Holiday Cookie Round Up

The Holidays always go by way too fast. I wrapped up my 25 days of Cookies on December 22 because we were off to Snowshoe for Christmas. Every year the end of 25 days of Cookies always presents a challenge. You want to spend as much time as possible with the ones you love, and baking takes up some of that precious time.

So the day before we left for Snowshoe I made: Texas Cowboy Cookies, Holiday Cheer Cookies, Naughty List Cookies, Snowshoe Cookies, and Alfajores. Below are recipes for the originals and links to recipes I found on the interwebs.

Cookie 21: Texas Cowboy Cookies

These cookies have more things in them than Monster Cookies which is probably why they are called Texas Cowboy Cookies. You know as they say, everything is bigger in Texas! I got the recipe off of pinterest here- Texas Cowboy Cookies These cookies were a hit at the office and have made their way to my favorite's list. 

Cookie 22: Holiday Cheer Cookies

For a quick batch of cookeis I recommend Cake Mix cookies. Just take your favorite cake mix, 1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature), 2 eggs, and whatever morsels or sprinkles your heart desires and you have yourself some delicious cookie dough. 

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 eggs

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup holiday sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Beat cake mix and butter together until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time. 
3. Stir in white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and sprinkles. 
4. Form dough into one inch balls and place on baking sheet one inch apart. 
5. Bake 8-11 minutes.
6. NOM, NOM!

Cookie 23: Naughty List Cookies

Another cake mix cookie, with a special chocolately surprise. These cookies went fast.

Ingredients:

1 box devil's food cake mix

1  3.9 oz package of chocolate pudding mix

1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 eggs

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup holiday colored M&Ms

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Beat cake mix, pudding mix, and butter together until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time. 
3. Stir in M&Ms and chocolate chips.  
4. Form dough into one inch balls and place on baking sheet one inch apart. 
5. Bake 8-11 minutes.
6. NOM, NOM!

Cookie 24: Snowshoe (Blizzard) Cookies

Since we were heading to Snowshoe I made a cookie I found on Pinterest special for the trip. 

The recipe can be found here- Blizzard Cookies

Cookie 25: Alfajores

My Tia Betsy made these cookies for my boyfriend and I a few months ago and I knew I needed to add them to my 25 days of cookies. The cookies are a popular Argentine sandwich cookie with dulce de leche. They are delicious!

I made a dulce de leche using a recipe from Pioneer Woman- Pioneer Woman Dulce De Leche

Ingedients:

1 cup of cornstarch

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add egg yolks to the dough and mix until combined. 
3. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. 
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to the dough and mix until combined. 
5. Refrigerate dough for one hour. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
7. Roll out and cut dough into circles.
8. Line on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. 
9. Bake for 10 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
10. Once cooled spread dulce de leche in the middle of two. 
11. NOM, NOM!

Holiday Cookie Catch Up

This past weekend Michael and I drove all over to do Christmas with both our families because we are snowboarding for Christmas. Since the Malibu is not a food truck, I was unable to do some baking this week. I did make gingerbread and sugar cookies (cookies 15 and 16) with Michael's nieces and I think they turned out very well :) . So last night I caught up on my 25 days of cookies and made 4 different cookies.

I used recipes from my cookie board on Pinterest, no time for creativity when you are playing cookie catch up. I made the following cookies (links to recipes below each photo):

17: M&M Chocolate Chip:

Chewy M&M Cookie

18: Kris Kringle Cookie:

Kris Kringle Cookie

19: Toffee Butter Icebox Cookie:

Toffee Butter Icebox Cookie

20: Butter and Jam Thumbprints:

Buttery Jam Thumbprints

Cookie 13: White Chocolate Peppermint

Cookie 13 is one of my personal favorites. I found the recipe on Pinterest when I first started doing 25 days of cookies and I make it every year. Since this isn't my own recipe I will just post the link- 

White Chocolate Peppermint

Cookie 14: Chocolate Toffee Salted Caramel (Michael's Cookie)

I have been working on orders and my poor boyfriend's cookie jar has been running low. I decided to make a cookie for him. Michael's cookie is one of his favorite candy bars, Symphony Hershey Bar, turned into a cookie.

Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup toffee bits

1 cup salted caramel morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. 
3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. 
4. Whisk flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together. 
5. Gradually add dry ingredients to dough, 1/4 cup at a time. 
6. Beat until combined. 
7. Stir in toffee bits and salted caramel morsels. 
8. Scoop dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart.
9. Bake 9-11 minutes.
10. NOM, NOM!

Cookie 10: Chocolate Chip Sea Salt

I have been busy baking, so I have not had a chance to update the blog. This past weekend we went to Shenandoah National Park and hiked Old Rag. This hike needs to be on every hikers bucket list. I brought along my chocolate chip sea salt cookies for a treat we could all have at the top of Old Rag mountain. If you climb a mountain, you should always reward yourself with a cookie while admiring the view. 

Cookie treat on top of Old Rag Mountain

Cookie 11: Sea Salt Caramel Coconut Dreams

I created a new cookie that is easily one of my new favorites. Coconut, sea salt caramel, and butter together make one yummy cookie. 

Cookie 12: Ginger Snaps 

A classic cookie and one that pairs well with your morning coffee. The recipe comes from the JOY of cooking. I did make one change by adding a 1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper. These cookies have a SNAP! 

Cookie 8: Dark Chocolate Peppermint

So got an order of 100 cookies yesterday that needed to be ready by today. Lots of baking was done last night and thankfully I had one of my college teammates, Amy, in town to assist. The first cookie we did was Dark Chocolate Peppermint. 

I used a dark chocolate cookie recipe on Pinterest and added some things to make it dark chocolately peppermint goodness. 

Recipe came from here Halloween Dark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks,softened)

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs 

2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup Andes peppermint baking chips

1 cup dark chocolate morsels 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla, and peppermint extract and mix in. 
4. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder) and whisk together. 
5. Add dry ingredients 1/4 cup at a time and beat until mixed together. 
6. Stir in the peppermint chips and dark chocolate morsels. 
7. Scoop the dough into 1 inch balls and line on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. 
8. Bake 10-12 minutes. 
9. NOM, NOM!

Cookie 9: Santa's Favorite Cookies

One of my favorite cookie recipes I found last year on Pinterest. The only change to this recipe is that I use butterscotch pudding mix instead of vanilla. 

You can find the recipe here- 

Santa's Favorite Cookies

Week 2 List:

8. Dark Chocolate Peppermint
9. White Chocolate Peppermint
10. Santa's Favorite Cookies
11. Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip
12. Ginger Snap
13. Gingerbread
14. Gingerbread Cheesecake

Cookie 7: Monster Cookies

This is one of the cookies I have been making every year since I started 25 days of cookies. The only change I make to the original recipe is that I do not add raisins. I just add extra chocolate chips and M&Ms. This are my mother's FAVORITE cookie. 

I got the recipe from the BUTTER queen herself- Paula Deen--follow the link below for the recipe!

Monster Cookies