Molasses Crinkles

It's crunch time. We're down to the last few days before Christmas. Have you gotten all your shopping done? The presents all wrapped? The Christmas dinner menu planned out? Yes? Good! You want to help me out with mine then?

I realized the other day that we'd gotten almost all the way through the 12 cookies of Christmas and only had 2 cookies, the biscotti and the bourbon molasses cookies, that were filled with molasses and spices. That just won't do. Anything gingerbread-like is my favorite! It's just so Christmasy! So I had to remedy the situation. There can never been too many molasses cookies in my life.

Slightly crunchy on the outside with a sweet sugary coating, but soft and chewy on the inside, they're the quintessential Christmas cookie plate staple.And because there's no butter to cream, you can make them without a mixer. You'll need a bit of elbow grease to fold it all together, but if my little marshmallow arms can do it, yours can too.

So go ahead and whip some up and be sure to stash a couple in your purse to munch on while you're waiting in those impossibly long lines for those last minute gifts. It's hard to be stressed when there's cookies around.

Cookie # 11! Can you believe it? We've almost made it! Click on the pictures to get any of the past recipes you might have missed!

Classic Snickerdoodles

Sometimes I feel the pressure as a food blogger to constantly come up with some new exciting twist on old recipes. Whether it’s a new ingredient or just a new way to make an old favorite, I’m always trying to find a way to present something that hasn’t been done a billion times before.

As an avid blog reader as well as writer, I know I’m not alone in this quest. I’ve seen a lot of creatively delicious spins on the standards, but I’ve also seen a few that leave me wondering if perhaps we’ve strayed a bit too far off the beaten path in our pursuit of originality. Maybe we should take a step back and remind ourselves just how delicious the classics can be in all their simplistic glory.

Oh Snickerdoodles. You’re the most basic of cookies—a buttery dough enrobed in a coating of sweet cinnamony goodness. But despite your relatively plain appearance, you’re oh so good. And you’ve got a totally fun name. Snickerdoodle. Or as Boyfriend calls then, Doodle-Snicks! (with an emphasis on the exclamation point at the end. You can’t just say Doodle-Snicks. It must be yelled.)

Some might call you boring, but I think you’re perfect just the way you are. You don’t need to be messed with (although I do have some ideas to dress you up a bit). Thanks for reminding me that not every recipe has to have 7 words in its name. (I’m looking at you Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies.)

I can't believe we're almost done! Only 2 more left to go!



And go on. You know you want to. I won't tell anyone that you yelled "Doodle-Snicks!"

Jam Treasures

There are only 9 days left before Christmas. Are you panicking yet?

If you’ve ever worked in retail during the holidays, then you know that this past weekend and heading into next weekend is the part of the season you dread the most. Armed with lists that usually include rather vague notions of what they’re after, the last minute shoppers are out in full force. The clock is winding down and the sense of urgency and desperation is kicking in, which typically means the idea of manners and civility, and that cheerful holiday spirit we’re all supposed to be filled with, goes quickly by the wayside.

Manners are the first things to go. The amount of people that just blatantly interrupt because they think their request is more important than the person you’re already helping (and the other five in line ahead of them) always baffles me. Some days I just want to scream, “How about you wait your turn like everyone else, cause guess what. You’re not the only one shopping. See all these other people around us? They’re all trying to do the exact. same. thing. WE’RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT HERE!” But, of course, I don’t.

As it gets closer to Christmas, even the civility towards others declines right along with the manners. Every year there are fist fights in the parking lot (with a few instances of the police having to be called). Come on people. Let’s not let the holidays stress us out so much we end up hauling off and hitting someone over a parking spot. Let’s just eat cookies and be friends. Isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

I think some might call these cookies Kolache, but I’m not really sure what an authentic, traditional kolache entails, so we’ll just stick with calling them Jam Treasures. They’re made with a tender cream cheese dough and a hefty helping of delicious jam to make them perfectly sweet. I used homemade blackberry, but fill them with whatever you love. And yes it’s true—there’s no sugar in the dough. (Which I totally freaked out about when I taste tested it. I thought I forgot to add it and had to double check the original recipe and compare it to similar recipes to make sure that was how it was really supposed to be!)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go curl up in the fetal position in a corner somewhere and stress eat cookies until next Monday when people are so desperate for a gift they’ll take just about anything you hand them.


Up to Cookie #9! We're almost there!

Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

I think I have a peppermint problem. The last 3 cookies have all featured it as one of its main flavors! I just can’t get enough! But I promise, this is the last of the peppermints for the 12 Cookies of Christmas. Maybe.

