What is better than the smell of freshly baked Christmas Cookies? It is an aroma that draws everybody who’s home for the festive season into the kitchen, eagerly anticipating that melt-in-the-mouth moment with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Waterhead Head Chef, Nick, is generous to a fault, and one of his gifts to us this Christmas is the secret of his festive cookies. Not only can you enjoy them with a gingerbread latte at Waterhead, but you can impress family and friends at home as well!
How to make Festive Cookies
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 100 g caster sugar
- 90 g condensed milk
- 300 g self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g chopped dried cranberries
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar until soft and white, then add the Condensed Milk.
- Sift together all the dry ingredients and stir into the butter cream mixture. Add the dried cranberries and mix well.
- Roll the mixture into 4 equal sized logs and wrap in cling film
- Leave to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours
To Bake
- Heat oven to 160 degrees C or Gas mark 4
- Cut the logs into 1 cm thick slices and place 3 cm apart on a lined baking sheet
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, then leave to cool on a rack
Serving Suggestion

At Waterhead we love coffee. We source beans from some of the best coffee growers around the world, roast in the Lake District hotel and our expert baristas hand-craft the perfect coffee to order.
After you have baked the perfect batch of your festive cookies, enjoy it with a fresh coffee. If you are feeling extra festive you could even try your hand a Coffee Art.