie that doesn't really need an introduction, as I've made these several times before as well. These are such a comfort cookie for me because they remind me so much of those Peek Freans Fruit Crèmes I loved so much as a kid. I would nibble away all the edges until I was left with the sugar-topped, jewel-red, raspberry (or strawberry?) centre (the best part!) before popping it into my mouth.

While not exactly like the Peek Freans, the flavours of this cookie evoke the memory of them. You still have your jeweled centre, and the addition of cream cheese in the dough base lends a creamy and subtle tang to the cookie that's reminiscent of the cookie and cream combination.

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