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Trump escalates campaign to defend himself. TRANSCRIPT: 4/25/19, The 11th Hour w/ Brian Williams.
Guests: Annie Karni, Alexi McCammond, Matthew Flegenheimer
April 26, 2019, 3:00 AM UTC
ELIZABETH DREW, POLITICAL JOURNALIST: It is said by some because it only went through the House and the Senate didn`t take it up. But it took a chunk out of Clinton. It`s quite clear that Trump does not want to be impeached, and at least you`d have the record that Congress didn`t sit around and do nothing. Then it`s up to Republicans to explain why they are protecting this man in office when he clearly has abused power, which is what impeachment is about. It`s not about the crimes on the books. The Founders made that very clear.
LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, MSNBC ANCHOR: Yes. It`s not -- impeachment is not just a political risk for Democrats is absolutely a political risk for Republicans in trying to mock that defense.
DREW: That`s right.
O`DONNELL: Elizabeth Drew, thank you for joining us and we really appreciate it. Thank you very much.
DREW: Thank you.
O`DONNELL: And "THE 11TH HOUR" with Brian Williams starts right now.
BRIAN WILLIAMS, MSNBC HOST: Tonight in rambling telephone call with Sean Hannity, President Trump repeats his mantra, no collusion, no obstruction, then goes on to reargue the case against Hillary and Obama and Mueller, even Beto O`Rourke`s crowd size.
Joe Biden makes it official today on video for starters and a fundraiser tonight but he`s going after Trump head on and there is reporting tonight he is the Democrat Trump fears the most.
And the news of the $2 million ransom from North Korea in exchange for Otto Warmbier. Plus, what Putin says he will tell Trump after his meeting with Kim Jong-un. All of it as THE 11TH HOUR gets underway on a Thursday night.
Well, good evening once again from our NBC News headquarters here in New York. Day 826 of this Trump administration. The President remains knee- deep in his campaign to strike back against the findings of the Mueller report, and to shake off the Democrats` efforts to investigate his White House. Here briefly is some of what he told Sean Hannity tonight on Fox News.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There was like a one- sided witch hunt as I called it. And, you know, Bob Mueller, I turned him down to run the FBI the next day he was appointed to be the head of this special counsel.
Thirty-five million dollar spent and unlimited manpower, woman power and there is nothing, nothing. And it was a very bad two years for this country but the nice part is as far as Trump is concerned and the Trump administration, there is no collusion and there is no obstruction.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: In the weeks since Mueller`s findings were released and just been a week today. The President has maintained his campaign to reframe the damaging revelations about his behavior. This is just some of what he has written to us over the past seven days.
And today, sent this out about his former White House counsel who House Democrats would very much like to talk to and we quote, "I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn`t need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself."
That, of course, directly contradicts a detailed account in the Mueller report, more on that ahead. The White House of course is trying to block McGahn from telling House Democrats what he told the Feds in nearly 30 hours of testimony. McGahn did not respond to Trump on Thursday but "The Washington Post" reports it this way, "some Trump advisors said privately Thursday that they fear Trump`s ire could eventually prompt McGahn to speak to protect his reputation potentially creating a wave of new challenges for the White House."
Politico reports tonight that Trumps daily focus on this Mueller report and his inability to move on it is starting to worrisome of the President`s allies. They want Trump to, "stick to playing up Mueller`s conclusion that his campaign did not engage in a criminal conspiracy with the Russian government. One former Trump campaign official described the President`s post-Mueller volley as a complete and utter disaster."
A former White House official told Politico he needs to channel frozen, "He needs to let it go. It`s especially not helpful to him but he just can`t help himself."
Trump is taking on House Democrats in the midst of all this running a legal blockade to resist their subpoenas and other request they try to scrutinize his administration. He gave a hint about his battle strategy during this exchange right after the midterm elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you expect that when the Democrats take over the chairmanship of these important committees, you`ll get hit with a blizzard of subpoenas on everything from the Russia investigation --
TRUMP: Well, then everything is going to come. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to your cellphone use, to your tax returns?
TRUMP: Ready? Then you`re going to -- if that happens, then we`re going to do the same thing and government comes to a halt. And I would blame them.
If they do that, then it`s just -- all it is a war-like posture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Again, "The Washington Post" tonight putting it this way, "Trump`s decision not to cooperate with House committees coupled with reluctance from Republicans in control of the Senate to cross him has left Congress struggling to assert it self-as a co-equal branch of government.`
They go on to quote a one-time administration official saying, "America`s general scorn toward Congress, I think that`s widely shared in the West Wing."
"The New York Times" reports Trump`s resistance, "sets the stage for open war fair with House Democrats heading into the 2020 election. By essentially forcing Democrats to keep filing lawsuits to try to enforce their subpoenas, Mr. Trump will be fighting what he can portray as Presidential harassment."
As Trump tries to shape public opinion about his treatment by Congress and the special counsel, some observers are taking a closer look at Mueller`s conclusions in the document. In a "Times" op-ed, Fordham University law professor, Jed Shugerman, says that even with redactions, "the report offers substantial and credible information of the Trump campaign conspiring or coordinating with the Russian government."
And Fox News Legal Analyst, Judge Andrew Napolitano, offered this today on the subject of obstruction and to repeat what you`re about to see is from Fox News.
ANDREW NAPOLITANO, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYS: When the President asked Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager to get Mueller fired, that`s obstruction of justice. When the President asked his then White House counsel to get Mueller fired and lie about it, that`s obstruction of justice.
Ordering them to break federal law to save him from the consequences of his own behavior, that is immoral. That is criminal. That is defenseless, and that is condemnable.
WILLIAMS: Here for our lead off discussion on a Thursday night, in New York with us this evening, Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for "The New York Times." By the way, Peter`s book "Obama the Call of History" has just been released with material including a forward by our friend, the presidential historian, John Mechem. Down in D.C., Annie Karni, White House Reporter with "The New York Times." And Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. Attorney and Senior FBI official, we welcome all three of you.
Peter, because home field advantage is an advantage, we`ll start with you here in New York tonight. For seven days exactly, I`ve been talking about the tonnage disparity, 400 plus pages, all the detail, rich with detail, footnotes, granularity versus the President`s quick comeback, it as if however, judging from his behavior and his talking points that the tonnage is starting to seep in to the landscape a little bit.
PETER BAKER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you seen of course a very significant shift in his message, right? Originally he was claiming total exoneration.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
BAKER: Now he`s claiming total hit job. He`s kind of views back and forth between these two aspects of report. It`s a classic Trump world, you know, situation here where there is a thin line between victor and victim, right? He expresses grievance at the same time, he`s claiming that he`s been vindicated. And it`s a kind of confusing message, I think, for a lot of voters.
Is he in fact, cleared by this report or is in fact this is an unfair hit job on him, that he`s not really very clear with his own voters who are looking for him to give them a clue to what to think about him.
WILLIAMS: Chuck Rosenberg, let`s talk about the legal battle ahead and to do that, I want to do a dramatic reading from the writing of Robert Costa. Let`s put this up on the screen.
"In conversations today with several Trump advisors, it was clear that Trump is the one driving this stand off with Congress. No whisperer as one put it, just a man alone eyeing the T.V., urging everyone from Cipollone to Giuliani to take a hard line."
Chuck, how does this end?
CHUCK ROSENBERG, FMR. U.S. ATTORNEY: Yes, great question, Brian. I don`t think it ends well for the Congress or for the President or frankly for the American public. This is ugly. It untoward. Frankly, it`s jarring.
You know, all presidents and all Congress`s, right, have tensions, they fight. They argue. But the way we normally get through that is through accommodation. And there does not seem to be any room for accommodation here.
The President is drawing a very hard line in the sand. He`s making absolutely no sense except for the fact that Congress doesn`t seem at least so far to find a way through the thick that he has planted. And for me, frankly, I`m a creature of the courts. I understand the legal process. I understand the rule of law and justice system. I would love to see the President of the United States answer for the things he did in a court of law. In Congress, it looks very different. It`s messy.
WILLIAMS: Annie Karni, tonight`s live phone conversation interview with Sean Hannity was interesting. During it, the President reminded Sean Hannity I could have fired everyone. Could have fired Mueller at all. Is it more proof of the point we were talking about with Peter that at least the people around him are reading into the granularity of the charges in this report?
ANNIE KARNI, THE NEW YORK TIMES WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think this is just Trump being Trump and I mean it`s not a good legal argument that he could have fired Mueller. It`s not helping his case. I think it is more proof that he is -- I mean, it`s always been he`s driving the show there but he`s surrounded now in particular by a group of aids who are just letting Trump be Trump and not even trying to guide him one way or the other. He`s reacting to coverage more than reacting to the report. I think that`s why he switched from victor to victim.
And he`s trying to pick a fight with Congress, which in some ways is where he feels most comfortable, fighting back with subpoenas, creating a cloud of lawsuits that will slow down everything that`s coming. This is what he`s always done. So he`s being himself.
That comment about, "I could have fired Mueller" is as people have pointed out that`s true, he could fire anyone he wants but not if there is a particular cause which there appears to be. So it wasn`t a good valid argument for him to make on national television.
WILLIAMS: Chuck, back over to you for second. Some of what Ashley Parker has written tonight in "The Washington Post," "Trump`s efforts to enlist Corey Lewandowski as a back channel to try to curtail the probes, detailed in 10 pages of Mueller`s 448 page report provides a new window into how far the President went in trying to hold back the special counsel. The episode, which discomfited even some of Trump`s most loyal advisors was read by some legal observers as one of the clearest cases laid out in Mueller`s report of potential obstruction of justice by the President."
But Chuck, I`m not being snide, what do we do with information like this? It`s been the question really for the past seven days after all of that was served up to us by the special counsel.
ROSENBERG: Right. We`re still digesting it and it`s not clear what we do. I mean, as voters, we`ll have an opportunity to do something with it in 2020. The Congress has the Constitutional authority to do something with it right now. And quite frankly, every sitting president becomes a former president and so conceivably, former president can be charged while a sitting president cannot, Brian.
You know, I think there is a useful exercise here. If you were to read volume 2 of the report, the part that`s about obstruction and take out the name Trump and take out the title president and substitute any other name and title in its place, you would have somebody already in handcuffs. It is such a compelling case for obstruction.
I was a federal prosecutor for a long time. I brought obstruction cases. I brought them with much less evidence than this. I understand that Mueller can`t charge him and therefore I understand that Mueller can`t recommend charging him, but people ought to read volume two to see what the President of the United States tried to do.
