Another year, and we're at the end of the 12 Days of Cookies!  I hope you've had as much fun with them as I have!  This recipe is one that I've had around for a long time- since my wedding in fact!  We had a beautiful cookie bar at our reception, and a dear friend offered to make all of the cookies for us.  Afterward, she sent us home with a cookbook that included all the recipes she had used.  It was such a thoughtful thing, and has come in handy many times over the years!  This is one of the recipes that was included.  

Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Cookies

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Mix oats and coconut together in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

In a medium-large saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt to a boil, stirring almost constantly.  Boil for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Pour mixture over oats and coconut and stir to combine well.

Drop heaping Tablespoon mounds on lined baking sheets.  Cool and enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

I've mentioned before my love of peanut butter cookies, and shared them a few years ago.  Growing up, anytime we went to visit my Grandma, she always had a big batch of peanut butter cookies and homemade bread waiting for us, as well as an extra bag "hiding" in the freezer.

As much as I love peanut butter cookies, for whatever reason, I don't make them very often.  Recently though, I was reading a book where the protagonist made a batch of peanut butter cookies and I couldn't get them out of my mind!  In fact, I decided to swap out another cookie I was planning to make for Day 10, in order to revisit and improve my peanut butter cookie recipe.  This just might be my new favorite cookie recipe.  I've had to hide them away so I don't eat them all before anyone else gets a taste!

Since I wasn't originally planning to make these cookies, I ran out of creamy peanut butter half-way through, and ended up using a half and half mix of creamy and crunchy.  I love how it turned out, but they would be just as great with all creamy.  (They might have a harder time sticking together using only crunchy though.)  And if you don't feel like dipping them in chocolate, they're amazing on their own as well.



Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp shortening
• sprinkles, crushed peanuts, etc (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars.  Add peanut butter, and mix another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Roll the dough into Tablespoon-sized balls and roll in the granulated sugar.  Dough may seem a bit crumbly, but should come together easily in your hand.  Space about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Using a fork, gently press into dough ball twice, to create the traditional crosshatched pattern.

Bake 8-10 minutes.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

When cookies are completely cool, melt chocolate chips with shortening in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water.

Gently dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate.  Dip into a small bowl  of sprinkles or crushed nuts if desired.  Set on a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool and set.

Makes about amazingly delicious 30 cookies.

These cookies are reminiscent of a cozy evening by the fire.  A crumbly shortbread with just a hint of cinnamon paired with apple butter.  Almost like a bite-sized apple pie.

These are a perfect, melt-in-your mouth butter cookie with just a hint of peppermint.  (Although my son said the dough tastes just like a real candy.) Butter Cookie dough is fun - you can pretty much mold it like play dough, and as long as it's nice and cold when you put it into the oven, it'll look about the same when it comes out! I twisted half of this dough into candy canes, and then rolled out the other half to make mini pinwheels, or peppermint candies.



Candy Cane Butter Cookies

• 3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• scant 1/4 tsp salt
• red food coloring (I find the gel coloring works best here)

Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light at fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and extracts and beat again another minute or two, until fluffy consistency is regained.

Sift in the flour and salt.  Mix until well combined.  Dough will be sticky.  Remove half of the dough to a separate bowl and set aside.  Mix red food coloring into the remaining dough, a few drops at a time, until red color is satisfactory and dough is evenly tinted.  Place red dough in a second bowl, and chill both for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

For Candy Canes
Shape a heaping teaspoonful of each color dough into a 5-inch rope with lightly floured hands.  Twist together into candy cane shape.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Chill another 20 minutes, then place immediately into oven.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set and edges are just beginning to brown.  Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For Mini-Pinwheels/Peppermint Candies
Using a rolling pin, roll each color dough into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.  Keep rectangles as close to the same size as you can.  Brush one side of one rectangle with water.  Lay the other rectangle on top and gently press to join.

Working from the long side, roll tightly.  Once rolled, give the whole log a gentle roll to make sure the edges are sealed.  Place in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until solid enough to slice through without ruining the pinwheel effect.

