DAY 7: Shortbread Brownies
An easy way to dress up a brownie mix (or use your own homemade brownie recipe for the top layer). Ghirardelli is my favorite boxed brownie mix, but you can you any brand made for baking in a 9×13” pan.
RECIPE: Continue reading
DAY 5: Frosted Zucchini Brownies
For when you want to pretend that your brownies are actually healthy.
RECIPE:
Continue reading
DAY 3: Chocolate Nutella Brownies
Homemade brownies with the extra fudginess of Nutella added to the batter and swirled into the top.
RECIPE: Continue reading
DAY 11: Mint Chocolate M&M’s Cookies
Chocolate and mint are the perfect Christmas flavor combination. You can top these chocolate cookies with your choice of holiday M&M’s. These are my favorites:
My very favorite are the all-green “Dark Chocolate Mint” flavor, but they can be hard to find. The “Holiday Mint” flavor is a good substitute, and come with a brighter Christmas color variety.
RECIPE:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter
2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs milk or cream
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 bag (10 oz) M&M’s (Holiday Mint or Dark Chocolate Mint flavor)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Combine chocolate chips and ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until just barely melted. Or melt in microwave in a Pyrex bowl.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat ¼ cup butter with the white and brown sugars. Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat until just barely combined.
Drop by tablespoonsful onto baking sheets. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. While cookies are still warm, press 3-4 M&M’s onto the top of each cookie. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
DAY 2: Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
A chocolate cookie loaded full of sweet and salty goodness: chocolate chips, pretzels, and pecans. All wrapped around a gooey caramel center.
Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod
RECIPE:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 pkg (11 oz) caramel squares (about 24)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture, until just mixed. Stir in pretzels, chocolate chips, and pecans.
Cut caramel squares in half and set aside.
Using a cookie scoop, place level scoops of dough on baking sheets, about 2” apart. Roll each scoop of dough around a caramel square half. Return to baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes; cookies will still look slightly underdone. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod
DAY 7: Andes & Rolo Cookies
This recipe is a great “two-fer”. You can make two completely different cookies from the same basic chocolate dough.
The Rolo Cookies have a Rolo candy nestled inside of the chocolate dough. Eat them warm for a delicious gooey caramel cookie.
The Andes Cookies have a melted Andes mint swirled on the top of a baked chocolate cookie.
The original recipe uses regular Andes, but when I make these I prefer the Andes Parfait mints, that have 2 green layers on the outside and a chocolate middle layer. It makes a nice contrast with the chocolate cookie. Unfortunately, they are sometimes hard to find in stores.
ORIGINAL BLOG POST (2009): Chocolate Rolo or Andes Cookies
RECIPES:
Chocolate Rolo Cookies
¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 Tbs water
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups flour![clip_image002[1]](https://noemptychairs.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/clip_image0021.jpg "clip_image002[1]"){kind=small}
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
Rolos (5-6 dozen)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, sugar and water. Heat until melted and add chocolate chips. Stir until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed. Add flour, salt and baking soda; mix on low speed until well blended. Dough will be very soft, almost liquid. If desired, chill for 1 hour for easier handling (you can usually use the dough in less than an hour).
Take about 1 Tbs dough and wrap it around a Rolo (use just enough dough to completely cover Rolo). Place on baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes (Do not overcook; cookies will still look a little underdone). Cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 5-6 dozen cookies
.
Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies:
Chocolate Dough (see recipe above)
About 24 Andes mints (see note below)
Prepare dough as above (for Rolo cookies). Roll into 1” balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Place half of an Andes mint on top of each hot cookie. Allow to melt slightly and then swirl with a toothpick.
NOTE: The original recipe uses regular Andes, but when I make these I prefer the Andes Parfait, that have 2 green layers on the outside and a chocolate middle layer. It makes a nice contrast with the chocolate cookie.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
(Original Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies recipe from Recipezaar)
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