Tag: Holiday Baking

Gingerbread S’more Blossoms

Today’s cookie is mash-up of a few cookies and it’s perfect for anyone short on time or doesn’t fancy themselves a baker. It’s a Gingerbread S’more Blossom.

So, what exactly is a Gingerbread S’more Blossom? It’s a gingerbread cookie, topped with a marshmallow that is roasted under the broiler and then topped with a Hershey Kiss! And as I mentioned they are perfect for anyone who is a bit apprehensive to bake cookies from scratch as the gingerbread cookie is made using a prepackaged mix. If you prefer to use your favorite gingerbread recipe that would work as well. I’ve made gingerbread cookies from scratch, and I have made them using Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie mix and have been just as happy with the results and have appreciated the time it saves!

The end result is a cookie that is the perfect combination of a s’more and blossom cookie along with gingerbread!

Gingerbread S’more Blossoms

Ingredients:

1 17.5 oz Gingerbread Cookie Mix* plus ingredients listed on package to make the cookies

Large marshmallows, cut in half**

Hershey Kisses, unwrapped**

*I used Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie Mix

**For the marshmallows, you will need half the amount of cookies you bake and for the Hershey Kisses you will need an equal amount

Directions:

Prepare the dough and bake the gingerbread cookies per the package instructions.

After removing the cookies from the oven press a marshmallow in the center of each cookie, cut side down and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets.

Switch the oven to the broiler setting and place one baking sheet at a time back in the oven for 30-60 seconds, or until the marshmallows begin to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each marshmallow. Transfer the cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Snowballs

This time of the year peppermint is the star flavor in many beverages, candies and baked goods. And if you are a fan of the flavor, you are going to love today’s Snowball cookies. Snowballs, also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies and/or Russian Tea Cakes, are typically flavored with vanilla extract and have finely chopped pecans, but today’s version takes a festive approach with peppermint extract and chocolate chips for a Peppermint Chocolate Chip Snowball.

These buttery cookies will melt in your mouth and have you begging for a cup of hot cocoa. A few things to note, while I added 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract you could reduce it to 1 teaspoon. You will still get the peppermint flavor, but it won’t be as pronounced. Also, if you want to make the appearance of these cookies festive for the season you could add a few drops of red food coloring to give them a nice pink hue.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Snowballs

  • Servings: 24 Cookies
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Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

2 cups flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lines 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar with hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the peppermint extract. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the flour and then the chocolate chips.

Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball and then place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown.

Place the remaining cup of confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.

Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes roll the cookies in the confectioners’ sugar to coat them. Return them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies have completely cooled roll them in the confectioners’ sugar once again.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

If you’ve never thought of using cake mix to whip up a batch of delicious cookies let this be your PSA to do so. I’ve shared a recipe using a chocolate cake mix – Chocolate Salted Caramel Chip Cookies – a yellow cake mix – Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies – and today I am sharing one using a red velvet cake mix to make Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies (how original!).

These cookies are perfect for the season with their deep red hue and little effort required to make them (let’s be honest, most people’s to-do list around this time can seem never-ending). While it is nice to bake something that is “fancy” and a tad bit involved it’s just as a nice (and less stressful) to make something that is easy and quick. The most stressful part of these cookies is having to wait one hour to bake them while the dough chills.

But after waiting for the dough to chill, and baking and cooling you’ll have delicious cookies that will be a great addition to any other cookies you are baking for the holiday’s or perfect just on their own. 

One quick thing to note, to mimic a traditional Red Velvet Cake I used Hershey’s Cream Cheese Chips in these cookies, if you are unable to find them you can use white chocolate chips instead.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

  • Servings: 24 Cookies
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Ingredients:

1 15.25oz box Red Velvet Cake Mix

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (optional)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cream cheese chips*

*I used Hershey’s Cream Cheese Baking Chips, if you cannot find them white chocolate chips can be used instead.

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, instant coffee (if using), oil, eggs and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. Stir in the cream cheese (or white chocolate) chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

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

Using a cookie scoop drop the dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underbaked. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula. 

Brownie Cookies

‘Tis the season for cookies, cakes, treats and all kinds of sweets! And today’s treat is a take on a classic sweet that won’t have anyone fighting for the middle, edge or corner piece – everyone has a preference – it’s a Brownie Cookie!