Slice dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick, spacing about an inch apart on prepared baking sheet.  Chill 20 minutes then place immediately in oven.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set and edges are just beginning to brown.  Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I know pumpkin and chocolate is a popular combination, but it generally isn't my favorite - I usually feel like the chocolate overpowers the delicate flavor of the pumpkin.  Then I saw these cookies and they were just too pretty not to make!  I was pleasantly surprised!  The flavor combination was just perfect and I wish I had made more!  This recipe only makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies, but if you're planning to share I'd recommend making double.


Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Fudge Filling
Adapted from The Pretty Bee

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• cinnamon sugar for dusting
• Cream Cheese Fudge Filling (recipe below)

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing on low speed.  *The dough will be thick.*

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Lightly dust work surface with flour.  Roll the dough to about 1/8 thickness.  Cut out 1 1/2" rounds and place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and dust with cinnamon sugar.  Allow to cool completely on baking sheets.

Make filling while cookies cool.  Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium sized star tip (or your favorite decorating tip).  Turn half of the cookies upside-down and pipe filling onto the bottom of these cookies.  Place another cookie on top to make a sandwich.  (You can also just spread the filling onto the cookies.)

Makes 2 dozen.



Cream Cheese Fudge Filling

• 1/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Heat chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds.  Stir, and heat another 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted.  Set aside to cool.

Sift cocoa powder and powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture.

Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla, until well combined.

Are you noticing a pattern yet?  It seems that (truly unintentionally!) almost all my cookies this year have found a way to incorporate chocolate.  This is another great chocolate cookie.  Gooey and soft, with just the right ratio of peanut butter to chocolate.  They've got all the great flavor of a traditional Buckeye, but they're so much easier to make!  (read - you don't have to refrigerate the dough overnight!)  :)



Buckeye Brownie Cookies

• 1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 oz or family size)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp salted butter, divided
• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and peanut butter until it is completely combined.  *I had to knead mine together a little at the end to get it all blended.*  Form the mixture into balls, about 1-inch.  Set aside.  (Note: make sure you have one peanut butter ball for each cookie - 24)

Melt 1/4 cup butter.  Add to a separate bowl, along with the cream cheese, egg, and brownie mix.  Beat until combined.  The dough is very stiff.  Drop in rounded spoonfuls on to prepared baking sheets.  Form into 24 cookies.

Bake cookies 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with 2 Tbsp butter.  Heat for 30 second and stir until melted.  If necessary, heat another 10 seconds at a time.  Spoon about 1/2 Tbsp of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so that it covers the peanut butter ball.  Allow the chocolate to set.

Store in an airtight container.  Makes 2 dozen.

Making Homemade Graham Crackers naturally led me to want to try them as S'mores.  And graham cracker pie crust, but I'm trying to stay focused on cookies right now...  :)  If I was going to attempt a s'more with homemade graham crackers, I decided it would only be right to make Homemade Marshmallows to go along with them.  Because making homemade marshmallows in the middle of an insanely busy week is perfectly normal, right?

As I was researching different marshmallow recipes, I found that almost all of them called for corn syrup. Generally speaking, that's one of the few ingredients I really try to avoid when cooking.  Not only is it not good for you, but I'm allergic and have to be really careful how much I ingest.  When I found a recipe that didn't use corn syrup, I was really excited!

These S'mores Cookies are super yummy!  It's a 3-part recipe, including my Homemade Graham Crackers, Homemade Marshmallows, and Chocolate Ganache.  The marshmallows need to cure overnight, so they should be made at least a day in advance.  I would recommend making the marshmallows and cookie dough and allowing the dough to chill overnight while the marshmallows cure.  The next day you can bake the cookies while prepping the ganache and cutting out the marshmallows.


S'mores Cookies (from scratch)

• Homemade Graham Crackers (see recipe)
• Homemade Marshmallows (Recipe below)
• Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

Homemade Marshmallows
(recipe from The Clever Carrot)

• 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cups Water
• 3 Packets (3 Tbsp) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (NOT sweetened condensed)
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup corn starch

• *candy thermometer*

Using an 8x8" square pan, or a 9x13" rectangular pan, cut parchment paper to fit inside, with about 2 inches of overhang on each side.  (This will serve as "handles" for easy removal.)

