It’s that time of year again. It is finally socially acceptable to watch all of your favorite holiday movies on repeat. But what’s a movie without a delicious snack to go along with it? Below you will find suggestions of cookies to pair with popular holiday films. After all, Santa shouldn’t be the only one who gets to enjoy Christmas cookies.

 

Elf

This comedy film is about Buddy, a human who has been raised by elves  at the North Pole. When he ventures to New York to meet his real dad, who just happens to be on Santa’s “naughty list,” he causes hilarious and heartwarming situations wherever he goes. According to Buddy, “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” As you watch Buddy eat every form of sugar in sight, satisfy your own craving with candy cane blossom cookies. 

 

Candy cane blossom cookies

You will need:

1 bag Hershey’s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and green colored sugar

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from about 35 Kisses.

2. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. In another bowl, blend flour, baking soda and salt and add the contents alternatively with milk to the butter mixture, until well blended.

3. Form one-inch balls of cookie dough and roll in red and green colored sugar. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for eight to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for two to three minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.

With this recipe, feel free to change up the colors of sprinkles and candy piece found in the middle (after all, Buddy the Elf loves any form of sugar in the film).

 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This classic 1964 film tells the story of Rudolph, a reindeer who became the hero of Christmas by lighting the way for Santa with his bright, red nose. Watching this movie would be incomplete without peanut butter reindeer cookies, with red M&M noses, of course!

Peanut butter reindeer cookies

You will need:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels

Brown M&M’s

Red M&M’s

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Use a mixer at medium speed to blend them together. Add the egg, and beat until blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the first mixture, and beat at a low speed.

4. Form the dough into one-inch balls. Next, pinch the bottom of each ball to form a point and flatten to make a reindeer face. Space the cookies about two inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for seven to eight minutes.

5. When finished, place two mini pretzels at the top of the cookies for antlers. Use brown M&M’s for the eyes and a red M&M for the nose. Feel free to be creative and use the other colors of M&M’s, too. Why not make Rudolph a blue-nosed reindeer?

6. Let the cookies cool, and enjoy.

 

Christmas Vacation

In this movie, Clark W. Griswold wants nothing more than to have a “good old-fashioned family Christmas.” However, pursuing his dream is no easy task, and endless hilarity ensues. As you watch Clark drink eggnog and cringe at his obnoxious cousin-in-law Eddie, you too can enjoy the seasonal drink but, instead, in cookie form.

 

Eggnog cookies

You will need:

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons eggnog

 

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Proceed to add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix everything in this bowl together using a mixer until it has a smooth consistency.

4. Add in the flour mixture from the first bowl into the second bowl and mix at a low speed. Be careful not to over-mix.

5. Form the cookie dough into small balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball lightly. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 15 minutes.

6. An optional element to add to these cookies is an eggnog glaze. To make, whisk powdered sugar and three tablespoons of eggnog together. When cookies are done, add the glaze and sprinkle on cinnamon. 

 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Whether you prefer the 1966 or 2000 edition of the film, you know that the Grinch is a greedy, green creature who tries to ruin Christmas and in the end sees the error in his ways. While you watch him prepare for his heist, enjoy Grinch-colored cookies with Andes mints, reminiscent of the cold, snowy Mount Crumpit where he lives.  

 

Andes Mint Grinch cookies

What you will need:

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon mint extract

15-20 drops green food coloring

1 9.5 oz. bag of Andes mints, chopped or broken apart

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Next, chop or break apart the Andes mints.

3. In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until smooth. Proceed to add in the egg and mint extract.

4. Gradually blend in the dry ingredient mixture and add green food coloring. When the mixture has an even green color, add in the Andes mints. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool.

5. Next, place balls of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. If you want, place one red M&M on each ball to symbolize the Grinch’s heart — one that he discovers at the end of the film. Bake for eight to 10 minutes and let cool. 

 

Deck the Halls

This movie is about Buddy Hall, a man who is obsessed with the idea of his house being seen from space, so he covers his house with more and more Christmas lights and decorations in order to accomplish this dream. However, when Hall’s plans interfere with the Christmas traditions of his neighbor Steve Finch, Finch tries to sabotage Hall’s efforts throughout the film. To get in the decorating spirit yourself, enjoy rainbow sprinkle-filled Christmas light cookies.  

 

Christmas light cookies

What you will need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 package instant vanilla pudding

Rainbow sprinkles

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Next, beat in the eggs.

3. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and vanilla pudding mix in a separate bowl.

4. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Lastly, stir in the vanilla.

5. Form small balls of cookie dough, and roll them in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles. Make sure they are covered in sprinkles just like Buddy’s house is covered in lights in the movie.

6. Bake for nine to 10 minutes, and then let them cool.

Annabeth is a freshman in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].