The dough for these cookies involves a few steps. First up, chocolate and butter are melted together, stirred until smooth and then cooled to room temperature. Once cooled, the chocolate mixture is then added to a mixture of eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and coffee granules. And finally, dry ingredients and mini chocolate chips are added into the dough. Although, the dough won’t look like dough at this point, more so like brownie batter. So, it’s necessary to refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes so it can firm up and be perfect for scooping and baking.

And once baked, you will have delicious chocolaty cookies that are reminiscent of a brownie with a shiny crackly top and a soft chewy inside, perfect for any chocolate or brownie lover in your life. 

Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

2 4oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking bars, chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

In a microwave safe bowl melt the chopped chocolate and butter together. Heat for 20 second intervals, stirring between each until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.  

In a large bowl beat together both sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and coffee granules with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is well combined and has increased slightly in volume, 2-3 minutes. 

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Add in the mini chocolate chips and continue stirring until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

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

Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, until the cookies are set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Sweet & Salty Christmas in July White Chocolate Bark

Merry Christmas in July! Have you been indulging in any holiday activities to get you into the holiday spirit super early? I’ll admit, I have watched a few Christmas movies thanks to Hallmark Channel’s Christmas in July stunt. Nothing too crazy though. If you are a crafter, now is the perfect time to start on any Christmas crafts/gifts you plan on making. And of course, there have been sales, but instead of calling them Christmas in July sales retailers have been terming them Black Friday in July sales. Not everyone is keen on celebrating or even mentioning Christmas before Thanksgiving!

Initially I was stumped on what to make to celebrate. I toyed with the idea of a Peppermint Shake along the lines of last year’s refreshing No Churn Peppermint Chip Ice Cream. And then I thought of forgoing the whole thing and not making anything. But then I remembered I had a bag of red & green mini M&M’s I bought during the holidays last year that I was planning on using to decorate Gingerbread Cookies that I never made. Thankfully they hadn’t expired – it’s scary sometimes how long candy can last – so I decided to make a super simple and festive chocolate bark with them.

Along with the M&M’s I used chopped pretzels and nonpareils to decorate melted white chocolate. If you are not a fan of white chocolate, you could easily swap it out for either semi-sweet or milk chocolate. Making chocolate bark is one of the simplest things you can make, and the M&M’s and nonpareils can be swapped out for any holiday. After melting white chocolate chips in the microwave, I spread the chocolate on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/4-inch thick and then sprinkled it with the M&M’s, chopped pretzels and nonpareils. I lightly pressed everything into the chocolate and then placed it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so the chocolate could harden.

And then I just haphazardly broke it apart and stored it in the refrigerator for an occasional sweet treat! Come the holidays though this would be the perfect treat to serve guests or to gift.

Sweet & Salty Christmas in July White Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

1 12oz. bag white chocolate chips

1/2 cup green & red mini M&M’s

1 cup mini pretzel twists, chopped

Holiday nonpareils

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread on the prepared baking sheet to about a 1/4-inch thick.

Sprinkle the M&M’s, chopped pretzels and nonpareils over the chocolate and lightly press into the chocolate.

Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate hardens, and then break into pieces.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*If you want your bark saltier sprinkle with sea salt before refrigerating.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Happy Holidays! A time of get-togethers, good food and even better desserts! If you are looking for a delicious cake to make for any of your get-togethers that has a festive touch to it this Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake just might be the one. A delicious creamy cheesecake is sandwiched between two red velvet cake layers and then frosted with a tangy and slightly sweet cream cheese frosting!

To ensure that your cake layers and cheesecake are the same size, use the same pans to bake them. While two pans may be the same size, one may have straighter edges than the other. I baked my cake layers and cheesecake in 8-inch round cake pans. You could also use 9-inch ones but keep in mind that your cake layers and cheesecake won’t be as high.

And while I did have to smooth the sides of the cheesecake a bit to get it flushed with the cake layers once the cake was assembled, I am sure it would have been a lot worse if I hadn’t used the same pans for all the layers.

And after a crumb coat…

I finished frosting and decorating the cake.

This cake will take you 2-3 days to bake and assemble depending on when you bake and/or refrigerate your layers. I opted to bake my cake layers on day 1, wrapped them in plastic wrap once they cooled and then refrigerated them. The following day I made my cheesecake layer and refrigerated that overnight. And finally, on the third day I made the cream cheese frosting and assembled the cake. You could also opt to bake everything on the same day and then refrigerate overnight, or the cheesecake one day and then the cake layers the following day and then assemble the cake once the cake layers have cooled. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that the cheesecake layer will need to be refrigerated at least 6 hours before assembling. Regardless of the baking schedule you choose you will end up with a delicious cake that will be perfect for your holidays, any other festive occasion or just because!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:

3 8oz blocks cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Red Velvet Cake:

1 15.25 of package of Red Velvet Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)

3 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk*

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8oz block cream cheese, at room temperature

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

4 cups Confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*Make your own buttermilk by adding 5 teaspoons of vinegar to a measuring cup and then adding enough whole milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature, or until the milk becomes thick and appears curdled.

