December 21, 2018
Ryan Osborne
food
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Looking to step up for your holiday dessert game? Consider making some of the best Christmas cookies from around the world.
I grew up making my grandmother’s cherry balls in the Maritimes. And I know others in Canada had special Christmas macaroons or maple bacon shortbreads.
And Christmas in Cuba is not complete without crema de vie and another cherry cookie recipe called torticas de navidad.
But I started to wonder about other Christmas cookies from around the world. Cookies are found everywhere. But they can be really different depending on where you are, the availability of flour and other ingredients.
ALSO READ: 13 Desserts of Christmas in Provence
So we reached out to our community of food writers and asked them about international Christmas cookie recipes.
Here are thirty six great Christmas cookies from around the world. Some of the Christmas cookies were passed down from previous generations.
Other Christmas cookies are inspired by travel. All are somewhat easy to make and have fantastic stories.
CHRISTMAS COOKIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Great holiday cookies around the world, using classic Christmas recipes from different countries.
CANADIAN CHERRY BALLS
A retro recipe that everyone loves. These are no bake cookies that are great to make with children.
Coconut cherry balls are great to make in advance and freeze well.
Except in our house we'll bring them out and no one can wait until they thaw, so we usually eat them half frozen.
A European twist on a classic cookie,this recipe from Liv for Cakeshares a great recipe but also a really touching story of growing up in a family that didn’t always have a lot of money but they always had these Christmas cookies.
An unusual recipe, you’ll want to make these a few days in advance as they’re not best fresh out of the oven.
Soft, buttery and milky, with just the right amount of sweetness, and plenty of color.
These hundreds and thousands biscuits (funfetti cookies) are a favorite in New Zealand!
A family recipe from Italy, potato chip cookies are simple sweet cookies with walnuts and a beautiful crunch from potato chips to make them perfect.
Make this potato chip cookie recipe for the holidays and it will be new favourite loved by all.
These walnut crescent cookies are traditional Hungarian Christmas cookies that taste like a nuttier friend of a shortbread cookie.
The ground walnuts give them a moister texture so they are crumbly in a melt-in-your-mouth way.
There is actually 2 recipes 1) my grandmas recipe and 2) allergy-friendly alternative so that everyone can enjoy them.
Linzer cookies are known around the world as favourite Christmas cookies originating from Austria.
This recipe is using whole almonds and is easy and incredibly delicious.
Although savoury food in Mexico is always a hit you can't forget the sweet!
Hojarascas are yummy Mexican shortbread cookies covered in a sweet cinnamon and sugar coating, also called pan de polvo they are perfect for Christmas!
You can find these cookies in many Eastern European countries but the cream cheese dough is distinct to Poland.
This Polish Christmas cookierecipeuses an apricot jam filling but you can use whatever you have available.
Of course some of the best Christmas cookies from around the world are in Italy, the home of so many amazing meals.
This Sicilian Christmas cookie may be time consuming to make butthis recipe shares tips on how to spread out the tasks over a few days.
Served with coffee in Belgium, this recipe from Dorie Greenspan, which Mardi fondly remembers from her time as a 17 year old exchange student in Belgium.
A common Christmas cookie for Christians during the holidays,Kravings Food Adventures shares this recipethat she makes for her family, and one that her late aunt passed onto her.
A Goan recipe, these cookies are made with flour, semolina, ghee and a bit of sugar.
Basler brunsli are a traditional Swiss Christmas cookie made with almonds, chocolate and a touch of spice.
You might need to wait a little, but these cookies are easy, naturally gluten free and deliciously good.
The name literally means “pepper nuts” for the unusual addition of white pepper and the resemblance to walnuts.
This Christmas cookie recipecontains ground almond but there are also many nut-free recipes.
A simple cookie made primarily from flavour, olive oil, honey and walnuts,this recipe from Supergolden Bakesalso incorporates pistachios.
An egg-like shape, they are dipped in honey syrup and tossed in walnuts and the cookies get better over time so make them well in advance.
Although these are a traditional food for Hanukkah, they are also delicious as a Christmas cookie too.
This recipe makes the most delicious buttery, flaky Rugelach filled with cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins!
Rugelach is such a unique, fun treat to make and share during the holidays and is perfect for a cookie exchange!
No Christmas in Italy is complete without ricotta cookies.
Thisrecipe fromisn’t 100% authentic but continue to balance the line of cookie and cake – which is what makes them so popular.
