The best way to celebrate the holiday season is by pulling out your favorite recipes and cranking up the oven, and these reindeer cookies are about as festive as Christmas cookies get. They’re a mash-up of two beloved classics—gingerbread cookies and thumbprint cookies—rolled into one adorable treat. The gingerbread dough is shaped into sweet little reindeer heads, then topped with pretzel “antlers.” The real fun starts after the cookies are baked. While they’re still warm, you press candy eyes into place and use the back of a measuring spoon to shape divots for the noses. Let them cool on a rack, then add a small spoonful of strawberry jam to the hollow on each head to create that Rudolph-red glow. They’re the perfect treat to bring to cookie swaps or wrap up for homemade Christmas food gifts. Just be sure to save a few for Santa’s plate!
Can you make reindeer cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely! The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Baked cookies can be decorated and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze reindeer cookies?
Yes. The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months with the pretzel antlers and candy eyes in place. Let them thaw, then add the jam “noses” just before serving.
Do the pretzel antlers stay crisp on reindeer cookies when baked?
They do. Because the pretzels bake right into the dough, they hold their crunch and stay securely attached.
Can you use a different flavor of jam for the noses on reindeer cookies?
Definitely! Strawberry gives the brightest red, but raspberry, cherry, or currant jam make great stand-ins.
What can you substitute for the candy eyes in reindeer cookies?
Mini chocolate chips work in a pinch. Press the chips into the cookies when they’re still warm so they stick.
Yields: 40 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
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2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
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1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
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6 tbsp. salted butter, at room temperature
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3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
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1 large egg, at room temperature
Directions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and orange zest.
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In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and mix until completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix, scraping the bowl if needed, until just combined.
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Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Break the pretzels in half to make antlers. Set aside.
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Scoop 1-tablespoon balls of dough. Using greased hands, roll each ball into an oval (about 2 inches long) and place on the prepared baking sheets 4 inches apart. Gently press down on each dough ball to slightly flatten, shaping the dough so one end is slightly narrower than the other. Use your thumb to press an indent at the narrow end of each cookie. Press 2 pretzel halves into the top of the wider end of each cookie for antlers.
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Bake the cookies until just set around the edges but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press the back of a ¼-teaspoon measuring spoon into the indent of each cookie to reshape. Press 2 candy eyes toward the top of each cookie, under the antlers. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
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Fill each cookie indent with a scant 1/4 teaspoon strawberry jam to make a red nose.
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