Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peppermint baking chips
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy and smooth.  Beat in eggs until well combined.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beat in the dry ingredients, on low speed, along with water, until just combined.  Stir in baking chips until just combined.  Chill dough for 1 hour, or until cold.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until crisp.  Cool 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt together milk chocolate chips and oil in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.

Dip or pipe melted chocolate onto halves of cookies.  Push marshmallows into melted chocolate and allow to dry.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Gingerbread Cookies

    Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Gingerbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tablespoon molasses
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
4 tablespoons caramel syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and clove.  In a large mixing bowl, on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy and smooth.  Beat in egg, molasses and chocolate until well combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips until combined.  Chill dough 1 hour or until cold.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until crisp.  Cool 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.  Cool cookies 15 minutes.  Drizzle caramel on cookies; sprinkle with sea salt.

Makes 40 cookies

Maple Walnut Puffs

Maple Walnut Puffs

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup very finely chopped toasted walnuts

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, half of the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until well combined and creamy.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour and walnuts until just combined.  Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and place on cookie sheets, spacing about 3/4-inch apart.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until crisp.  Maybe less if your oven runs hot.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool a few minutes.  Roll cookies in remaining powdered sugar.

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

 The Best Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 cup hot water (or coffee)
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed beat together oil, water, buttermilk, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low, and beat in dry ingredients and bittersweet chocolate until just combined.  Divide batter into muffin cups.  (It will be runny!)  You can use a piping bag, ladle, or cookie scoop to make this easier.  Bake about 15 minutes, or until well risen, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached.  Cool 5 minutes and transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

To make the cream cheese frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, until creamy and smooth.  Beat in confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until well combined.  Frost cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Nutella Brownies

Chris Krinkle Cookies

Mini M&M Cookies

Mini M&M Cookies


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 2/3 cup bread flour
• 1/2 cup (or more) mini M&M's

Instructions:
 In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy.  Beat in egg until combined.  Sift in baking powder, baking soda and flour, and beat on low speed until just combined.  Stir in M&M's until just combined.

Chill dough in freezer for 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

For mini cookies, shape teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet, spacing about 3/4 inch apart.  For larger cookies, shape rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and place on cookie sheets spacing about 1 inch apart.  Bake 10 minutes for minis, 14 minutes for larger cookies, or until light golden around edges.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Peanut Butter M&M Monster Cookies

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Chocolate Turtle Pie

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Candy Cane Cookie-Stuffed Snowcaps

Candy Cane Cookie-Stuffed Snowcaps

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
20 Candy Cane Jo-Jo's or Peppermint Oreos
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and granulated sugar until creamy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in melted chocolate until well combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined.

Shape dough into 20 balls.  Chill the dough for a few minutes if it's too sticky.  Place a dough ball in your hand and flatten it as thin as possible without having it fall apart; place a cookie into the center.  Wrap dough around cookie and smooth.  Repeat process with remaining dough balls.  Roll balls in confectioners' sugar until coated.  Place on cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.  Bake 15 minutes, or until well risen, set, and crackled.  Cool 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Cherry Pistachio White Chocolate Tea Cookies

Cherry Pistachio White Chocolate Tea Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup finely ground salted toasted pistachios
3/4 cup sweetened dried cherries
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups all purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until creamy - about 1 minute.  Beat in baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon until combined.  Beat in pistachios, cherries, white chocolate and flour until a crumbly dough forms.

Take tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls; place on cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp.  Cool 2 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool.
Dip cookies into confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Almond Toffee

Almond Toffee

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  
Line a 13x9-inch baking dish with foil.

Place almonds on a cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Bring butter, sugar, water and salt to a boil, in a large saucepan, over medium heat.  Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When hot syrup turns light golden brown, stir in almonds.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until syrup starts to turn golden brown.  Quickly remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla until combined; pour toffee into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of toffee and wait a few minutes for them to melt before spreading evenly.  Sprinkle white chocolate chips on top, wait to melt, and swirl into chocolate.  Cool completely before cutting into pieces.

To make a mint variation, sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed Thin Mint cookies on top, followed by 2 crushed candy canes.

Hot Buttered Rum Crisps

Hot Buttered Rum Crisps

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butterscotch chips, melted
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons spiced dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup raisins

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently, until butter foams, and starts to turn golden.  Pour butter into a large mixing bowl.

Add brown sugar and melted butterscotch to mixing bowl; mix, using a mixer on medium speed, until well combined.  Mix in eggs, rum, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined - about 2 minutes.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour, oats, pecans and raisins until just combined.  Chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.  Bake 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Peppermint Bark Stuffed Chocolate Chippers

Peppermint Bark Stuffed Chocolate Chippers

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided use
6 candy canes, finely crushed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
Melted dark chocolate, for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the peppermint bark, in a medium bowl, microwave white chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter until melted - about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Mixture will start to stiffen.  Stir in candy cane until combined.  Using hands, scoop out 1/2 tablespoons of mixture, and roll into 28 balls; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together remaining 12 tablespoons butter and sugar until creamy - about 1 minute.  Beat in eggs until combined - about 1 minute.  Beat in melted chocolate, vanilla, baking soda and salt until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in cocoa powder and flour until just combined.

Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and flatten into the palm of your hand; place a peppermint bark ball on top, and wrap dough around cookie.  Repeat process with remaining cookies.  Place on cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.  Press down lightly on cookies, to flatten slightly.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until set, and slightly crisp.  Cool 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.
Drizzle melted chocolate on top of cookies, if desired.

Makes 28 cookies