WILLIAMS: Annie Karni, back over to the Hill for a second. It is very clear that Mitch McConnell is earning the admiration of this President by among other things, running a factor assembly line for federal judge nominees as they`re getting distributed to their jobs on the bench across the country at roles big and small. But aside from that, what of the Trump agenda, we`re back into this daily routine.
Here is a news flash. It`s said from inside the White House, there is no one to disagree with the President and his thoughts are dominated by live television coverage.
Annie?
KARNI: Sorry, I`m back. Sorry.
And there`s no one to deal within Congress, sorry, I didn`t catch the end of your question.
WILLIAMS: No, there`s no one to reign in the President`s behavior in the White House yet again we`re told the same narrative, there is no one to disagree with him, no one to bump up against and his thoughts were dominated by what he sees here on live cable news coverage.
KARNI: That`s right. And one -- Mitch McConnell does have some influence on the President I`ve been told in terms of his nominees for instance, there is issues right now with his nominee for the Federal Reserve, Steven Moore. Mitch McConnell if he counted his votes and saw that he couldn`t get six, he saw six noes for him, Trump would listen to him and possibly withdraw that nomination in a way he doesn`t listen to anyone else.
But in terms of the Mueller report, we haven`t seen a lot of Republicans at all in the Hill pushing back or saying we need to hear more or there is anything of concern here. We`ve heard very, you know, Mitt Romney maybe is one but we`ve not heard a lot of Republicans. There has been a lot of silence on their part. So they are the party of Trump and they are not looking to raise red flags about what`s in this report that some people like Chuck are saying is a clear case of the obstruction of justice outline.
WILLIAMS: Peter Baker, because you have written the story of various presidents and because I do come for you for the big thought during interviews like this one, a very sober-minded person said to me tonight that our country has been destabilized, that our President remains under investigation and that the whole world is watching. Is that an over statement in any way?
BAKER: No I don`t think it`s an overstatement at all. I think this is a test of democracy. What is the right answer here? And we`ve been through this before, but every time we go through an impeachment battle, we rewrite the rules for the next time. What is the president we`re setting here?
Let just say for the sake of argument the impeachment for this. We`re setting a bar at which we have said, this is a line beyond which we don`t think a president should cross. If we don`t impeach him, we`re also setting a bar. We`re saying it`s OK to do the things that he has done because they don`t cross a line. That the something that will ripple out through years and years to come for future presidency. If he wasn`t impeached for that, therefore I can do this.
And I think that`s one of the things Democrats are struggling with, right? The practicality of the politics, they don`t have the votes to win an impeachment fight. And yet, there is a consequence if in fact they believe, as some of them do, that, you know, crimes have been committed here or at least allegations of crimes are worth looking at.
WILLIAMS: So this may call for a judgment on your part. Do you think the middle ground that is most attractive to Pelosi at all are hearings that are impeachment hearings except in title?
BAKER: Yes, it looks like an impeachment hearing, smells like an impeachment hearing, sounds like an impeachment hearing they just don`t use the word impeachment, right? And so they explore these issues, they have hearings, they call Don McGahn and others to testify, they call Robert Mueller to testify, and they may not take a vote at the end of the process but they have explored these issues and put them out there for the voters to look at. We`re heading into an election year after all and they`ll say, "OK, fine, we`re not going to decide it but the voters have to decide it. Maybe that`s what we do, a quasi impeachment.
WILLIAMS: Can`t thank our big three enough for starting us off tonight, to Peter Baker, to Annie Karni, to Chuck Rosenberg, our thanks for being on.
Coming up for us, as day one of the Joe Biden campaign comes to a close now, new reporting tonight on why Donald Trump sees Biden as his biggest potential threat among the Democrats, if that`s to be believed.
And later, an attempt by the President to rewrite history as of 7:47 this morning as THE 11TH HOUR is just getting started on a Thursday night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOE BIDEN, (D) 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe history will look back on four years of this President and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time, but if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.
The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America, America is at stake. That`s why today I`m announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.
WILLIAMS: Well, as you heard there, Joe Biden is in. His videotape announcement was a direct attack on the President as one "New York Times" reporter put it earlier today, "Biden is running as the national emergency candidate as he sees it."
And he`s unmistakably running as the guy who can beat Donald Trump, not that his road will be easy. For starters, he`s the front runner early. That`s traditionally not the place you want to be and starting along and punishing journey. He`s a white male in his 70s and a party that has shifted away from all those things of late. That makes the primary campaign tough.
He also has a vast legislative past of close to half a century and while people change over the course of a lifetime, it`s a lot to defend nonetheless. Biden`s campaign launch video focused on the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville almost two years ago now and the President`s response to it, it weighed heavily on his decision to run.
Our own John Allen sums up Biden`s campaign strategy this way, "Hope and change were luxuries of the past. Joe Biden is running on fear."
Biden received a warm welcome to the race from the incumbent President as you might have seen, "Welcome to the race sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence long in doubt to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty. You will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick and demented ideas, but if you make it, I will see you at the starting gate."
Tonight with Sean Hannity, the President added this.
TRUMP: I think that, you know, when you look at Joe, I`ve known Joe over the years. He`s not the brightest light bulb in the group, I don`t think, but he has a name that they know.
WILLIAMS: Earlier in the day, Biden brushed off the President`s insults.
MIKE MEMOLI, NBC NEWS NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Mr. Vice President, do you have a message for President Trump? He welcomed you in the race and questioned if you have the intelligence to be the President of the United States.
BIDEN: Everybody knows Donald Trump.
WILLIAMS: Here for more tonight, Mike Memoli, NBC News National Political Reporter who spent the day on the road with Joe Biden. Matthew Flegenheimer, Political Reporter for "The New York Times." And Alexi McCammond, Politics Reporter for Axios. Sorry, my mouth took the night off without letting me know.
ALEXI MCCAMMOND, AXIOS POLITICS REPORTER: It`s OK.
WILLIAMS: Good evening and welcome to you all.
Mike, you covered Joe Biden the last campaign. You`re just back. Thanks to you and Amtrak for getting here tonight. What`s different this time around?
MEMOLI: Well, you know what was interesting? I think there was a lot of talk about the suspense of Joe Biden decision. How long it took him to enter the race.
I think if it was up to Joe Biden, he would have waited even longer to get in. There is a number of reasons his team of advisors have said this has to be the time. But you can see there when I asked him the question about the President`s comments, whether he wanted to engage, you can see the wheels turning and there was something we don`t often associate perhaps with Joe Biden, which was a little bit of restraint there.
He wanted to engage. I think he is ordinarily inclined to do so. But what he recognizes and what his campaign team is trying to impress upon him is that stay above the fray. The higher the stakes, the better you`re going to do. The message to Democrats is, get on my back, I`m the guy -- I`m the person who can beat this guy and forget about the policy discussions, forget about everything else. This is about ending this national emergency and defeating him at the ballot box."
WILLIAMS: And Matt, talk about his choice to lead with Charlottesville.
MATTHEW FLEGENHEIMER, THE NEW YORK TIMES POLITICAL REPORTER: It was clearly to your point a way to put Trump in his cross hairs early on. Obviously other candidates are running very aspirational visions of their own and very affirmative policy ideas and certainly talk about Trump very negatively but not as the center piece of their campaign.
This is him saying, in that sort of above the fray away, "I`m the candidate to beat Donald Trump next fall. I`m the candidate with the sort of gravitas in history to fill this role.
And Charlottesville is as low of a moment both sort of in polling crustily and for a lot of Democrats in these two years under Trump. And I think that sort of visual reaction that people have had to, it is something he was trying to channel in the video.
WILLIAMS: Alexi, I have a dramatic reading for you from Politico about Trump`s insults against Biden today, "Trump`s insults were actually masking respect and genuine concern about Biden`s potential to win, his advisers say. As early as last fall, Trump was talking privately with aides about the threat Biden posed, "How would we beat Biden" he would ask. When reassured that the moderate Biden would never defeat several of his more liberal rivals, Trump pushed back, "But what if he does?"
And Alexi, that`s the question to you. When you think of the Democratic Party, the P word comes into play for the progressive wing, the kind of new left the young left, how do we process it all as of tonight?
MCCAMMOND: Well, there are a couple things I`d like to say about that. One, I think that President Trump as with most people you attack what you fear and it`s clear by the people that he`s attacked in the 2020 Democratic primary filed that he fears Joe Biden certainly by the way he talked about him today. And Senator Elizabeth Warren because I think if my knowledge is correct, she`s the only other candidate who he has tweet attacked in this race so far.
Joe Biden`s age as you mentioned is certainly something that people questioned. When I talked to voters, especially swing voters around the country and particularly in rural areas in the Midwest, age doesn`t seem to be a factor with these folks. They mostly say to me and Axios that they want someone who is transparent, who is honest, who they think is predictable and who they think can return the country to a sense of normalcy that they don`t necessarily feel under Donald Trump. And I think that, ultimately, is what could really help Joe Biden.
People think he might be predictable because they know what he was like as vice president, whereas with President Trump, a lot of folks took a chance on him after voting for Obama in `12 and `08 and then voted for President Trump and now they`re sort of seeing what that unpredictable presidency looks like. And they want more of a sense of normalcy and that might be why Joe Biden is appealing to some folks now despite him not being the most expressive candidate in the field.
WILLIAMS: Alexi, a quick question from out of nowhere, the President wrapping up his interview with Hannity tonight referred to Kamala Harris as having a nasty whit. Can you imagine him saying that about a male candidate?
MCCAMMOND: I certainly could not. The only other time I could think about him using the word nasty was in the 2016 election with Hillary, which obviously became a rallying cry for feminist and women, folks in the Democratic Party.
It`s interesting, though, that he uses sleepy with folks named Joe, Joe Donnelly, Joe Mnuchin, Joe Biden, I`m not sure where that comes from. Maybe it`s just his affinity with the word sleepy and Joe, but I wouldn`t expect him to use the word nasty with someone like a man and we haven`t seen him do that does far.
WILLIAMS: And this is where we are in 2019, cataloging and categorizing insults. Our guests and not against their will have agreed to stay with us over the break.
And coming up, one thing this Obama-Biden Democrat was missing on day one of his run for the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to ask you quickly. If you are the best choice for the Democrats in 2020, why didn`t President Obama endorse you?
