12 Holiday Cookies to Gift, Exchange & Serve

Cookies seem to be the one thing that is a must when it comes to holiday baking. Whether you're giving them to friends or serving them to your family, a plate full of delicious cookies is the perfect way to spread holiday cheer. This year I've put together a little collection of 10 of my favorite cookies that are not only easy to make but are downright delicious! Enjoy and happy baking!

Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Cookies

Each year when the snow starts falling we hurry to the store to stock up on hot cocoa. Stephen and I usually pick out a few new flavors along with the classics. One of our new favorites is salted caramel. We've tried both the Ghirardelli brand and the Starbucks, they're both really good! I'm kind of addicted to the combo now! I wanted to bake a batch of cookies the other day and just happened to have everything I needed to make these salted caramel hot cocoa cookies. I started off by mixing up a bowl of chocolate hot cocoa dough in my stand mixer. While the cookies baked I made a saucepan full of the most beautiful amber color caramel I've ever seen! As soon as the cookies came out of the oven I covered them in marshmallows, miniature chocolate chips, caramel and sea salt. They were warm, rich and gooey- my kind of cookie! Definitely perfect for dunking in a hot glass of cocoa! Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients:
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ c. hot cocoa mix*
½ c. brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. miniature marshmallows
½ c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
¼ c. salted caramel sauce (recipe below)

Salted Caramel Sauce:
½ c. sugar
3 tbsp. butter
½ c. heavy whipping cream, room temperature
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together brown sugar and butter until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add vanilla extract, milk and egg, mixing until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain.
4. Remove bowl from stand and scoop onto prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set on the edges and barely firm in the centers.
5. Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add sugar. Heat until the sugar turns a golden brown color (the deeper the color the deeper the flavor) making sure to stir constantly so that the sugar does not burn or form a hard crust on the sides of the pan. Add butter once desired color is reached, whisking to incorporated. Remove from heat and add cream, salt and vanilla extract (note: when you add the cream it will "splatter"). Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
6. Remove cookies from oven. Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Allow to cool on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling, drizzle caramel over top and sprinkle with sea salt.
Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 12 standard size cookies

Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies

One of my favorite flavor combinations around the holidays is mint chocolate. I think it might have something to do with growing up in a family that's obsessed with it! So when I saw that Target had white chocolate peppermint M&Ms I pretty much had to buy a bag. Boy am I glad I did- they're so good! I devoured about half of the bag in just a few days and the rest I tossed into cookies. Yes, these cookies. I decided to combine the M&Ms with Andes peppermint crunch baking chips to really amp up the mint flavor. Did I mention that the dough has peppermint extract in it too? You may think I'm going completely overboard but I promise that the amount of mint is spot on and far from overwhelming. I tossed the cookies onto a baking sheet, popped them into the oven for 10 minutes and they baked perfectly. Nice and crisp around the edges and soft in the centers. The chocolate melded perfectly with the mint and made for one delicious cookie! 

Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. Hershey's natural unsweetened cocoa powder
⅔ c. Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
½ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
1½ c. White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms
½ c. Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugars, vanilla and peppermint for 2-3 minutes. Add melted chocolate chips, mix until combined. Add egg, then egg yolk, mixing just until combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, add dry ingredients. When no flour pockets remain, turn off and remove bowl from stand. Fold in M&Ms and peppermint baking chips. Scoop onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, cookies should be firm around the edges but soft in the center. Remove and allow to cool on pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes approximately18 cookies

Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal cookie. I know that there are a lot of people out there who really dislike raisins and nuts in their cookies, but I'm a fan! Today's recipe is really similar to my mom's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but has a few adjustments that help make them slightly more thick and chewy. The one main addition is an extra yolk, but also chilling the dough before baking it helps the cookies hold their shape and stay thick and chewy. The dough itself is perfectly spiced and the brown sugar really helps give these cookies the soft center and crisp edges that I love so much. If you're feeling extra adventurous you can always add coconut or even switch out the raisins for cranberries. I will definitely be making these cookies time and time again!

Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

1¼ c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 c. brown sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1½ tsp. vanilla

¾ c. raisins

½ c. chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes on medium-high. Add egg, mix, then egg yolk, mixing for an additional minute on medium-high.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and fold in raisins and walnuts. Allow the dough to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking.