I adore these cookies. The base is my all-time favorite chocolate cookie, which happens to be the perfect platform for anything you want to throw into it. Go ahead and clean out your pantry. Chocolate chips? Have at it. Festive M&Ms? Been there, done that, didn't want to share. Dried cherries? Potential for amazing. Leftover Peppermint Bark Bits from my batch of thumbprints? Well, if you insist!

These cookies are perfect for the holidays. They’re practically stress free. No melting chocolate. No need to chill the dough. Just whip up, mix in some extra bits (or don’t—they’re deliciously tasty on their own), roll in a ball and bake! They’re a super quick and easy cookie to fill your cookie trays.

We've made it two-thirds of the way through our 12 Cookies of Christmas! I can't believe it! Only 4 more to go!

Peppermint Mocha Thumbprints

What do you get when you combine food bloggers, cookies, and a good cause? The 3rd Annual Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen!

For the past few years, food bloggers all over the world have signed up to bake cookies to send Secret Santa style to other bloggers, and in return, receive packages of delicious cookies baked just for them. And they do it not only for the cookies, but to help raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This was my second time participating, and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

Chocolate and peppermint are the perfect pair in these fun, festive thumbprints. A chocolate cookie with an espresso kick, a creamy peppermint chocolate filling, topped with a sprinkle of peppermint bark-- I knew these would be the perfect cookies to send to my swap matches.

I packaged up my cookies and sent them on their way to Emily of Epicurious Em, Molly of My Name is Yeh, and Jennifer of Break or Bake!

And the cookies that showed up in my mailbox? FANTASTIC! There were three very different flavors that I devoured with reckless abandon. Not even a single bit of sharing happened with these. None. I ate every last crumb.

There were some delicious Peppermint Mocha Cookies from Erica at Erica's Sweet Tooth which I polished off in a matter of days.

Some amazing, spicy Mexican Chocolate Crackle Cookies from Kathy at Cooking on the Side (left) which I was in too much of a hurry to devour to take more a picture of the box.

And the most surprising-- White Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oat Cookies from Ali at Inspiralized (right). Yeah, you read that right. Zucchini. There were vegetables in my cookies. And I practically licked the tray.Who would've thought? Thanks so much ladies! I loved, loved, loved them all! 

We're up to #7. Stay tuned for the last 5 cookies and be sure to check out any you missed along the way!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Being a blogger has given me some bad habits-- like almost never making the same thing twice. Why repeat a recipe when there’s still a billion more I haven’t tried yet? But sometimes a recipe just begs to be revisited. Sometimes it's just that good.

It’s been years since I made Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars, which is sad, because they’re one of the most Pinterest pinned recipes on my entire blog. Every day people pin it to their baking inspiration boards, putting it on their list of recipes to try. And here I am completely forgetting all about it in my quest to bake everything ever. Well no more! It’s time for those Sugar Cookie Bars to take another spin around the block!

I love the simplicity of these bars. Perfectly sweet, delectably vanilla, with a cool hint of peppermint: it’s all the fantastic flavors of your favorite cut out sugar cookies, without all the fuss. And none of the royal icing. Dress it up in festive sprinkles and colors for the holidays, or trade out the peppermint for lemon, almond, vanilla, or any other of your favorite extracts and enjoy these for every occasion, all year long!

I’ve really got to start delving into the depths of my past recipes. Who knows what other gems I’ve forgotten about along the way! And somebody please remind me not to wait another 3 years to make these bars again. That’s just too long.

We've made it halfway! 6 down, 6 to go! 

Gingerbread Biscotti

We’ve made it past the Thanksgiving hump and now we’re in a dead sprint towards Christmas. That means bye bye pumpkin, HELLLLL-OOO all things peppermint and gingerbread!

I just love the warm spiciness of gingerbread. Why should we only celebrate its deliciousness at the holidays? I say we make gingerbread a year round deal! Who’s with me? We should be free to dip these bicotti in our coffee in April if we feel so inclined! I say let’s start a revolution! Gingerbread for all!

Okay maybe I’ve just had a bit too much coffee lately. But I can’t help it! I find myself brewing cup after cup just so I can indulge in another biscotti. They’re addictingly good with their gingery punch. I just can’t get enough. Maybe I will start that revolution. Cause I don’t want to enjoy these just once a year!

Biscotti are the perfect holiday sharing cookie. Wrap them up with a bag of delicious coffee and a nice mug, and you've got the perfect gift for the person on your list that's got you stumped. They'll stay delicious for awhile, go ahead and make a big batch to share and ship this holiday! (or beyond!)

We're almost halfway through the 12 Cookies of Christmas now!

