We’re wrapping up our bake-off series, decking the halls, and baking Christmas cookies for Santa (and all your upcoming cookie exchanges)!

This month we’ve made epic pizzas, multi-layered dessert bars, and casseroles fit for holiday feasts. November has flown by and we can hardly believe this bake-off series is coming to an end. Of course we have to end it with a bang! Seeing that is exactly 1 month until Christmas and advent begins this weekend, we knew we had to have a Christmas cookie challenge. Sure we may be biased as Christmas fanatics, but this week is the best one yet!

We had a dinner party and sleepover with our closest girlfriends the weekend we made these cookies. With the weather getting chillier and chillier, our late-night chats being fuelled by Christmas cookies, and waking up for a pancake breakfast, it really did feel like the Christmas season had already begun. When we were formulating our cookie recipes, it was an internal battle trying to pick between classic Christmas flavours or experimenting with nontraditional ones. In the end, we both went the classic route because what would Christmas be without warm spices and rum, peppermint and chocolate? Sad, that’s what.

Vegan Snowball Cookies

Chew: These are melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a Christmas twist! Infused with rum and some cinnamon and nutmeg, these cookies will bring you right into the holiday spirit! As a kid, my absolute favourite thing my mom would bake during Christmas time are these shortbread balls covered with powdered sugar and her chocolate orange biscotti (dipped in chocolate, of course!), so I decided to make a vegan-friendly version. As I whipped them out of the oven, my mom was very curious and actually tried one and she loved them so much she requested I saved some for her to snack on during the week (which is unheard of, knowing my mom who literally lives off of peanut butter, bread, avocado, and cheese).Even just a few years back, I would feel super hurt whenever my parents would eat something I make and would only have negative things to say about it; tough critics at the Chew household, so these cookies had better be good!

Full recipe HERE

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

Leung: I rarely ever go to Starbucks but when it’s Christmastime, I can’t resist popping in to grab a peppermint hot chocolate or mocha. These cookies are a mash-up between my favourite holiday drink and my favourite vegan cookies. Before heading into the oven, a whole dark chocolate truffle is pressed into the centre of each cookie so when it’s baked, you’re left with a toasty marshmallow island floating on a pond of molten chocolate. And can we please appreciate that marshmallow pull?! These soft-baked cookies are such a delight, especially when reheated in the microwave for 20-ish seconds.

Full recipe HERE

Last Chance to Vote

Cast your vote for the cookie you’d want a whole platter of on this poll.

Who will be crowned Vegan Baking Queen?

After 3 weeks of baking challenges, the scoreboard is sitting at 2:1 with Chew in the lead for her Pumpkin Pizza and Tomato Rice Casserole. At the end of Christmas Cookie week, we will find out whether Chew takes the crown or if we will need a bonus tie-breaker challenge!