Generously coat the bottom and sides of your pan with cooking spray.  Line with the parchment paper.

Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the top, and allow to soften - 10 minutes or so.

In a large saucepan (make sure it's big, since the mixture will bubble up at least double!), combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup water.  Whisk over low heat until sugar has dissolved.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.  Immediately reduce to a simmer, until a candy thermometer registers 250 degrees F.  Do not stir at this point.

Pour the hot syrup into the gelatin mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.  Add the vanilla to the bowl.

Increase the speed to high and beat until thick and glossy, and tripled in volume, 10-15 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, quickly scrape out the mixture into the prepared pan.  Lightly coat your spatula with cooking spray and smooth out the top, pushing it out to the edges.  The marshmallows set very quickly, so work fast and don't worry about getting every last bit out of the bowl or making the top absolutely perfect.

Allow the marshmallows to set for at least 8 hours - overnight - uncovered and at room temperature.

Once the marshmallows have set, sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch into a large mixing bowl.

Sift some of the mixture over the top of the marshmallows and a cutting board.  Using the parcment handles, remove the marshmallows from the pan and place onto your board.

Cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares, being sure to dust your chef's knife/kitchen scissors/pizza wheel with the powdered sugar mixture.  

Toss the marshmallows in the mixture to prevent sticking.  Shake marhsmallows gently in a sifter to remove excess powder.  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.





Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and cream for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time.  When chocolate is halfway melted, stop heating and stir until smooth.



To Assemble S'mores Cookies

Spread about 1 tsp chocolate on the bottom of each cookie.  Place a homemade marshmallow on one of the cookies.

Using a kitchen torch, gently roast the marshmallow (or carefully do it over your kitchen stove burner - I may or may not have survived college by roasting marshmallows that way...)

Top the marshmallow with the other cookie and enjoy!

I'm not generally a big graham cracker eater.  My husband though, loves them (not to mention my boys).  A year or so ago, while visiting my in-laws, I was flipping through San Francisco's Miette Patisserie cookbook and their graham cracker recipe really caught my eye.  For whatever reason, it kept popping into my head! Me- a non-graham-cracker-lover, was dying to make these!  Unfortunately, I'd neglected to save the recipe, and it's taken me a while to track it down and then actually make the cookies.  Here they are - finally - and they do not disappoint!

It's a fairly simple recipe, using honey and a touch of cinnamon for that traditional "graham cracker flavor."  This recipe uses whole wheat flour instead of graham flour, which is a little easier to find.  And whole wheat is good for you, so these cookies are totally healthy.  You could definitely get away with eating a couple for breakfast... :)

Like a lot of cookie recipes, this one requires you to chill the dough before rolling, and then again before baking.  It's a little time consuming, but it's worth it.  You can also make the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, or in the freezer until you're ready to use it.  Just make sure you remember to mix the dry ingredients into the wet before wrapping it up in plastic wrap and putting it into the fridge.  Not that I'm speaking from experience *ahem*...!



Homemade Graham Crackers
adapted from Miette Patisserie, San Francisco

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup honey
• Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, wheat flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the honey until well blended.

Stir in the dry ingredients.  Divide into two disks and wrap well in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm, but still pliable, about an hour.  (Or refrigerate/freeze overnight and allow to soften before trying to roll out.)

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out very thin, about 1/8 inch thick.  (Gather together the dough scraps and re-roll as necessary).  Use a 2-3 inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place on a prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with turbinado or granulated sugar if desired.

Chill the cookies on the baking sheets for 20 minutes before baking.  Bake for 14-16 minutes, until golden brown.  Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking racks before removing to a cooling rack and allowing to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for a week or so.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

If you recall, the chocolate-peanut butter combination is pretty popular in our family.  My Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is requested at virtually every function, and I've become pretty good at making it in my sleep. :)  At Halloween, my husband hoards the Reese's candies and may or may not pilfer any that our boys get while trick-or-treating.  (Luckily they're too young to really notice or care...yet!)