Directions:

For the Cheesecake:

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang, and set aside.  

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour with hand mixer on low speed until just combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and continue beating on low until incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time and continue beating until everything is combined.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan inside of a larger pan (larger cake pan or a roasting pan) and fill with water halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Afterwards, crack the oven door open and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and then refrigerate overnight.

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the buttermilk, eggs and oil with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. Using a fine mesh sieve (or a sifter) sift the cake mix over the buttermilk mixture. Beat on medium speed until just combined and then use a rubber spatula to gently stir the batter together a few times. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 26-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you are baking the cake layers ahead of time wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Add the cream cheese, butter and Confectioners’ sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on low until combined. Raise the speed to medium high and continue beating the frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed until incorporated.

If the frosting is too soft to use refrigerate for 10-15 minutes, or until desired consistency.

To Assemble:

Level the red velvet cake layers and crumble the cut pieces and set aside.

Spread a dollop of the frosting in the center of a cake board and place one of the cake layers on it. Spread a thin layer of the frosting on the cake.

Carefully remove the cheesecake layer from the aluminum foil and place it on top of the cake layer. Gently spread a thin layer of the frosting on the cheesecake and then top with the remaining cake layer, cut side down.

If need be, use a paring knife or long spatula to smooth the sides of the cheesecake to be flush with the red velvet cake layers.

Crumb coat the cake – cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If the remaining frosting begins to get too soft place it in the refrigerator for the last 5-10 minutes.

Reserve about a cup of the frosting and then use the remaining frosting to cover the entire cake.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the crumbled red velvet cake.

Transfer the reserved frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe dollops on top of the cake.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.

Cookie Palooza: Blueberry Crumb Cookies

I’ve saved my favorite cookie for last… A Blueberry Crumb Cookie. I got the idea for this cookie while baking one of my favorite summer desserts, a Blueberry Crumb Cake. Granted you can make it anytime of the year, but it tastes best when the blueberries are at their sweetest. Initially I was thinking of using fresh blueberries in the cookie, but for a few reasons I didn’t think it was the right move. I was concerned that some of the blueberries would be sour (not a good thing for a cookie), inevitably different sizes (you kind of want uniformity in a cookie) and that they might turn the cookies blue during baking. Since cookie dough is a lot thicker than cake batter, I thought that there was good chance of the blueberries being slightly decimated while folding them in. Thankfully I was able to find dried wild blueberries that eliminated all those concerns I had from using fresh ones.

For these cookies I made two mixtures… The cookie dough and the crumb topping.

Once both were ready, I rolled scoops of the dough in the crumb topping and then placed it on my baking sheets. And in case you are wondering, no, the crumb topping won’t burn and yes it will stick to the cookie even after baking.

And yes, the cookies will spread a bit while baking, but I don’t suggest refrigerating the cookie dough prior to scooping and rolling them in the crumb topping. You want the cookie dough to be slightly sticky so the crumb topping will adhere to it. And there’s no harm in a larger cookie. They don’t flatten and are slightly thick so it’s all good!

And I must say that while these cookies are delish the day they come out of the oven, the blueberry flavor gets stronger each day after so you may want to make these a day or two ahead of time and keep them stored in an airtight container prior to serving, sharing or giving. Because of this these cookies are the perfect cookie to mail to someone. They stay moist and the flavor only gets better.

I hope you have enjoyed this year’s Cookie Palooza and hopefully one, two or maybe all of these cookies will earn a spot on your cookie trays this holiday season!

Happy Holidays (and Happy Baking!)

Blueberry Crumb Cookies

  • Servings: 30 Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried blueberries*

For the Crumb Topping:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

*I used dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

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

In a large bowl beat together the butter and both sugars with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until just combined. Add in the lemon juice and sour cream and continue beating until well combined.

With the mixer on low add in the flour mixture. And then fold in the blueberries.

For the Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl whisk together both sugars, the cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. You may need to use your hands to really get the mixture combined well and to form the crumbs.

To make rolling the dough in the crumb topping easier (and less messy), first scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, then roll in the crumb topping and then return to the baking sheets. Place the dough 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are set and beginning to brown around the edges. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn Spatula.

