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Santa’s Whiskers Cookies Recipe

The merriest of all Christmas cookies! Santa’s Whiskers Cookies are soft slice and bake cookies flavored with almond, studded with cherries, and rolled in coconut.

  • Peppermint Bark Cookies
  • Spritz Cookies
  • Christmas Cookies in a Jar (with free printable!)

Today I’m sharing an adorably named slice and bake cookie known as Santa’s Whiskers Cookies. My sister-in-law told me about these cookies last Christmas and I waited all year to bake them. Rolled in coconut, these almond flavored cookies are bejeweled with festive cherries and baked until golden around the edges. Aren’t they pretty?

Let’s talk about Slice and Bake Cookies. There are many cookies I obsess over, but if one type of cookie were to win 1st place… it would be the slice and bake cookie.

Slice and Bake Cookies

I love baking slice and bake cookies because sometimes I don’t feel like rolling 2 dozen cookie dough balls. Who’s with me? Instead of rolling each individual cookie, you roll the cookie dough into logs, then slice the logs into discs. These discs are your cookies. It’s literally so easy. Here are some you can try:

All the Good Stuff About Santa’s Whiskers Cookies!

  • Easy ingredients: sugar, flour, butter, egg.
  • There’s no leavener, so the cookies are extra dense and buttery.
  • 1 bowl recipe.
  • Since you’re slicing the dough, you control the thickness.
  • Soft and thick in the centers!
  • So festive with cherry and almond.
  • Crunchy crumbly toasted coconut edges = coconut is Santa’s “whiskers” 🙂
  • Make ahead. Make the dough, roll into logs, chill for up to 5 days, slice then bake.

I have some success tips for you. First, divide the cookie dough in half and roll into 2 logs. Smaller logs are easier to roll in the coconut. Chilling the cookie dough logs is imperative to the recipe. The cookie dough is very buttery and without time in the refrigerator, the cookie dough will spread all over the cookie sheets. Remember that chilling is the #1 tip for how to prevent cookies from spreading. You could even shape this cookie dough into logs and freeze. Simply thaw in the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing and baking.

*Santa Claus does not have whiskers. The whiskers = his beard and mustache!*

I used maraschino cherries and green candied cherries; I found the green cherries in the holiday section of my regular grocery store. If you can’t get your hands on green cherries, just use red maraschino cherries or add some pistachios or green sprinkles. At the very last minute, I decided to garnish the cookies with melted white chocolate. Optional, of course, but since this is a Christmas cookie—it made for an extra special accessory!

Could these cookies BE more jolly? Cue Chandler Bing’s voice.

Prep Time 330 mins
Cook Time 14 mins
Total Time 5 hrs 44 mins
Cuisine:
Courses:
Servings: 2
Description

The merriest of all Christmas cookies! Santa's Whiskers Cookies are soft slice and bake cookies flavored with almond, studded with cherries, and rolled in coconut.

Ingredients You’ll Need
  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g)
  • 2/3 cup (133g)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups (250g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (63g)
  • 1 cup (80g)
  • 1 4 -ounce optional: white chocolate baking bar and extra coconut for topping
Instructions
  1. 1
    In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, and continue to beat until fully combined. On low speed, beat in the flour and salt until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Switch to low speed and beat in the cherries *just* until combined. Too much beating will turn the cookie dough pink. (Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!)
  2. 2
    Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, divide or cut into two. Shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 2.5 inches in diameter. The measurements don’t have to be exact. Roll each log in the shredded coconut. Tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I prefer to chill mine for 4 hours or even overnight—the colder the dough, the thicker the cookies.
  3. 3
    Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
  4. 4
    Slice each log into 12 equally thick cookies and place cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  5. 5
    Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes or until brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. 6
    If desired, drizzle the cooled cookies with white chocolate. Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Drizzle on the cookies. Sprinkle with extra coconut, if desired. Allow chocolate to set completely in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  7. 7
    Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week.
Keywords: all-purpose flour, almond extract, butter, cherries, coconut, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, white chocolate
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