Bourbon Molasses Cookies

Winter has settled in nicely around these parts. And by these parts I mean inside my house. While not quite the brisk 27 degrees it is outside my door, I’m about a day or two away from snowfall right in my kitchen.

I came home yesterday, after a day long excursion as one of the many Thanksgiving grocery shoppers, to find my heat had gone out in my apartment. I normally keep my apartment pretty cool, but it was downright chilly at 55 degrees by the time I woke up this morning. After spending the night curled up in my sleeping bag, it took every ounce of will I had to crawl out of bed.

The one thing that got me up (besides the idea of hot coffee) was the thought of baking cookies. Warm, spiced molasses cookies with a touch of bourbon—they’re the perfect cookie for a cold, cold day. And standing in front of the hot oven warming my hands didn’t hurt either.

I’m normally one to skip the chilling overnight step for cookie dough, (I’m just too impatient to wait that long) but I think it’s essential for these. Letting the dough hang out together allows the bourbon and spices to work their way into every part of the dough, giving it a big, full flavor.

We've made it a third of the way through our 12 Cookies of Christmas! But there's still 8 more cookies to go so be sure to stop back so you don't miss a thing!

Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

It’s a week until Thanksgiving. Are you panicking yet? I’ve been going through my stack of the last 10 or so years of November Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food magazines, scouring for the perfect recipes to serve on the big day. Since about the beginning of October. I’ve looked through countless blogs and cookbooks, trying to narrow the list down to the chosen few that will grace our table. Who knew there were so many ways to cook a turkey! And let’s not even talk about the mashed potatoes.

Along the way in my Thanksgiving planning I got distracted. By cookies. (Are you surprised?) Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies to be exact. I always forget how much I enjoy shortbread cookies. Here I am, thinking I only love soft, chewy cookies, forsaking all the rest, and then bam. I bite into a shortbread cookie, with its ultra-buttery goodness, and realize how wrong I’ve been. There’s room for all kinds of cookies in this world.

Buttery, crumbly, and sweet, with a cornmeal crunch and a burst of lemon, they’ll win over even the most staunch of chewy cookie lovers. And shortbread is the perfect “pack it up” cookie to ship in cookie care packages! I hope you'll share some this holiday. Or keep them all for yourself. That's okay too.

We're onto the 3rd Cookie of the 12 Cookies of Christmas already! Hope you keep coming back for more cookie goodness in the weeks to come!

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

I can’t be trusted with real snacks in my house. Potato chips, cookies, crackers, candy—they barely survive the trip home from the grocery store. Which is why I rarely even put them in my shopping cart to begin with. But sometimes you just need a snack. Something to tide you over for a bit. One of my favorites is peanut butter toast drizzled with honey. It’s the perfect balance of salty/sweet and just enough snack to keep me satisfied so I don’t end up binge eating a box of Wheat Thins. (Which happens more often than I care to admit..)

But you can’t serve peanut butter toast at your holiday parties. You can’t pack it up and ship it with your cookie care packages. Why not turn a simple snack into an amazing one? Honey Peanut Butter Cookies are definitely a snack worth binging on.

Slightly crunchy around the outside and chewy in the center, perfectly sweetened, and totally delicious. They’re the perfect addition to any cookie plate or package. Got a peanut lover around? Throw in some chopped honey roasted peanuts to give them some crunch and up the peanuty goodness. Who needs chips when you’ve got cookies?

We're only on #2 of 12 Cookies of Christmas, so keep checking back for more delicious holiday cookie goodness!

Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

They’re playing nonstop Christmas music on one of the radio stations in town already. Two days ago I woke up to snow covered ground for the first time this season. Yesterday they put the big Christmas tree up in the square outside of work. Looking out my window today, all the trees that were filled with beautiful yellow leaves just a few short weeks ago are now bare. All signs are pointing to Winter and the holidays barreling towards us at a rapid pace.

Even though I knew it’s been quickly approaching, I don’t feel ready.

But like it or not, it’s here. And that means it’s time to throw myself whole heartedly into holiday planning mode. Which means it’s time once again for the 12 Cookies of Christmas! 12 delicious cookies to share this holiday season. Because everyone knows cookies make the perfect gift.

This year we’re starting with a standard—Chocolate Chip Cookies. But these aren’t your run of the mill Chocolate Chips. There’s nothing boring or standard about these at all. They’re are my all-time favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, all dolled up in a party dress and pearls for the holidays. Brown butter gives it a rich, nutty flavor while sea salt sprinkles give it the ultimate sweet/salty bite. They’re so good, they’ll charm the pants right off your holiday party guests. Or maybe that’s just the spiked eggnog. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Check back for the rest of the 12 Cookies of Christmas!