For my last recipe this year, I've asked one of my awesome sisters-in-law do a guest post. She texted me about some awesome cookies she made right as I was trying to figure out how to get this last post up, since we were leaving early for Christmas to beat the storms.  How perfect is that?!  SO without further ado, here's my sister-in-law:

1. Cut the recipe in half. It made a dozen cookies when halved, which was plenty for our little family of three.
2. Where the recipe calls for vanilla bean, I used about 1 tsp of vanilla extract instead. I also added about 1/2 tsp of almond extract because I like it in melty cookies like these.
3. Used walnuts instead of almonds. I feel like they taste better for crumbly doughs like this. I used a food processor to pulverize the walnuts and then...
4. Used the food processor to mix all ingredients instead of a hand mixer or Kitchen-Aid. You’ll notice the original recipe calls for chunks of cold butter. You do not want the butter to melt or soften much, so a food processor works best to chop up the cold butter and mix the other ingredients quickly so you can hand finish it and roll it for the fridge (watch the quick video on PlatedCravings to see what I mean here).
5. Used plain powdered sugar instead of vanilla sugar. The original recipe swears by the vanilla sugar, but while I’m sure they would have tasted even yummier with it, regular powdered sugar worked just fine for us.
6. Made my own powdered sugar shaker. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I don’t have a flour/sugar sifter or metal sieve. So I placed a piece of aluminum foil over a small jar with powdered sugar in it, fastened it with a rubber band and gently poked small holes in it with a fork. It worked well enough. 

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 6 Tbsp ground walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

I love meringues.  They are so versatile, and honestly, I'm fascinated by them!  My first experience with meringues was a flop.  Literally.  I had picked a rather complicated recipe that required me to fold other ingredients into the meringue and I ended up stirring out all the air.  It was tasty, but absolutely ugly!

Since then, I've learned more about meringues and discovered a few tricks that practically guarantee a perfect meringue every time!  I wrote a post about it a few years ago here.  This recipe is for a Swiss Meringue - which basically means that the whipped egg whites are cooked before you bake them (i.e. you can taste as you go without worrying about eating raw egg!), and while the meringue is on the softer side, it is very stable.  

If you're like me and want to read more about the history and science of meringues, check out this post.  These cookies spend a long time in the oven, so while there's not much hands-on time, don't plan on whipping them up at the last minute or you'll be sorely disappointed.  


A few tips for getting started with your meringues:

1. Make sure your bowl is clean and free from any water or oils.  I prefer to use metal or glass, since plastic bowls tend to hold onto the oils.  
2. Eggs separate best when cold, but egg whites whip to perfection at room temperature.  Separate your eggs and then set aside the whites for about 30 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
3. Be careful when separating the eggs.  Little pieces of shell or yolk will keep the whites from whipping to their full potential.  If some ends up in the bowl, don't worry - just set it aside for another project and start with some new eggs.  
4. A general rule with meringues is 1/4 cup of sugar for each egg white.  That right there will make a beautiful meringue.  Adding a little Cream of Tartar helps to stabilize the eggs, making the meringue a little easier to work with.

Christmas Tree Meringues

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp extract of your choosing (almond, vanilla, or peppermint are all very nice)
• green gel food coloring
• sprinkles - I used rainbow nonpareils and tiny star shaped candies

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In a large metal or glass bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar.  Place over a small pot of gently simmering water on the stove.  Use an electric hand mixer, or whisk [very] vigorously until sugar is dissolved.  (You can test this by rubbing a small amount of the egg mixture between your fingers - if it's smooth, you're done.  If it feels grainy, keep going!)

Remove from heat and continue to mix with the hand mixer or place on stand mixer and whisk on medium high until egg whites become stiff and glossy.  When you have stiff peaks, add in extract and food coloring (enough to get the color desired).

Very gently place mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  Pipe cookies onto prepared  baking sheet.  They should be about 1 inch wide by 2 inches high.  Sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils.  *Note: save the little bit of meringue left in the bowl to stick the stars onto the trees*

Cook for 2 hours (yes, you read that right.)  After 2 hours, turn oven off, open door slightly, and allow to cool slowly in oven for an additional 2 hours (or overnight).

Use a tiny dot of leftover meringue to stick the stars onto the cookies.

Snickerdoodles take me back to my childhood.  I remember baking them with my mom and my little sister, scooping out the dough and rolling it in cinnamon-sugar.  I still love them, but to be honest, I don't make them very often.  That extra step of rolling the dough balls in cinnamon-sugar sometimes just seems like one step too many.

