Tag: Holiday Baking

Peppermint & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I’m closing out this week of cookies with the quintessential flavor of the season, peppermint! Specifically, a peppermint buttercream sandwich between two chocolate cake mix cookies. Yes, I made the cookies using a cake mix. I’ve shared quite a few cake mix cookie recipes over the years and they’ve always been a success. This recipe is perfect for anyone short on time or just doesn’t want to be measuring flour, baking soda/powder, sugar, etc. One thing to note, the recipe only makes 12 sandwich cookies, as using the cake mix only yields 24 cookies. If you would like more cookies – 24 for example – simply double the cookie recipe – use 2 boxes of chocolate cake mix, 2/3 cup of oil and 4 eggs. The recipe for the peppermint buttercream is enough for the double batch.  If you don’t want any left-over filling simply cut the ingredients in half for the buttercream. Here’s an idea though, if you plan on making the Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies I shared yesterday you could use the leftover buttercream to decorate those. If you don’t feel like tinting the frosting to make the Christmas Tree or Santa Hat, you could pipe a snowflake instead.

Peppermint & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

  • Servings: 12 Sandwich Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cookies:

1 15.25 oz box chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil*

2 large eggs

For the Peppermint Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Crushed peppermint candy to decorate the sides of the cookies.

*If you want your cookies to have a more cookie-like texture as opposed to cake-like use 1/3 cup melted butter instead.

Directions:

For the Chocolate Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl combine the cake mix, oil and eggs and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well incorporated. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 1 -2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peppermint Buttercream Filling: Add all ingredients to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. If you would like a stronger peppermint flavor add an additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. If you find that the filling is not a pipeable consistency add about 1/2 tablespoon of milk and beat well to incorporate. You don’t want the consistency to be too thin though. Transfer to a piping bag and snip the end off.

Pipe the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies and top with the other half, pressing down gently so some of the frosting comes out of the sides. Roll the cookies in the crushed peppermint candy and enjoy!

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies

Truth be told I wasn’t sure if I was going to share five cookie recipes this year! Last year I only shared one and this year was looking a little bleak. I had written up recipes for two cookies that I tested and ended up being disappointed with both. So, I was thinking of scraping this year as well. But then, the ideas started flowing again and some random scrolling on Instagram helped to give way to two of the cookies. Today’s cooking being one of them, a Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookie. It’s a mouthful but not as difficult as it may sound.

Apparently, the idea of this cookie came from a viral sensation from last year where people were using the Pillsbury Halloween Shape Sugar Cookie Dough and topping it on top of another cookie, usually a chocolate chip cookie. If you are not familiar with the Pillsbury seasonal cookies I am talking about, click on this link and then scroll to the bottom. The cookie I saw on Instagram didn’t use the Pillsbury dough though; it used sugar cookie dough for both the base of the cookie and the decorated stack. I decided to use my go-to sugar cookie recipe and switch up the steps to create them myself. And I was very happy with the results. One thing I did do as a short-cut for my version though was use store-bought frosting to decorate the cookies. Thankfully this time of the year it’s easy to find red & green frosting. Also, I opted to roll my cookies in sprinkles, but you could also use nonpareils, it just comes down to preference.

Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup red & green sprinkles

Red, Green & White Frosting for decorating

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until incorporated. Add in the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. If the dough feels too soft, refrigerate 15-20 minutes to firm up.

Add the sprinkles to a small bowl. Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons), roll into a ball and then roll in the sprinkles. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and then use the bottom of a glass cup to press the cookies down about 1/4 inch high.

Using a smaller cookie scoop (2 teaspoons), scoop the dough, roll into a ball and then use your palms to flatten and then place on top of the sprinkled cookie.

To make sure you don’t run out of dough for the stack, work with one batch at a time. In other words, don’t scoop all the dough for the base cookie at once. Scoop enough for one of the baking sheets and then scoop the stack part and then repeat for the other baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled transfer the frosting to piping bags and pipe festive designs on the cookies. You can do Christmas Trees, Santa Hats, Snowmen, Snowflakes, etc.

Recipe slightly modified from Smitten Kitchen

Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

I have made gingerbread cookies from scratch and yes, they are delicious, but they can be a bit time consuming. Especially if you are making Gingerbread cutouts which you are then decorating. One year I decided to try using Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie Mix and I was very happy with the results, so I always pick up a package or two around the holidays – the only time they are available in stores. One of my favorite flavor combinations for a cake during the holidays is a gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting so I started wondering if I could recreate this with a cookie and lo and behold my idea worked out just as I had hoped. Today’s cookie, Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies, uses Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie mix as the base and then three simple ingredients are whipped together for the cheesecake filling. The cookie is finished by rolling in a gingerbread spiced sugar to up the ante – an appearance – of the cookie.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake Filling:

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Gingerbread Spiced Sugar:

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the Gingerbread Cookies:

1 17.5oz package Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

For the Cheesecake Filling: Line a baking sheet or small cake pan with wax paper and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Using a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) scoop the mixture and drop onto the prepared pan. You should have 18 portions. Freeze until they are frozen and firm, preferably overnight.

