DIY Maccabee Cookie Gift Boxes
It’s already the fourth night of Hanukkah, and I hope this finds you happily full of latkes, sufganiyot, and whatever else crossed your path this week. A quick gift idea before the oil fully takes over: these cookie boxes are genuinely adorable and a joy to assemble—decanting sprinkles alone is a top-tier activity. They make especially great gifts for families with kids: part treat + part activity. Tutorial below.
DIY Maccabee Cookie Boxes
For the cookies
1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces (57g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (192g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons (6g) vanilla extract
3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (9g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (~3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Blue food coloring, gingerbread-men cookie cutters, rolling pin
For the icing
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (205g) vegetable shortening
7½ cups (1440g) confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (45g) whole milk
For the boxes
Bakery boxes, crinkle confetti, small containers (for icing), mini icing spreaders, small glass jars, kraft paper labels, baker’s twine, blue and white sprinkles, blue chocolate candies, additional cookie toppings of your choice
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then gradually add them to the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
Divide the dough in half. Leave one portion plain and tint the other with blue food coloring, kneading until evenly colored. (Quick color note: because the dough starts yellow, blue can skew green; adding the tiniest touch of purple or red helps bring it back to true blue.)
Flatten each portion into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Let the dough soften slightly, then roll out one color at a time to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out shapes and bake for 5–6 minutes, just until set. Let cool completely.
To make the icing, beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Add half the confectioners’ sugar and mix until creamy, then add the remaining sugar, vanilla, and milk and beat until fluffy.
To assemble, portion the icing into small containers, fill jars with sprinkles and toppings, and line bakery boxes with crinkle confetti. Arrange everything inside, add a few cookies and an icing spreader, tie with baker’s twine, and label; gift/share!
