Snickerdoodles

Pin It

I'm currently at the hospital getting induced and getting ready to meet our little girl!! YAY! I've set up some posts for you all until I get back at it, but until then…ENJOY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I never knew such a simple cookie could taste so good. Snickerdoodles really just consist of all your standard cookie ingredients (sugar, flour, vanilla, etc.), but then they're rolled in a cinnamon-sugar combination for a sweet crust. These are fluffy and light with a perfect amount of sweetness. My husband took some to some of his friends and a few proclaimed they were the best snickerdoodles they've ever tasted. I'll count that as a win. And they're an excellent choice for the Christmas dessert table. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. white sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.

Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Pecan Cookie Balls

Pin It

Merry Christmas Eve!! Today is our big Christmas celebration with my family and I'm so excited. My mom always used to make Almond Crescent Cookies for the holidays (among tons and tons of others) and I loved them. She gradually started weeding out her cookie list and only makes a couple different types now, but those were always some of my favorites. These Pecan Cookie Balls remind me of those cookies and I love it.

They kind of remind me of a shortbread-type cookie. They are buttery and melt in your mouth with each bite. But then there are tiny bites of pecans hidden throughout each cookie that adds some bite. They're so delicious and a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie tray. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Makes 4 dozen

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in flour and pecans.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes. 

Remove from baking sheets. Immediately roll hot cookies in remaining 2 cups sugar. Place sugared cookies on wire racks to cool. When cool, roll again in sugar.

Source: McCormick

Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Pin It

Every year my girlfriends and I have a Christmas cookie exchange party. It's more an excuse for all of us to get together to catch up and drink some wine (we all have busy lives these days!), but throwing some cookies in the mix doesn't hurt. This year I had trouble narrowing down what I was going to make, so I turned to Pinterest like I normally do. These Buckeye Brownie Cookies were staring me down as soon as I turned on the computer, so they were my immediate pick.

And thank goodness I picked them. I devoured these. I ate two before they even had a chance to cool off. Whoops! They're a thick fudgy brownie cookie with a peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting on top. What's not to like? They're like a sophisticated version of a Reece's cup. Your teeth will sink into them and your eyes will roll in the back of your head from pure bliss. I know you know the feeling. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 24 cookies

• 1 (18-19 oz.) box fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup chocolate frosting, homemade or store-bought
• Sea salt, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine brownie mix with fudge packet, butter, cream cheese and egg. Stir until dough comes together, it will be very thick and sticky. I used my hands.

Form rounded tablespoons sized portions of dough into balls, placing on baking sheet about 2 inches apart, making an indentation with your thumb in the center of each.

In another bowl stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form peanut butter into teaspoon sized balls and press into the indentations in the brownie cookies.

Press peanut butter down slightly because the peanut butter won't spread and you don't want the cookies to be too tall.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set.

Transfer to wire rack to cool. When cooled top each cookie with about a tablespoon of chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Cookies and Cups

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Pin It

I don't know about you all, but I still have a ton of Halloween candy floating around my house. At first I was ecstatic that Bradley was going trick-or-treating because that meant I was left to eat all of his candy, but I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. There's so much of it! And there's no way I'm going to let it all go to waste.

I used those mini M&M packets from his jack-o-lantern bucket for these cookies. Since he can't eat them (yet), I don't feel guilty for stealing his candy. Next year might be a different story, but for now I'm doing it while I can get away with it. These are basically the softest and chewiest chocolate chip cookies you'll ever have with M&Ms in the place of chips. To. Die. For. You can even use holiday colored chocolates to make them more festive. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in M&Ms. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Nestle Toll House

5-Minute Microwavable Fudge

Pin It

I know not everyone bakes, and I get it. There's such a science to it and everything needs to be so exact. For me baking is a stress reliever, but for some people baking is what causes them stress. And I don't blame you. It's tough! But with all the holiday parties coming up, this fudge will make anyone believe you spent hours in the kitchen baking up a storm. When all you really need is 5 minutes and a microwave.

As soon as Chris showed me a video he found for the "easiest homemade fudge ever," I was in the kitchen. It really did only take me 5 minutes to prepare. The hardest part was waiting for the chocolate to set in the refrigerator. Just make sure it has time to sit at room temperature a little before serving...otherwise it might be a little gummy. But this was some of the creamiest fudge I have ever had. No one will believe this was "baked" in a microwave. Be the star of your holiday parties and make this fudge. I promise everyone will devour it! Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Line an 8x8" pan (for thicker fudge) or a 9x9" pan (for thinner fudge) with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large glass microwave safe bowl, add chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until everything is melted and combined. 

Add vanilla and salt to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. 

Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

Use aluminum foil to pick up fudge from pan. Flip over onto a plate or cutting board. Peel aluminum foil off of fudge and discard. Cut fudge into small pieces and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container and use wax paper to separate layers.