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: I asked President Obama not to endorse and he doesn`t want to -- whoever wins this nomination should win it on merits.
WILLIAMS: So that`s interesting right there. And we`re back talking about Joe Biden and all things related with Mike Memoli, Matthew Flegenheimer and Alexi McCammond.
So Mr. Memoli, that was interesting. I`ve heard a lot of our colleagues on cable news tonight say do we really believe that? He`s running as an Obama-Biden Democrat in what some will label at an attempt at Obama`s third term in effect. Talk about that moment.
MIKE MEMOLI, NBC NEWS NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, as Chuck Todd like to say, Joe Biden has a new first name for this campaign, it`s Obama- Biden. What`s interesting though, in conversations with Obama advisers in the last few days, I actually was interested in whether he was going to weigh in at all, because he hasn`t with any other candidate entering this field.
And so, simply the fact that they put out a statement at all, reminding everyone that in the inherently act of selecting somebody to run as your running mate is saying that this person is qualified to be president, to talk about the close personal relationship that they still have is not an endorsement but certainly a signal to Democratic voters that I have this guy`s back still.
The other part of this is, I think Joe Biden, he may not have said to the former president, I don`t want your endorsement but I don`t think he would have asked for an endorsement knowing as he does that the President was probably not going to offer it anyway. That he knows what the President`s advisors were saying today is true, that he feels that he actually benefited from that very tough 2008 primary against Clinton. It made him a better candidate and it made him a better president.
And so, there`s that, very that element of needing to prove it to the voters and to the country that you can go through the grind of this campaign, it will make you better for it.
WILLIAMS: Alexi, Joe Biden has lived a long life and a lot of it in public life. He has sadly lived long enough to bury two children. We have seen him at the political peaks and valleys in our country. One particularly pungent chapter of his life was the Anita Hill hearing. His phone call with Anita Hill prior to getting in this race apparently left her less than satisfied. Talk about how all the aspects of a almost half century-long legislative life will have to get kind of mixed together and assessed from a 2019 standpoint.
ALEXI MCCAMMOND, POLITICAL REPORTER, AXIOS: You know, that`s going to be the fascinating and potentially challenging thing for Joe Biden as he explores his run for president in this 2020 election. I mean, he had 20 something years to call Anita Hill and apologize to her and he called her days or maybe weeks before he decided to launch this campaign for the White House.
WILLIAMS: Great point.
MCCAMMOND: And, you know, I think that just looks like it is very politically motivated and not motivated from a genuine place of, you know, moral authority. As Anita Hill said in that article with the New York Times, she wasn`t satisfied with his apology because she thinks that he needs to express perhaps more regret to the American public in general.
I mean, especially the Me Too era, we`re in a totally time in which women and people no matter your gender are expecting different types of behavior from people especially folks who are seeking public office. They want to know that you are genuine in everything you do and you`re genuinely sorry for the things you have done in the past.
Because he`s lived such a long life as you have just mentioned, he has this sort of opportunity to say, "Look 40 years ago, 20 years ago, I was a different man. It was a different time. I thought about things differently.
People are allowed to evolve certainly. I am encouraging and I think a lot of people with the encouraging, folks really learning and listening, and trying to understand the ways in which the world and society has changed over time and adapt their own views in that way. And I think Biden could really come out in a way and sort of express that. But in his -- so he`s politically calculated, it seems apology to Anita Hill, that`s not just not what folks are looking for.
And the bottom line again, you might want someone who is compassionate or transparent, but you want someone who has authentic and you want someone in 2019 who is going to own up authentically to the things that they have done and show that they are not going to make those same mistakes moving forward when 2020 might look totally different in society than it does in 2019 and it will in 2022 and 2024.
You need someone who is going to listen and learn, and educated themselves and be willing to evolve. But voters might not be forgiving of that. We saw the ways in which Hillary Clinton was dragged in 2016 because he stance is on various issues had evolved over time. And people simply weren`t willing to accept that because they like Bernie Sanders consistency.
So it remains to be seen how upset people will be, but the fact that this is coming out on the first day he announced his campaign I think will prove to be a problem for him until he really addresses it.
WILLIAMS: And, Matt, let`s talk about the primaries. We know the crowd the Republican Primary brings out, we know the crowd that the Democratic Primary brings out. His theory of the case is "I`m your guy to beat this guy" but primary voters may not agree with that.
MATTHEW FLEGENHEIMER, POLITICAL REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: And his theory of the case as well is that, they electorate is much less sort of stringently progressive than you might believe watching cable news or being on Twitter. That there is a wide swath of the electorate like him that sort of sees this as a national emergency, sees somebody like Joe Biden as kind of a stabilizing force to sort of right the ship is not necessarily as fired up about, sort of sweeping the logical changes is not necessarily somebody who wants to see him care for all and some of the progressive policies that have been put forth by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, others in the field.
It`s a much more sort of down the middle, not just interest in policy but there`s interest on the sort of temperaments and the moment that we`re in making the case that this is kind of a stable force that you can kind of attach yourself to, to take on Donald Trump in fall of 2020.
WILLIAMS: Luckily, as we like to say around here, we`re just getting started. A reminder to all, it is eight months until the first primary but no excuse for not talking about this stuff tonight. So Mike Memoli, to Alexi McCammond, to Matthew Flegenheimer, our thanks for helping us do that this evening.
MCCAMMOND: Thanks, Brian.
WILLIAMS: Coming up for us, on the price North Korea put on the life of a young American hostage named Otto Warmbier and the bigger price for dealing with the North Korean regime when we come back.
WILLIAMS: Welcome back. Today we learned the US envoy responsible for bringing Otto Warmbier back home from North Korea was handed a $2 million medical bill for the college student`s care, while remember he was being held in a labor camp.
According to the Washington Post, North Korean officials gave American diplomat Joseph Yun the bill insisting he agree to pay before they would release the comatose Warmbier. Yun reportedly contacted former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who then spoke with the President. Paper said Trump agreed and the bill went to the State Department.
Warmbier was flown out of North Korea again, in a coma on June 13 of 2017. He died six days later in this country.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about the report and responded with quote, "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration." Warmbier`s father told the Post he was not aware of this payment but it sounded like a ransom payment for his late son, unclear if a payment was ever in fact made.
To talk about it with us tonight, a Sue Mi Terry back on the broadcast, a Senior Fellow for the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She`s also a former Senior Analyst at CIA, was in- charge of this part of the world while on the White House National Security Council to top it off. She returned from the Peninsula just this morning.
Sue Mi, we won`t keep you. We`re very happy to be able to ask you a few questions. How should we think about this potential ransom payment?
SUE MI TERRY, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, this is extraordinarily brazen even for North Korea since they returned Otto in a comatose state and essentially killed him. But, of course, it`s not surprising at all because North Korea does not do anything for free. So it`s not surprising several years ago, I think four year they`ve released Kenneth Bae, another American citizen. They demanded $100,000 for his release.
Now, the question is whether President Trump paid this ransom and if he did, I think it is concerning because he has denied it. Even as recently as last September, he had said that he didn`t have to pay anything, which means he has lied. So, of course, we don`t know if he paid or not but it is considering if he did pay, you know, we just don`t know.
WILLIAMS: I have to ask you about this week`s summit between Kim and Putin, both men our President is believed to widely admire.
TERRY: Right. Yes, they met. This is all part of Kim Jong-un`s summit in diplomacy, now that there is an impasse with Washington. What Kim is trying to get is a sanction relief primarily. He just wants to loosen implementation of sanctions from countries like China and Russia. But I don`t think anything substantive really came out of this meeting. It was mostly symbolic, but it is all part of his effort to pressure Washington and trying to get some sort of sanction relief.
WILLIAMS: And what can Putin gain from Kim?
TERRY: Putin wants to just show that he is a player. Russia always wants to be part of diplomacy and now that Kim has met with President Xi Jinping, how many times, four times, President Trump pretty wants to make sure he has -- he can influence what`s going on.
And I think now from Kim Jong-un`s perspective, the one country that`s left is Japan. So we have to be look out and to see if Kim meets with Prime Minister Abe. But again, this is Kim`s effort to try to get sanctions relief and to mobilize these countries and isolate United States, and pressure the Trump administration.
WILLIAMS: And because we`re living in 2019 and everything in your world is upside down when Trump accepts Putin`s offer to call him and brief him on the summit, how much diplomacy does that overturn?
TERRY: I don`t know how much diplomacy it overturns. I mean, it pretty ridiculous seeing, but, you know, this is where we are. And North Korea and the United States is at an impasse in the aftermath of the failure of the Hanoi Summit, and we`re not really getting anywhere with North Korea. And, you know, I don`t see any kind of progress in the coming months.
WILLIAMS: Sue Mi Terry who is never been scared by a little jet lag, thank you so much for coming on tonight.
TERRY: Thank you for having me on.
WILLIAMS: I don`t know what time it is for you right now. We appreciate you joining us from Chicago.
TERRY: Thank you.
WILLIAMS: Coming up, tonight`s "Uncovered" segment has more on the man from the Mueller report who was clearly been on the President`s mind this week.
WILLIAMS: President Trump started his day trying to deny, as we said, a key portion of the Mueller report, writing, "As has been incorrectly reported by the fake news media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn`t need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself."
Well, as part of our series of reports, "Uncovered," going back over what has not been widely covered from deep inside the Mueller report, we are focussing tonight on the portions that detail Trump`s efforts to remove the Special Counsel.
In the report, McGahn testified the President called him twice, mid-June of 2017. McGahn said both times, Trump directed him to call Rod Rosenstein and tell him Mueller was conflicted and could not serve as Special Counsel. And here now is how the report explains it and we quote.
"When the President called McGahn a second time to follow-up on the order to call the Justice-- Department of Justice, McGahn recalled that the President was more direct, saying something like, "Call Rod. Tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can`t be the special counsel." McGahn recalled the President telling him "Mueller has to go and call me back when you do it." McGahn understood the President to be saying the Special Counsel had to be removed by Rosenstein."
McGahn, of course, never followed through on that and in fact the report says he wanted to resign but ended up staying on the job. Well, fast forward January 25th of 2018. That`s the day the New York Times reported that Trump had ordered McGahn to fire Mueller.
Mueller`s team writes that Trump was upset over the newspaper story and brought it up during a February 6th meeting. "McGahn recalled the President said, "I never said to fire Mueller. I never said fire. This story doesn`t look good. You need to correct this. You`re the White House Counsel."
