Holiday Cookies Outside the Box
Think you've got your holiday cookie bases covered? Think again. These cookie recipes are surprising ways to keep you baking all season long.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Armando Rafael ©2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne
Photo By: Kathryn Cooper
Photo By: Marcus Tullis
Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne
Photo By: Marcus Tullis
Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne
Photo By: Photographer:Marcus Tullis
Photo By: Marcus Tullis
Photo By: Stephen Murello ©Stephen Murello
Photo By: Tara Donne
Chocolate Diablo Cookies
Why such a devilish moniker? These chocolatey cookies contain cayenne pepper for a hint of heat.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Diablo Cookies
Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches
Giada De Laurentiis sandwiches a mixture of vanilla ice cream and amaretto liqueur between two crunchy chocolate-almond cookies for a more adult take on a childhood favorite.
Get the Recipe: Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches
Toasted Coconut and Orange Icebox Cookies
Shape this toasted-coconut and orange-zest dough into logs, pop them in the fridge weeks ahead of the holidays, and then slice them, bake them and dip them in melted chocolate right before Santa comes to town.
Get the Recipe: Toasted Coconut and Orange Icebox Cookies
K and C Thumbprint Cookies
These black pepper-and-Parmesan cookies have a slightly spicy flavor, which is complemented by the orange-cranberry-thyme marmalade filling each cookie’s thumbprint.
Get the Recipe: K and C Thumbprint Cookies
Pink Meringues with Raspberry Cream
These marbled meringues are almost too pretty to eat (but not quite). Swirl the light and fluffy sweets with red and green dyes for Christmas, or blue for your Hanukkah celebration.
Get the Recipe: Pink Meringues with Raspberry Cream
Oatmeal Cream'wich
Thin, caramelized and crispy oatmeal cookies are held together with a rich and tangy cream filling.
Get the Recipe: Oatmeal Cream'wich
Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Crushed candy canes add peppermint flavor to Alton Brown's traditional pinwheel cookies. Make the dough in advance and keep it in the freezer so you'll be prepared for last-minute holiday visitors.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Whoopie Pies
Is it a cookie? Is it a pie? Is it a cake? It's Chuck Hughes' whoopie pie: a cookie-shaped cake filled with heavenly marshmallow cream.
Get the Recipe: Whoopie Pies
Apricot and Nut Cookies With Amaretto Icing
Giada's osteria-style cookies are great with a cup of tea or coffee.
Get the Recipe: Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing
Holiday Whoopie Pies
These whoopie pies have all the great holiday spice of your favorite gingerbread recipe, plus an irresistible bonus: cream cheese frosting.
Get the Recipe: Holiday Whoopie Pies
Lemon Nut Cookies
Get the Recipe: Lemon Nut Cookies
Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
With a milk chocolate-and-peanut butter center and a dark chocolate icing on top, these crispy bars may not look especially festive, but their taste will definitely make you want to celebrate.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
Chocolate Drop Cookies With White Chocolate Filling
Alex Guarnaschelli's drop cookies are intensely moist and chocolatey, like brownies. She pairs them with a caramelized white chocolate filling that adds a "toasted" flavor to complement the bittersweet chocolate.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Drop Cookies with Caramelized White Chocolate Filling
Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheesesteak Cookie
Really want to mix things up this holiday? Try making these surprisingly savory Philly cheesesteak-inspired cookies. Made with a cheddar cheese base and flecked with beef jerky and dehydrated onions, this is one cookie that's probably better enjoyed as an appetizer.
Get the Recipe: Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheesesteak Cookie
Banana Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche Filling
Get the Recipe: Banana Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche Filling
Hazelnut, Lemon and Fig Linzer-esque Cookies
This cross between a classic linzertorte and a hamentashen calls for the triangle-shaped hazelnut cookie to be filled with fig jam and toasted hazelnuts. Talk about unique.
Get the Recipe: Hazelnut, Lemon and Fig Linzer-esque Cookies
Chocolate Toffee Meringue Cookies
What makes the perfect meringues even better? Toffee, of course. One note: For the best results, make these cookies on a dry day; humidity can make them a little sticky.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Toffee Meringue Cookies
Cinnamon Bun Cookies
With their hypnotic swirled design and sweet cinnamon flavor, these cookies look and taste just like those giant sticky buns you're always craving.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Bun Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake Cookies
Grown-up S'mores
Get the Recipe: Grown-up S'mores
Candied Bacon and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The best way to update the ever-present chocolate chip cookie? Mix some smoky-sweet candied bacon into the dough per Nadia G’s direction, and choose quality dark chocolate to balance the strong meaty flavor.
Get the Recipe: Candied Bacon and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Peanut butter-and-jelly fans will go wild for perfectly crispy, classic peanut butter cookies sandwiching a jelly filling of your choice. Just make sure to have extra milk on hand.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Carrot Cookies With Orange Buttercream Icing
Kelsey Nixon surprises with her carrot cookies — like miniature carrot cakes — and opts for an orange-flavored icing instead of the traditional cream cheese pairing.