Because of this crazy obsession, chocolate's other culinary counterpart - mint - is often overlooked.  I decided it was time for a change. Up until fairly recently, mint-chocolate-chip ice cream has been my favorite flavor.  My mom used to make these amazing ice cream sandwiches with chocolate cookies and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  As I was debating cookies for this year's 12 Days of Cookies, I thought of making these, but ice cream is a just little too cold for me in December.  So instead, I decided to make a mint chocolate chip cookie, and leave out the ice cream.  (Don't worry - I'll share the ice cream sandwiches next summer!)



Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup Andes Mints Creme de Menth Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.  

In a separate bowl, sift together the baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and cocoa powder.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet, one half at a time.  Mix on low speed until combined, mixing in between additions.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips and the mint chips. 

Scoop tablespoon sized balls onto prepared baking sheets and bake 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on baking rack.  

Makes about 4 dozen.

These cookies are the perfect combination of chocolate and toffee - a little like a Heath bar.  As they bake, they get a lovely crackly crust on top, just like a brownie.

Not that you'll have this problem because these cookies are so good, but the crunch in the toffee doesn't last, at least with the humidity here!  Store them in an air-tight container and eat them within a few days.  Otherwise the toffee chips lose their crunch and get all gummy and weird.




Chocolate Toffee Cookies

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1/4 cup salted butter

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup toffee chips

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips with the butter.  You can do this in a microwave safe bowl, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well in between, or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  When chocolate is just over halfway melted, remove from heat/stop heating, and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool.

While chocolate is cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamy and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.

Add in the cooled chocolate mixture, and mix in until well combined.

Mix in the flour mixture, 1 half at a time.  When almost combined, add the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and the toffee chips.  Mix until all combined.

Scoop into Tablespoon-sized balls onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake 9-11 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

For my 12 Days of Cookies this year, I'm kicking things off with a fun little twist on a traditional gingerbread cookie.  These cookies are soft in the middle, with a nice crunch on the outside (from the turbinado sugar you roll them in).  They have a lovely zip from the fresh ginger, and... big gooey chunks of chocolate!  Seriously, these cookies are absolutely addicting.  They're also perfect to take to a cookie swap or deliver to your neighbors, as this recipe makes a whopping 4 dozen cookies!

I'll be honest, I tasted the dough and was a little worried.  It just wasn't doing it for me, but I decided to have a little faith and at least bake them before throwing them out.  I'm so glad I did!  The combination of the ginger and dark chocolate is less sweet - maybe even a tad bitter.  Definitely a more complex flavor palate, than your typical sweet ginger cookie.  That didn't stop my boys from climbing onto the counter and getting into the cookies though while I wasn't looking though!




Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 14 oz dark chocolate
• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp boiling water

• 3 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup (or more) turbinado sugar

Roughly chop chocolate into chunks, about 1/4 inch.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 5 minutes.

While mixing, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

Add brown sugar to butter mixture and beat until combined.  Add molasses and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda into 3 tsp boiling water.  Beat half of flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Beat in baking soda mixture, then add remaining flour mixture.  Mix in chocolate chunks.

Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick, seal with wrap, and refrigerate until firm.  (At least 2 hrs)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Divide dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Roll in turbinado sugar and refrigerate another 20 minutes.  Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, about 10 minutes.  Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Well, it's officially Christmas time here, and the winter weather is in full swing.  After spending so many winters in California, I feel a bit like a wimp.  I used to handle Montana winters like a pro, and now the 40 degree days we're having in Oregon are about all I can take.  I bought my first *real* coat in 15 years, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some snow before this winter's done!  ☺

If Jack Frost nipping at your nose doesn't tell you that it's almost Christmas, then my 12 Days of Cookies should!  I was looking back over past recipes, and I honestly can't believe I've kept this up this long!  It sure is fun though, and I love trying all kinds of new cookie recipes to bring you some fun classics, as well as some new flavor combos.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  If you ever have cookie recipe suggestions or requests, please send them my way!  I'm always on the lookout for new recipes for this.