When I planned out the recipes for my 12 Days of Cookies this year, the cookie that I selected for today just didn't feel right, when it came time to bake it.  After all of the lighter, crispy, thin, spicy cookies I've made so far, I just wanted something warm, cozy, and nostalgic.  Since writing a recipe for my favorite old sweater would be weird, I suggest you wear one when you eat these.

This recipe takes my snickerdoodle nostalgia one step further with pure Maple Syrup.  When I was in grade school, we lived in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  There are a lot of details that I don't remember, but one thing I do remember is maple syrup.  I remember our family giving it as gifts, and I remember my grandma pouring it on the snow and showing us how to make frozen syrup on a stick, and I remember the maple sugar candy (sometimes I still crave that).

I kept my mom's snickerdoodle recipe virtually the same, but added in some maple syrup and made it into a bar.  These are so good, and so easy! I don't know if I'll ever make traditional snickerdoodles again.



Maple Snickerdoodle Bars

• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. pure maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar.  Add in the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Add into the butter mixture and mix on low until fully incorporated.

Press evenly into baking dish.  In a small bowl or shaker, mix together the 2 Tbsp sugar and ground cinnamon.  Sprinkle over all of the dough.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.  Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!

I'm starting to see a pattern here.  I promise it was completely unintentional, but there's just something about these thin, crisp cookies that I can't seem to get enough of! These cookies remind me a little of biscotti, but felt significantly easier to make.  Like yesterday's cookie recipe, this is a slice-and-bake cookie.   And also like yesterday, this one is filled with nuts - almonds this time. You'll have to plan a little ahead with these, as they need at least 2 hrs to chill before baking. Mix up the dough now, and then slice and bake tomorrow (or as needed if you freeze it!) for some freshly baked cookies to go with your early morning hot cocoa. (Am I the only one that does that in the winter?)

I paired these with a dark chocolate, and tried dipping them as well as drizzling it on, and left some plain.  I honestly can't say which I like best.  They're not too sweet, and have just the right amount of almond to be noticeable, but not overpowering.  Just be careful not to eat too many!



Almond Thins

• 1/2 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c. sliced almonds

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars.  Mix in the eggs and extract and beat about 2 minutes.

Sift in the flour and salt.  Mix on low until just incorporated.  Add in the sliced almonds.  I started by mixing these in with the electric mixer, but switched to kneading it in by hand to make sure all the nuts were evenly distributed.

Place dough on a large piece of parchment or plastic wrap and shape into a long rectangle, about 3 inches wide by 1 inch high.  Wrap well and chill for 2 hrs or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mats.  Set aside.

Unwrap dough and place on a cutting board.  Using your sharpest knife, divide dough into three shorter rectangles, and return two to the refrigerator - it cuts much better when super cold.  Slice the remaining dough as thinly as you can and place on baking sheet.  Keep it uniform, so they all bake the same, and don't go any thicker than 1/8."

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.



>Optional<
At the last minute I decided to dip some of my cookies in chocolate.  I melted 1 cup of my favorite dark chocolate with 2-3 Tablespoons of salted butter (I honestly just took a chunk that looked about right!). This was enough for maybe half of the cookies I had left once they were all baked... I may have been snacking.....

Dip half of your cookie in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set. You can also put the chocolate in a small baggie and cut a tiny hole in the end to drizzle chocolate over the cookies.

I've had these on my list to make for a number of years now.  Pecan sandies are such a simple cookie, but they deliver big time! That melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness that is shortbread, chock full of rich, nutty pecans.  I also rolled the edges in turbinado sugar, so each bite also contains that crunchy, sweet crystallized sugar.  So, so good!

These are another make-ahead cookie.  The dough needs to chill for at least an hour before baking, but you could easily whip up a big batch of these and just cook as many as you need at one time.  Roll the dough into a log, slice into rounds and bake.  Doesn't get much easier than that!



Pecan Sandies

• 1 c. rough-chopped Pecans
• 1 c. salted butter
• 1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• heaping 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 2/3 c. flour

• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (for the egg wash)
• Approx 1/2 c. turbinado, or other coarse sugar

In a medium frying pan, over high heat, toast the pecans 3-5 minutes.  Keep them moving constantly, until they are very slightly darker and smell rich and nutty.  Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl - they will continue to cook as long as they're in the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Beat until combined. 

