To kick things off this year, I decided to go with something ooey-gooey and a little bit reminiscent of summer - S'mores Cookies.  These cookies need to be made (a little bit) in advance, and frozen.  I know - extra planning and prep work seems a little un-cool, especially in December.  Don't run away though! Don't think of it as extra work, think of it as me helping to make the rest of your life easier.

Honestly, recipes that have you freeze the dough are some of my favorite kinds!  I'll usually quadruple the recipe and then I have a constant supply of cookie dough waiting for me in the freezer.  I can pull out one or two (or more!) dough-balls and bake them whenever I want a cookie but don't have time or want to make a whole batch. Or I can bake up a whole batch at a moment's notice and have them ready for a party or to take to a friend who needs a pick-me-up.  And it only takes 7 minutes to bake them!  Seriously, you should always have a bag of cookie dough-balls in your freezer.  You'll thank me later.

As I researched different s'mores baked goods, I found that many that used real marshmallows didn't turn out that well.  Either the marshmallows melted and disappeared, or they got that weird tough chewy texture that microwaved marshmallows get once they cooled. I decided to try my recipe with marshmallow cream instead, and was happy with the results. The trick is to avoid mixing it all the way in to the dough.  It should be just barely folded in, so you get some with each scoop.

Mixing crunched up graham crackers into the dough gives it a wonderful flavor and a unique texture.  *Be sure to taste the dough immediately after mixing in the graham crackers - the crunch is awesome, but the texture does change after it's baked.* The browned butter lends an extra note of richness that you might get if roasted over a fire. Definitely give these cookies a try!