Holiday Cookies: My Family's Favorite Cookie

You are intrigued, right? Well this cookie goes out to my entire family but most importantly, to my late Grandma. The funny thing about this cookie is that EVERYONE in my family loves this cookie except me...actually, it's just weird. However, my Grandma made this cookie for my mom and her siblings and now my aunts make these for us, and now I am returning the favor and making it for them...and one day, I guess I will make it for my kid(s)? Yes, I will.

Now you must be wondering, what is this cookie that is at the center of your family? Mincemeat Cookie. It's special, it's delicious...and although we have them at the holiday season (that's when you can get mincemeat), we really like to eat them all year round.

If you start making this cookie, you will love it. I promise.

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs beaten
1 9 oz. package of Borden Nonesuch Mincemeat

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375
2) In one bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda
3) In another bowl, cream butter, sugar until fluffy. Add eggs until smooth.
4) Stir in mincemeat to wet mixture and then gradually add flour mix. Mix super well.
5) Roll into two inch dough balls and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
6) Bake for about 10-12 minutes until slightly browned.
7) Share and Enjoy!!!

These cookies are about family and that is good enough for me. <3

Made: 12/24/10
"Posted": 12/25/10
Posted: 06/03/11

Holiday Cookies: Sugar Cookies

These are simple and classic...and easily adaptable to any situation.

Adapted from Food Network

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon milk

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees (after mix has been refrigerated)

2) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3) In another bowl, place butter and sugar and beat until light in color.

4) Add egg and milk and beat to combine.

5) With your mixer on low speed, gradually add flour. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6) Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator and roll it out until its about 1/4 inch thick. Becareful to not let the dough stick.

7) Form cookie shaped circles and place about at inch apart on a greased baking sheet.

8) Bake for 7-9 minutes until the cookies just BEGIN to turn brown.

9) Remove from oven. Top with red and green sprinkles (or whatever colors you fancy). Cool.

10) Share and Enjoy!

Just fun.

Made: 12/24/10
"Posted": 12/25/10
Posted: 06/03/11

Holiday Cookies: Gingersnap Cookies

These are one of my favorite holiday time cookies. However, they are so good that sometimes I am tempted to make them all year round. Just saying...

Additionally, I am not a huge proponent of using shortening while baking (yeah, it's kind of gross), but a couple of the holiday cookie recipes I use, utilize it...so yeah.

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2) Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Blend well.
3) Beat together the shortening and white sugar followed by the egg and molasses.
4) Add the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture and mix well.
5) In a separate small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar.
6) Make 1 inch balls of dough and roll them into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
7) Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
8) Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies crack slightly.
9) Share and Enjoy!

What is the holiday season without gingersnap cookies?!?

Made: 12/24/10
"Posted": 12/25/10
Posted: 06/03/11

Oatmeal Holiday Cookies

These are like Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies but better. Only because they have Holiday M & M's instead...so that automatically makes them better. Just saying. Make these next Christmastime, your family will love you.



Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup M&M's

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar until smooth.
3) Beat in eggs and then add vanilla
4) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
5) Stir the dry ingredient mixture into the creamed mixture until well blended.
6) Add in the oats and fold in the M&M's.
7) Drop by spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet.
8) Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
9) Share and Enjoy!

Yeah just make them any holiday...and add the seasonal M&M's! So much fun.

Made: 12/22/10
"Posted": 12/22/10
Posted: 06/02/11

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Holiday time= Cookie Time. This was my pre-cookie mania but these were really simple and super tasty. A little bit of mint extract goes a long way...

Adapted from Food.com



Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In a small bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt
3) In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and extracts until well blended.
4) Stir dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
5) Fold in chocolate Chips
6) Cover bowl and refrigerate for two hours (or don't...).
7) Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookies sheets.
8) Bake for 11-13 minutes
9) Share and Enjoy!

These are super simple but I really liked the hint of peppermint because it was so unexpected. A perfect holiday cookie primer. :-)

Made: 12/11/10
"Posted": 12/11/10
Posted: 06/01/11

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes I read the recipes on the side panels of the package of the flour, or the nestle chips or whatever. This is precisely what happened in this instance. The side package of your standard Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour featured this tasty Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip recipe. These are quite simple and good and especially a treat for the peanut butter lover...and we all have a few of those in our lives.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of cream peanut butter
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars and egg. Beat until fluffy.

3) Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.

4) Add the flour to the butter/egg mixture and beat.

5) Fold in the chocolate chips

6) Roll cookie dough into approximate two inch balls and place on baking sheets.

7) Bake for 10-12 minutes.

8) Share and Enjoy!

I really like these cookies. I mean what is there to not like about peanut butter and chocolate?