Mix in the flour, a little at a time, and mix until just incorporated.  Stir in the pecans by hand.  I actually found it easier to get an even distribution if I knead them in, rather than using a spoon. 

Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form the dough into a log, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.

To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and set aside while you prepare the egg wash.

Lightly brush the sides of the log with the beaten egg yolk and roll in the turbinado sugar to coat.  Slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes (mine baked for 18 exactly), until the cookies are set and the bottom is starting to lightly brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. 

I first fell in love with Florentines while on my study abroad in Vienna. My host mom was going on a 2 week business trip, essentially leaving me living alone. When I got back from classes that day, I found a box of the most delicate, crisp, chocolaty cookies. They were so good and I tried to make them last, but eventually they were gone. I looked for more, and tried others, but they were never as good. I still don’t know what kind of magical bakery she found them in.

Fast forward a decade and I’ve still never tried making my own. I’ve always been too intimidated by how amazing those first Florentines were, and how disappointed I was with others I tried, to even bother attempting them myself. Not anymore! While watching the contestants on the British Baking Show struggle through making them, I decided that if they could do it, so could I. So I immediately began looking up and comparing Florentine recipes.

That’s when I found these glorious cookies.  Deb, over at Smitten Kitchen, consistently puts out amazing recipes.  I liked that they were a bit different from a traditional Florentine (that way I wouldn't be totally disappointed if my first attempt didn't turn out like my time-enhanced memory of them) and the eggnog filling....mmmmm! 

I can safely say that I'm over my fear of Florentines after having made this recipe! This opens up a whole new world... Be sure to read through the recipe before you make it.  It might look daunting, but honestly, it's really not!  Don't be afraid to try them - you'll be so glad you did!


Pecan Florentines with Eggnog Filling
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 6 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 c. pecan halves
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 c. salted butter (cold is fine!)
• scant 2/3 c. granulated sugar 
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla 
• Eggnog Filling (see recipe below)

Make the cookie dough: Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the flour, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  Pulse until the nuts are very finely chopped. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, heavy cream, and honey.  Bring it to a boil over high heat.  Boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the caramel mixture over the nut mixture and stir to combine.  Set aside for 30 minute, until it has cooled (mixture will firm up a bit, but that's perfectly normal).  Meanwhile, make the filling.


Eggnog Filling

• 4 large eggs, hard-boiled
• 4 Tbsp salted butter
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Make the filling: Peel the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites.  You only need the yolks, so don't worry if they don't peel pretty; save the whites for something else.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or a large mixing bowl, press the egg yolks through a fine-mesh strainer so they become mashed and powdery.  (Immediately wash out the strainer, or you'll have a big mess later when it dries!) 

Add the butter, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Mix until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated.  Then increase the mixer speed and beat until thick and frosting-like.  Spoon into an airtight container, cover, and set aside. 


Bake the cookies:  Using a 1 Tbsp measure, scoop 3 dough balls onto your baking sheet.  Divide in half so you have 6 small cookie dough balls.  They should be about 3 inches apart - they will spread a ton!  

Bake at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes, until cookies are thin and golden brown.  They will not crisp until they are cool, so don't worry if they're soft.

Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, place some paper towels on the counter or another cookie sheet (make sure it's a flat surface).  Transfer cooling cookies to paper towels to blot some of the excess oil for a few more minutes.  Once blotted, transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

If any butter is left on the baking sheet, wipe that off before repeating the baking process.  It helps to set up a little assembly line, with places for cookies to cool on baking sheets, on paper towels, and finally on cooling racks while you prepare another baking sheet of cookies to go into the oven.  Stay close to the kitchen - this all goes just quickly enough that you don't want to go too far!  

Assemble:  Spread a dollop of eggnog filling on one cookie, the gently press a second one on top.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  Place in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving to firm up the filling.  If you don't plan to eat all of them right away, store the filling covered in the refrigerator and the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.  Makes 3 dozen lacy cookies.

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.

This one's for all of you Harry Potter fans.  I am a huge book nerd, and I'm usually reading 2-3 books at any given time.  (These days most of them are audiobooks, because quiet time to sit and read is a luxury I just don't have right now with 3 littles!)  I love reading books that discuss food in passing - as in, it's not the main focus of the book.  I recently read a book where the main character attended a dinner party and the author shared the menu along with the conversation.  I immediately wanted to go and make all the different foods they were eating.