For the Gingerbread Spiced Sugar: Combine the sugar and all the spices in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Set aside.

For the Gingerbread Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Add the gingerbread cookie mix along with the butter, egg and water to a large bowl. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until the dough forms.

Using a medium cookie scoop – 1 1/2 tablespoons – scoop the dough into 18 portions and divide amongst the 2 prepared cookie sheets. Working with the dough on one of the cookie sheets – roll the dough into a ball and then slightly flatten. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center of the flatten dough and then cover the ball with the cookie dough. Roll into a ball again and then roll in the gingerbread spiced sugar before placing back onto the cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 – 11 minutes. Until the cookie is slightly puffed and edges begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Some things to note, keep the remaining cheesecake balls in the freezer until a few minutes before the first batch of cookies finishes baking. Then remove from the freezer and finish assembling and baking the cookies.

And while I am sure it’s safe to store these cookies at room temperature, I opted to store mine in the refrigerator in an airtight container due to the cream cheese based filling. Just bring to room temperature to before enjoying!

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Caramel & Chocolate Thumbprints

Thumbprints are a popular cookie around the holidays. The simple butter cookie base can be filled with all kinds of yumminess. Jams, curds, chocolate, frosting, etc. The thumbprint I am sharing with you today is filled with caramel and drizzled with melted chocolate… think a Twix bar.

Caramel & Chocolate Thumbprints

  • Servings: 24 Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Caramel Filling:

16 caramels, unwrapped

3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the Chocolate Drizzle:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

For the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar with hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated. Finally, add the flour and salt and continue beating until the dough forms. Scoop tablespoons of the dough, roll into a ball and drop onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a round teaspoon (or your thumb) press into the center of each ball. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. If necessary, press the center of the cookies down again after removing them from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Caramel Filling: In a small saucepan melt the caramels with the heavy cream on medium low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Fill each cooled cookie with a teaspoon of caramel.

For the Chocolate Drizzle: Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag, snip the end and then drizzle over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing. To speed up the chocolate setting you can place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The holidays are upon us. Which means it’s time to whip out the cookie sheets, pie dishes and cake pans to get to baking. Not really sure how much baking I’ll be doing this year, but after taking last year off from sharing a few good cookie recipes I am back this year with five cookie recipes that are sure to be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire. Up first, a Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie.

While I do love peanut butter cookies, I find that I can only eat one or two before the peanut butter flavor becomes a bit much. With these cookies, the brown butter helps to tone down the peanut butter flavor while adding another layer of dimension. A few things to note about making brown butter. Make sure you use a large enough saucepan, bigger is better just in case it begins to bubble over. You might be tempted to raise the heat, but medium heat is ideal. Once the butter melts and begins to boil/simmer it will turn the desired amber color quite quickly and you don’t want it to burn because then you will have to toss it as it will have a burnt flavor as opposed to the nutty flavor we’re looking for. And once your brown butter is cooled and you make the cookie dough be sure to let it chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. These cookies are quite big, and you don’t want them to spread too much while baking. They would still be edible, but they just want have the same oomph!

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the brown butter: In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, stirring until it reaches a rich amber color. Pour into a glass measuring cup, including any brown bits in the bottom of the pan, and cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder and Kosher salt – and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the cooled brown butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and peanut butter and continue to whisk until smooth.

Fold in the flour mixture until just combined and then add in the chocolate chips. Continue folding until the dough forms.

Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes so the dough can firm up.

Scoop 1/4 cup of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, until the cookies are beginning to darken around the edges and the centers are puffed and look slightly underdone. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2-3 minutes so they can set and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

With the holidays quickly approaching you may be looking for new recipes to share with your loved ones. Today I am bringing you a Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling that I personally wouldn’t say is ideal for dessert but better suited as a breakfast / brunch treat. Or for an afternoon watching holiday movies, decorating or wrapping gifts while enjoying your favorite warm beverage.