In response, McGahn acknowledged he had not told the President directly that he planned to resign but that the story was otherwise accurate. The President asked McGahn, "Did I say the word fire?" McGahn responded, "What you said is call Rod Rosenstein, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can`t be the Special Counsel." The President responded "I never said that." The President said he merely wanted McGahn to raise the conflicts issue with Rosenstein and leave it to him to decide what to do.
McGahn told the President he did not understand the conversation that way and heard instead had heard, "Call rod, there are conflicts. Mueller has to go." The President asked McGahn whether he would do a correction and McGahn said no. McGahn thought the President was testing his mettle to see how committed McGahn was to what happened.
We should further point out a critical single sentence in this Mueller report. It says the following. It says, "McGahn is a credible witness with no motive to lie or exaggerate, given the position he held in the White House."
As we get in another break here tonight. Coming up, what we learned all over again just today about the echo chamber we sometimes inhabit around here. That when we come back.
WILLIAMS: Last thing before we go here tonight are some pretty important findings about something that certainly affects our life and work around here, and that`s Twitter. Something we know but we tend to forget with regularity is that Twitter is used by somewhere around 1/4 to 1/3 of the US social media age population, and something we know but tend to forget with regularity is this.
It punches way above its weight in terms of its heft. The influence it has on our news media, on our politics, on the national conversation. We now know even more about the influence of Twitter thanks to some hard numbers from our friends at the Pew Research Center. The numbers show us, "Twitter users are younger, more likely to identify as Democrats, more highly educated and have higher incomes than US adults overall." It goes on, "Twitter users are somewhat more likely to say that immigrants strengthen rather than weaken the country and to see evidence of racial and gender- based inequalities in society."
The study shows that Twitter as a society is very top-down, "much of the content posted by Americans on Twitter reflects a small number of authors. The 10% of users who are most active in terms of tweeting are responsible for 80% of all tweets created by US users."
And because just about every conversation ends up here, let`s get to Donald Trump. While most days he seems like the loudest voice in all of social media, he has just under 60 million Twitter followers. That puts him just behind Kim Kardashian, but interestingly, it does not put him in the top ten. Here they are, led by Katy Perry, Barack Obama and Justin Bieber.
And with that list of the top 10, that is our broadcast here tonight for this Thursday evening. Thank you for being here with us. Goodnight from NBC News Headquarters in New York.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. END


Remember that the heart of Nehemiah has been broken by the state of the people of God and the city of God. Now he is crying out to God to get God's attention. This is not a prayer to help him find the keys to his chariot – not that praying for the small things in life is wrong, but this is about something that has struck him profoundly and deeply and has him very concerned. So how does a man of God pray when something has touched him so profoundly?
Beseech – ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat.
He is crying out to God but who is he crying out to?
The Lord God of heaven – if you need to have an image in mind, I highly recommend Rev 4:3-11closeERROR: The IP key is no longer supported. Please use your access key, the testing key 'TEST'closeERROR: The IP key is no longer supported. Please use your access key, the testing key 'TEST'. This is the person whose heart you calling out to. Does this remind you of another prayer? From Matthew?
He is a great and awesome God – Take a quick look at Job 40closeERROR: The IP key is no longer supported. Please use your access key, the testing key 'TEST'closeERROR: The IP key is no longer supported. Please use your access key, the testing key 'TEST' – 42 and see the extent of God's creation. When Job was dealing with God's position, God reminded Job of His creation. When you see God as Who He is, you don't attempt to push Him around or tell Him what to do. You beseech Him.
When we comprehend Who God is, very often the next steps involve our own personal evaluation of who we are NOT. People who speak to God like Nehemiah will very often tend to confess sins.
Isaiah is a great example of this, when he was in God's presence, what was his reaction.
Nehemiah cries out: Please hear me, but he doesn't present his prayer for the topic of his heart, but rather calls out for God to hear him about his sinfulness.
His is confessing his sins and his father's sins and the nation of Israel's sins. What kind of pronouns are used here? I & we.
He doesn't say anything wishy washy about sin. This is not about "if" but "We have". The things he points out: Acting corruptly & not keeping the commandments, nor the statues, not the ordinances which were given to Moses.
Next Nehemiah calls on God to remember something God said. He calls out to a God who promised something and now he requests. This is where we call to mind the truth of God's promises. It not that God needs to be reminded about what He promised in the past, but that we are expressing our faith in His power and ability to keep those promises.
I heard the story of an old saint and pastor who had a very tender heart about sin. One night, as the meetings were ending, he asked if he could meet with his elders, he had a sin to confess. Of course, all the elders were concerned. If you knew this man, you would wonder what could he have done to warrant such a confession to the leaders of the church. So the men all gathered around together, had a word of prayer, and then asked the man to share and confess.
The old saint told the story about how at the most recent gathering, he was asked by the ladies in the kitchen to cut the pie for the gathering. So he took one of his favorite pies and began to follow their direction. After cutting, and perhaps even during the cutting, this man decided to cut one piece a little larger than the others because of his great love for this pie. So he cut, and then took a piece that was only marginally bigger than any other of the pieces of the pie. His confession to the board was not that he had that larger piece of pie, but that he purposed in his heart to take advantage of the power that had been entrusted to him. Perhaps an even bigger shame is that although the pie was delicious to him, the dishonor to the Lord ruined any joy he might have found from the pie. The closer you get to God, the more serious you will realize sin is.


It's the holidays and I come bearing gifts! And pretty awesome gifts they are, if I do say so myself. The first are my new favourite Christmas cookies. Yes, yes, I say this about all my cookies because I fall fast and hard for whatever new creation I've just made. But really, these are startlingly good. They look relatively plain and not all that fancy. They don't have lashings of frosting and there isn't a speck of chocolate to be seen. Or peanut butter either, for that matter. But they are tender and soft, almost melt in your mouth, with a lovely hint of anise.
They are modelled after a classic Italian-style Christmas cookie. These would be the cookies I used to pass over on the holiday cookie plate in favour of the fancier, more gaudily festive ones. They simply looked too plain to me. But over the years, I've come to realize that there is so much to enjoy about the simpler things. This goes for life and for cookies. Simple, well-made cookies are such a pleasure. And let's face it, the Italians do things right when it comes to the holidays.
I created this cookie recipe for my friends at Swerve Sweetener, so the actual recipe lives over there. But it's worth the click-through, believe me. And I am making a double batch very soon to giveaway to family and friends.
**Please note that there is something wrong with Swerve's nutritional analysis that we are trying to sort out. My software gives this information: Food energy: 164kcal; Total fat: 14.62g; Carbohydrate: 4.50g; Total dietary fiber: 2.33g; Protein: 3.73g; Erythritol: 15g. NET carbs = 2.17g per serving. Serving size is TWO cookies.
Gingerbread is my favorite too! Followed closely by molasses.
my favorite christmas cookie is maple meltaways but I love trying new recipes every year.
I love, love, love spritz cookies! I think I also have found a compatible recipe. I will keep you posted as to how they turn out.
Traditional chocolate chip cookies for me (now low carb, of course).
I like gingerbread cookies and or sugar cookies!
Same here! I love homemade chocolate chip cookies just a little crispy.
For the Christmas Holidays I like Gingerbread!
I love a variety of whoopee pies!
Sugar cookies with every kind of decoration you can imagine. Kids love to help with these and making the cookie is easy but the fun and family togetherness never stops….
My favorite have always been Peanut Butter Blossoms and was thrilled to see your low carb version! I've made the full sugar ones for my family-they are packed away in the freezer-but now it's time for me!!!! Can't wait to try them, or these law carb Italian Cookies too. Thanks Carolyn. You've saved Christmas for me Lol ?
I made the peanut butter blossoms yesterday! I ended up using real hershey kisses on top for some and still calculated net carbs at around 5 per cookie (My batch made 35 cookies). They are so delicious. Taste just like the higher carb ones.
Any cookie works for me. I'm the original Cookie Monster!!
Just yesterday the kids and I made the traditional roll-out/cut-out cookies with a buttercream icing, sprinkles, etc. I think they are my favorite. However, since I went sugar-free two years ago, I simply can't eat a million of them like I want to, so I'm thrilled to try a simple low-carb cookie that looks as yummy as the pictures on this post! Ty for all your yummy recipes!
These look great – I'll have to add them to my cookie list!
Oh my gosh. I have wanted a kitchen aid mixer my whole life but could never afford it. Love your blog. Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes.
I love anything with chocolate in it, but I'm certainly going to try this recipe!
Have you tried Chocolate Crinkles? They are my favorite!
Will get to those someday!
Anise cookies are my favorite, mostly since my mom always makes them.
Well then you will love these!
I love Swerve and am so glad that I can buy it at my local grocery store, rather than on-line now.
My new favorite is your "Oatmeal" Chocolate Chip cookies! And they are my family's favorite too!
Nut rolls and cottage cheese rolls. Can't have Christmas without those for this Hungarian girl:) in fact I will attempt to make more like a danish this year using a low carb Stromboli recipe.
Do you calll it potica? Like Slovienans?
I love ginger snaps but these look so yummy and pretty!
I love ginger snaps and spritz.
I live any cookie with chocolate and peanut butter!
My favorite is the plain old sugar cookie. With frosting of course!
I like the sugar cookies made them when kids we're little they help to frost and put sparkles on going to make these today .
ARE YOU KIDDING?? How can I just pick ONE favorite? I will say that yesterday I made two pans of Scandanavian Almond cookies for the first time – edges crunchy, inside soft and thoroughly delightful. First time I have made them and sure to be added to my 'favorites' list.
WOW! I think these Italian cookies will be my New Favorite! Making them today!
I have a 1992 copy of a Woman's Day Holiday Baking magazine, and in it is a priceless treasure: Vermont Crackles Cookies. Easy and so, so delicious with good black hot coffee. Now that our household is gluten and (as much as possible) sugar free, Vermont Crackles are a fond memory. But a good one. Have a wonderful holiday, and bless you for your hard work, and remarkable recipe skills!
I have to find a low carb recipe for these, but there are these ginger molasses cookies sold by a bakery nearby that are to die for.
Otherwise, there is nothing like a great chocolate chip cookie!
Being Italian, I grew up eating Italian cookies, so any Italian cookie I love.
My favorite is krinkles – and now I have the low carb version thanks to you, Carolyn!
Chocolate crinkles used to be my fave! Now I like your fudge bars, although like you, my favorite is whatevers in the kitchen!
