The Best Christmas Cookies and Cocktails with Heritage Distilling

For the last several years I’ve posted my very favorite Christmas Cookies + Cocktails here at Rustic Joyful Food. I always try to share my heart through these recipes. Nothing is made to fill a quota or some need, I just cook and bake from my heart.

Cookies are special to me because of how special they are to my father. My dad didn’t have the best home life growing up, but he did have a wonderful grandmother who made him cookies. Some of my favorite stories that he told were about Gramma Mac. She truly cared for my dad through cookies. He was in the Army, and every Christmas she’d send a big box to wherever he was stationed in the world, without fail. What a special tradition! I will never not think of my dad when eating a Christmas cookie! He endowed me with grit, grace, and drive. Love that man!

I’ve come up with 4 perfectly simple cocktails to enjoy with these 5 delicious cookie recipes. A big thank-you to Heritage Distilling for partnering with us to bring you the very best in cookies and darling, delicious drinks!

Homemade Irish Cream

Makes just under 1 quart

1 cup Heritage Distilling Elk Rider Rye Whiskey

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon dark chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon instant coffee

In a blender, mix the whiskey and condensed milk until smooth and creamy. This helps to keep the mixture from breaking. Add the cream, vanilla, salt, coffee, and chocolate, then whirl on high speed 1-2 minutes. Serve over ice. Keeps in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

Pomegranate Buck

Makes 1 cocktail

This cocktail, much like its well-known counterpart the Moscow mule, is called a buck! Spicy ginger beer and lime juice along with fresh pomegranate seeds make this drink special and delicious!

1 ounce Heritage Distilling Pomegranate Vodka

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

6 ounces ginger beer

1/2 cup crushed ice

Mint for garnish

Combine all ingredients and stir with a cocktail spoon. Pour into chilled coupes or glasses. Note: If using a coupe, this recipe will fill 2 glasses.

Apple & Gin Sparklers

Makes 1 cocktail

1/2 cup ice

1 ounce Heritage Distilling Crisp Gin

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

4 ounces sparkling apple cider

Fresh rosemary for garnish

Place ice in your glass. Pour gin over top, add lemon juice, and top with sparkling apple cider. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

Blood Orange & Mandarin French 75

Makes 1 cocktail

1 ounce Heritage Distilling Blood Orange Vodka

1 ounce mandarin orange juice

4 ounces prosecco or champagne

In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka and mandarin juice with 1/2 cup of ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with champagne or prosecco. Enjoy!

Top left: Homemade Irish Cream. Top right: Pomegranate Buck. Bottom left: Apple & Gin Sparkler. Bottom right: Blood Orange and Mandarin French 75

Top left: Homemade Irish Cream. Top right: Pomegranate Buck. Bottom left: Apple & Gin Sparkler. Bottom right: Blood Orange and Mandarin French 75

Russian Tea Cakes

Makes 36-42 cookies

Prep time 10 minutes

Bake time 12-14 minutes

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until whipped and smooth. Add the salt, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix to combine. Add the pecans and flour and mix until the batter begins to come together and clump up. Roll the dough into balls and bake 12-14 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once baked and cooled slightly, roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar. Feel free to double roll them in extra powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Makes 42 cookies

Prep time 15 minutes

Bake time 10 minutes

Difficulty level: Easy

1 cup soft butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups flour

42 unwrapped Hersey’s Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs one at a time. Beat 3-4 minutes until the batter becomes pale and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gently fold the flour into the mixture. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and bake 9-10 minutes. Once the cookies are baked, remove from the oven and gently press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.

Top left and right: Russian Tea Cakes. Bottom left and right: Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Peppermint Crinkles

Makes 36 cookies

Prep time 15 minutes

Bake time 8 minutes

1 cup soft butter

1/4 cup neutral cooking oil

1/2 cup melted chocolate

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter, oil, chocolate, and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing with each addition. Gently stir in the salt and extracts. Fold the cocoa powder and flour into the batter until it’s just come together. Refrigerate the dough for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop half-ounce portions out of the dough and roll into even balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

Tip: If the cookies have not crinkled and flattened, use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten the cookies while hot on the baking sheet. Dip the glass into the powdered sugar if cookies are too sticky.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Makes 36 2 1/2-inch cutouts

Prep time 10 minutes

Bake time 10-12 minutes

Sugar Cookie Dough

1 cup soft butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons almond extract

1 vanilla bean scraped

2 ½ cups AP flour

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup soft butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of salt

8 oz. soft cream cheese

4-6 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, salt, almond extract, and vanilla bean; mix well. Add the flour and cream of tartar, mixing by hand until it just comes together. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is best. When ready to bake cookies, line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out into a ¼-inch thick rough circle and use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on the baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes until set. Continue this process using all of the dough. Cool the cookies on sheets of foil and frost once completely cool. These cookies are ready to eat right away, but I think they get their signature touch once frosted and left out overnight.

To make the frosting, cream the butter, almond extract, salt, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Use 4-6 cups of powdered sugar depending on your sweetness preference. Optionally, it is fun to add food coloring to a few small bowls of the frosting and then decorate the cookies with sprinkles or tiny candies.

Christmas Cookie pro tips:

·         Double or triple the batch of dough and freeze it in discs to pull out all season. 

·         Keep a little well of flour to rest cookie cutters in before and after cutting to ensure a clean cut out of the dough.

·         Only bake cookies in the top two racks of the oven to prevent an overcooked bottom.

·         Skip the frosting and mix in dried fruit, chocolate, coconut, or nuts for a fun variation of this recipe.

Coconut Custard Macaroons

Makes 16-18 1-ounce macaroons

Prep time 5 minutes

Bake time 10-12

1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut

1 egg

1 stick melted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ teaspoons kosher salt

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

Mix all ingredients until batter is completely mixed.  Use an ice cream scoop to distribute equal portions of the cookies onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees until all edges and tops of cookies are golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  Depending on the weather, cookies may need a few additional minutes to bake.  Let cookies set on cookie sheet for about five minutes – no more than 20 or they will stick!  Transfer to serving dish or plate to continue cooling.

Top right: Peppermint Crinkles. Bottom left: Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. Bottom right: Coconut Custard Macaroons.