This Christmas Cookie Platter brings together chewy sugar cookies, thumbprints with bright raspberry filling, chocolate-dipped Oreo truffles, and pecan turtle bites on one large plate. Expect a mix of soft, crisp, rich, and salty-sweet textures in every bite.
Yield: About 12 dozen pieces (48 servings of 3 pieces) | Prep: 60 min | Bake and set: about 30 min | Total: about 90 min
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups unsalted butter — The fat for all six cookie doughs. Use it softened, at cool room temperature, so it creams with the sugar without turning greasy.
- 7 1/4 cups all-purpose flour — The structure for every dough. Spoon it into the cup and level it off so the doughs don’t turn dry.
- 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar — Creamed with the butter and used for rolling some of the cookie balls. Rolled cookies get a crisp, sparkling edge.
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar — Packed into the measuring cup and creamed with the butter. It adds moisture and a soft, chewy texture.
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder — Unsweetened cocoa for the chocolate dough. It gives deep flavor without extra sugar.
- 1 cup peanut butter — Creamy, smooth-style peanut butter for the peanut butter dough. Smooth styles keep the texture even.
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips — Stirred into one portion of dough. Semisweet chips hold their shape in the oven.
- 24 chocolate kisses — Unwrapped and pressed into the center of the peanut butter cookies, as in the classic blossom-style method.
- 3/4 cup holiday M&Ms — Folded into one portion of dough for color. Keep them cold so they don’t streak.
- 24 Oreo cookies — Crushed fine and mixed with the cream cheese for the truffles. Chill the truffles before dipping so the coating sets cleanly.
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam — Spooned into thumbprint dents. Seedless jam gives a smooth filling.
- 4 oz cream cheese — Block-style, softened, and mixed into the crushed Oreos so they hold together. Avoid spreadable tub-style cream cheese, which keeps the truffles soft.
- 18 oz melting chocolate — Used to dip the truffles and cookie trees and to top the turtle bites. Melt it gently so it stays smooth and glossy.
- 2 cups pecan halves — Arranged in small clusters for the turtle bites. Toast them lightly first for deeper flavor.
- 24 soft caramels — Melted and spooned over the pecans. Soft caramels spread more easily and set faster than hard ones.
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut — Sprinkled over some dipped pieces while the coating is wet. Unsweetened or lightly sweetened both work.
- Christmas sprinkles, as needed — Added to dipped pieces right after dipping, while the chocolate is still wet.
- 5 large eggs — The photo says to beat in eggs but does not print an amount; 5 large eggs is the standard amount for this much butter and flour. Use them at room temperature so the dough mixes evenly.
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract — Also unprinted on the photo; 1 tablespoon flavors the full batch of dough. Add it with the eggs.
Optional swaps: Apricot or strawberry jam can replace raspberry. Walnuts can replace some or all of the pecans, and white chocolate can replace the melting chocolate for a sweeter coating.
How To Make Christmas Cookie Platter
- Make the 6 classic cookie doughs. In a large bowl, beat the 2 1/2 cups softened butter with the 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar first if you want it for rolling. Beat in the 5 eggs one at a time, then the 1 tablespoon vanilla. Mix in the 7 1/4 cups flour on low speed just until no dry flour shows. Divide the dough into six equal portions and finish each one: stir the 1/2 cup cocoa powder into the first for chocolate crinkle dough, the 1 cup peanut butter into the second for peanut butter dough, the 3/4 cup chocolate chips into the third, and the 3/4 cup holiday M&Ms into the fourth. Leave the last two plain, one for sugar-rolled cookies and one for jam thumbprints. Pro Tip: If any dough feels very soft, chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before shaping so the cookies don’t spread.