I started this cake by making brown butter. After letting it cool, I got to work on making the batter for the cake. I whisked the cooled brown butter with eggs, sugar and vanilla extract, until it was smooth. In another bowl I whisked together the dry ingredients – flour, almond flour and baking powder. I incorporated the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 batches alternating with buttermilk. While you can buy buttermilk, I always opt to make my own by combining whole milk and vinegar. Once the batter was ready, I poured half of it into my prepared pan and then topped it with diced almond paste and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I then topped it with the remaining batter and gently spread it with an offset spatula. Before placing it in the oven I sprinkled the top with sliced almonds. After the cake cooled I dusted it with Confectioners’ sugar before enjoying a slice.

You may be wondering why I said this cake wasn’t very dessert-y. Well, besides the fact that it wasn’t very sweet, the texture was more reminiscent of a muffin or scone to me. It did taste good, but I think the recipe title is a bit deceiving. I was really hoping the brown butter flavor would stand out more as it did in the batter – yes, I tried the batter raw – but it somehow melted away while baking. And while the title does say “Almond Cake”, adding almond flour to the batter didn’t really give the cake an almond flavor, that really came from the almond paste that was added to the filling along with the chocolate chips. The almond flour aided in making the cake extremely moist though – always a good thing when it comes to cakes. No one wants to eat a dry cake, regardless of how good it may be. It is possible that the brown butter and almond flour somehow cancelled each other out, both having a nutty flavor or that the almond past just overpowered everything. Maybe a better title for this cake would be Brown Butter Cake with Almond & Chocolate Filling. Apologies if I sound negative, as I mentioned, the cake was good just not really what I thought it would taste like based on the recipe title. I would be curious to try this recipe again by omitting the almond flour and increasing the amount of all-purpose flour. Maybe then the flavor of the brown butter would really shine through.

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 ounces almond paste, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter reaches a warm amber color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to large bowl to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Add the eggs to the cooled brown butter and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the chocolate chips and diced almond paste over the batter in an even layer right to the edge. Top with remaining batter and gently spread with an offset-spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cake in an even layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen from the springform ring. Remove the springform ring and let the cake cool completely before dusting with Confectioners’ sugar.

Recipe from Food Network

Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

Happy Holidays! It’s the week after Thanksgiving and normally this week I share a week’s worth of cookie recipes to inspire you to bake for the holidays. Unfortunately, this year that’s not happening. Time got the best of me, and I spent the bulk of my free time crocheting. I kept thinking that I would be able to test the recipes I had written up, but I opted not to rush the process just to publish some blog posts. I believe quality over quantity is more important. I recently tried a recipe for a Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookie that was absolutely delish, so I decided to share that recipe with you this week. It would be the perfect addition to your cookie platter this holiday season.

But first, in case you are wondering what I was crocheting… Granny Hexagon Christmas Stockings, 16 to be exact (not counting the 3 I also made to sell in my Etsy shop). It was an order that needed to be completed by the end of November. And while I finished them with a week or two to spare, I was then also fulfilling custom orders for ornament ball wreaths from my Etsy shop. So, I’ve been busy. 

And now back to the cookies. While I normally don’t bake (or gravitate towards) oversized cookies I decided to try these since the flavors sounded so good. Brown butter, maple and pumpkin are the perfect combination for the season. Although with Christmas just around the corner peppermint is dominating a bit more nowadays.

If you are intimidated to make browned butter don’t be. It’s an easy process that requires a bit of patience, a watchful eye and a constant stir. Don’t be tempted to raise the heat as doing so will cause the butter to burn a lot quicker and instead of having a nutty flavor, the butter will have a burnt flavor. Once the butter has a rich amber color it’s done. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heat-proof container to stop the cooking process. Leaving it in the pan will continue to heat and ultimately burn the butter. While the original recipe called for placing the butter in the refrigerator to cool, I opted to cool it to room temperature on my counter for two reasons. A) I didn’t have to worry about it solidifying if I left it in the fridge for too long and B) I’m always apprehensive of putting hot items in the fridge immediately.

Once the brown butter is cool these cookies come together quickly and easily. Simply mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another and then fold together the two to form the dough. After refrigerating the dough for about 15 minutes – to prevent the cookies from spreading while baking – roll in a cinnamon sugar mixture and then bake. After cooling you will have the perfect cookie to enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa, tea or coffee for the cold days ahead!

Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

  • Servings: 11-12 large cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Begin by browning the butter. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, stirring until it reaches a rich amber color. Pour the butter into glass measuring cup, you should have just shy of 1 cup. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon – and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter. It should resemble clumpy wet sand. Next whisk in the egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients. Continue folding the two mixtures together until the dough forms.

Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes so it can firm up and prevent spreading while baking.

In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the sugar coating.

