Hand-Shaped Cookies

Hand-shaped cookies are so named because they are formed by hand and not using any special tools. Usually they are molded into small balls or rolled into rope shapes, sometimes twisted into pretzels or formed into wreaths. Most of these cookies retain much of their shape after baking, although generally soften somewhat in shape. For example, perfectly spherical balls of dough when baked resemble rounded domes when removed from the oven. For the best holiday cookie plate presentation of your hand-shaped cookies, attempt to make them all uniform in size and shape (although when they are not, they will be just as much appreciated!). For the tenderest cookies, handle the dough as little as possible.

Mocha Crinkles cookies
Hand-Shaped Cookies
Mocha Crinkles
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Mocha Crinkles

Rich cinnamon mocha-flavored cookie that forms large cracks as it bakes.

Hand-Shaped Cookies
Nutella Crackle Cookies
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Nutella Crackle Cookies

A chocolate-hazelnut cookie that, when baked, shows deep chocolate “cracks” in the white powdered sugar surface.

Nutmeg Logs
Hand-Shaped Cookies
Nutmeg Logs
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Nutmeg Logs

A buttery shortbread log topped with a buttered rum and nutmeg frosting.