Christmas Cookie Sticks

The air is cool, crisp, and has a hint of fireplace smoke to it. Lights twinkle in the pre-dawn sky, a pine-scented candle flickers in the distance, and coffee percolates on the countertop. These December mornings have got me feeling all kinds of things. Christmas is about a week away, and I’ve been immersed in the Christmas spirit for about 2 months now.

It’s hard for me to take off Christmas, but it can be done. I was lucky enough to get an entire week off this year. My mom and I have lots of stuff planned, and I’m hoping and praying it will be a white Christmas! There’s usually a foot of snow on the ground in Montana this time of year, but they haven’t seen a lick of it for weeks…and there’s none in the forecast. Boo.

We rarely ever get snow in Oklahoma so Montana was my best shot. You blew it, Big Sky Country. You blew it.

I’ve still got a slew of holiday baking recipes I hope to have to you guys before Christmas. I’ve been a baking machine these past few weeks; I think I’ve baked more cookies than I ever have before. I don’t think my coworkers are complaining. They get most of the fruits of my labor.

These cookie “sticks” are perfect for Christmas & Christmas morning. They are the ideal shape to dip into your coffee or hot cocoa. They have a shortbread-type consistency with mini chocolate chips mixed in for good measure. I ended up drizzling some melted semi-sweet chocolate on top—because who can say no to extra chocolate?

Get those Christmas sprinkles ready and get to decorating. Semi-sweet chocolate that’s melted takes a while to harden up, so you’ve got plenty of time to decorate these cookies to your heart’s desire. If you’re lacking in the patience department, pop these cookies in the freezer for a few minutes to get the chocolate to harden.

These kept well in air-tight containers for a few weeks (!!) but they may not last long—they’re irresistible. I caught myself sneaking to the kitchen before bed to eat a cookie or two. They’re also a good cookie to lay out for Santa, and for you to involve your kids in baking. You can roll them out and cut little sticks out in different sizes.

Enjoy!

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla & almond extracts. Slowly stir in baking powder and flour (I put in flour in about 4 additions). Fold in mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Use a knife or bench scraper to cut dough into strips.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add cookie strips and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Decorate with melted chocolate and additional sprinkles.