So when I came across this recipe for Butterbeer Thumbprint Cookies, I had to try them! I know Harry Potter doesn't actually ingest his butterbeer in the form of cookies, so if you're a die-hard fan, just humor me here!

According to the author, butterbeer is "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."  Well, this homemade "browned butterscotch" is amazing.  It's fast and easy to make, and is hands down, the best stuff you'll eat all day!  And it tastes nothing like those sickly "butterscotch" chips that get dusty on grocery store shelves.


Butterbeer Thumbprint Cookies
(adapted from Kara Canary)

• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp butter extract (I didn't have any when I made these in the middle of the night, and they were great.  I'll bet they're even more buttery with the extract though!)
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Browned Butterscotch sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar.  Mix in the extracts and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Sift in flour and salt.  Mix for another minute, until it is all combined.

Roll dough into Tablespoon sized balls, spacing about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the cookie.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately press down the indentation again (use a spoon, not your thumb this time!) and return to the oven.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Allow to cool 3-5 minutes on the pan, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are cooling, make browned butterscotch sauce.  Fill cookies and allow to cool and set.  Enjoy!

Browned Butterscotch Sauce

• 1/2 c. salted butter
• 1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan set over medium heat.  Once melted, continue to cook, stirring and scraping the bottom continuously.  Butter will froth up and then begin to brown.

When butter smells nutty and is almost as dark as the sugar, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, cream, and salt.  Return to heat, continuing to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.

Bring butter to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into a jar for storage.  Butterscotch will continue to set as it cools.

Spoon into the indentations set in the cookies.  Drizzle more over the top.  Allow to cool and set before serving.

Store any remaining browned butterscotch in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

My obsessive need for gingerbread during the holidays has lead me here - to these wonderfully spicy, thin and crispy Gingersnaps.

I love carrot cake.  No really - I love it, but mostly I love MY carrot cake.  It's more like a spice cake and a carrot cake had a baby, really - none of that mushy fruit getting in the way!  I've already shared my seriously amazingly delicious carrot cake recipe with you.  I know I've said it before, but if you haven't tried it, you should!  Sometimes though, I just don't feel like making a whole cake. (I know that sounds like crazy-talk, but it's true.) 

Enter: these cookies.  It's almost like eating a perfectly sized mini cake!  The texture is somewhere between cake and cookie - a little more dense than my cake, but still SO good!  I couldn't stop eating them.  I really don't want to admit to how many I ate!  They're gone now, so.... I guess I'll just have to make more! 

Like yesterday's Cranberry White Chocolate Pistachio cookies, these are fairly quick to throw together, though you do have to be patient and wait for the cookies to cool completely, or the frosting will melt off.  Not that I know that from experience.  ;)  Grating the carrots can be a bit tedious.  You could probably chop them in a food processor, but I prefer the texture of the finely grated carrots.  This is another great job to pass on to the kids.  Promise them a cookie at the end, and they'll probably grate carrots all night!  Either way, give these a try and let me know if you're converted.



Carrot Spice Cake Cookies

• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• 2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 c. grated carrots
• 1/3 c. shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 c. Pecans, chopped and toasted
• Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 375, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.  Using the small holes on a grater, grate 2 cups of carrots.  Set aside.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder and soda, and salt. Working slowly in two batches, mix into the butter mixture until just incorporated.  

Add the grated carrots and shredded coconut.  Mix well.  

Scoop in rounded Tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 375 for 13 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges and just starting to brown.  Let cool 3-5 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Meanwhile, make the frosting and gently toast the pecans.  Frost cookies generously when completely cool.  Top with toasted pecans. 

These cookies are the perfect blend of salty, sweet, and tangy, and they're Christmas colored to boot! Does it get any better than that?  Yes, yes it does. You can be eating these cookies within 30 minutes if you start now! 

The most time consuming part of this recipe was shelling the pistachios- and you could just buy them pre-shelled! I just had my boys work on it... they absolutely loved it (seriously! This is one of their new favorite activities that they request!) And it kept them quiet and busy for at least 20 minuets! (You just have to pay attention so they don’t eat all of them.)

These cookies went fast! We ate a few, dropped some off at a friend’s house, ate some more, and before I knew it, there was one left. And I hadn’t taken any pictures yet! So enjoy my single, sad, last cookie, and make some of your own!



Cranberry White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/2 c shortening
• 1 c dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 c white chocolate chips
• 1 c dried cranberries
• 1 c (shelled) pistachios, rough chopped

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

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.