With finals coming to a close, it’s finally time to focus on all the fun festivities that come with the holiday season and, by fun festivities, we mean cookies. Add to your loved ones’ seasonal weight gain by whipping up one of these tasty treats.
1) Peppermint Mocha Cookies
If your seasonal Starbucks order consists of a grande skinny peppermint mocha, then definitely give this recipe a try. Baking a Moment blogger Allie has expertly created a recipe that more or less translates the beverage’s flavor into cookie form. What a time to be alive.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
-1 cup of light brown sugar
-1/2 cup of granulated sugar
-1 egg and 1 egg yolk
-2 tsp. of vanilla extract
-2 cups of all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup of cocoa powder
-3 tablespoons of instant espresso granules, dissolved into 3 tablespoons of warm water
-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1 twelve-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 ten-ounce bag of peppermint crunch baking chips
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the butter in a medium pot and melt it over low heat.
3. Remove it from heat and stir in the sugars.
4. Crack and stir in the eggs.
5. Stir in the vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking soda, and salt until fully incorporated into the mixture.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and peppermint chips, and scoop two-tablespoon sized balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.
7. Bake the cookies for twelve minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set and the middles are still soft.
Recipe Hacks:
1. Instead of dissolving instant espresso granules in warm water, try adding 3 tablespoons of ground espresso directly into the mixture for a stronger flavor. You can also substitute with decaf espresso if you’re planning on giving any of the cookies to kids. Or you could not and watch as your five-year-old cousin wreaks havoc at your family holiday party. Your call.
2. Head to Michaels for the peppermint crunch baking chips. If they’re sold out, try crushing candy canes in a food processor.
3. Actually chill the dough for thirty minutes. Otherwise, you’ll face severe Ben Affleck/Jennifer Garner divorce levels of disappointment when the chocolate chips and peppermint chips don’t set.
Source: http://bakingamoment.com/peppermint-mocha-cookies/
2) Marshmallow Fluff Cookies
These fluffy, gooey cookies are perfect for baking with friends, mostly because you’ll have so much fun drizzling the chocolate and/or peanut butter (we’ll get to it) over them. If you’ve ever imagined what City Bakery’s hot chocolate would taste like as a cookie, Julie Blanner’s recipe provides the answer.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
-1 twelve-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1¼ cups of brown sugar
-3 eggs
-2 tsp. of vanilla extract
-1½ cups of all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup of cocoa powder
-1½ tsp. of baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon of salt
-Marshmallow fluff
-Dipping chocolate (e.g. Baker’s)
-1 Tbsp. of peanut butter
Directions:
1. In a saucepan on medium, melt butter and chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Mix brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Scoop dough onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet and make a well at the center of each cookie. Add a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff. Bake the cookies for ten minutes.
6. While the cookies are baking, heat your dipping chocolate in the microwave until melted. Then, add one tablespoon of peanut butter and microwave an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
7. Remove your cookies from the oven and drizzle them with the chocolate peanut butter topping. Allow them to cool and set.
Recipe Hacks:
1) Try melting the butter and chocolate together in the microwave instead of in a saucepan over medium heat. This tactic will prevent the chocolate from easily burning.
2) Feel free to skip the peanut butter. Because they already contain so many flavors, these cookies taste just as delicious (read as: arguably better) when drizzled with peanut butter-free dipping chocolate.
3) To create a festive #aesthetic, decorate the marshmallow fluff with holiday sprinkles before drizzling the dipping chocolate. Buddy the Elf approves this message.
Source: http://julieblanner.com/chocolate-fluffernutter-cookies/
3) Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Getting nostalgic as PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte, obviously) season comes to a close? Sally’s Baking Addiction has you covered. Try whipping out this recipe, which tastes like a divine hybridization of Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie, and chocolate.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted
-1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
-1/2 cup of granulated sugar
-1 tsp. of vanilla extract
-6 Tbsp. of canned pumpkin
-1½ cups of all-purpose flour
-1/4 tsp. of salt
-1/4 tsp. of baking powder
-1/4 tsp. of baking soda
-1½ tsp. of ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg
-1/4 tsp. of ground cloves
-1/4 tsp. of allspice
-1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon.
4. Fold in the ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but disperse them evenly throughout the dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into slightly flattened, two-tablespoon-sized balls.
8. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies for at least ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Recipe Hacks:
1) Definitely a recipe to make when you’re home for the holidays because the prices of those spices will accumulate.
2) Again, you actually have to chill the dough for thirty minutes. Refer back to the third, #relevant recipe hack for the Peppermint Mocha Cookies.
3) The recipe recommends baking the cookies for 8-10 minutes, but 11 minutes results in a firmer outer layer and equally soft center.
Source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/
4) M&M Cookies
Can’t deal with any more peppermint/gingerbread/pumpkin-flavored desserts? If you’re craving a normal cookie in the midst of a month filled with seasonal flavors, then we’ve found the recipe for you.
Ingredients:
-2 cups and 2 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp. of baking soda
-1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) of salted butter, melted and cooled
-1 cup of light brown sugar
-1/2 cup of granulated sugar
-1 egg and 1 egg yolk at room temperature
-2 tsp. of vanilla extract
-1 cup of mini M&Ms
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated until combined.
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir until mixed.
5. Gradually, add flour and mix until the dough comes together. You may need to use your hands to help facilitate the process.
6. Fold in the mini M&M’s.
7. Form the dough into several two-tablespoon-sized balls. Pull each ball in half, turning each half so that its rough side (which used to comprise the inside of the ball) faces upward. Squish both halves together and place the dough rough side up on the baking sheets.
8. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown and the centers soft.
Recipe Hacks:
1) Don’t be a wimp. Use regular-sized M&M’s instead of mini ones.
2) Substitute in holiday-colored M&M’s to make this recipe more seasonal. Similarly, you can use pink and white M&M’s at Valentine’s Day and fall-colored ones at Halloween. (After all, Valentine’s Day and Halloween are pretty much the same holiday with a different color scheme.)
3) Confused by step 7? This picture, courtesy of how sweet eats blogger and recipe creator Jessica Merchant, may help:
Source: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/giant-rainbow-cookies/
5) Chai Spice Cookies
Perhaps you’ve been reading this article and thinking “But I can’t even eat any of these recipes! I’m vegan!” If that’s the case, then keep calm and read on, young grasshopper, because this recipe is 100% Al Gore-approved. Probably.
Ingredients:
a) For the topping:
-1/4 cup of granulated sugar
-1/4 tsp. of ground ginger
-3/4 tsp. of ground cardamom
-1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
-Pinch of cloves
b) For the cookies:
-1/2 cup of canola oil
-1 cup of granulated sugar
-1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
-3 Tbsp. of non-dairy milk
-2 tsp. of vanilla extract
-2 cups of all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. of baking soda
-1/4 tsp. of salt
-1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside
3. Use a fork to mix together the oil, sugar, syrup, and milk in a small mixing bowl until the mixture resembles applesauce. Then mix in vanilla.
4. Sift in the remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. You may need to use your hands to bring the dough together.
5. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. Pat each ball into the sugar topping and onto baking sheet, sugar side up.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for five minutes after removing from oven.
Recipe Hacks:
1) The recipe says to only pat one side of each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture, but go for both. As Jimmy Carter once said, “Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” Or more sugary-tasting cookies are. You get the idea.
2) You’ll definitely have leftover topping, so use it to make French toast the next day. You already have the maple syrup, so why not? To quote Audrey Hepburn, “French toast is always a good idea.” Or something like that.