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Holiday Cookie Swap! 10 Recipes From Women in Hospitality
- Emily Goldfischer
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Every great holiday cookie has a story. This year, hertelier invited women from across our community, from professional kitchens to hotel offices to home ovens, to share the cookies that mean the most to them. Some are family traditions, others are guest favorites, but all are tied to memory, meaning, and hospitality. Welcome to our holiday cookie swap!!!
Armour Family Christmas Sugar Cookies
Shared by Alicia Armour, Pastry Chef
About Alicia
Alicia Armour is the pastry chef at Davenport Hotels, where she brings creativity and care to both everyday desserts and special celebrations. Rooted in family tradition, her baking reflects a love of sharing moments, memories, and something sweet around the table.
Why Alicia Loves This Recipe
These sugar cookies are a longtime family favorite and a Christmas tradition in the Armour household. Designed for rolling, cutting, and decorating, they are meant to be made together, with flour on the counter, sprinkles everywhere, and memories baked right in.
Yield
Approximately 4 to 5 dozen cookies
Oven Temperature
325°F / 165°C
Sugar Cookie Dough
Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
Instructions
Cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.
Mix in vanilla.
On low speed, alternate adding eggs and flour, beginning and ending with flour.
Divide dough into discs, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
Roll to ¼-inch thickness, cut shapes, and place on parchment-lined sheets.
Bake 6–8 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
Cool completely before decorating.
Royal Icing
Ingredients
3 pasteurized egg whites
16 oz powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Water as needed
Instructions
Mix powdered sugar and cream of tartar.
Add egg whites and beat until smooth and glossy.
Add water gradually to desired consistency.
Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Shared by Krystle Swenson, Executive Pastry Chef
About Krystle
Krystle Swenson is the Executive Pastry Chef at Paws Up Montana and a two-time James Beard Foundation Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee.
Why Krystle Loves This Recipe
Refined to hold its shape in Montana’s dry climate, this gingerbread is designed for decorating and guest experiences, including bison-shaped cookies inspired by the property’s herd.
Oven Temperature
325°F / 165°C
Ingredients
570 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground clove
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
175 g butter, softened
175 g sugar
1 egg
155 g molasses
2 tablespoons glucose
2 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
Sift dry ingredients.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
Add egg, molasses, and glucose.
Add dry ingredients and hot water.
Chill dough 2 hours.
Roll between parchment to ⅛–¼ inch thickness.
Cut shapes and chill again.
Bake 6–8 minutes until set.
Italian Pizzelle
Shared by Christina Santarelli
About Christina
Christina Santarelli is Senior Vice President of Marketing at First Hospitality. She learned how to bake with her Nani (grandma).
Why Christina Loves This Recipe
Her Nani, Florence Santarelli, made these pizzelle for every family holiday. Though she passed away in 2015 at age 97, the tradition lives on.
Cooking Method
Pizzelle iron (no oven) -- you can see which to buy at Allrecipes.
Ingredients
3 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup butter or margarine, melted
1½–2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon anise seed or extract
Instructions
Beat ingredients until smooth.
Preheat pizzelle iron.
Drop batter onto iron and close.
Cook about 60 seconds until steaming stops.
Cool on rack.
Warm Cookie with Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Center
Shared by Narae Kim, Pastry Chef
About Narae
Narae Kim is a pastry chef at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme.
Why Narae Loves This Recipe
A refined tribute to childhood snack memories, reimagined as a warm cookie with a molten center.
Oven Temperature
375°F / 190°C
Ingredients (1 kg dough)
226 g brown butter
35 g butter
87 g muscovado sugar
104 g brown sugar
3 whole eggs
348 g All Purpose flour
5 g baking powder
1 ½ TBSP honey or golden syrup
3 g fleur de sel
Dulce de leche and chocolate for filling
Instructions
Mix butters and sugars.
Add eggs gradually.
Whisk dry ingredients and add with honey or golden syrup.
Chill dough.
Portion around filling.
Bake until set outside and molten inside.
Red Velvet S’mores Cookies
Shared by Jennie Chiu, Executive Pastry Chef
About Jennie
Jennie Chiu is the Executive Pastry Chef at Waldorf Astoria New York, where she oversees the pastry program at one of the world’s most iconic hotels. Known for blending classic flavors with refined technique, her desserts balance nostalgia and elegance.
Why Jennie Loves This Recipe
These red velvet s’mores cookies put a playful twist on a classic, combining rich cocoa notes with a toasted marshmallow finish. They are festive, indulgent, and designed to impress straight from the oven.
