Honey Christmas Cookies
It isn’t Christmas without the Christmas COOKIES! When we cut the processed/refined sugar, after discovering our daughter’s body was unable to process it, I was determined that she wouldn’t miss out on special holiday traditions like making Christmas cookies! That first Christmas was when the Honey Cut Out Cookie recipe that’s in the “Honey, Let’s Make It! Cookbook was created and we have been using it ever since!
This year I REALLY wanted to make a slice and bake Christmas cookie that had a design like a tree or Christmas light in the center, so that’s what we did! There are absolutely ZERO artificial colorings used to make the candy cane cookies or tree/light cookies. Thank you fruit/veggie powders and spices!!! When I did the trial run I wasn’t sure if the colors would stay their beautiful shades because sometimes when using powders they are great UNTIL you introduce the heat; then they will sometimes turn a lovely shade of baby shit green/brown. However, I can happily report that these worked like a charm! (and NO, they didn’t change the flavor of the cookie)
The base of the cookies is the Honey Cut Out Cookie recipe on page 45 of the cookbook. Multi-use recipes are the BEST right?!?!
Candy Cane and Slice and Bake Honey Christmas Cookie Recipe:
Follow the recipe on page 45 of the “Honey, Let’s Make It!” Cookbook to make the dough for Cut Out Cookies
EXTRA INGREDIENTS NEEDED CANDY CANE:
1 tablespoon dragon fruit powder this is what I used
EXTRA INGREDIENTS NEEDED TREE/LIGHT:
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon blue spirulina powder this is what I used
1 tablespoon cacao powder
Prepare cookie dough following the recipe for cut out cookies (page 45)
Divide dough in half (half will be for candy canes and half for cut out cookies) If you would like to make the whole batch of cookie dough into candy canes or the whole batch slice and bake double the coloring powder amounts listed above OR make a half batch of the cookie dough and use the coloring amount listed above
Candy Canes: working with half of the batch of cookie dough
Divide dough in half again, one half of dough will stay white, add 1 tablespoon of dragon fruit powder to second half of dough; use the paddle attachment on the stand mixer on medium speed until thoroughly combined
Take 1 tablespoon of white cookie dough, use the palm of you hand to roll into a “rope” approximately 8 inches long; repeat with 1 tablespoon of pink/red colored cookie dough
Gently twist the two dough ropes together
Cut twisted rope in half and shape into a candy cane
Bake at the normal 350* for approximately 8-10 minutes
Slice and Bake Cookies: working with half of the batch of cookie dough
Combine 1 teaspoon blue spirulina and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric in a small bowl
Divide dough in half; remove 1 tablespoon of dough from each half
One half of dough will stay white, set aside; use the paddle attachment and stand mixer to beat the turmeric/blue spirulina powder into the other half of the dough
Use the palm of your hand to roll green dough into a rope/log approximately 15 inches long and then shape into a triangle tree shape or rounded triangle for the light shape, place into freezer to get cold
Use the paddle attachment for the stand mixer to mix about 1 tablespoon cacao powder into 2 tablespoons cookie dough; use the palm of your hand to roll into a rope the same length as the green, shape into a rectangle shape for light cookies or trunk shape for trees; place into freezer to get cold
Once green and brown dough is cold/hard, roll white dough out to same length as green/brown dough and wide enough to roll around the light or tree shape
Place chocolate dough onto middle of rolled out white dough, stack cold(mostly frozen) green light/tree shape on top, roll white dough around the shape and press firmly while rolling under the palm of your hand to make sure there are no gaps
Return to freezer for about 20 minutes to get cold before slicing, slice into approximately 1/4 inch slices
Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes, or longer depending on size/thickness
