Orange flavored chocolate can, apparently, be fairly controversial.  I absolutely love it, but my husband can't stand it, and didn't even want to be in the room when I was making these cookies!  He was a good sport and did try one of the cookies though, and dubbed it "not bad," so you know they're good!

These cookies are so rich and chocolaty.  If you're not a fan of orange flavored chocolate, you could easily leave out the orange zest, and replace the chocolate orange with the equivalent in semi-sweet chocolate chips for an amazing double chocolate cookie.

Growing up, we had a little tradition in my family of reading the story "The Christmas Orange" and sharing a chocolate orange. I wanted to do that with my boys, so we combined that with these cookies, and used one of the chocolate oranges (plus a little extra) to make them.  If you have a favorite kind of orange chocolate, feel free to use that!

Just a tip, this recipe uses a mixing method slightly different than the usual, so be sure to read through the recipe completely before starting!  It also helps to measure out all the ingredients first.



Chocolate Orange Brownie Cookies
slightly adapted from Baker by Nature

• 1 c. plus 2 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp special dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (heaping cup)
• 2 Tbsp salted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 c. granulate sugar
• 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 7 oz orange chocolate, chopped (I used 1 whole chocolate orange plus 6 "segments" of another)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside,

In a large mixing bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter.  Stir occasionally, until chocolate chips are almost melted.  Remove from heat and stir until completely melted.  Mix in the vanilla.

Add the sugars and orange zest and whisk until blended.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Stir in the milk.

Add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Gently fold in the chopped orange chocolate.

Scoop in rounded Tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet (dough is very sticky!)

Bake at 300 degrees F for about 12 minutes, until the edges are set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.  Makes about 32 cookies.

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!





S'mores Cookies

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 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!

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.

Do you have one of those recipes that is always a hit and you get requests for it over and over?  THIS is one of those recipes.  The kind of recipe that makes grown men swoon, and results in people exclaiming almost incomprehensibly over giant mouthfuls of cake, "Oh my gosh, this is amazing!!" All the while trying to shovel in more.  This is the kind of cake whose leftovers (yeah, like there are really leftovers!) greet you in the morning with all kinds of rationalizations for why Chocolate Cake for breakfast is the BEST IDEA EVER!!


This cake is moist and positively heavenly!  The Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is light and fluffy, almost like a mousse, and is definitely my favorite frosting with this cake (although the Cream Cheese Fudge Frosting is a richer, and even more decadent option).

I've had this recipe in my file to post for a while now, but getting even a semi decent picture has proven to be more than a challenge.  The cake disappears so fast!  I seriously had to hide the last piece of cake so I could try to get a picture of it before it disappeared as well!


It's always a hit, and is so easy! It only requires a bowl and a whisk!

I typically use a mix of two types of cocoa powder when I make this, but if you only have one, don't wait to make this!  Just measure out the full amount of cocoa powder with the one kind.


Best Ever Chocolate Cake

I absolutely love Cream Cheese Frosting.  I'm always looking for a way to use it, and very rarely make a plain buttercream frosting anymore these days.  Honestly, the cream cheese just makes it so much better!  Adding chocolate to a traditional Cream Cheese Frosting just seemed like the next step.

You need this frosting in your life!  It's light and fluffy, almost like a mousse; chocolaty, but not overly sweet.  The cream cheese is the perfect balance to the chocolate.

This recipe makes just enough to frost my Best Ever Double Chocolate Cake, but would be amazing on just about anything else!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. salted Butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. Cocoa Powder (Dutch process is my favorite)
• 3 c. Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on med/high until light and fluffy - 5-10 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar.  Mix until well blended.  Mix in the vanilla or almond extract.  Whip another 3-5 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy frosting.



This frosting is definitely easiest to use at room temperature.  If for some reason you don't use all of it at once, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge until ready for use, then bring to room temperature before using.  I've never had it last more than a few days, so I don't know how long it really could last.

It's the holidays. There is nothing better than making cookies during the holidays. Except for maybe writing blog posts for your wife's awesome blog as a guest writer! Seriously though, I almost ran out of things to write about after my quippy intro just there, but I think I can pull through and provide some cogent banter to make up for the lack of my wife's wonderful literary talents.

Speaking of my wonderful wife, let me tell you about her commitment to her 12 Days of Cookies. She has taken on this task every single year for the last few years, and has created an incredible array of baked goods that have personally contributed to at least two torn pants and a popped seem. I LOVE this time of year, for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons is because the smell of those cookies fills the room and the taste is (usually) incomparable to anything store bought.

In sum, I love this time of year because of my wife. She makes the holiday season into what it is. Without her I would probably be alone, in a plain, boring room eating store bought crap that was designed to last for eternity (shout out to that Ramen!). So, a college student, really.

Because of all she does for me and our two "feral" boys, I really thought she deserved a break from the stress and sacrifice of putting out these incredible recipes day in and day out. Therefore, I present to you my recipe for a tasty cookie treat that may or may not tickle your fancy, but will definitely take some of the pressure off of my wife and maybe make her smile. And what other goal in life would I ever have than making the love of my life smile as often as possible?

Here it is:

Oreo a la Leche

• 1 or 2 sleeves of Oreos
• (okay, 1 sleeve of Oreos so your significant other doesn't get mad at you)
• 1 glass of milk (whole milk preferred, 1% is minimally acceptable, skim milk is not meant for this kind of consumption or any human consumption really)
• 1 spoon, of a bigger size but not like a serving spoon, (have some semblance of self control, dang it!)

