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In my bias opinion these are the best Christmas cookies you’ll ever make! Soft and slightly chewy, these moist honey sugar cookies are garnished with elements that make the Santa come to life, from a coconut beard to raisin eyes. 

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Christmas Eve Traditions 

Every year on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, we would drive 3 hours to celebrate Christmas with my Dad’s side of the family. Christmas Eve was really the only time we spent time with his family, in addition to maybe every other Easter. 

It was always a long day for my sister and I, traveling back that same night. Often times, we wouldn’t get home until midnight and my dad would have to carry us inside to our beds. Sometimes we would pretend to be asleep just so he would!

My Dad came from a Polish family of seven siblings, so we always had a large buffet with baked haddock, perogies, kapusta, and other Polish dishes.

With the exception of my mom’s dish to pass, that is. My mom doesn’t care for Polish food, so she would bring her homemade mac-and-cheese (which everyone also loved!).

In addition to the main meal, there would be a large platter with abounding varieties of decadent Christmas cookies. One cookie in particular, which was made every year, was the Jolly Santa Honey Sugar Cookies. 

Christmas Cookie Traditions

This honey sugar cookie is a special family recipe.

As far as I know, my Grandma used to make them for years until they were then passed down to one of my Aunts, and eventually my Aunt’s daughter, who continued to keep the Jolly Santa cookie tradition alive.

It is interesting as you get older, how you appreciate the traditions you had growing up. Somehow they feel more special to you as you age. 

My family no longer gathers for that big Polish Christmas Eve. Some family members have either retired or relocated, and my grandma also recently passed away.  

Having moved states away two short years after college, I hadn’t attended the Polish Christmas Eve in years. But I realize just how much of a core childhood memory it is for me now.  

Spreading Christmas Joy This Year

So why am I sharing our special family recipe instead of keeping it a secret?

I’m sure there are many people that hold dear to family recipes and keep them a secret. Although I have also thought of doing so, I believe that food brings people together. 

By sharing a special recipe, you’re spreading joy. It also opens a door to share or hear a story, and there are so many beautiful stories to be told and heard!

You can truly make connections through recipes. Taking genuine interest when listening to others and asking them thoughtful questions about their lives is honestly one of the best ways to show you care.

One special way to share a recipe is to attach a handwritten recipe card to a tin full of homemade cookies.

Then, include a small note saying something like, “I’d love to learn about your Christmas cookie traditions sometime too!”

Give it to a neighbor, a friend, or just someone in your life you’d like to get to know better and spread some joy this Christmas! 

So What Is Santa’s Favorite Cookie? 

I’d rather like to think that these Jolly Santa Honey Sugar Cookies are Santa’s favorite cookie. After all, they are a portrait of the man himself!

Also, if this was Santa’s favorite cookie, then we would share something in common, as this is my favorite Christmas cookie!

That is a big declaration to make, but it is the truth.

Following close behind in second place would likely be chocolate crinkle cookies. But, I’ve made it a priority each year to carry on this jolly Santa honey sugar cookie tradition with my own kids. 

I just love how soft and chewy these cookies are, and I believe it’s thanks to the honey! 

What Does Adding Honey Do to Cookies? 

Honey is so beneficial to us. Studies show it might offer some antidepressant and anti-anxiety benefits, which is perfect for the hectic holiday season! 

Honey is actually slightly sweeter than sugar, so you can use a little less of it to achieve the same sweetness intensity.

It also acts as a humectant, which helps ensure your cookies retain moisture. It has also been proven to extend the shelf life of these delicious cookies. 

How to Make Jolly Santa Honey Sugar Cookies

These Jolly Santa Honey Sugar Cookies are a labor of love. From making the dough and chilling it, to perfectly stamping and baking, and delicately decorating.

You’ll need to prepare for a good long afternoon dedicated to making these jolly Santa Christmas cookies!

Honey Sugar Cookie dough Ingredients

• ⅓ Cup Shortening
• ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg
• ⅔ Cup Honey
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 ¾ Cup Flour

(Ingredients for the decorations)

Directions

Step 1. Mix together ⅓ cup of shortening, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 egg, ⅔ cup honey, and 1 tsp. Vanilla extract in your electric stand mixer until fully combined. 

Step 2. Add in 1 tsp. Baking soda, and then slowly add in 2 ¾ cup flour while keeping your mixer on a low stir setting. 

Step 3. Scoop all the dough into a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for about 2-3 hours or even overnight. 

Step 4. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously flour a solid work surface for rolling out the dough. 

Step 5. Roll out the dough to roughly ¼” thick. Using the Aunt Chick’s Jolly Santa Cutter, press the mold into the dough.

Carefully separate and use a spatula if needed to help get the dough off the work surface and placed onto an ungreased cookie sheet/tray. 

Step 6. Make your egg-dye mixture for creating Santa’s rosy nose and cheeks. In a small bowl, separate the egg white from the yolk. Mix in 1-2 drops of red food coloring into the egg white, stirring until combined. 

Step 7. Set aside enough pairs of raisins for Santa’s eyes (if you’re really particular, select raisins of similar size). 

Step 8. Bake the honey sugar cookies for 6 minutes, then pull out and dab your pinky finger into the egg mixture and dot all of the Santa’s noses and cheeks. Then lightly press the raisins in for each Santa’s eyes. Then place the cookies back into the oven for an additional 2-4 minutes.

Step 9. Using a flat spatula, remove the Santa cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Step 10. Once the cookies are fully cool, you can begin decorating. 

1. Start by adding some frosting to Santa’s hat, beard, mustache, and eyebrows using a piping tube or bag. 
2. Add coconut shavings to his beard and hat pom, pressing down lightly to secure. 
3. Sprinkle red or gold glitter sugar onto his hat, leaving the forehead part of the hat piped with a squiggle of white frosting. 

Creative Decorating: Make them your Own!

Feel free to take creative liberty and incorporate your own way of decorating.

Sometimes, I leave some Santa cookies without raisin eyes, and then decorate them by making the hat come down to the nose to create cute gnomes instead!

Just have fun with it and enjoy the delicious goodness of these jolly Santa honey sugar cookies! 

How to Store Honey Sugar Cookies

If you don’t eat all of these in the same day due to their amazingness, you will want to store in an airtight container. Use wax paper in between stacking the cookies.

These honey sugar cookies stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. 

What Are Your Favorite Christmas Traditions?

So what are some of your Christmas cookie traditions? I’m genuinely asking!

I’d love to hear your stories. Drop a comment below with a favorite recipe you make each year or just a childhood memory.

I’d love to know if you gave these Jolly Santa Honey Sugar Cookies a try too!

You’ll Also Enjoy…

And if you’re looking for more festive recipes to try, make sure to check these out next.

• Christmas Morning Brunch Punch
• Crumb Topping Pear Pie
• Coconut Pecan Chocolate German Pie

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Make sure to subscribe to get my Grace Notes directly to your inbox and to access all my insider perks. You can also follow along daily on Instagram and weekly on YouTube!

~Sarah