My favorite cookie is Molasses Lace, my aunt's recipe.
My mom always made Scandinavian almond cookies when i was growing up…I love them but haven't had them in years!
My favorite cookies were the ones you bought at the Italian bakery.
My favorite holiday cookie is gingerbread men or soft molasses cookies.
I love cookies, and I have learned to love simple buttery cookies the most (Shortbread, Russian Teacakes etc) I am looking forward to giving these a try.
Cinnamon Stars-This is a meringue-based almond cookie I roworked using Swerve instead of sugar. I was surprised that the Swervo made the crunchy coating the same way the sugar does.
My favorite has always been the Raspberry Almond Thumbprint. Peanut Blossom close second!
Could you share this recipe? I have never heard of them! Sound amazing!
My favorite cookie is the one that has frosting on it. Just like your recipe. thank!
Love biscotti with almonds and cbocolate.
Favorite cookies since beginning LCHF eating are any really rich buttery or almond butter cookies. Lots of dark chocolate never disappoints either. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes, so many to choose from this holiday, our cookie tray will be beautiful and so much healthier this year!
I love anything not chocolate, and especially gingerbread!!
My favorite holiday goodies are frosted cut out sugar cookies and anything chocolate/peanut butter!
Thank you! This is my favorite Christmas cookie.
Peanut butter and chocolate cookies or magic cookie bars.
I always loved making decorated cutout spice cookies, it was a family traditional and my mother had a collection of more then 100 cookie cutters which she left to me and my sister. But I have to say I think I liked to EAT Mexican Wedding cookies the best!
I've never heard of Swerve, but will look for it next time I'm in the store! My favorite Christmas cookie is a soft sugar cookie with cream cheese frosting. Your Italian Sugar Cookies sound wonderful!
Custard creams – something my grandma and mom made. Basically shortbread cookies with jam in between and icing on top. And nanaimo bars – thanks for giving those back to me!
My mom (who has know past) poinsettia sugar cookies. They were beautiful.
My favorite is either my grandma's date balls or double chocolate craisin cookies. Neither are low carb unfortunately.
Frosted sugar cookies are my favorite. So making these with vanilla instead of anise flavoring will be perfect!
Your pecan snowballs. I am making them again today. I'll try shaping them into crescents.
Still looking for my favorite low carb cookie. Sugar cookies are my favorite regular cookies. Hiring this new recipe is a winner!
A mixer would be a lovely gift, I've never had one like this before. These cookies look so delicate and pretty, can't wait to try them. But, I guess my favourite would have to be Browned Butter Snickerdoodles.
My favorite is a chewy molasses cookie, but now that I'm Keto…. so far sugar cookies win.
Love your recipes! Hmmm, favorite cookie. Decorated Christmas cookies are a childhood favorite.
I love chocolate chip cookies. Also what can I sub out the almond flour with in this recipe?
My favorite Christmas cookie is a Biscochito. Love this traditional New Mexican cookie which has anise and uses lard instead of shortening.
These look amazing, can't wait to try them. My favorite is Neapolitan cookies or Rainbows! Any chance you could do a recipe for them?
I love the decorated Christmas cookies. To me there is nothing better than watching your baby girls make them and giggle – that is what Christmas is all about. 🙂 I think your beautiful Italian Cookies would be a fantastic treat to take to my daughter's school Christmas party!
I did cutouts and decorated cookies with the kids on our snow day this week!
My favorite cookie is Starlight mint surprise. I have to make my own chocolate wafers as they don't make Rockwell chocolate wafers anymore.
I think pizzelles or mexican wedding or pfererneuse are all my favs….
My favorite is chocolate chip, and a close second is Italian ricotta.
Thank you for this opportunity! My favorites are Italian Rainbow cookies. Haven't engineered those to be low carb yet!
Sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies!
I love the traditional Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies!
Chocolate chip is always a favorite but I really like most cookies whether it's a holiday or not. Your brownie bark recipe has become a real favorite at my house.
My favorite since I was a kid has been Sour Cream Christmas Cookies!!
I love sour cream. What are those cookies, I'd love to try my hand at a low carb version!
My favorite holiday cookie is the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie, like a brownie dipped in powdered sugar! Delicious!
My favorite cookie is a Mexican Wedding cookir!
Gingersnaps are my favorite for the holidays, but these look great! I'll have to try them.
I love soft sugar cookies!
I definitely would not skip these cookies had they come by me! I might have to make my way to the kitchen today. Thank you, Carolyn!
My favorite is Snickerdoodles! They are the best!
My new favorite Christmas cookie, just discovered this November, is your Biscoff (Speculoos) Cookie recipe using Wilton's Holiday Mini Cookie Cutters. Will be taking a batch to our family Christmas party.
Laceys Milk Chocolate and Macademia, Danish Butter, Chocolate Chip… and many others.
Anything with walnuts and/or pecans!!
I love thumbprint or chocolate crinkle cookies!
My favorite cookie is a soft dough cookie spiced with nutmeg and coriander.
Sugar cookies and peanut butter!
I would always make Italian cookie and I love them. I want to try these. I also make sugar cookies so my grandchildren can decorate them. I like buck eyes and well I guess I like them all.
Yum! I love all cookies. I might try these with almond extract today.
My favorite Christmas cookies are shortbread cookies! Swerve makes cooking easier!
There isn't a cookie i wouldn't eat but I love classic sugar cookies and italian filled cookies…. of course now i look for low carb versions. I'm so looking forward to giving this a try!
Yum another recipe I can't wait to try!!
Your recipes are always amazing.
sugar cookies are my favorites!
My favorite is making sugar cookie cutouts and decorating with family and friends.
I don't know what they are called they are lacy caramel on the top with a thin layer of dark chocolate on the bottom. I have tried finding low carb sugar free versions but have not yet found or figured out how to make them.
I have so many, but I think I will choose Russian Teacakes – and I will be trying your Snowball version shortly!
My fave holiday cookie is the biscochito. It's a shortbread cookie flavored with anise, and it ain't Christmas without it.
I love, love, loe pecan snowballs!
my favorite Christmas cookies are butter spritz!
I have many favorites, Snicker Doodles, Choc-oat-chip and of course Short bread.
My favorite holiday cookies are sugar cookies. The older and staler the better! My husband is always grossed out if I eat them after they are a few days old.
Yay, Nanaimo Bars! you know I have a low carb version of those, right?
My favorite holiday cookie is Norwegian Krumkake!!!
I can't choose just 1 favorite Christmas cookie but spritz or Russian tea cakes are up there.
I have two favorites that I will try to make low carb. The first one is called mint tweeties, they have a brown sugar shortbread crust with a mint chocolate topping. They were my late sister in law's favorite. I would make a batch just for her.
The other is my friend's ginger cookies. I make those for times when we have to take goodies to work, but I am going to try a makeover.
Winning all of this Swerve would help with the projects of making these recipes into something low carb eaters could enjoy. The mixer would help too.
Chocolate Chip and perhaps a few peanut butter with walnuts. Yum!
I know exactly what type of cookie you're going for here – both of my parents were born in Italy and my Nonna makes these at least 5 times a year. Very interested to see how the low carb version compares!
I love peanut butter blossoms at Christmas!
It's not really a cookie, but Hardanger lefsa is my favorite Christmas treat.
My favorite cookies are shortbread!
I've never even heard of the originals! Excited to try these!
Sugar cookies my kids decorate.
My favorite cookie is an Austrian Jam Cookie! Seedless Black Raspberry Jam!
I love one of my friend's monster chocolate chip cookies recipe! It makes huge cookies and I think they could be adapted to use Swerve!
So excited about this recipe, because this is my favorite! Thankfull for you recipes, love love love!
I love Swerve and would love to win this package! I would love to see if Swerve works for Christmas "crack". I know I would have to use molasses with the granulated Swerve.
My favorite holiday cookies are ginger cookies. I'm excited to try this recipe!
Yum, any cookie with chocolate or peanut butter!
I love sugar cookies with homemade frosting!
with you! You go Girl!!
Ginger Crinkles! Thank you for offering the giveaway!
I love shortbread around the holidays!
My favorite Christmas cookie is chocolate chip, and frosted "sugar" cookies.
Oh, childhood favotires, thumbprint cookies, Russian tea cakes, spritz cookies, shortbread, all now made new for me and mine through this wonderful low carb blog and others like it!
Hot dang, Carolyn! You're knocking these out of the park.
I love speculaas, so many memories of my gram wrapped up in those cookies.
My favorite Christmas cookies have always been the cut out sugar cookies I made with my mom and now I make with my grandchildren. The recipe is from a cookbook given to my mom by her grandmother when she got married.
So I'm walking around Sam's club looking for ingredients to some of your cookie recipes and I see this Swerve post….yeah, I'm parked on the side if an isle entering every which way I can!! One of my goals this morning was to find a place that sells Swerve in this town! So far, no luck. Ordering online is my only option. Grrrrr!! Maybe soon, though.
Thanks for the chance and ALL of your fab recipes and low carb lifestyle advice! I couldnt do it without you!!
I am 48 years old and STILL can't pick one as a favorite! I love them all!!
Love white chocolate chip cranberry!
My favorite cookie is hard to pick. I love chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, sugar and dark chocolate cherry cookies.
I have two favorites, pumpkin chocolate chip and sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.
I love the chocolate crackle cookies!
My favorite Christmas cookies are snowball cookies.
My favorite cookie is peanut butter blossom.
Sugar cookies for decorating. Or Ginger bread. Too many decisions!!
I have such a collection of your recipes, Carolyn. I made your dried cranberries yesterday. Thanks for all your efforts and your amazing creativity.
My favorite Christmas cookie? It used to be thumbprint cookies made with oatmeal cookie batter and topped with a gumdrop. But not since going LC. I plan to try your oatmeal cookies if I can find my baking supplies and equipment. I was 85% packed to move when the contract fell through the end of last week. Life is always interesting.
I love chocolate chip cookies. Now they are low carb and sugar free. I've also discovered coconut macaroons with sugar free chocolate chips.
I love Serve and your recipes!
Ooops. Swerve. Too early in the morning.
My favorite is your gingerbread cheesecake bites. They just taste like Christmas!
My favorite are gingerbread cookies.
Molasses cookies partially dipped in white chocolate.
My favorite Christmas cookies are thumbprint cookies.
Cut sugar cookies were my favorite before I went low carb. I haven't tried any low carb recipes for sugar cookies, but I will be!