4. Scoop chilled dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Gently pat down each ball. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown in color. The centers should look slightly underbaked, they will firm up once cooled. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Inspired by a Life Made Simple Family Recipe | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Death By Mint Chocolate Cookies

It's been a while since I've made a chocolate-based cookie, mainly because I've never been satisfied with any of them that are out there. So after a late night cookie fail, the following morning I decided to rework the recipe that Stephen and I had made and see what resulted. It turns out that I needed to adjust a few ratios and add some baking powder. These cookies are now one of our favorites! Thick, chewy, chocolately and moist- it doesn't get much better than that! Now onto the really impressive part. I decided that despite Stephen's ongoing protest against mint, I would make a few "death by mint chocolate" cookies. I chopped up Andes mints, tossed in a handful of mint chips and of course added chocolate chips too. To my surprise, Stephen actually ate a few... and really liked them! Success!!! You really can't go wrong with this dough, anything can be added to it (just sub out the peppermint extract) and it'll be delicious! Trust me, your friends and family will be begging you to make more!

Death By Mint Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

2½ c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ c. Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. peppermint extract

¼ c. warm water + ¼ tsp. espresso powder (dissolve in water)

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ c. mint chips

12-14 Andes mints, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugars, butter, vanilla and peppermint, until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add in "espresso" (water + espresso powder) and one egg, mix until just combined. With mixing speed on low, continue to add in egg and egg yolks until mixture is smooth.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain.
4. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips, mint chips and chopped Andes bits. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator, scoop onto prepared cookie sheets and place in oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, being careful not to overbake! The cookies will look soft and gooey in the centers, but once they cool they will firm up (going over 13 minutes will result in hard cookies)! Remove cookies from oven, allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 36 standard size cookies

M&M Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The other day I had a HUGE craving for oatmeal cookies! I turned to my mom's oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and halved it. I decided to adjust a few of the ingredients, using only brown sugar and adding an extra egg yolk to keep the cookies extra moist, chewy and thick. Since I'm a big fan of vanilla I also increased the amount to help flavor the cookies a bit more. Now you don't have to chill the cookie dough, but ever since I made these cookies, I've been obsessed with refrigerating my dough! I just think that it helps create a nice stiff dough which allows the cookies to better hold their shape during the baking process. Being the M&M lover that I am, I loaded mine up with them, and chocolate chips too :) These cookies definitely hit the spot- it's a recipe I'll be using time and time again!

M&M Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

1¼ c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 c. brown sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. vanilla

½ c. chocolate chips

½ c. M&Ms

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes on medium-high. Add egg, mix, then egg yolk, mixing just until combined.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms. Allow the dough to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking.

4. Scoop chilled dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Gently pat down each ball. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown in color. The centers should look slightly underbaked, they will firm up once cooled. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from my Mom's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Cake Batter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Have you tried the Birthday Cake Oreos? What did you think? Like or dislike? For me it they were good, but not my favorite... I thought that the golden ones were better than the chocolate ones, but that the flavor was a bit overwhelming for just cookies and milk. With more than 3/4 of a pack left I decided I needed to make ice cream. I figured that the cookies would help flavor the ice cream and that they would taste a little more subtle. I used one of my favorite vanilla ice cream bases and added a few extra extracts to give it a slight cake batter taste (I'm not a fan of putting cake mix into ice cream). I chopped up a bunch of the Golden Birthday Cake Oreos and tossed them in along with a scoop of sprinkles. Voilà! Cake Batter Cookies & Cream was born! Once I churned the ice cream I allowed it to sit overnight so that the flavors would meld together a little more. Stephen and I had a scoop after lunch the following day and absolutely loved it! The creaminess of the vanilla base really worked well with the sweet buttery flavor of the Oreos... it was a match made in heaven. So if you've got some extra Oreos laying around, I highly suggest making some ice cream- it's definitely worth it!