- Shape, fill and bake the cookies. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Roll each dough into 1-inch balls and set them 2 inches apart. Roll the chocolate dough balls and one plain portion in the reserved granulated sugar. Press a deep dent into the other plain balls and fill each with a little of the 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Pat a little of the peanut butter dough into small tree shapes for the cookie trees and shape the rest into balls. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 12 minutes, until golden at the edges. Press a chocolate kiss into each hot peanut butter cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Dip the truffles and trees, and build the turtle clusters. Crush the 24 Oreo cookies fine and mix them with the 4 oz softened cream cheese, roll into 24 small balls, and chill until firm. Melt the 18 oz melting chocolate in short bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Dip the chilled Oreo truffles and the cooled cookie trees in the melted chocolate and let the extra drip off. Top the wet truffles with Christmas sprinkles or the 1/2 cup shredded coconut right away. For the turtles, group the 2 cups pecan halves into small clusters on parchment, melt the 24 soft caramels with a splash of water until smooth, spoon a little caramel over each cluster, then top with melted chocolate. Chill everything until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Pro Tip: The chocolate is set when it no longer feels tacky; if you handle it sooner it will smudge.
- Arrange the platter. Arrange all nine varieties in neat groups on a large white serving platter: chocolate chip, chocolate crinkle, peanut butter blossoms, M&M, sugar-rolled and jam thumbprint cookies, plus the cookie trees, Oreo truffles and pecan turtles. Keep the sprinkled pieces together so the colors stand out, and serve at room temperature.
What To Expect While They Bake
The cookie dough will feel soft and slightly sticky, especially with the peanut butter and brown sugar. As the cookies bake, the edges should turn golden while the centers look a little underdone. The jam may bubble at the edges of the thumbprints, which is normal. Melted chocolate looks thick at first, then loosens into a smooth, glossy coating once stirred.
Where This Recipe Can Go Wrong
Overbaked cookies. Cookies left in too long turn dry and crumbly. Pull them at the first sign of golden edges and let them firm up on the sheet for a few minutes.
Chocolate that seizes or streaks. Melting chocolate too hot makes it thick and dull. Heat it in short intervals and stir between each one.
Truffles that won’t hold their shape. If the Oreo mixture is too soft, chill it briefly before rolling. Firm pieces dip cleanly and set neatly.
Why This Recipe Works
Creaming butter and sugar builds the structure of the cookies, and chilling the dipped pieces sets the coatings. Mixing chewy doughs, crisp caramel, and smooth chocolate keeps each bite interesting, and the small pieces let guests try several varieties.
Serving Suggestions
Arrange the platter on a large white serving tray so the colors stand out. Pair it with coffee, hot cocoa, or milk for a cozy holiday spread.
Storage And Make-Ahead
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep the truffles and dipped pieces refrigerated in a single layer for up to 1 week, and bring them to room temperature before serving. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake cookies up to 3 days ahead and dip the chocolate pieces the day before, then assemble the platter just before guests arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make these ahead?
Yes. Make the cookies and dipped pieces a few days ahead, and store them separately so the chocolate doesn’t pick up moisture from the cookies.
Can I use a different chocolate for dipping?
Yes, semisweet, milk, or white melting chocolate all work. Chill the pieces until firm, since each type sets slightly differently.
Why are my cookies spreading too much?
Warm dough usually causes this. Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before shaping if it feels very soft.
For more holiday ideas, Follow Hailee Recipes on Pinterest.
Christmas Cookie Platter
Ingredients
Method
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the flour. Divide into six portions: add cocoa powder to one, peanut butter to one, chocolate chips to one and holiday M&Ms to one; leave two plain.
- Shape 1-inch balls. Roll the chocolate and one plain dough in sugar, fill dented plain balls with raspberry jam, and pat some peanut butter dough into tree shapes. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 12 minutes until golden. Press a kiss into each hot peanut butter cookie and cool completely.
- Mix crushed Oreos with cream cheese, roll 24 truffles and chill. Dip the chilled truffles and cookie trees in melted chocolate and top with sprinkles or coconut. Layer pecan clusters with melted caramel and chocolate. Chill until set.
- Arrange all nine cookie, truffle and turtle varieties in neat groups on a large white serving platter to serve.