A delicate cookie with a slight anise flavour, mantecados in Andalucia are synonymous with Christmas.
ThisChristmas cookie recipeis in Spanish but Google Translate can help navigate these cookies made with lard.
Cross between a pie crust and short bread cookie, this Finnish Christmas cookierecipe is easy to make.
She shares this sweet Finnish food recipe along with a really endearing story of her grandfather who emigrated to Cape Breton (where I was born!) from Finland.
A traditional Greek Christmas cookies, kourabiedes are light and buttery shortbreads filled with chopped almonds.
Brazilian brigadeiro cookies are Oreo-like cookies filled with superb chocolate fudge and covered with sprinkles.
A typical sweet in Brazilian cuisine and a MUST-HAVE for Christmas!
Portuguese traditional honey and cinnamon cookies (Bolachas do Mel).
These thin and crispy cookies are a must-have in any Portuguese Christmas celebration.
This thin and crispy Moravian Molasses Cookies are a traditional Czech cookie served during the holidays!
It is tradition to decorate a Christmas tree with these cookies and eat them throughout the holidays.
This Dutch Christmas cookie recipe uses sliced almonds but you’ll also find kerstkransjes sprinkled in sugar or topped with chocolate.
These crunchy meringue cookie sandwiches are filled with luxurious French buttercream. This Filipino Christmas cookie is a unique and beloved Filipino treat!
Photo Credit:www.christinascucina.com
SCOTTISH SNOWBALLS
One of the most delicious sweet Scottish foods, snow cookies are two shortbread cookies sandwiched with raspberry jam, topped with icing and unsweetened coconut for a delicious Christmas treat!
Originating in England these coconut macaroons are soft, rich and beautiful.
These Christmas recipe for macaroons are rich, sweet, and they only have 5 ingredients!
A tasty traditional Scandinavian cookie that is sweet, crispy, and special.
Whether you are making them for you, your family, or a big event, these rosette cookies are visually stunning and show the care you put into your cooking.
Brunkager are Danish Christmas cookies with a delicious spiced flavour and a wonderful crunch. Perfect to add to your cookie plate.
Need a unique cookie recipe to add to your annual cookie exchange?
These Sri Lankan Christmas cake cookies are cake-like, boozy cookies that are gluten free, butter free, and decadently delicious!
Panellets are small cakes or cookies in many shapes but mainly round.
These gluten free sweet potato and coconut cookies also include almonds.
Fancy in name only, these Swiss butter cookies could hardly be any simpler to make or tasty to enjoy.
Traditionally filled with raspberry jam, you can put whatever spreadable confection you like within them.
This Greek Baklava recipe has walnuts and cinnamon layered between flaky phyllo dough.
It is brushed with melted butter then baked and drizzled with a sugar and honey syrup to create a crispy, sweet, and impressive dessert!
The crisp exterior and soft interior is such a satisfying texture, and the subtle flavour is amazing in these cute Norwegian Christmas Men Cookies!
Jan Hagel are very traditional cookies dating back to the 17th century.
These shortbread cookies decorated with almonds and rock sugar are sure to impress.
These walnut meringue cookie crescents are a traditional Serbian cookie made only of egg whites, sugar and walnuts.
They are super light, crunchy and delicious!
Springerle cookies are a traditional German sweet.
This recipe is inspired by my German grandmother's recipe and the perfect Christmas treat.
Also known as Italian wedding cookies, they are a popular Italian Christmas cookie too.
These cookies are made lightly sweet with ground pecans, and hints of vanilla and almond.
One of the most loved German Christmas cookies, which are also known as Zimtsterne.
Made with a lot of cinnamon, icing sugar, and ground almonds it has a nutty, sweet flavour with a layer of cinnamon.
These cinnamon star cookies are crispy on the outside outside, but when you bite on them, inside they are soft and moist.
Nankhatai, classic Indian eggless spiced cookies are a wonderful addition to your baking repertoire!
Cardamom and saffron-laced buttery shortbread cookies just melt in your mouth - a recipe made and worth keeping to experience a real delight!
Crescent-shaped vanilla almond cookies, with tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Also called snow princess because they are so dainty and covered with confectioners sugar, they are a common Chinese New Year food, Christmas, Idul Fitri and other special events.
Icelandic Christmas cookies with cornflakes and salted chocolate are easy to make and taste delicious.
These traditional Christmas cookies are known in Iceland as Marens Kornflexkokur. You only need 5 ingredients and 15 minutes!
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