Cookie Palooza: Brown Sugar Vanilla Cookies

Cookies are my least favorite dessert to photograph. Sometimes they just don’t look as appealing in a picture as they do in “real life.” As is the case with today’s Cookie Palooza cookie… Brown Sugar Vanilla Cookies. They taste great, but that’s just not coming across in the pictures since there are no add-ins to give the cookies dimension.

They are essentially a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips. They get their flavor from, you guessed it, brown sugar and vanilla. While most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for using a combination of white and brown sugar which produces a cookie that is crispier, only using brown sugar in these cookies leaves you with a cookie that is chewier and denser. Something a little more comforting during these cold winter months. They are also the perfect cookie to make for anyone on your list who likes a simple cookie without much fuss.  

Brown Sugar Vanilla Cookies

  • Servings: 30 Cookies
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Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

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

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time and then add in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture until combined. The dough will be very soft. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up so the cookies won’t spread as much while baking.

Use a cookie a cookie scoop to drop the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.

Cookie Palooza: Big Island Oatmeal Cookies

If you are dreaming of being somewhere warm during the colder months today’s Cookie Palooza cookie may help transport you there mentally. It’s an oatmeal cookie loaded with coconut, pineapples and macadamia nuts. All standard things you will find growing in Hawaii, hence the name, Big Island Oatmeal Cookies.

On my first attempt at making these cookies I used dried pineapple and I quickly learned that baking with dried pineapple is not like baking with dried cranberries or blueberries. The pineapple pieces dried out so instead of being chewy and adding flavor to the cookie they were a bit hard and had no flavor. On my second attempt I switched these things up and decided to use canned pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice that I drained. I also added in coconut extract to amp up the coconut flavor and opted not to chop the macadamia nuts. Also on my first attempt I chopped the macadamia nuts and they pretty much got decimated since they are so soft. When you bit into the cookie you really weren’t getting the crunch or taste of them.

So, with my tweaks, my cookies were perfectly loaded with pineapples, macadamia nuts and coconut in two forms. And the taste was exactly what I had hoped for. Not too sweet, the perfect amount of coconut flavor, a little crunch from the macadamia nuts and some added sweetness and taste from the pineapples. Also, because of the pineapples the cookies were incredibly moist. One of the reasons why it’s necessary to let them rest on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire to cool completely.

While these cookies may not have any of the standard flavors of the holiday season, they will be a welcome addition to your holiday baking menu. Yes, peppermint, sugar cookies, chocolate, etc. are delicious, but a little something different is good as well.

Big Island Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 1/2 cups flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pineapple tidbits in juice, drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

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

In a large bowl cream together the butter and both sugars with a hand mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and coconut extract and beat until everything is well combine.

With the mixer on low add in the flour mixture.

Fold in the macadamia nuts, shredded coconut and pineapple tidbits.

Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are set, and the edges begin to brown.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.

Cookie Palooza: Cranberry Pecan Cookies

While peppermint gets all the glory during this time of the year there are other flavors and ingredients that are reminiscent of the season. Cranberries for one. While the sweetened dried ones and the canned jellied version can be found in your supermarket year-round, it’s this time of the year when those fresh tart berries pop up in your grocery section. And while most nuts are popular around this time due to gift baskets, those roasted chestnuts and so forth it’s pecans that really make the rounds thanks to Pecan Pie.  So, I decided to combine the two – cranberries and pecans – for today’s Cookie Palooza cookie with a Cranberry Pecan Cookie that also has some chocolate in it.

These cookies are pretty straightforward to make. Start off by creaming together the butter and sugars, add the eggs and then the vanilla extract. Whisk the dry ingredients separately and then add it to the butter mixture and finally stir in the add-ins; the dried cranberries, chopped pecans and chocolate chips. If you like your cookies to be a little nuttier feel free to add in more pecans. And one thing I have started doing is refrigerating my cookie dough before scooping and baking. I didn’t want to struggle to scoop my dough, so I refrigerated it for only 30 minutes. Enough to get it chilled, but still soft enough to easily scoop with a cookie scoop.

These cookies are perfectly chocolaty, just the right amount of crunch thanks to the pecans and have a little tangy sweetness to them thanks to the cranberries. The perfection addition to any cookie platter this holiday season!

Cranberry Pecan Cookies

  • Servings: 36 Cookies
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Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

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

In a large bowl cream together the butter and both sugars with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and then the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips, pecans and cranberries and beat until combined.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are set.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn Spatula