These Santa's Whiskers Cookies are an easy slice-and bake cookies recipe bejeweled with candied cherries and shredded coconut. They are a perfect for your Christmas cookie tray!
What are Santa's whiskers cookies? The name "Santa's whiskers" originates from the resemblance of the shredded coconut-coated cookies to Santa Claus's white whiskers.
Additionally, the addition of red candied cherries mirrors the appearance of Santa's iconic red outfit. They typically consists of a buttery dough mixed with chopped nuts, coconut, and sometimes dried fruits like cherries.
The dough is rolled into logs, coated with shredded coconut, sliced into rounds and then baked until crisp and tender. Like the chocolate pinwheel cookies, these gain popularity during the Christmas season because of their festive appearance.
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Why you'll love it?
- Easy slice and bake recipe.
- One bowl recipe.
- Crisp yet tender and crumbly.
- Festive Holiday treat.
- Eggless cookie recipe.
- Freezer friendly recipe.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Butter - Make sure the your butter is at softened to room temperature to ensure proper creaming.
- Flour - You will need a little more one cup of all purpose flour for the perfect texture.
- Sugar - The dough is sweetened with white sugar, allowing the flavors of cherries and coconut to stand out.
- Milk - Just a tablespoon of milk to bring the dough together.
- Cherries - Like in Christmas icebox cookies, I opt for candied cherries readily available in the produce section of most grocery stores, during the holiday season.
- Coconut -While I use sweetened shredded coconut in almond joy cookies, for Santa's whiskers cookies, it's best to opt for unsweetened coconut. This choice ensures that the cookies maintain their white color, resembling Santa Claus's whiskers, as the recipe already contains sufficient sweetness. Additionally, using unsweetened coconut prevents browning in the oven.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1. Add butter, sugar, milk and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat with a hand held electric beater, on high speed, for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
2. Add flour and continue beating for few seconds, until it looks crumbly.
3 & 4. Add chopped candied cherries, coconut and beat until it is just combined.
Tip: Over-mixing can cause the cherries to bleed, tinting the dough pink. Therefore, aim to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed without overdoing it.
5. Gently shape the dough into a log to about 2 inches in thickness. Roll the log in remaining ½ cup shredded coconut. The log can be divided into two, to make it easier to work with). Chill until firm.
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6. Slice the log into ¼-inch thick slices and place on parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about ¾-inch apart. Santa's whiskers cookies will not spread too much.
Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until cookies are golden brown in color.
Storage instructions
Santa's whiskers cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. For longer storage, they can be kept in the freezer for up to two months.
To freeze the dough, tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe zipper bag. They can be frozen for up to a month. Prior to baking, transfer the dough from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight for thawing.
Helpful tips
- During the holiday season, you can find candied cherries in plastic containers within the produce section of most major grocery stores.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut is recommended since the cookie is already sweetened by both sugar and candied cherries. However, if you can't find unsweetened coconut, you can proceed with sweetened coconut.
- Chill the dough until it's very firm, which typically takes several hours (overnight is recommended), or you can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days.
- Try using almond extract instead of vanilla.
- Toasted and chopped pecans will also be delicious as a substitute for coconut.
Gift Giving ideas
- Cookie tins - Arrange Santa's whisker cookies in a decorative Christmas cookie tin lined with parchment paper for a festive presentation.
- Cellophane bags - Wrap a handful of cookies in transparent cellophane or treat bags, then secure them with a beautiful ribbon.
- Mason jar - Arrange the cookies in a glass mason jar, adorn the lid with festive cutouts from old Christmas cards, and then tie a decorative ribbon around the jar for an attractive touch. Dollar Tree is an excellent place to find affordable mason jars.
Looking for recipes to bake this holiday season? Check out our huge collection of Christmas food ideas.
More Christmas recipes
Santa' s Whiskers Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (½ cup)
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped red candied cherries
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut divided
Instructions
Make dough
- Add butter, sugar, milk and vanilla into a large bowl and beat with a hand held electric beater, on high speed, for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add flour and continue beating for few seconds, until it looks crumbly.
- Add chopped cherries and ¼ cup coconut, continue beating just for few seconds, until it is mixed in. Tip: Over-mixing can cause the cherries to bleed, tinting the dough pink. Therefore, aim to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed without overdoing it.
- Dump dough onto a work surface, gently shape into a log and continue rolling to make into 2 and ½ inch thickness.
- Roll the log in remaining ½ cup shredded coconut. The log can be divided into two, to make it easier to work with). Chill until firm.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a sharp knife, cut log into slightly thicker than ¼-inch thick slices and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about ¾-inch apart.
- Bake for 22 to 26 minutes (rotating pan halfway through baking) or until cookies are golden brown in color. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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