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December 12, 2012 · 2:24 pm

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Cookies

DAY 12: White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Cookies

A Christmas cookie with a sophisticated taste. Dried cherries, chopped pistachios and drizzled with melted white chocolate. Save these for the grown-up table.

RECIPE:

White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Cookies

Servings: Makes 4 dozen cookies
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1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt (increase to 1 tsp if pistachios are unsalted)
¾ cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
¾ cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips + 1 tsp shortening for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to mixing bowl and beat just until combined. Mix in cherries (snip cherries in half with scissors if they are large), pistachios and ½ cup white chocolate chips.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Place remaining 1 cup white chocolate chips and shortening in a Ziploc bag. Microwave for about 45 seconds. Knead bag with hands to melt chips. Use a toothpick to poke a hole in one corner of the bag. Drizzle white chocolate over cooled cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

(Recipe adapted from Haute Apple Pie)

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

DAY 11: Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

These are one of my very favorite cookies. Orange flavored not-too-sweet shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate.

The dough is shaped into a log, refrigerated until firm and then sliced into rounds to bake. And dipping only half the cookie keeps the fingers much cleaner than trying to dip the whole cookie!

RECIPE:

Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

Servings: Makes about 3 dozen cookies
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1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure orange extract
1 tsp fresh orange zest
2 1/3 cups flour
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil or shortening

Use a mixer to cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and orange extracts and orange zest. Gradually blend in flour.

Roll the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap dough log in clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from refrigerator and slice dough with a sharp knife into 1/4″ slices, reshaping dough into circles, as necessary. Place cookies onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove immediately to wire rack to cool.

While cookies cool, heat chocolate and coconut oil (or shortening) in a double boiler. Dip half of each cooled cookie in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to cool.

(Recipe adapted from Smells Like Home)

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December 10, 2012 · 7:02 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Oatmeal Apple Cookies

DAY 10: Oatmeal Apple Cookies

This spiced oatmeal cookie dough has finely chopped apples added. And delicious apple-pie spices. The apples keep the cookies soft and moist. They are almost like a cross between an oatmeal cookie and an apple cinnamon muffin. I like to store extra cookies in the freezer, as the tops become slightly sticky when left at room temperature, similar to the texture of muffins when stored at room temperature.

Raw apples in the dough can cause a few difficulties when baking. The longer the dough sits, the more the apples leach moisture into the rest of the dough. If you bake the dough immediately after mixing, you may need to flatten the dough slightly before baking. But if you bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time, by the time you get to the last batch, the dough is very soft and the cookies will spread much more while baking. The best advice I can give is to scoop the dough onto multiple cookie sheets and bake several pans at a time. This is when I really wish I had double-ovens. If your dough does become too soft, just stir in an extra tablespoon of flour or two, and they should bake fine.

RECIPE:

Oatmeal Apple Cookies

Servings: Makes about 3 dozen cookies
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1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ¼ cups finely chopped fresh apples, peeled (about 2 small)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with silicon mats or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and beat until mixed; mix in oats. Add apples and pecans and mix until combined. Dough should be baked immediately. Do not store dough in refrigerator to bake later; the moisture from the apples will affect the texture of the dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for about 5-6 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

DAY 9: Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

Buttermilk gives these cookies a soft and chewy texture, with a brownie consistency on the inside and crispy cookie edges on the outside. Peanut butter chips make for a great flavor combo, but you could always swap those out for chocolate chips if you want an extra fudgy cookie.

RECIPE:

Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

Servings: Makes 4 dozen cookies
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2 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups peanut butter chips and/or chocolate chips (about 1 ½ cups PB and ½ cup CC)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with silicon mats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Melt the butter in a small, microwave safe bowl. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter (still warm) with cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth. Whisk in sugar until well mixed. Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.

Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the peanut butter chips and/or chocolate chips.

Drop dough in 1-inch balls into prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges. Cool for 2-3 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

(Recipe adapted from Baking Bites)

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December 8, 2012 · 9:16 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Hot Cocoa Cookies

DAY 8: Hot Cocoa Cookies

Fun cookies made with hot cocoa mix and freeze-dried mini marshmallows. The cocoa mix makes for a light-chocolately flavored cookie. A good quality dark chocolate mix will give more flavor than a milk chocolate variety.

These little marshmallow bits are great for sprinkling into cocoa or over ice cream. And they are perfect for cookies. Don’t add real marshmallows to cookie dough: they will melt in your oven and all over your cookie sheets. Burnt melted marshmallow goo is not fun to clean.

These are also available in chocolate and peppermint flavors. Peppermint marshmallow bits and mint flavored chocolate chips make for great Mint Hot Cocoa Cookies!

RECIPE:

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Servings: Makes 3-4 dozen cookies
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1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
4 pkg (about 1 ¼ oz or ¼ c each) Hot Cocoa Mix
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 ½ cups dried Marshmallow Bits (not soft marshmallows!)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Use a mixer to cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, hot cocoa mix, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and marshmallow bits.

Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

For Mint Hot Cocoa Cookies: use mint chocolate chips and peppermint flavored marshmallow bits.

(Recipe adapted from Love From the Oven)

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December 7, 2012 · 7:18 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Butterscotch Cinnamon Chip Cookies

DAY 7: Butterscotch Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Hershey’s now sells delicious cinnamon chips for baking.

They are perfect for adding to a brown-sugar based butterscotchy dough. And a great alternative when you are looking for an easy-to-make drop cookie without chocolate.

RECIPE:

Butterscotch Cinnamon Chip Cookies

2 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups dark or light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 (10 oz) bag cinnamon baking chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in cinnamon chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

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