PB sandwich cookies are my favorite!
Shortbread cookies. You know, the ones in the Christmas tins. Maybe only because they make me think of Christmas growing up. Definitely pre-keto! Thanks for the chance to win!!!!
I absolutely LOVE cookies of all kinds and it's so hard to pick just one, but if I had to it would be a soft sugar cookies. Yum! Thanks for this awesome giveaway!
Good lord, I rarely meet a cookie I don't like, but any molassesy or gingery cookie gets my top vote.
Three are so many! I really like the tri color Italian cookies with the apricot jam in between the layers..yum!
I don't have a cookie baking at Christmas kind of family, but I used to enjoy eating store bought gingerbread men cookies and all kinds of Italian cookies. I am looking forward to trying these.
Thanks for the giveaway, I'd love a mixer!
My favorite cookies are Oreos. But they do not fit in my thm lifestyle now. I also love cheesecake cookies and chocolate chip and double chocolate.
I have not had very much luck with low carb cookies but am excited to try these!
I think they will. I haven't tried it yet but I just made a double batch and I am going to freeze most of them.
Sugar cookies with frosting decorated by the kids are my favorite!
My all time favorite cookie is Choc. Chip, but since I have been on LCHF my FAVORITE is Snowball cookies.
Looking for a new favorite since I can no longer eat my original favorite Almond Kiss cookies.
I don't think I have a favorite holiday cookie…I've seemed to historically like them all! Most don't fit into my eating plan now though…so always on the lookout for ones made so that I can eat them!
I have several favorites but I love my Mom's sour cream twist cookies (a recipe I need to convert to gluten free one day) and her chocolate crinkle cookies.
My favorite Christmas cookie is Buckeye balls. Haven't found a low carb version that tastes like mine with graham cracker crumbs added.
These look great. I think they'll be a staple!
My favorite holiday cookie is the traditional sugar cookie!!(: YUM!
I've enjoyed all your cookie recipes so far. Keep 'em coming.
My favorite are "forgotten cookies" minty chocolate chip meringue cookies. Made them last every year with my grandmother. Put them in the oven turn it off come back later and they were done. Light and minty after a heavy Christmas dinner.
Soft sugar cookies with sprinkles.
A soft cake like brown sugar cookie with a browned butter icing.
My favorite is walnut roll cookies.
Love a classic Nanaimo Bar.
My favorite Christmas cookies are chocolate chip, gingerbread, and Russian tea cookies. I can't pick just one!
Spritz cookies are my favorite of all time.
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip. Thank you for this amazing give away!
Spritz are my all time favorite cookie.
Ginger bread cookies and Spritz cookies are my favorites.
I love raspberry thumbprints and russian teacakes.
Try my cookies. Honestly, most people can't tell they are low carb!
I love spritz cookies and I cant wait to try this recipe! ??????????????????????
While I no longer eat the real thing, I lve a yummy sugar cookie!
My favorite cookie is the old fashioned roll out sugar cookies.
O love, love, love snickerdoodles!
These are my very favorite! I am so excited to see a low carb version. I cannot wait to try them!!
Seven layer cookies are my favorite.
I love when my mom makes low carb gingerbread cookies with the sukrin brown sugar!!
Love me some gingerbread! But sugar cookies are a close second!!
My favorite holiday cookie is Magic Cookie Bars.
My favorite holiday cookie, while not low carb because I have trouble finding a low carb cookie I love, are thumbprint cookies. So much butter!
Have you seen my thumbprints? I have several different flavours.
My favorite cookie is gingersnaps, followed by chocolate chip and butter cookies.
Before low carb, it would have been Oatmeal Raisin. After low carbing for so long, I would prefer something simpler, like this beautiful Italian Christmas cookie. These are just beautiful!
My favorite is Mexican wedding cakes.
I would love to win this! I love your website and recipes!
Thank you for this gorgeous creation!
"…the Italians do things right when it comes to the holidays." Best.Quote.Ever. Hahaha. (Not that me being Italian has anything to do with my bias!) LOVE Anise cookies. You are correct – they are a bit understated, simple and non-flashy, but they are So.Good. Especially dunked (yes – we're great dunkers!!) into some hot espresso. Making today!
I totally agree that the "sweet" cookies are nice but there's something special about these! I grew up eating these so I'm very excited to try this recipe! Thank you!!
My favorite are the Mexican Wedding Cookies! I use hazelnuts in them! Thanks for the change as the giveaway and Merry Christmas to you and your family!!
I like different types of Christmas cookies, but tend to want sugar cookie cut-outs and gingerbread men.
My favorite is whatever low carb one is in front of me at the moment. LOVE COOKIES!!
I love anise pizelles. Nothing can beat the flavor and crispness of that cookie!
If it says chocolate, I'm all over it!!
Good old fashioned cut outs will always be at the top of my list!!
I have a few I love, Santas whiskers, Mexican wedding cookies and Holiday biscotti with pistachios & cranberries.
Favorite Chiristmas cookie is probably spelled wrong, Pfferneusse.
Adore simple sugar cookies!! Thanks.
Peanut butter thumb print cookies. Oh and the chocolate/oatmeal no bake cookies.?
Ginger snaps. I'm looking forward to trying some of Carolyn's recipes this year!
I love almond sugar cookies. They keep me young at heart!!!
My favorites are mexican wedding cookies. Thank you for the opportunity.
So glad my cousin steered me to this site!
My favorite cookie is a shortbread cookie followed closely by the biscoff cookie.
I love soft gingerbread cookies !! Mm!
"Sugar" cookies, made with Swerve, of course!
My favorite cookies are called Snickers Surprise. I only make them for Christmas!
Ginger snaps, any cookie really.
My favourite holiday cookies are um………holiday cookies! I love 'em all! Printed off the recipe and heading to the kitchen to make them right this minute!
I made them and I love them! Thank you for the recipe!
I always like to try new low carb foods. These look really good.
Sugar cookies, although I haven't made them in a while, partly due to the sugar. I'd like to try this recipe to see if it'll be a new favorite!
Traditional chocolate chip and low carb Twix cookies are our new low carb fav.
My favorite Christmas cookie is Homemade Sugar Cookies frosted with Vanilla Bean Frosting!
Molasses cookies are my favorite.
My favorite Christmas cookie has always been the cruncy butter cookies! I could eat a whole tin before going low carb! Now I make my own…..and I don't eat the whole batch lol.
My favorite holiday cookie is pecan crescents.
Sugar cookies are the bomb!!
My favorite Christmas cookie is peanut butter kisses/blossoms!
Gingerbread boys with frosting on them!
love following you on FB!
Butter cookies. Haven't had them in years.
I don't think I could pick a favorite. I love frosted sugar cookies but usually my favorite is the one I'm eating at the time!
Chocolate chip! But these sound amazing!
I like anything with chocolate, or a good sugar cookie!
Sugar cookies. But homemade only. Not the store bought or tubed stuff. Buttery soft homemade sugar cookies.
My favorite is red velvet chocolate chip cookies.
I love sugar cookies with a fluffy icing. Yum.
Never had a favorite. Never been fond of them. But I can see you starting one! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Love the Chocolate Espresso Shortbread in your Low Carb Holiday Cookies!
These sound delicious, and I'm sure they will be, just like your other recipes that I've made! Thank you for all you do!
My favorite cookie is any cookie that I am eating. I love home made cookies, chocolate chip is the one I get request for.
Thank you, again! My husband is Italian- I look forward to testing these cookies out on his tastebuds.
Please let me know what he thinks! This was my take on the original but you know…it's always different with low carb ingredients!
I love lots of kinds of cookies,but one of my favorites is oatmeal cookies.
My mom made Butter Cookies that will forever be "the" Christmas cookie. I made them with my kids and now my kids make them with my grandkids.
I stick with the classic sugar cookie.
These look delicious and perfect for a Christmas treat. I've never had Italian wedding cookies so I'll have to give this a try.
I don't know for sure if they freeze well but I am banking on it because I just made a double batch for the freezer!
Soft Sugar cookies with butter cream frosting. Sometimes I add crushed candy canes on top!
after I try this recipe…. might be these.
My favorite Christmas cookies are Russian Teacakes, aka Mexican Wedding Cookies. Yum!
My favorite holiday cookies are ones that someone bakes for me (like my girlfriend Chris!!) since I don't make good ones myself. I've tried tons of recipes and they never come out right. The only cookie I can bake are Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies and that's because they are a cake style cookie. Sugar cookies in a shape turn out like hockey pucks. Not the perfect grandma cookies.
Walnut Squares! Unfortunately, I have still not figured out a lo-carb version of these. The recipe has been a family fave for years.
I really miss my great grandma's impression cookies. I need to try to adapt some keto cookie dough to work with her recipe.
These cookies look so festive! Thanks.
These look yummy and sound very simple to make. Can't wait to try this recipe!
My favorite is Chocolate Orange Spritz!
I love cranberry, pistachio cookies.
My favorite is an almond bar cookie recipe I found years ago.
My favorite cookies are Mexican Wedding cookies. Someday I'll get brave enough to try a SF grain-free version…maybe if I win!
Jingles! This recipe reminds me of the classic boxed holiday Jingle Cookies! Yum.
My favorite cookie at anytime of the year is my sugar cookies.
Chocolate Chip Cookies, all day everyday.
On a side note, I just made these cookies. Nice flavor. Mine aren't as pretty. A little brown on the bottom and edges. My oven could be too hot. Also, think I need more frosting, but these are a keeper. The husband loves them. p/s are they suppose to be on the softer side?
Yes, they are supposed to be soft. As for the browning on the bottom, if you have a silicone baking mat, use that. It really helps protect the cookies.
Thank you. I will try the mat next time. We really like them. Such an easy recipe.
My favorite holiday cookie that my mom used to make is a no bake cookie made with peanut butter, butterscotch chips and corn flakes. But alas, I don't have a low carb version of that. ☹ I sure miss those this time of year.
Thanks for posting! I grew up with these, and have missed them for decades!
It's hard to choose between gingerbread cookies and snicker doodles.
My grandmother made killer rum balls.
Favorite cookies. Can't have just one. Spritz, Snickerdoodles or Mexican Wedding cookies.
I love Russian Tea Cookies, and Snickerdoodles, and fudge, and Cheesecake cookies, and Pecan cookies, and… etc, etc! You get the idea!
Spritz are my favorite cookies!