Preheat your Netflix to something enjoyable, say like a nice hallmark Christmas movie, or a tv show, Daredevil, or Parks and Rec. Keep it light and airy.

Place Oreos in an empty cup or mug, the bigger the better. I've been known to get 9 whole Oreos into the cup.

Pour milk over the Oreos until all cookies are covered and drowning in the sweet creamy goodness of your whole milk.

Grab a spoon and treat yo self to a roller coaster ride of chocolatey cream filled decadence, soaked through with milky goodness that even Tom Haverford would approve of. Makes half a serving, so go ahead and add another sleeve of cookies...

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling cookies)
• Assorted Hershey Kisses

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.  Stir in flour mixture.  Cover bowl and refrigerate dough at least an hour until firm.

Meanwhile unwrap the Hershey kisses, place in a bowl, and freeze until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place powdered sugar into a bowl; set aside.

Scoop dough into 1/2 Tablespoon balls, roll in powdered sugar, and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies crackle and begin to look "cakey."

Remove from oven and immediately press a frozen kiss into each cookie.  Remove cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Don't touch until the chocolate is set and no longer shiny.

Halfway there!  These tiny cookies are practically bite sized and perfectly peanut-buttery.  To top it off, they're gluten free!

Mini Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 c. crunchy peanut butter, preferably natural
• 1 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• Granulated sugar

• Chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, beat peanut butter, brown sugar, and egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Scoop dough into rounded teaspoons.  Roll between hands into a smooth ball, then roll in granulated sugar.

Space cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Using a fork, flatten ball to about 1/2 inch thickness, changing direction of fork part way through, in order to create the characteristic checkerboard pattern.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until set.  Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

If desired, melt chocolate chips (about 1/2 c) over a pot of simmering water.  Pipe or drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies.

Dark Cocoa Spice Cookies

• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tsp coconut extract

• 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 egg white
• Pinch cream of tartar
• Decorating sugar or sprinkles

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks and coconut extract.  Add flour mixture, beat until blended.

Gather dough into a ball and divide into 4 equal parts.  Shape each piece into a 6 inch log.  Wrap and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Cut each log into 16 slices.  Place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Beat powdered sugar, egg white, and cream of tartar in a small bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and smooth.  Cover with damp cloth during use to prevent icing from drying out.

Use a small paintbrush to brush edges of cooled cookies with icing, then roll edges in decorating sugar or sprinkles before icing hardens.

Today's installment of the 12 Days of Cookies look impressive (how did you get that chocolate layer in the middle?!), but are quite easy to make... and pretty hard to mess up even though I tried my hardest.  :)


Nutella Sugar Cookie Bars

• 3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Heaping 1 tsp Kosher salt

• 3/4 - 1 cup Nutella
• Coarse white decorating sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

While the butter and sugars are mixing, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture.  Mix until completely combined.  Slowly mix in the flour mixture.

Divide dough in half and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dough is firm enough to handle.  (I actually ended up putting mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes and that worked perfectly.)  

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish. (You could also line it with parchment paper, for super easy removal, but I was too lazy in a hurry and didn't.)  Gently press half of the cookie dough onto the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it into all the corners.  Bake for 8 minutes.

Measure the Nutella into a microwave safe bowl, and heat for just a few seconds at a time, until nice and runny.  (Trust me - you want this to pour easily!)  Pour the Nutella evenly over the bottom crust.  Spread it out carefully so you don't tear up the bottom layer of par-baked dough.

Use your fingers to flatten out small pieces of dough at a time and lay them over the Nutella.  It will be a bit lumpy, but should mostly cover everything.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with the decorating sugar.  (Ok, I'll admit, I completely forgot to add the sugar when I made this for pictures, and of course, it turned out just fine.  However, the sugar makes it pretty, and adds a nice little crunch, so I would definitely recommend it. I won't be skipping out next time!)  

Bake an additional 20 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown.  Cool completely before slicing.  Seriously!  Let it cool.  Just walk away and pretend to think about something else.

To kick things off this year, I'm revisiting an old favorite.  These Double Fudge Pockets are always a hit, so I decided to try them with a new filling... and these new cookies are at least as good, if not better, than the original.  You'll have to make both and compare!

Peanut Butter Fudge Pockets

• 1 c butter
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• Peanut Butter Filling (recipe below)
• Sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  In an electric mixer, beat butter on medium high for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and baking powder; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined.

Mix in flour and cocoa powder.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill dough for 1 hour, or until easy to handle.

Roll out each portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.  Use your favorite cookie cutter, or cut into rounds with a floured scalloped 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.

Place half of the rounds 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Spoon a rounded teaspoon of Peanut Butter Filling into the center of each round.  Place another round over the filling.  Press edges together to seal.

Bake for 10 -12 minutes, or until edges are firm.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to wire racks and cool.  Place in an airtight container and chill up to 2 days.  Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes about 30.


Peanut Butter Filling 

1/2 cup natural/unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix together using a spatula or wooden spoon until combined.  Cover and set aside until ready to use.  *Note: depending on the size and shape of the cookies, you may not use all of the peanut butter filling (simple round cookies use a lot more than my gingerbread men and snowflake shaped cookies).

• 1/2 c. salted butter
• 2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. milk
• 4 Tbsp.  
• Dutch process cocoa powder (I usually use this one, but this is really good too)
• 1 c. unsweetened, natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal
• Kosher Salt, or coarse sea salt