Holiday Cookie Preferences?

OK so this is totally random, but what kind of cookies do peeps like to eat during the holidays? I want to put together a platter/box for my office, but I have learned that my taste is very different from the average person's as I hate super sweet desserts. So what type of cookies do you like, and what type of cookies do you associate with the holidays?

Sugar cookies for the holidays, definitely!

I am a big fan of cookies. When it comes to cookies that fit a particular event or situation, you should remember that taste still trumps everything else. Always choose a plain cookie that taste great over one that is mediocre but fits some theme. However, in many cases, you can have both taste and theme in a single cookie.

The real challenge here is, who is making the cookies? Are you just buying some already made from the grocery? Are you buying from a local baker? Are you baking these cookies yourself? If baking yourself, how comfortable are you with more complex recipes?

The elephant in the room for holiday cookies would have to be gingerbread. Doing gingerbread justice is not easy, but if you get it right, then everyone will rave how they are perfect for the occasion. Also cutout and decoration give plenty of customization to appease any religion's events this time of year.

Naatkinson is correct on the sugar cookie suggestion. They are simple, and yet they are an expectation during Christmas season. However, many people that bake their own sugar cookies have no idea what is a great tasting sugar cookie. They usually focus on the look and end up with flavorless dough. As someone that doesn't favor overly sweet dishes, then I suggest you focus on creating a great sugar cookie dough and just use sprinkles as a topping instead of the traditional iced where you flood the icing on top.

Another great option would be macarons. If you are ok with more complex techniques, the meringue based cookie has many customization options and decoration possibilities that make it a great choice for any holiday, especially Christmas. A side benefit is that most bakeries can do a decent macaron and have likely already customized for the holiday.

Last year around this time, my wife made a great raspberry jam thumbprint cookie with a white chocolate drizzle on top. The base was a sugar cookie, but the red of the jam and the white of the drizzle made them feel very festive. And the taste was terrific - can't go wrong with raspberry and white chocolate.

There are other out of the box options, too. Crushed peppermint chocolate cookies, red velvet cake cookies with white and green icing/sprinkles, fruitcake cookies, etc.

Personally, my favorite has always been chocolate chip. Though considered the most basic and plain of cookies, I believe that it's the best cookie flavor when done correctly. Any cookie platter MUST include chocolate chip cookies based on the broad appeal to almost everyone. It is the thing everyone imagines when they encounter the word "cookie" after all.

Whatever you go with, I'm sure people will enjoy them so long as you put your heart into it. After all, people really do appreciate the gesture and effort that sharing cookies entails. Best of luck with your endeavor, and let us know how it goes.

Ah yes, I should mention that I am an avid baker, so I will be baking everything myself, which is why I’m planning now so I can schedule the bakeathon accordingly. My focus is usually on taste and texture. If it were up to me I’d go for the more complex flavor profiles (let’s just say I made 4 different types of vanilla extract for baking purposes because why not?) but most people seem to prefer plain when given the option, or maybe I’m misreading the room.

I do like gingerbread cookies. Hmmmmm.

I should also mention that I’m terrible at decorating as I lack the patience and steady hand. I basically make fabulous, but ugly desserts. Most people who don’t even bake make rolled cookies like it’s nothing, but I struggle with those. They end up lopsided. Which isn’t to say I’m not willing to try. I just need lots more patience and practice!

I figure I need 4-5 types of cookies? Or more?

I don't know whether I should be impressed or concerned by your ten part thesis on the perfect holiday cookie.

I am getting so hungry reading this thread.

:: Bows down to Linus's cookie knowledge ::

We gotta get Jabes in on this thread too.

For us in the netherlands we have speculaas at christmas, its a great cookie/bisquit to dunk in hot chocolade milk, or just hot milk, or tea.
I have no idea if you have this in teh USA so i put the wiki link in here. and im expecting pictures of your baking exploits

I couldn't have said it any better than Linus, and that's even with my chef's jacket and toque on! :-D

There's really no accounting for individual preferences, but for me personally:
1. Just gimme chocolate chip! Chewy, not crisp.
2. Not a fan of gingerbread, but AM a fan of frost ginger cookies.
3. Not a fan of the sugar cookies either, but my recipe rules!
4. I laugh at anything "Red Velvet" that isn't an actual Red Velvet Cake.
5. If you're looking for a little out of the box (though you've probably already tried these), I make an oatmeal cookie with grated zucchini. And a cookie that contains ketchup and chopped dried tomatoes. XD
6. OMG SPECULAAS!!!! Yes, please!
7. Chocolate Chip. Did I mention Chocolate Chip?

Good luck with the cookie platter, Moofs! I'll PM you where to mail mine. :-D

Having read through this thread I think I must be pretty boring; I had no idea there were so many cookie options! But, for what it's worth, anything with chocolate is good. And I love vanilla cookies, so hopefully your four different versions of vanilla extract won't go to waste.

It's not just a cookie thing. I have a slight personality flaw of over explaining. My wife hates it.

You sound like my kind of baker. :) Seriously, though, people do prefer smaller number of options and simplicity in making evaluations, in general. There's an entire psychological approach to decision making because of this. This combined with the fact that most people are averse to actually trying something new means that your simpler and recognizable cookies will likely be most popular when you share them...assuming it wasn't because they were all bad and the simpler and recognizable cookies weren't just least bad.

Four different cookies actually may be too many types. You are probably better off sticking to three. Three is a number that just feels subconsciously right when making choices. My suggestion, then, is to go with Chocolate Chip, Christmas themed macarons (peppermint, milk chocolate/marshmallow, etc), and one of either gingerbread/gingersnap/sugar cookie with simple holiday shapes and green/red sprinkles or edible glitter.

Are you a pastry chef? I think you might become my new favorite person here. :) Also, your point #1 - truth.

I'm not a red velvet fan. It's basically chocolate cake died red. Yet people love it. I silently laugh at those people. But I've seen more people starting to gravitate toward cake cookies lately. And anything with "cake" in the title gets the red velvet treatment at some point.

On point #7 - we would probably get along well over chocolate chip cookies and some cold milk. :)

Think of cookies not as a food. Think of them as a canvas for pastry chef artists to deliver something beautiful and delicious for your palate. Cookies can be an excellent vehicle to deliver countless dessert flavor combinations to your tastebuds. Combined with textures and decorative work, some cookies are truly a masterpiece to behold.

Not seeing that doesn't make you boring, though. It does mean that you are missing out on life in some small way, though. :p

I'm also worried now that people will begin to read all of my posts in a familiar voice from a furry blue muppet monster. Lol

You might need to put that as your avatar.

I'm very tempted to take admin privileges and make that so.

Hi! Yep, I've been a pastry chef for about 7 years.

Yeah I hear you about the whole Red Velvet thing. Chefs tend to be a condescending lot (I try not to be!), but give the people what they want anyway. My Red Velvet Cake will knock your socks off.

Here, cookies and milk for everyone! :-)

Pastry chef! Please tell me you live in Central Texas. I want to come try your desserts.

Edit - dang it, you're GMT+8

For me it's always been two different cookies that sum up this time of year:

Sugar cookies with orange citrus icing
Peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's kiss on top.

Since we're in it, yah, I too like simple cookies with citrus flavors mixed in. Over the last few years, I've come to love peanut butter flavoring a ton. I'll never say no to chocolate, and something chocolate + peppermint definitely says holidays to me (I once had a hot chocolate cookie with crushed peppermint mixed in, and damn was it amazing).

Jan Hagel
Chocolate Crinkles
Gingersnaps
Anginetti
Mantecados

Also fancy little tins to put cookies in... (Tape the recipe in the lid)