As per usual, this is the main page for this year's 12 Days of Cookies.  I'll continue to update this page as I post each new recipe.  That way you can easily access any of them from here.  Check back often for each new cookie, and I'll see you on the other side!




Day 1 - Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Day 2 - Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Day 3 - Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Day 4 - Homemade Graham Crackers
Day 5 - S'mores Cookies with Homemade Marshmallows
Day 6 - Buckeye Brownie Cookies
Day 7 - Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Fudge Filling
Day 8 - Candy Cane Butter Cookies
Day 9 - Apple Butter Shortbread
Day 10 - Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Day 11 - Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Cookies
Day 12 - Pfeffernüsse (Peppernuts)

For Thanksgiving, you may very well have a mixture of overnight guests, and people just showing up for dinner.  Either way, there are a handful of things you can do now, to make everything run more smoothly on the big day.  You definitely don't want to be called away in the middle of prepping the turkey for the oven to go hunt down a spare roll of toilet paper!  :)

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Last year I posted my "Complete Guide to Creating the Ultimate Guest Room."  While it's a bit of a read, there's tons of great ideas for making your overnight house guests feel welcomed. (And practically like they're staying at the Ritz-Carlton!)  Be sure to check it out!

Whether your guests will be staying a few hours or a few days, these ideas will make everyone's stay just a little nicer.

• Clear off some space on your coat rack or in the coat closet so guests don't stand around awkwardly holding their coats and wondering what to do with them

• If yours is a shoe-free home, like ours, a little sign is nice to remind guests to remove their shoes.  That way you're not constantly shouting across the kitchen for someone to go take their shoes off.  If you want to be really fancy, you could provide a basket of slippers for your guests to wear (and even take home as a little gift!)

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• Declutter.  I can't say this enough.  Having extra people in your home can make things feel smaller, tighter, and more chaotic (as wonderful as those guests are!), and extra clutter lying around makes it even more so. 

• Games and Activities - set out a few games or activities for people not helping in the kitchen!  This not only encourages positive interaction and conversation, but some people might not be interested in watching football!  You could also leave out a few magazines for people that need a quiet break. (This also means less active entertaining for you!)

• Clean out your refrigerator a few days before guests arrive.  They will be looking in your fridge!  Also, you'll probably need room for Thanksgiving leftovers.  

• Before dinner guests arrive, empty the dishwasher and take out the trash!  This will make cleanup a breeze!

• Having appetizers and drinks set out for your guests will keep them out of the kitchen while you cook.

• For overnight guests, be sure they have access to snacks and drinks during the rest of their visit as well.

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• Plan a menu for the duration of their stay.  You can include "help yourself" items, as well as take out menus to restaurants in the area.  You may just find that you like menu-planning and you decide to keep it up year-round!

• Stock up on staples - milk, eggs, bread, your guests' favorite treat or breakfast cereal, etc.  

• Clean!!  If I could manage it, I'd do a deep clean on my guest bathroom right now and then lock it up until the first person arrives on Thanksgiving.  That way the chances of my boys destroying it before someone gets to see it in all its sparkling clean glory go way down.  :)  Whether you can clean and lock up your guest bathroom to wait for the guests, or you have to do a last minute wipe down the night before, be sure to start the day with a clean bathroom.

• Toilet Paper - make sure to stock up on extra rolls, and have a few easily accessible for the poor soul in the bathroom that runs out!

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• On that note, keep a toilet plunger handy in the bathroom your guests will be using.  This helps avoid potential messes and embarrassment for your guests.  

• Make sure to keep extra towels, washcloths, and toiletries on hand, especially for your overnight guests.  

• Clean sheets and fresh towels are a must

• Set out extra blankets and pillows to ensure your guests are comfortable.

• Create a guest password for your wifi, and make it easily accessible for any of your guests.  You can use this cute printable if you want.  

Check out this link for more ideas for Thanksgiving place settings.  

For the rules to set a table, go here.

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I love the idea of a "Thankful Tree."  Whether you do a small one as part of a centerpiece, or a large floor option, this could be a great family tradition that you get out every year and add more "leaves."  Even better, this can be practically free, if you collect fallen/dead branches outside!

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