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cookies with Orange Buttercream Icing
Bourbon Street Balls With Pecans
Rachael Ray mixes up a truffle-like, no-bake cookie using crushed-up cookies, toasted pecans and just a nip of bourbon.
Get the Recipe: Bourbon Street Balls with Pecans
Chocolate Cloud Cookies
As the name suggests, these cookies are as light as air. Pair them with rich fudge frosting to combine lightness and density for a uniquely textured cookie.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cloud Cookies
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kelsey adds moisture and an extra layer of flavor by adding mashed banana to her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Oatmeal gives the cookies additional heartiness, so they're great as an afternoon snack or breakfast on the go.
Get the Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Get the Recipe: Giant Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Like the beverage they're modeled after, these chocolate cookies from Nealey Dozier are made with unsweetened cocoa and studded with cinnamon and cayenne pepper spice. When you bite into the cookie, you'll find a gooey center — eating it is just like sipping cocoa from a mug.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
French Macarons With Salted Bourbon Caramel Buttercream
Get the Recipe: French Macarons with Salted Bourbon Caramel Buttercream
Chocolate Chip + Caramel Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Cookies, Caramel Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche
Chocolate and Caramel Shortbreads
Get the Recipe: Chocolate and Caramel Shortbreads
The Elvis Cookie
Get the Recipe: The Elvis: Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mint Thins
Girl Scout Cookie lovers will go crazy for these amazing copycats — thin, crispy mint wafers covered in chocolate.
Get the Recipe: Mint Thins
Cherry Almond Cobbler Sandwich Cookies
Get the Recipe: Cherry Almond Cobbler Sandwich Cookies
Orange-Scented Almond Cookies
Get the Recipe: Orange-Scented Almond Cookies: Amygdalota me Orange
Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Candied Violet Cookie Sandwich
Go all out and use candied violets in your shortbread batter. Sandwich the finished cookies around a cream cheese-and-orange filling.
Get the Recipe: Candied Violet Cookie Sandwich
Meyer Lemon Cardamom Crinkle Cookies
When you bite into these cookies, you get first a crisp and sweet edge, then a soft and cakey interior. The combination of Meyer lemon and cardamom makes them truly unique.
Get the Recipe: Meyer Lemon Cardamom Crinkle Cookies
Snappy Ginger Cookies
Crystallized ginger is Roger Mooking's obedient ingredient for these Everyday Exotic ginger cookies. A cream cheese-cranberry blend makes a great cookie sandwich filling.
Get the Recipe: Snappy Ginger Cookies
Chocolate Sesame Balls
Cookies go the deep-fried route in Ching-He Huang's gluten-free recipe for Chinese sesame balls. Top them with melted chocolate right before you eat.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sesame Balls
Buttered Scotch Blondies
Scotch whiskey (and plenty of butter) gives these blondies great texture and just the right amount of sweetness.
Get the Recipe: Buttered Scotch Blondies
Gluten-Free Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
These thin, chewy cookies use almond flour as their base. They are gluten-free, but they're great in their own right because they stay nice and moist.
Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brutti Ma Buoni
Get the Recipe: Brutti Ma Buoni
Black Macarons
Though black may not be the first color associated with holiday cheer, you'll reconsider once you taste Chuck's creamy macarons.
Get the Recipe: Black Macarons
Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies
Peanut butter and white chocolate pair beautifully in Rachel Allen's blondie recipe, giving the finished bars the right balance of sweetness and saltiness.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies
Snack Bar Madness Cookies
Get the Recipe: Snack Bar Madness Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gorilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
Get the Recipe: Gorilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
Hot Cake Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
The cookie in this recipe has a comforting maple-and-molasses flavor, but the real showstopper is the mystery ingredient in the center of this sandwich. You've heard of sweet potato pie? Well, it's time we introduced you to sweet potato ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Hot Cake Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Breakfast Cookies
Who says cookies are just for dessert? Ellie Krieger's nutritional powerhouse of a cookie is loaded with whole grains, fruits and nuts, and makes for a great breakfast on the go during the busy holiday season.
Get the Recipe: Breakfast Cookies
"I Want to Marry You" Cookies
Get the Recipe: I Want to Marry You Cookies
Chocolate Chip + Candied Bacon Ice Cream Sandwiches
Think this cookie is a little too far outside the box for your tastes? The bacon actually gives the ice cream a subtle smokiness that works well with the chocolate chunks.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brown Butter Candied Bacon Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cat-Got-Your-Tongue Cookies
Get the Recipe: Lingue di Gatto: Cat Got Your Tongue Cookie
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Cacao Nib Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Shortbread cookies get a speckled look (and depth of flavor) with cacao nibs and cinnamon worked into the dough, but it's the rich chocolate ganache filling that sets these sandwich cookies apart.
Get the Recipe: Cacao Nib Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies
Momofuku's pastry chef, Christina Tosi, says this cookie is an ode to her favorite baked good of all time: the fudgy brownie. It's satisfyingly salty, with a chewy chocolatey-ness that's hard to resist.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies
Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Get the Recipe: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies