14 places to get a holiday cookie plate in the Twin Cities area

Nothing can replace the magic of whole weekends devoted to baking holiday cookies — hours spent icing mountains of butter cookies, stamping out spritz and pressing your thumbs into dough for days. Nothing except time, maybe. This year, let these baking experts handle the holiday cookies.

Sarah Botcher's French-style cafe and bakery will have a box of 30 cookies available in the shop or available to order (by phone) through the holiday season ($40). Inside, find pecan sandies, orange-scented pistachio biscotti, Danish butter cookies, hazelnut Florentine bars with house-candied orange, cardamom sugar cookies and a gingerbread stag.

3157 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-353-6552, blackwalnutbakery.com

A holiday cookie tin from Alicia Hinze's bakeries, in Lowertown St. Paul and northeast Minneapolis, includes an assortment of molasses, lemon cream, sugar cookies and Russian tea cakes in a reusable tin ($35, plus a 20% surcharge). Orders require a 48-hour minimum notice.

237 E. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-224-2300; 2445 NE. Marshall St., Mpls., 612-234-4224, thebutteredtin.com

Pastry chef Joanna Biessener is offering an Xmas Cookie Exchange, with 1 dozen assorted Christmas cookies that could include chocolate gingerbread, apricot thumbprints, raspberry meringues, sugar cookies, Linzer cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms and chocolate peppermint ($25). Order at least two days in advance, by Dec. 20, for contactless pickup.

4252 Chicago Av., Mpls., chefjojoco.com

710 Commerce Dr., Suite 100, Woodbury, 651-731-3323, dorothyannbakery.com

A holiday cookie platter that adheres to vegan, soy-free and gluten-free dietary restrictions comes with a 28-cookie assortment of chocolate peppermint cookies, cranberry orange biscotti, hazelnut Linzer cookies with cranberry jam, pecan shortbreads and gingersnaps ($40). Pre-order for pickup Dec. 21-23.

430 1st Av. N., Mpls., 612-354-7098, harkcafe.com

Christmas Cookie Boxes come with 1 dozen ($21) or 2 dozen ($39) of the Swedish bakery's Dala horse cookies, pepparkakor, polar bears, cinnamon squares, Swedish tea cakes and crinkle mint cookies. The larger platter also includes Finnish almond cookies, oat cardamom cookies and lavender cookies. Also available: a dozen gluten free thumbprints and soft-glazed ginger cookies ($19). Order by Dec. 21 for pickup Dec. 23-24.

530 W. Main St., Anoka, 763-427-0506, krownbakeryandeatery.com

4552 Grand Av. S., Mpls., 612-354-3257; 171 Snelling Av., St. Paul, 651-556-4488, patisserie46.com

Order treats by the quarter-pound or get a mixed box with 3 dozen ($18), 4 ¹⁄₂ dozen ($27) or 8 dozen ($40.50). The assortment includes Peanut Butter Blossoms, spritz, cherry pecan icebox cookies, Russian tea cakes, peanut butter crispy cubes and a variety of thumbprints. You can also get an eight-shape assortment of sugar cookies ($14), individual gingerbread men and assorted bars. Order by Dec. 18 for pickup Dec. 21-24.

2853 NE. Johnson St., Mpls., 612-789-2827, sarahjanesbakery@gmail.com, sarahjanesbakery.com

Build-your-own cookie plates with a minimum of 12 cookies (at $1 each) can include double-ginger molasses cookies, toasted walnut tea cakes, peppermint chocolate crackles, amarettis, date balls with walnuts, Honeycrisp apple cookies, lemon-cream cheese cookies and soft sweet potato doodles drizzled with maple icing. More flavors will be announced on Instagram. E-mail only to order for pickup on Dec. 23 or 24 at savorybakehouseorders@gmail.com.

3008 36th Av. S., Mpls., savorybakehouse.com

4557 Bloomington Av., Mpls., 612-503-5300, siftglutenfree.com

A Christmas cookie box ($40) comes with eight varieties of cookies — and for another $15 can be shipped nationwide. Also available: a Christmas cookie decorating kit ($40) with 18 cookies, three frostings and six kinds of sprinkles; and boxes of 6-inch sugar cookies decorated like holiday doors ($10). Pickup anytime until Christmas.

12772 Riverdale Blvd., Coon Rapids, 763-323-3236, somethingsweetcakes.com

From sister restaurants Tilia and St. Genevieve, a holiday cookie box ($45) comes with cranberry pistachio thumbprints, gingersnaps, rainbow cookies, Russian tea cakes, chocolate dipped macaroons and citrus pizzelles. Order 24 hours in advance, by clicking the reservations page, for pickup through Dec. 23.

5003 Bryant Av. S., Mpls., 612-353-4843, stgmpls.com; 2726 W. 43rd St., Mpls., 612-354-2806, tiliampls.com

4600 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-354-3414, info@sunstreetbreads.com, sunstreetbreads.com

A cookie platter with eight varieties serves two ($20) or four ($38). Or, buy cookies a la carte. The selection includes spritz, Peanut Butter Blossoms, gingerbread, chocolate-coated shortbread, chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, Russian tea cakes and hot cocoa cookies. A mini bar assortment ($30) comes with five flavors. Order by Dec. 17 to pick up by Dec. 23.

4149 Fremont Av. N., Mpls., 612-259-7168, thirstywhalebakery.com