Source: My husband

Peppermint Chocolate Smoothie

Pin It

As a part of Williams-Sonoma's Smoothie Week, I was asked to create a fun and unique beverage for their "Not Your Typical Smoothie" campaign. Peppermint chocolate combinations are all the rage during the holiday season, so that's what I decided to go with. I see that combo everywhere...all the local coffee chains, in the candy aisle of my grocery store and now? In a smoothie.

Who can mess up a smoothie? You just toss a bunch of stuff into a blender, add some ice to make it thick and frothy and delicious, then you're done. Who can mess it up? Me, that's who. First of all, too much mint is a bad thing. A really, really bad thing. I must have forgotten how powerful mint leaves are because my first drink was total mint overload. So gross. But after scaling that back a little, I was on the right track. I also ended up needing more chocolate, because even though the mint flavor was tamed down, the chocolate needed to be spruced up big time so that it was the star of the smoothie (plus, you can't go wrong with lots of chocolate)! One thing I've learned is that trial and error are okay when in the kitchen :)

This smoothie is perfect for the holidays. It's thick, frothy, chocolaty and has just a hint of mint. My favorite part is the candy cane rim since it compliments the smoothie and adds some texture. Kids will love this drink just as much as adults. The VitaMix blender works perfectly for this recipe, so if you don't have one, it's not too late to ask for one this holiday season :) Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Makes 2 servings

• 1 cup milk
• 2 small mint leaves
• 4 tbsp. dry hot chocolate mix
• 2-3 cups ice
• 1 candy cane
• 1 tbsp. agave syrup
• Mint leaves, for serving (optional)

In a small saucepan, add the milk and mint leaves over medium heat. Heat until just about to boil then remove from the heat. Add the hot chocolate mix and stir to combine. Set aside for 20-30 minutes or until cooled.

In a blender, add cooled hot chocolate mixture. Add 2 cups of ice and blend. Slowly add the remaining 1 cup ice, or until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Put the candy cane in a ziplock bag. Crush with a rolling pin.

Put agave nectar on a small place. Put crushed candy cane on a separate plate. Take two coffee mugs and put the rim on the place with the agave and swirl until fully coated. Then dip into the candy cane pieces until they stick to the rim and it is fully coated.

Pour the peppermint chocolate mixture into the prepared coffee mugs. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Source: SK Original

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Drops

Pin It

Chocolate. I can never seem to have enough of it in my house. And now that Easter is right around the corner, it's even more of a problem. Those little Reese's peanut butter eggs don't stand a chance. I'm secretly hoping the Easter bunny forgets and gives Bradley some chocolate in his basket. Since he can't eat it yet, there's only one possible solution to get rid of it all. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it...

If you want to make a delicious chocolate dessert for your guests, these little chocolate drops are a perfect treat. These cake-like cookies aren't too overbearingly sweet (not that anything would be wrong with that), but offer just enough sweetness so that even my meat-and-potatoes-lover husband enjoyed them. The chocolate frosting is the icing on the cake (literally). Serve with a tall glass of milk, and your day will be made. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker's unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tub (4 oz.) light Cool Whip whipped topping
• 3 squares (3 oz.) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 8-10 min. or just until set. (Do not overbake.) Cool on baking sheet 1 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Microwave Cool Whip and semi-sweet chocolate in microwaveable bowl on high for 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 minutes to thicken. Spread over cookies. Let stand until glaze is firm.

Source: Adapted from Kraft

Christmas Cookie (and Dessert!) Round-Up

Pin It

Here is a list of my favorite Christmas cookies (and desserts!) of all time! Whether you're making them as gifts, for a cookie exchange, a potluck at work, or just to enjoy with your family, I promise all of these won't disappoint! Enjoy and get to baking!

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters

Buckeye Bites

Triple Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Nutella Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Chip Blondies

No-Bake Nutella and Peanut Butter Cookies

Nutella Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Poppyseed Bread

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Nutella Oatmeal Thins

Raspberry Crumb Bars

Nutella Filled Sugar Cookies

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Funfetti Cake Balls

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

Struffoli (Italian Honey Balls)

Oreo Truffles

Iced Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

Black and White Cookies

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters

Pin It

My mom made these recently and I was hooked. It's only four ingredients (marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter and chocolate-covered peanuts), which are melted together and then set aside to harden. Does it get any easier than that? They are highly addictive, though. She brought me a small package of five or six, and they were gone by the next day. Sorry not sorry.

These would be perfect for a holiday gift or cookie exchange. You can easily make a few batches of them in no time at all, and everyone will gobble them up! I'm sure the last thing you want this holiday season is to be overwhelmed with making dozens and dozens of cookies, so this is an easy and quick option. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 (12 oz.) packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (16 oz.) package mini marshmallows
• 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate-covered peanuts
• Powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips with peanut butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir until smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows and chocolate-covered peanuts.

Drop by tablespoons onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill until firm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Source: Gooseberry Patch Christmas All Through the House Cookbook