Use a large cookie scoop (i.e. ice cream scoop) or 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out the dough and then roll in the sugar coating. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are darkened around the edges and the center are puffed and look slightly underdone.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe slightly modified from Butternut Bakery Blog

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake

If you are still looking for a festive and delicious dessert to serve at your holiday gatherings but don’t want anything that requires too much fuss, then today’s Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake may just be what you are looking for.

While the name may be a mouthful, this cake is super easy to make and comes together rather quickly thanks to using a yellow cake mix as the base for the cake. Simply add some orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice to the batter and you end up with a nice orange flavored cake that is slightly sweet yet refreshing. And the addition of cardamom is a nice complement to the orange flavor. If you don’t have cardamom, you could use cinnamon instead. While the fresh cranberries on top of the cake adds a nice pop of color and a slight tartness to the cake. If you want your cranberries to be a bit sweeter add more brown sugar to the topping.

So, with little effort and in about an hour you have a beautiful and delicious cake to enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cranberry Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1/3 cup light brown sugar

For the Cake:

1 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix*

3 large eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cardamom

Zest from 2 navel oranges

Juice from 1 navel orange

*I used Duncan Hines

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a Bundt pan with baking spray.

Pour the melted butter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Scatter the cranberries over the melted butter in an even layer and then sprinkle the brown sugar over the cranberries.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients for the cake – cake mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil, cardamom, orange zest and juice – and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined.

Gently pour the batter into the Bundt pan and tap it down on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake stand (or cake board) and let cool completely before slicing and enjoying.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula  

Gingerbread Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Are you still in search of cookies to bake for the holidays? Or maybe you can’t decide between baking a holiday staple, gingerbread, or everyone’s favorite, chocolate chip? If so, why not make both with today’s recipe for a Gingerbread Spice Chocolate Chip Cookie.

I came across this recipe in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and knew immediately that I wanted to try it. Especially after making my Gingerbread S’more Blossoms and knowing how well gingerbread and chocolate go together. Although, I made a few tweaks to the original recipe. While the original recipe called for Gingerbread Spice, I didn’t feel like searching for an actual jar of McCormick’s Gingerbread Spice (it’s a real thing just like pumpkin spice), so I created my own with a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Alternatively, you could swap out the cloves for allspice. And I opted to use semi-sweet chocolate chips as opposed to milk-chocolate chips. The result was a cookie with all the flavors of gingerbread with just the right amount of chocolate. And while they are delicious just as they are, they are perfect to make winter ice cream sandwiches – which is what a friend of mine did after receiving a batch of them from me!

Gingerbread Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

3/4 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter and both sugars with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture, gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and continue beating until the chocolate chips are well incorporated into the dough.

Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into balls and then place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and soft in the center. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring them to an airtight container.

Recipe slightly modified from Food Network

Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes

Creating and making your own recipes is like conducting a science experiment. Until you take that first bite you wonder if you got the proportions of the ingredients correct, will the flavors work together and is it even edible. These thoughts and more swirled around my head while making today’s Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes.  

I got the idea after having a package of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares left-over from last Christmas. I say left-over because I normally buy a few packages to enjoy around the holidays since they are a seasonal treat. I bought one too many though because I couldn’t bring myself to open the last package I had because I had my fill of the square by then. I figured there had to be something I could incorporate them into. At first, I thought cookies, but around the same time I was working on the recipe for these Raspberry Molten Lava Cakes and thought that maybe I could use them to make a peppermint lava cake that would be perfect for the holidays.

I made some tweaks to the Raspberry Molten Lava Cake recipe and ended up with a molten lava cake that was the perfect balance of peppermint and chocolate. And it’s finally time to share the recipe with the holidays just around the corner. To make the batter I melted the peppermint bark squares in the microwave along with butter and then incorporated that into a mixture of sugar and eggs and finally folded in flour. After dividing the batter among 4 ramekins…  

I baked them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes and then let them cool for a few more…

Before inverting on a plate and dusting with confectioners’ sugar to enjoy.

So, this holiday season if you have an extra bag of peppermint bark or are looking for a fun twist on the traditional molten lava cake pick up a bag of peppermint bark and whip up a batch of these yummy cakes!

Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes

Ingredients:

1 5.4 oz. package Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares, broken into quarters

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Spray 4 6oz. ramekins with baking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl combine the peppermint bark squares and butter and microwave for 30-second intervals until the butter melts. Once the butter has melted stir the mixture until the chocolate melts.

In a medium bowl beat together the sugar and eggs with a hand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Add the flour and continued folding the mixture together until well combined.

Divide amongst the prepared ramekins, about 1/2 cup of batter in each.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-16 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy.

For leftovers, cover the ramekins tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To heat, microwave for 30 seconds. Let sit for a minute then invert and enjoy.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.