I really like nutballs, mine are like Mexican wedding cookies.
Nut butter balls, aka snowball cookies!
My favorite cookies are my great Aunts peanut butter cookies. Bring a smile to my face just thinking of them.
I love all kinds of cookies!!!
My favorite is cheese straws but I really like lady fingers, too!
basically anything with chocolate is my favorite, but these Italian cookies look scrumptious too!
Hot chocolate chip cookies are my favorite but also love watching my children make sugar cookies. Growing up my mom always made about 8 different types of cookies including Italian wedding cookies and Russian tea cakes.
I have so many favorite Christmas cookies, would have to say Hungarian Christmas cookie, aka Kifli is number one!
I love you website and all the eindferful revives you post. I've tried many. They are good!
I love gingersnaps and peanut butter blossoms. I'm so glad to find your recipe. My son just became a firefighter and he is also a bodybuilder. His new co-workers told him how most folks drop off tons of sweets for Christmas at the firehouse and hardly ever bring anything low carb and/or without sugar. Several of them desperately want some "good" treats. So my friend and I are planning to make gift baskets for 3 firestations filled with low carb goodies. I'm sure these italian cookies will be a big hit. Thank you!
Oh that's a great idea. I hope they love them! I also have a recipe for low carb peanut blossoms.
i am looking forward to baking with swerve this year.
Pre- sugar free I loved those Mexican Wedding cookies and thumb print cookies… but these might just be my new fave! Thanks so much!
English butter cookie cutouts then decorated.
My favorite Christmas cookie is peanut butter with a chocolate kiss in the middle!!!
I take that back!!! Mocha Chocolate chip is my favorite!!!
My favorite cookies are Snowballs. I won't turn down a pretty iced sugar cookie or a gingerbread cookie either.
there is nothing better than a GOOD chocolate chip cookie (any tine of year)!
Peanut butter Blossoms! My mom would make them every Christmas to share with friends and neighbors.
I really love all kinds of cookies, but sugar, chocolate chip, and peanut butter are probably my favorite.
My favorite holiday cookie has always been classic roll put/cut out cookies! I'm looking for a new favorite now that's I've gone low carb!
Im not sure of the name of my favorite but it contains chopped pecans and ae coated in powdered swerve!
Snickerdoodles! Cinnamon + sweetener = yum!
My favorite Christmas cookie is Snowballs.
My favorite Christmas cookie are the snowballs; that's what I call them, but I think they are also called wedding tea cakes.
My favorite Christmas cookies are peanut blossums with a white chocolate/peppermint Hershey's Kiss pushed into the center while the cookie is still warm. I've recently discovered spitzbuben, which are running a close second to the peanut blossum cookies!
This time of year I love to bake (and eat!) Snickerdoodle Cookies.
My favorite holiday cookie in my pre "healthy eating" days were the sugar cookie iced cutouts. Sadly, I haven't really found one to replace them. I still make them sometimes, I just don't eat them!
My favorite holiday cookies are Sandtarts!
I love chocolate chip cookies and they are my favorite,?
Love your blog. Have tried lots of your recipes. they are great!
I like any and all kinds of cookies!
Just made these Italian cookies…to say they're awesome would be an understatement! Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe!
Low carb chocolate chip or a chocolate pecan cookie dusted with confectioners swerve would be my 2 favorite cookies.
Ginger Snaps, Pecan Sandies, Pecan Pie Cookies, and Raspberry Rugelah are my favorites!
Ginger bread all the way!
These are going on my "to make for Christmas" cooking list!
Good ol' fashioned sugar cookies!
These look great, but what I'd give for an oatmeal raisin cookie!
I have always loved a good shortbread cookie.
It would be a close tie between peanut butter blossoms and chocolate crinkles!!
i love gingersnaps or just plain old sugar cookies. thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love nuts, so I've always liked Mexican wedding cookies. Got to try them low carb.
My favorite holiday cookies are Thumbprints! I just love the jelly center with the light butter cookie, yummy!
I love a really good chocolate chip cookie! I use Swerve all the time, so I had to enter this contest!
I love your browned butter blondies!
I'm not a huge fan of cookies in general, but I've been looking for a softer and more simply-flavored cookie for the holiday season. Thanks for the recipe! I made your "oatmeal" chocolate chip cookies, with raisins and a couple of chopped dates in lieu of the chocolate, and my husband adores them. Thanks so much for your time and effort.
Peanut butter!!! very nice giveaway!
Pecan Sandies are my favorite Christmas cookie.
My favorite holiday cookie is gingerbread. The aroma of baking gingerbread cookie takes me back to a table full of smiling flour painted children, all working together to decorate the family Christmas Gingerbread House. Now it's but one grandchild, but one day she'll smell gingerbread and remember a smiling flour painted grandma trying very very VERY hard not to lick the snow icing off her fingers.
This might sound bad, but my favorite holiday cookie is the Danish butter cookies you get in the tins. If we're talking homemade, though, it's soft, ginger molasses cookies.
Another great recipe! I love to read your blog and recipes and have always had good luck with them. Thanks!
I love egg nog cookies.
Definitely frosted sugar cookies during the holidays. Yum!
This recipe may be my new fave!
Wafer cookies with cream filling!
I love sugar cookies, but I'd like to try this recipe.
Those Italian cookies look amazing!
Has to be Gingerbread Men cookies!
I love cranberry pistachio cookies and lemon ricotta cookies!
Sugar cookies…the ones we've made for generations we called Pillow cookies…I'm exited to make these Italian cookies..hoping they will be our new tradition.
My Oma made these secret recipe oatmeal cookies…the best!
My favorite holiday cookie is a seven layer bar… So good. So heavy. I've been working on KETO-ing it. Thinking about mixing coconut flour and a little pork rinds. Then some homemade low-carb sweetened condensed milk. Top with peanut butter chips, coconut, and macadamias!
Chocolate chip with a cup of coffee. Thanks!
Mine is flourless peanut butter!
My favorite cookie is one passed down from my Mother In Law. It is an apricot thumbprint cookie.
When we were first married, I didn't really care for them. As I've gotten older, I find I prefer cookies that are less sweet. Now that my daughters are grown, they also make these cookies every year.
We were in NM for Thanksgiving and had to go on the hunt for a box of some to bring home.
This is my first sugar free Christmas, so I don't know what my favorite cookie is yet!
I used to love apricot thumbprint cookies. Haven't tried making an lc version yet!
Chocolate crinkle cookies for me!
My favorite cookies are spritz cookies.
I love buckeyes. I would like to try a low carb version.
My family has a wonderful sugar cookie recipe that I just LOVE. Sadly I have not been able to eat it in years due to the gluten and sugar. I cannot wait to try this recipe and see if it can replace what I have been missing during the holidays. Thank you for all that you do!
I love Russian Tea Caks. I have not found a low carb option yet but if I can I will make them this year.
Search my blog for "snowballs". They are the same kind of thing and I already have a low carb version!
I did make your Italian Christmas cookies yesterday and they were super delicious and so easy. Thanks Carolyn.
My favs are sugar cookies with a nice cup of coffee. YUM!
Almond Cookies, Lemon Bars, Buckeyes!
I don't really have a favorite holiday cookie. Growing up I would say chocolate chip was my favorite, but they are not low carb. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Chocolate chip are my every day favorite, even during the holidays. Thanks for the giveaway!
Low carb peanut butter, my and my husband's favorite. Even better now that your site introduced me to Swerve!
my favorite Christmas cookie is a frosted sugar cookie!
My favorite cookie is anything with chocolate!!
I love a chewy ginger cookie or a nutty chocolate chip.
Classic Sugar cookies are my favorite, and now ones without the high carbs!
I love almond crescent cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies. Since moving to Denver, due to the altitude, we have not been successful making chocolate crinkles that do not fall unfortunately. Thanks for the recipe and the chance to win the giveaway. I love your blog!
all of them!!! a spicy gingerbread or molasses for sure!
I love sugar cookies and peppermint blossoms.
My fave is your walnut cardamom snowballs!
The Swerve site lists these at 16g carbs and 3 g fiber per serving of 1/12 of recipe (or 2 cookies, if making 24 cookies). That doesn't sound right to me with just using almond and coconut flours. Did you notice that or is that correct?
It's actually correct but that's because they are listing the Swerve "carbs" that don't enter your bloodstream. Once you subtract erythritol, their Net Carb count is much closer to mine.
I like almost any cookie except any with dried fruit. I especially like chocolate and peppermint!
I love sugar cookies and pb/chocolate ones. And gingerbread. Oh I could go on and on!
Gingerbread cookies are my fav!
Anything Gingerbread are my favorite.
My favourite cookie for the holidays are Chocolate Orange Blossom cookies!!! Imagine peanut butter blossom cookies but instead of a peanut butter cookie it's a chocolate cookie with orange extract and orange peel! SO GOOD!!! It's like a cookie version of a Terry's Chocolate Orange!
Arguably not a cookie, but I love magic cookie bars.
Gingerbread cookies are a holiday favorite of mine, but I never met a cookie I didn't like!
Could one use anise seed or ground anise powder I have access to that if not that is ok. theses sound yummy.
Sure, I think those would be fine.
Shortbread cookies and frosted sugar cookies are my favorite anytime of year. Not quite the same with low-carb versions, but I am learning to like them.
My Aunt's sugar cookies and oatmeal raisin.
I love making cookies and decorating them more than eating them!
Pecan shortbread and peanut butter!
Sugar cookies! I love your blog and recipes!
Any type of cookie is great!
Favorite cookie is soft chocolate chip.
Love molasses cookies…my grandmother's recipe!
My neighbor always makes the traditional Italian cookies like these and I LOVE them! I'm excited to try these myself this year.
These look beautiful! I love your website and have enjoyed all the recipes I've tried so far.
My Mom's recipe for rolled (lemon flavored, frosted) sugar cookies! Gotta figure out how to THM them!
Okay, cheating. Not really a cookie, but Martha Washingtons (candy). Those are my Christmas favorite!
Sugar cookies are my favorite. I haven't tasted one in about 25 years though. I should find out if there's a sugar free version.
I really like soft gingrr cookies and shortbread cookies.
Shortbread cookies are my favorite. But, really, all cookies are my favorite.
These are my favorite Christmas cookie! Thank you Santa!?
How to pick?!?! I love an old fashioned sugar cookie with a cup of hot coffee. Can't wait to try these. Thank you!