Cake Batter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Ingredients
¾ c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
5 egg yolks
¹⁄₈ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. imitation butter extract
¹⁄₈ tsp. almond extract
12-16 Golden Birthday Cake Oreos*
¼ c. rainbow sprinkles, jimmies

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, warm the milk, salt, sugar and cream until it reaches 100 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly (go very slow at first so you don't scramble your yolks). After combined, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Using a heatproof spatula, scrape the bottom as you stir, until the mixture coats the bottom of the spatula and/or reaches 170 degrees.
3. Pour the heated mixture through a mesh sieve set over a medium size mixing bowl (this will help remove any eggy bits). Add the extracts and whisk to combine.
4. Place the bowl over an ice bath to cool, stirring with a rubber spatula for about 8-10 minutes. The mixture should be slightly cool to the touch. Cover the bowl with base in it and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled throughout.
5. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. I use the KitchenAid bowl attachment. It usually takes me about minutes to get the consistency that I want, which is never solid, but more like hard frozen yogurt. Be careful not to overchurn or you might curdle your mixture! When finished churning, stir in cookies and sprinkles with spatula.
6. Place in a air-tight freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

*NOTE: if you can't find Golden Birthday Cake Oreos you can use regular golden Oreos and increase the imitation butter extract to ½ tsp. and the almond extract to ¼ tsp.

Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 6-8 servings

Toll House Chocolate Chip Blondies

Yesterday we had my brother and sister-in-law over for dinner. Earlier that afternoon I was trying to come up with some kind of treat to make and decided that a batch of blondies was the way to go. I turned to a recipe out of my Ina Garten Foolproof cookbook. I could tell that the recipe wasn't perfect, I read some reviews online and knew it needed some work. So I adjusted some ingredients here and there and came up with a recipe for blondies that is both crunchy and chewy and loaded with the right balance of chocolate chips and walnuts. Also, can I just tell you that I love how moist and thick they were?! Yum! I think this recipe is a keeper and I hope you will too!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. brown sugar

14 tbsp. (1¾ stick) butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

½ c. chopped walnuts

¾ c. Nestlé® Toll House® chocolate chips

¼ c. Nestlé® Toll House® mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper (don't use butter/spray or the bottoms will be too moist), set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugars and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. 

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, whisk together. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

4. Spread the dough into the pan creating an even layer. Place in oven and bake for 27-30 minutes or until the blondies are medium golden brown in color. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Adapted from Ina Garten, Chocolate Chunk Blondies | Makes approximately 15 bars

Monster Cookie Bars

Stephen and I just returned from a nice little vacation in California. While we were there my brother brought us a bag of gluten free monster cookies from a local bakery. I was surprised to find out that both my mom and Stephen had never tried monster cookies. As a peanut butter, oatmeal and M&M lover, I had just assumed that everyone had tasted this delicious combination. I was wrong. I made it my goal to bake up some kind of "monster treat" when we came back home. My first thought was to do my own gluten free cookie version but since I was short on time and didn't have the necessary ingredients, I turned to bars. Let me start off by warning you: these are not your typical monster cookie bars. Mine are ultra moist and topped with a creamy peanut butter spread that really puts them over the top! If you like your bars extra gooey, go ahead and stick to 15 minutes of baking time, they'll be even more soft and chewy! I took these to a picnic dinner and they were a huge hit- I hope you'll think so too!

Monster Cookie Bars
Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. quick rolled oats
1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar
⅔ c. peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ c. chopped peanuts
¼ c. chocolate chips (a mix of regular and mini)
¼ c. M&Ms (a mix of regular and mini)

Peanut butter topping:
⅔ c. Reese's peanut butter
1½ c. confectioner's sugar
⅓ c. milk (more if needed)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. vanilla

½ c. chocolate chips (a mix of regular and mini)
½ c. M&Ms (a mix of regular and mini)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or cover with parchment) a full size cookie sheet with sides.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter and sugars for 1 minute. Turn speed to low and add one egg at a time. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Remove bowl from stand mixer. Fold in dry ingredients, then chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and M&Ms. Pour onto prepared pan and pat down until even. I like to use a my hands to get it all spread out, and then a spatula to make it smooth and even. Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. 

5. While the bars are baking, in a medium size mixing bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth (it should be a spreadable consistency, but will it will also melt and get shiny on contact). Set aside until needed.

6. Remove bars from oven and place pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool for 8 minutes before spreading the peanut butter topping over the entire sheet. It should become smooth and melty, spread until even. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and M&Ms over top, allow to cool for 30-40 more minutes before cutting into bars.

Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes approximately 30 bars

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Toasted Coconut

Congratulations to Sandie C. - You've won the mini cheesecake pan!!!

Thanks to everyone else who entered! 

