This is the results of our BiteClub Eats blogger Heather Irwin’s annual cookie contest. See the original post here.
Over seven years of the BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest, this time of year finds me anchored to my stand mixer, whipping up dozens of recipes submitted by local bakers. I have tested hundreds of recipes, softened hundreds of pounds of butter, bought bag after bag of flour and wound up with a kitchen floor that’s sticky with powdered sugar until mid-May.
I thought maybe I had exhausted every possible version of chocolate chip, ginger, biscotti, thumbprint and caramel-coated cookies, but I was wrong.
This year, I tested about a dozen recipes and carefully considered the taste, the ease of construction and the story behind each one. A panel of friends, family and co-workers helped me select the winner.
The lemon snowflake cookies were standouts because of their unique refreshing quality and the heartfelt story behind Tonia Seidita’s favorite holiday cookie.
Here are some of this year, and previous years’ favorites.
1. Chocolate Crinkles
Kinda like a brownie, kinda like a cookie. Favorite of testers.
2. Jo’s Lemon Snowflake Cookies (Biteclub Holiday Cookie Contest Winner 2015)
A zesty, delicious cookie
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2015)
3. World’s Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
So simple, so wonderful.
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2015)
4. Yes We P’Can Tarts
Shortbread and pecans. What could go wrong?
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2011)
5. Salted Caramel Apple Cookies
First you taste the caramel. Then the apple. Oh man…
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2011)
6. Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nutella is my weakness
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2011)
7. Twilight Vampire Cookies
Sexy. Vampiry. Yummy.
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2012)
8. Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
You’ll never look at chocolate chip cookies the same way again
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2012)
9. Frank’s Red Hot Potato Chip Cookies
Spicy good.
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2012)
10. Bacon Fat Snickerdoodles
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2012)
11.Vegan Butternut Squash Spice Cookie
Nobody puts Butternut in the corner.
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2011)
12.Cranberry Orange Gluten Free Cookies
Gluten-free doesn’t have to be dull.
Get Recipe (BiteClub Holiday Cookie Contest 2011)