Hands down, gingersnap cookies are my favorite. Would love to win the giveaway!
Any cookie is a favorite with me . . . I love cookies!!
My favorite holiday cookie is definitely shortbread.
My favorite is sugar cookie.
I absolutely love the peanut butter blossoms at Christmas! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Another fave is Mexican wedding cookies-so delish!
Chocolate chip are my favorite any time of the year!
Love, love, love decorated sugar cookies at christmas time.
Christmas isn't Christmas without a skillet cookie!
I love to make cut out cookies with the kids. Hopefully we'll make those next week!
My fav is Russian tea cake/Mexican wedding cake with pecans!
These look amazing! One of my favorites is the Russian tea cake cookie. Can't wait to try these!!!
My favourite cookies are shortbread… mmmm.. just can't get enough! Does anyone have a good low carb version for this Christmas?
Thanks for this recipe. I love these cookies and the Italian Pizelles that many of my South Jersey neighbors used to make and gift us every year!
Classic Sugar cookies are my favorite!
I just bought a bag of Swerve. Now I know what I'm going to make first! These cookies sound amazing!
Since I'm Italian, and love all things Italian I will try these out. Italian cookies are my fav. And was actually just thinking about Italian cookies the other day. Thank you for designing this cookie recipe.
My favorite Christmas cookies are my parents old fashioned sugar cookies!
I need to try to adapt them to low carb!
I love my Mom's sugar cookies! They're my all-time favorite!
I have always loved decorated sugar cookies. But this year I tried the Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich cookies from your new cookbook. And I also tried the Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites. Both are winners! I can't wait to try this Italian Christmas Cookie!
For the holidays, I love lacey tulles, dipped in dark CHOCOLATE!
I love all cookies! Now that I'm following THM I love the chocolate moisties! I'm going to add mint extract next time.
Fave holiday cookie – the humble Russian Teacake.
I love cut-out cookies! Swerve is my new BFF!!
I love Peanut Butter Blossoms and Russian Tea Cakes. Really most cookies 🙂 Looking forward to trying this low-carb version of Italian Christmas Cookies!
I love Orange Icebox Cookies and Gingerbread cookies for the holidays but a really good chewy chocolate chip cookie can't be beat!
I love peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss ?
I love Christmas cookies, sugar and praline.
MY favorite are just good ole chocolate chip cookies ?
Any sprinkles are fine. There are no sugar-free ones on the market but you only use a little so it adds virtually nothing to the carb count.
Oh and you can use whey protein powder.
My favorite cookie is thumbprint cookies.
My favorite are Christmas cut out cookies. I just made them using almond flour and swerve, my family loved them!
I'm a fan of pretty much any kind of cookie! But I did make some snickerdoodles with Swerve just this weekend and they were wonderful!
My favorite is a classic chocolate chip cookie, all the way!
I love classic chocolate chip, m&m, or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! My family usually gets the variety cookies in the tin at the grocery store around the holidays I always loved those, especially the chocolate/vanilla swirl ones with the pink outside!
My favorite is Rugelach – an apricot and walnut filled cream cheese dough crescent.
I love gingersnap cookies especially if they are the soft and chewy kind!
I love making (and giving away!) chocolate-peppermint cookies.
I love frosted sugar cookies made with cookie cutters!
Trader Jos peppermint oreos covered in chocolate!
So I'd have to say my favorite cookies would be Shortbread or Ginger cookies. Brings back some wonderful memories. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
My favorite holiday cookie are sugar cookies.
Whoopi pies are my favorite cookies. I do also like Mexican wedding cookies.
Whoopie pies with peppermint filling rolled in crushed candy canes!!
Molasses cookies all the way!!!! It could only eat one cookie for the rest of my life that would be it! It's my grandma's recipe!
my favorite holiday cookies are rum balls.
I love Russian tea cakes that my Mother in law makes.
Coconut macaroons topped with a little dark chocolate!! Yum.
I absolutely LOVE anything Chocolate, but I think my favorite would be a simple sugar cookie with a chocolate drizzle!
I love all cookies all of the time but iced sugar cookies are so special at Christmas.
I love love love sugar cookies with frosting!!!
My favorite cookie are cutouts or sesame cookies with orange flavoring or white chocolate with cranberries or a real good chocolate chip or….okay I love them all!
My favorite has to be sugar cookies!
My favorite is peanut butter blossom.
My favorite is chocolate chip. Finally found Swerve in the grocery store so I'm excited to try new cookies recipes this year.
These cookies look wonderful! Can't wait to try them!!!
Shortbread cookies have been a favorite of mine in the past. Now I'm open to any low carb treats!
They look delicious. It would be hard to stop at two!
Our favorite are sugar cookies, family fav.
My fav is mincemeat. Would love to learn how to make these low carb.
Where do you get sugar/gluten free sprinkles? I haven't found any anywhere!
Other than that, I can't wait to make these!
You don't, sadly! But there are so few on each cookie that it doesn't raise the carb count at all. Just makes it look pretty!
Shortbread and gingerbread cookies are my favourite!!
My favorite holiday cookie is any cookie that can stand up to being dunked in my coffee! There is something about dunking a cookie in coffee that feels like a treat.
I like gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies.
I love monster cookies with M&Ms!
My favorite cookie is my husband's great grandmothers sugar cookie. Perfect every time! I have a batch of these Classic Italian Christmas cookies in the oven right now and my home smells wonderful! Thanks for all the recipes, Carolyn!
My favorite is thumbprint cookies. I've been soooo obsessed with your recipe for twix thumbprint cookies. They are AMAZING!
I have recently gone sugar free and grain free but so far have not found a sweetener or flour replacement to bake anything yummy for Christmas. I have not seen Swerve in Fry's or Walmart in Yuma so I haven't tried it yet. I also don't know what non grain flours replace all purpose flour the best. I only gave a little hand mixer so the mixmaster and packages of Swerve would be an amazing gifts, wish me luck!
Russian Tea Cakes always make me happy and can only be eaten during Christmas time.
Frosted sugar cookies like my grandmother made!
Snowball cookies and Christmas cutouts like my mom used to make. Never ever have I found a recipe that was even close and I fondly remember the turkey roaster full of cookie dough chilling in the fridge overnight and mom's reaction to all the "dimples" of dough missing when she went to roll them out ?
My favourite cookies are my nanas chocolate chip cookies with extra cocoa and chocolate chips to make them extra chocolatey!
My favorite cookies are my mom's lemon bars. She could make them 'just right' whereas when we made them, they would never set!
Our newest favorite holiday cookie is Carolyn's "No Bake Mint Cookie Cup" EGG FREE!
Mexican wedding cookies and cut outs were always my favorite. Just made gingerbread cookies for the first time. I need to fund a low carb gingerbread recipe. These look dekishious!
Ginger macadamia cookies are an absolute favourite.
Short bread is my favorite Christmas cookie!
I love the sugar cookie cut outs made with sour cream. I frost them with the kids.
Soft Sugar Cookies with thick frosting. Yum.
I LOVE gingersnaps! It's just not Christmas without them!
Trying this recipe with what Swerve I have left. Thanks!
My favorite cookie at Christmas is Snowballs/Swedish Wedding Cakes.
I actually love these anise cookies that my mother in law makes; it's a german recipe that's been handed down for three generations – or so she says! I could only eat them for two holidays before I had to quit so I'm excited to try these!
Sugar cookies are my favorite! Can't wait to make these!
How long will these keep? I would like to make them ahead! Thanks for all your lovely recipes!
I've got a batch in my freezer. That's always the best way to make things last.
Well, for years I have always loved Italian wedding cakes or pecan snowballs, However, this year I have made so many of them (and ate waaay too much of them! and I have decided to never eat/make another batch again, that is until I found your version of them! I was so very excited to see I can make them healthier! I will however wait till after Christmas to make them! he he Merry Christmas everyone!
I love Christmas cookies. They are my favorite!
My family favorite actually are anisette Italian cookies that look like this! Excited to try these!
We love to make sugar cookie cutouts…. I think my children like the decorating part better than the eating part!
So excited to try baking these today! QUICK QUESTION: Do you know whether you can tint granulated Swerve with a drop or two of food coloring like you can regular sugar? I just received my first shipment of Swerve the other day and am so excited to be able to do some Christmas baking – a treat I thought I would miss out on since we have been low carb since July (40 lbs down – many more to go, but feeling like it's finally going to happen!!!).
My favorite Christmas cookie is a toss up between my Grandmother's Scotch Shortbread Cookies and Pecan Florentines (dipped in chocolate on one side and sandwiched, of course!).
Can't wait to make these, Carolyn. I have enjoyed every recipe of yours that I have tried!
I love cookies! My all time favorite would be traditional, frosted, rolled out Christmas cookies so I am looking forward to trying out your recipe for Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.
I need a lot of Swerve because I am making several recipes from your book, "The Best Low-Carb Holiday Cookies and Bars.
I love just a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie!
I love a snicker doodle.
Our family favorite is sugar cookies.
I haven't had a Italian Christmas cookie since my mother passed away in my late 20's! I can't wait to try these and share them with my friends and family ! Merry Christmas !
My favorite Christmas cookie would either be a Melting Moment (melt in your mouth shortbread with orange juice/icing sugar glaze) or mint Nanaimo bars.
These look delicious! Love Swerve.
Any kind of shortbread cookie. Your cardamom orange shortbread is to die for. Yes, I love rich, buttery cookies.
My favorite is iced sugar cookie.
These look delicious. I've always been a fan of frosted cookies, but only at Christmas!
My favorite Christmas cookie is my grandma's waffle cookies. I haven't had them in years! I'm planning on making some to take to my sister this year. I do look forward to trying this new recipe. They look delicious!
Mmmmmm……..love me some sugar cookies!
I like kolackys the best.
Thank you for helping to make this giveaway possible!
Merry Christmas, Carolyn . Thank you for these lovely recipes you gift us with all year, but especially now. You make it so easy to "keep the faith". Love me some shortbread at Christmastime.
I'm not sure I've met a cookie I didn't love 😉 I take that back – I think adding raisins to a cookie is an act punishable by law. Or at least, my disdain. But right now I'm craving a soft gingerbread cookie. Time to bake!
By far, sugar cookies are my absolute favorite!
My favorites are my mother's sandtarts. I think they are like Russian tea cakes, except formed into crescents. I have made them with almond four and powdered Swerve for a healthier version. Yum!
My favorite are thumbprints with icing in them!