Behold... a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie that won't leave you disappointed!

I've been avoiding baking this type of cookie for quite some time now, mainly because I've never found a recipe that I really love. I thought to myself, what could make these better??? Then came the aha moment. I should add both soft sweetened coconut and toasted coconut! The addition of these ingredients really helped bring these cookies to life along with the extra egg yolk and cornstarch which helped to thicken them up and gave them nice chewy texture. I also think laziness on my part was key too. Since I didn't feel like turning on the hot oven yesterday, I tossed the dough into the refrigerator and let it chill overnight. Perhaps it was a stroke of genius? Probably not, but I'd like to think it made some sort of a difference. Anyway, these cookies turned out exactly how I wanted them to- they're a keeper! Enjoy :)

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
1½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ c. sweetened shredded coconut
¼ c. toasted sweetened shredded coconut
½ c. white chocolate chips
⅓ c. macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugars and vanilla extract (about 2 minutes until nice and fluffy). Add in egg, mix, then egg yolk, mixing until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt, whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in coconut, toasted coconut, white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts. NOW- you can either bake the dough right away, or allow it to chill overnight (which I did).
4. Scoop dough onto prepared sheets using a standard size cookie scoop. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges become lightly golden brown in color. The centers might still look soft, but that's ok, you don't want to overbake these or they'll be hard! Allow to cool on sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Stephen + Natalie, Life Made Simple | Makes approximately 16 cookies

Freckled Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never get tired of chocolate chip cookies. How could I? There are so many good recipes out there! Soft, chewy, crunchy, gooey- no matter what they turn out like, they're all good! Sunday afternoon I decided we need a few cookies to snack on so I opened up one of my favorite cookbooks and flipped through to see what my options were. I came across a really simple chocolate chip cookie recipe with a gorgeous picture and knew I had to try it out! I made some adjustments and added a few ingredients in hopes of keeping them from spreading and becoming too flat. I think chilling them really helped them to hold their shape and stay nice and thick. Instead of tossing in a handful of chocolate chips I chopped up a Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar which created the freckles and left the chocolate gooey and swirled throughout. Gosh they were good! So good that I had to bake up some more the following day!

Freckled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2½ c. all-purpose flour

1 c. brown sugar
¾ c. sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 eggs
¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. corn starch
¼ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 (4 oz) Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped coarsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars and butter, beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and one egg, mix until just combined, then add the second egg, mixing until incorporated.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients mixing until no "flour" pockets remain.
4. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chunks. You'll want to add all of the shards or shavings that result when chopping bars- that's what makes these "freckled!" Place dough into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes before scooping and placing onto the prepared sheets.
5. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes- the edges will become light brown and the centers should still look slightly soft and gooey- they'll firm up once they've cooled for a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from David Lebovitz, Chocolate Chip Cookies | Makes approximately 36 cookies

Chewy Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies

 Lately I've been craving any treat with peanut butter or peanuts in it- dark chocolate peanut butter cups, peanut butter M&Ms, peanut butter pretzels, rocky road, trail mix- you name it, I've probably been snacking on it! So this afternoon when I wanted to make cookies I naturally gravitated towards peanut butter ones. Instead of traditional criss-cross cookies that are often dense and crisp, I wanted ones that were soft and chewy. I turned to a recipe that I found a while back and adapted it in hopes creating the cookie I was looking for. After biting into one, I have to admit- they were a huge success! The texture is perfect and the flavor is spot on! I'd like to think that the addition of an extra egg helped to give them a chewier texture and that the peanut butter chips and large peanut chunks gave them that extra boost of peanut buttery goodness. The original recipe called for the cookies to be rolled in sugar, but I'm not a fan of the sandy texture that results, so I opted for a sprinkle of sea salt which helped to enhance the flavor even more. These are a great alternative to the traditional fork print cookies and will definitely have you coming back for more! Enjoy!

Chewy Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1½ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
½ c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tbsp. whole milk
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. peanut butter chips
½ c. dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

½ tsp. sea salt for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugars, butter and peanut butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixing speed on low, add vanilla, milk and one egg. Mix until incorporated, then add remaining egg.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until no visible dry ingredients remain. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts.

4. Scoop dough onto prepared sheets (I use a standard size scoop), sprinkle with salt if desired. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes- don't be tempted to leave them in longer, otherwise they'll get hard! Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a large glass of milk!