Yield
25 cookies
Oven Temperature
350°F / 175°C
Ingredients
210 g all-purpose flour
21 g cocoa powder
5 g baking soda
1.25 g salt
113 g butter, softened
150 g brown sugar
50 g granulated sugar
50 g egg (about 1 large egg)
15 g buttermilk
10 g vanilla extract
3 g beet powder
Mini marshmallows, 3 per cookie
Instructions
Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and beet powder.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and wet ingredients (egg, buttermilk, vanilla) to the butter mixture until just incorporated.
Scoop dough using a 30 g cookie scoop and freeze for 15 minutes.
Lightly flatten cookies and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake for 9 minutes.
While cookies are warm, top each with 3 mini marshmallows and torch until toasted for a classic s’mores finish.
Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
Shared by Sierra Preston, Chef de Partie
About Sierra
Sierra Preston is a Chef de Partie at Hilton Austin.
Why Sierra Loves This Recipe
Festive, balanced cookies with bright cranberry and buttery pistachio make the perfect addition to any dessert table or cookie swap!
Oven Temperature
350°F / 175°C
Yield
30 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt1
½ cups pistachios
1¼ cups cranberries
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
Cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients.
Fold in mix-ins.
Chill 30–60 minutes.
Bake 10–12 minutes.
Brown Butter Citrus Gingersnap Cookies
Shared by Daniella Lea Rada, Executive Pastry Chef
About Daniella
Daniella Lea Rada is Executive Pastry Chef at Signia by Hilton Atlanta.
Why Daniella Loves This Recipe
Inspired by Venezuelan holiday flavors of spice, citrus, and dark sugar.
Oven Temperature
350°F / 175°C
Ingredients
115 g butter
200 g dark brown sugar
50 g sugar
120 g molasses
50 g egg
5 g vanilla
5–7 g orange zest
300 g flour
4 g baking soda
3 g salt
6 g ginger
4 g cinnamon
0.5 g cloves (just a pinch)
1 g black pepper
Turbinado sugar for rolling
Instructions
Brown butter and cool.
Mix wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients.
Chill dough.
Roll 20 g balls in sugar.
Bake 9–11 minutes.
Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Shared by Melissa Benhaim
About Melissa
Melissa Benhaim is the founder of Benhaim Public Relations, representing hotels, destinations, and travel brands across the U.S. and Caribbean. A contributor to hertelier, she wrote Lessons from Latina Hospitality Leaders for Hispanic Heritage Month,
Why Melissa Loves This Recipe
Big, bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and gooey centers. She swears by this recipe from Josh Weissman.Â
Oven Temperature
425°F / 220°C
Ingredients
1½ cups cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups butter
1¼ cups brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 lb chopped chocolate
Instructions
Melt butter and cool.
Mix dry ingredients.
Combine sugars and butter.
Add eggs and yolks.
Add dry ingredients.
Fold in chocolate.
Chill 1 hour.
Bake 10–13 minutes.
Mudslide Cookies
Shared by Laurie Brezniceanu
About Laurie
Laurie Brezniceanu’s career has always centered on hospitality, beginning in a family-run Catskills resort. A Culinary Institute of America–trained chef, she now brings that warmth to Homewood Suites Clifton Park, New York, where she was recognized as a 2024 Chief Taco Officer for elevating the guest breakfast experience. She loves to bake and this recipe is her holiday go to!
Why Laurie Loves This Recipe
These rich chocolate cookies have been a guest favorite for years. We have scaled down the hotel version for home baking.
Oven Temperature
350°F / 175°C
Ingredients
30 g cake flour
2.8 g baking powder (¾ tsp)
0.9 g salt (â…› tsp)
12 ml espresso (2½ tsp)
1.5 ml vanilla extract (â…“ tsp)
57 g unsweetened chocolate
180 g 72% chocolate
30 g butter
3 medium eggs or 2 large eggs
180 g granulated sugar
205 g semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Sift dry ingredients.
Blend espresso and vanilla.
Melt chocolates and butter.
Whip eggs, sugar, and espresso mixture 6–7 minutes.
Blend in chocolate.
Fold in dry ingredients.
Scoop and bake about 9 minutes.
Silver Palate Molasses Cookies
Shared by Nancy Mendelson, hertelier
About Nancy
Nancy Mendelson is a co-founder and columnist for hertelier and has been baking these cookies for nearly 40 years.
Why Nancy Loves This Recipe
A forever cookie. Soft, spiced, and deeply comforting.
Oven Temperature
350°F / 175°C
Ingredients
12 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
1¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Preheat oven.
Melt butter and mix with sugar and molasses.
Add egg.
Add sifted dry ingredients.
Drop tablespoons onto foil-lined sheet.
Bake 8–10 minutes.
Cool on foil.
Hope these recipes have inspired you! Let us know if you try any by tagging hertelier on Instagram or LinkedIn. Happy Holidays!!