NOTE: To achieve the look pictured above, I sprinkled mine with extra peanuts and pressed in a few extra peanut butter chips.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Peanut Butter Cookies | Makes approximately 36 cookies

Gooey Caramelita Cookies

A few months back my sister in law posted about these delicious caramel chocolate oatmeal bars that she saw on LuLu the Baker called caramelitas. I was immediately smitten and knew I had to save the recipe for later. Well, this morning I felt like baking and decided to make caramelita inspired cookies instead of bars. I used my mom's oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and altered it to include caramel sauce, walnuts and Rolos. They turned out better than I could have hoped for! Gooey, soft and full of chocolate caramel goodness. I took a few to my husband and they were gone in minutes! Enjoy and happy baking ♥

Gooey Caramelita Cookies
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. quick rolled oats
½ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. caramel sauce
¼ c. finely chopped walnuts
16 Rolo candies, chilled and chopped
½ c. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in egg, then vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until combined. With mixing speed on low, slowly add into the creamed mixture until just blended.
4. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in the oats, caramel sauce, walnuts, Rolo chunks and chocolate chips. Using a standard cookie scoop, drop onto prepared baking sheets.
5. Place in oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn light golden in color. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Created using a Stephen + Natalie family recipe | Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

Meyer Lemon Curd Thumbprints

 I shared this recipe over at Lil' Luna a few weeks ago and I think it's one you're really going to love! One of my favorite family recipes is my Grandma Carol's lemon bars. They're perfect in every way and everyone loves them! The only problem is that they take quite a bit of time to make and they tend to get a bit messy when you're trying to plate them up. So I thought that I'd skip the mess and make a Grandma Carol inspired treat for you! These thumbprints were just what I was hoping for- buttery, flakey and full of zesty lemon flavor. I dusted them with powdered sugar and filled them with a dollop of chilled curd. These little cookies taste just like lemon bars- so delicious! Since Meyer lemons are always abundant around Christmas I used them, but if you can't seem to find any, you can always use regular lemons (the curd will be slightly more tart). To cut down on the prep time I decided to make the curd in the microwave instead of on the stovetop. Trust me, there's nothing worse then spending half an hour whisking curd over a hot stove- so to save yourself some time and give the microwave method a try, I think you're gonna like it! 

Buttery Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
2½ c. + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ c. sugar
14 tbsp. (1¾ sticks) butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
2 tsp. Meyer lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Microwave Meyer Lemon Curd
Ingredients
⅔ c. sugar
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
½ c. Meyer lemon juice
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
¹⁄₈ tsp Madagascar vanilla bean paste

⅓ c. powdered sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. To make the lemon curd, in a large microwaveable bowl, combine sugar, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste. Whisk in egg, then egg yolk. Place in the mixture into the microwave and cook for 1 minute at a time, whisking after each minute. You will need to do a total of 4-6 minutes or until the curd coats the back of a spatula (it will look jelly-like). The time will depend on the strength of your microwave.
3. Pour the hot curd through a mesh sieve to remove any "eggy" parts. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until cookies have completely cooled.
4. To make the cookies, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add egg yolks one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Add salt, then with mixing speed on low, gradually add flour a ½ cup at a time. Mix until incorporated.
5. Roll dough into 1" balls, place on prepared baking sheets. Lightly pat down to flatten (just a little bit), then using your thumb press little wells into each. Place into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cookies have cooled (30 minutes or so) using a mesh sieve, gently dust powdered sugar over each cookie. Place a dollop of chilled lemon curd in the center of each, then place in refrigerator to set up. Serve & enjoy!
Adapted from redbookmag.com, Lemon Thumbprint Cookies | Makes approximately 30 cookies

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

When I found out about the tragic events of Sandy Hook Elementary I was on my way to work. The rest of the day was a blur. It was all I could think about. When I got home that night I hugged Stephen tight and prayed that those families would feel peace and comfort. May God bless them and their loved ones. As part of the blogger community, I'd like to dedicate this post/recipe to the Cookies & Crafts for Sandy Hook tribute. As many of you know, peanut butter is one of my all-time favorite things to eat. Yes, I'm 24, but there's just something about it that I love! I also love peanut butter cups, so this cookie is really a hit for me! I think you and you're family will love these too, so go ahead, make a batch and enjoy them together! Remember to tell those around you that you love them and hug them tight. Think of those who are less fortunate than you and pray for those who have suffered a loss. We all need to take more time in our busy days to slow down and enjoy the many blessings God has given us, especially our families. My heart goes out to the community of Newtown Connecticut, we are thinking of you-

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
½ c.  brown sugar, packed
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 c. Reese's Peanut Butter
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla
1 c. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars, butter and peanut butter. Beat for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add vanilla, then mix. Add egg then egg yolk. Mix until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients- mix until just combined.
4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in Reese's Peanut Butter Cup chunks. Form balls of dough using a standard size cookie scoop. Place on sheet and gently pat down with the palm of your hand (just flatten it slightly or use a fork and make a criss cross pattern in each).
5. Place in oven and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cookies will be slightly soft, but that's ok. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a big glass of cold milk!

Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, Peanut Butter Cookies | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Simple Dropped Sugar Cookies

Rolled sugar cookies are always such a lengthy and time consuming process. I love them, but they're a little too much work for me right now. So that left me with only one option- dropped cookies. I did a little research and came across a recipe that I thought would work... the only problem was that people were getting mixed results (check out the pictures here, it's really strange). Some cookies turned out flat and cracked (which was what I was looking for) and others turned out puffy and thick. I decided to add a little water to my cookie dough to help coax in into flattening and I also increased the vanilla and added lemon zest just to give them more flavor. I think the alterations paid off, because these came out looking beautiful and tasting amazing too! We've definitely found ourselves a really great substitute for traditional rolled & frosted cookies! Happy baking!

Simple Dropped Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
2½ c. all-purpose flour
1¼ c. sugar
16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 egg yolks

1 tbsp. water, lukewarm

¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cream of tartar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

½ c. sprinkles or coarse sugar for rolling

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla extract, water, and lemon zest, mix until just combined.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk to together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

4. Form cookies by using a medium size scoop. Roll the tops (or the mounded side) in sprinkles or sugar (keeping the flat side or bottom free of any sugar). Place balls onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten the cookies, they will do so on their own. 

5. Place in oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until the the edges begin to brown and the cookies are cracked. Remove from oven and allow cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from All Recipes, Cracked Sugar Cookies | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Mint Chocolate Double Delights

Yesterday I shared this recipe over at This Heart of Mine, so today I thought I'd share it with you! Above is a picture of some of my family's favorite Christmas cookies. Growing up, my mom would bake hundreds of cookies each December to give away to friends and family. As kids we were in charge of helping her to cut out the sugar cookies and decorate them, roll the ginger cookies in sugar, and fill the mint and peanut butter ones. When all of the cookies were done, we'd plate them and wrap them in festive cellophane. She'd finish them off with beautiful big bows made out of curling ribbon and then we'd all hop in the car and spend the rest of the afternoon/evening driving around and dropping them off. Needless to say, everyone was really happy to see us :) Now that us kids have grown and moved away, my mom makes all of the cookies by herself. She still gets requests for all of her cookies, but especially her mint chocolate double delights. They are addictive little cookies! Mint lovers beware, you may have to double or quadruple this recipe- yes, my mom would quadruple it! Enjoy and happy baking!!!

Mint Chocolate Double Delights

Ingredients

3 c. all-purpose flour

½ c. brown sugar

¾ c. unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp. water

1 (12 oz) bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:

3 c. powdered sugar

⅓ c. butter, room temperature

2-3 tbsp. whole milk

¼ tsp. peppermint extract (or more depending on how strong you like it)

pinch of salt

2-3 drops of green (or red) food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and stir with a heatproof spatula. Remove mixture from heat. Add in water, then chocolate chips, stir until chips have melted.

3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Gradually fold in dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

4. Roll dough into 1½" balls and place on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 8-11 minutes at 350˚. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

5. While cookies are cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter for 30 seconds on high. Turn mixing speed to low, gradually add the powdered sugar on cup at a time. Once the mixture has incorporated, add milk, salt, peppermint extract and food coloring. Gradually turn speed up and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. 

6. Place filling into a bag and pipe onto one side of a cooled cookie. Place a "top" on it (you will want to try to match up similar size/shape ones). Allow cookies to sit for 30 minutes before eating.

Stephen + Natalie Family Recipe | Makes approximately 12 sandwich cookies

Chewy Ginger Cookies

It's December! My Christmas shopping is done and the house is decorated, now it's time for me to relax and bake. I broke out my recipe binder the other day and started thumbing through family recipes. My mom makes these really yummy ginger cookies that I've always loved, so I thought I'd start there. I decided to add some crystalized ginger bits just to give them a little texture and to enhance the spicy ginger flavor that I love so much. They turned out exactly like mom's, something I'm always happy about! Do you ever make family recipes that don't turn out? Yeah, that's always incredibly frustrating! Anyway, these were perfect, so perfectly delicious that I snacked on a few, and then a few more... they're that good!

Chewy Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 c. sugar
¼ c. molasses
¾ c. butter flavored shortening
1 egg
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. diced crystalized ginger bits

½ c. sugar, for rolling

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together shortening, sugar and molasses. Add egg and mix until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add to the wet ingredients.
4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in crystalized ginger bits. Form into 1½" balls, roll in sugar. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will look cracked, this is normal. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Stephen+ Natalie Family Recipe | Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies     [photo inspired by: bhg's ginger cookies]

Biscoff Stuffed Snickerdoodles

As some of you have probably noticed, my latest obsession is Biscoff spread. I absolutely love baking with it! So when Julie announced that the next Willow Bird Baking challenge was all about stuffed cookies, I knew exactly what to make (thanks to my mom who had just recently made snickerdoodles, both Stephen and I were craving them). I adapted a snickerdoodle recipe from Julie's blog and filled them with a Biscoff cream cheese mixture. I rolled them in cinnamon sugar, placed them on a baking sheet and tossed them in the oven. After about 10 minutes of baking the kitchen smelled heavenly... oddly enough a bit like apple pie (hmm... maybe for next time?). Just after they had cooled I cut into one, took a bite and realized that this may just be my new favorite thing. These snickerdoodles went from ordinary to extraordinary with just a little scoop of Biscoffy goodness. Two more? Yes please!

Biscoff Stuffed Snickerdoodles 
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. sugar
½ c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. whole milk
½ c. oil
½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For rolling:
¼ c. sugar + 1½ tbsp. cinnamon

For filling:
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 oz. original cream cheese
¼ c. chunky Biscoff spread
2 tbsp. Biscoff cookies, ground into fine crumbs
½ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, oil, milk, and sugars. Beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Add egg and vanilla extract, mix until just combined.
4. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, gradually add mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and chill dough while preparing the remaining parts.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Place in refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Whisk to combine, set aside.
7. When dough and filling are sufficiently chilled, remove from refrigerator. Using a standard size cookie scoop, form balls of dough. Break each ball in half and pat to make a flat circle. Place a quarter size ball of dough on one flat circle, then top with plain flat circle. Press the edges and form a ball in the palm of your hands. Roll into cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a prepared baking sheet (you should get 12 to a sheet). Continue the process until the remaining dough/filling has been used.
8. Place in oven and bake for 12-14 minutes (these cookies will not brown, they will just get crispy so don't over bake them). Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Willow Bird Baking, Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles | Makes approximately 20 stuffed cookies

Criss Cross Peanut Butter Cookies

It was late in the afternoon when I decided I needed to bake up a batch of these cookies. Stephen's brother was on his way over for dinner and all we had for dessert was about 1 cup of peanut butter chunky monkey ice cream. I had planned on using it to make mini milkshakes but I thought we needed to have a little something more. Thankfully, these cookies only took a few minutes to whip up and once they came out of the oven they were ready to eat. As a peanut butter lover I thought that these definitely hit the mark. They're packed full of peanut butter flavor and the ground bits of peanuts only add to it! Yum!

Criss Cross Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. brown sugar, packed
8 tbsp. (½ stick) butter, room temperature
½ c. smooth peanut butter
1 egg
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
⅓ c. ground peanuts (chopped to resemble coarse bread crumbs)
1 tsp. sea salt, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg, mixing until incorporated.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ground peanuts. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Chill dough for 15 minutes before baking.
4. Scoop 2" balls onto prepared baking sheets (I put 6 on a sheet). Using a fork, press a criss cross pattern into each cookie, flattening them out a bit. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place into oven and bake for 12-14 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from The New Best Recipe, Peanut Butter Cookies | Makes 12 large cookies