Made: 11/20/10
Posted: 12/3/10
Actually Posted: 05/31/11

Oatmeal Scotchies

These cookies will transform your life. You think I am kidding but I am COMPLETELY serious. For real though. These cookies are just so delicious and so simple that I wish that I had been consuming them my entire life (although my waistline would have not been too happy about it).

Make these. Just do it. You will not regret your decision. I PROMISE.

Side Note: I usually half the usual recipe because If I made the full recipe, I would have about four dozen cookies and would be tempted to eat every last one of them. Seriously.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup of Old-Fashioned/Quick Cooking Oats

1 Cup of Butterscotch Chips

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside

3) Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl

4) Gradually beat in flour mixture over the course of 2-3 minutes

5) Stir in Oats and Butterscotch Chips

6) Round into approximate two inch balls and place them onto an baking sheet

7) Bake 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies

8) Cool on baking sheets for a couple of minutes...or just eat them immediately. your choice. i can't resist.

9) Share and Enjoy!!!!

Made: 12/02/10
Posted: 05/31/11

White Chocolate Craisin Cookies

Hi Friends.

It's been a while. Here is a repeat favorite that is always a crowd pleaser.

Oh did I mention it was super easy?


Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted BUTTER

1 cup packed light brown sugar (or dark...if you prefer)

2 Tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup Craisins

Directions

1) Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for about 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time.

2) Fold in White Chocolate Chips and Craisins

3) Round in 2 inch balls and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

4) Share and Enjoy!

These are simple and delicious. Make them from your friends. Make them for your non-friends and they will want to become your friends. I promise.


Made: 12/08/10
Posted: 05/31/11

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are just almost the same exact recipe except with choco chips...and powdered sugar. I think those two ingredients might just make them even more delicious than the butterscotch ones. Who knew that was even possible.

Well, Joy the baker knew. That's who gave me the idea. She's such a smarty pants.

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2) Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil

3) Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside.

4) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

5) Once done mixing well, scrape the sides of the bowl.

6) On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.

7) Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

8) Use a 1/4 cup or your hands to drop dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

9) Bake for 15-17 minutes and do the toothpick trick. Make sure the top feels firm before you remove them from the oven.

10) Cool for about 5-7 minutes and then top with powdered sugar (don't be sparing)

11) Share and Enjoy!

I am so happy that all my buds at school actually like pumpkin with the exception of a few. Anything of the pumpkin variety is quickly eaten up and these were no exception. Super tasty. Super fluffy. Super amazing. Go make these, please.

Made: 11/04/10
Posted: 01/18/11

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Oh Hey Joy. I made another one of your delicious treats. I love that browned butter thing you told me to do because it has done magical things for the baked goodies coming out of my kitchen. Thanks. you're the best.

Needless to say, I baked something delicious from Joy the Baker. This standard White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie was definitely taken to new heights with the addition of browned butter. I've been told that it adds a "nuttiness" flavor and frankly, i just thought the people telling me this were a little nutty. However, I tried it and I have to agree...Browned Butter is the way to go.

Adapted from: Joy the Baker

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) BUTTER (and only BUTTER)

1 cup packed light brown sugar (or dark...if you prefer)

2 Tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup white chocolate chips (Ghiradelli just tastes better)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a medium saucepan melt the butter, swirling and stirring the butter until nicely browned bits appear in the bottom of the pan (about 5-7 minutes).

3) Once the butter is browned, remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.

4) Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer add the brown sugar and slightly cooled butter. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

5) Add egg and beat for one more minuteeeee.

6) Add milk and vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

7) Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients all at once.

8) Incorporate the dry ingredients until just mixed in and fold in the chopped nuts and white chocolate chips.

9) Scoop two teaspoon sized balls onto a lined baking sheet.

10) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are deliciously golden.
Cool.

11) Share and Enjoy!

Well, I love this recipe. I love that it is very easy and that simple of step of browning the butter adds so much more flavor. I also love the size of the cookies...I hate a flat cookie (unless it is a "snap" and I hate a hard cookie but this cookie is perfectly bite size and filling. However, I can not promise that you won't go for more than one...

Made: 10/26/10

Posted: 01/11/11

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

I believe in baking for the season. What I mean by that is, the fall is all about apple and pumpkin, so I was trying to infuse those two ingredients into all of my recipes. I had always seen those bags of butterscotch morsels in the isle next to the choco chips, etc...but i had never picked them up. However, this recipe looked so simple and busy, so I thought I had no choice. Don't get me wrong, I love me some butterscotch, but I just never had any inspiration to bake with them before but thanks to my good bud, Joy, I finally received that motivation I needed to make something magically butterscotch happen in the kitchen.

Oh did I mention that pumpkin was involved too? Adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola ( I just used standard vegetable oil)

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil (the original recipe used parchment paper...which you have to butter) and butter the paper.

2)Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.

3) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.

4) On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

5) Using a spoon/ice cream scoop/1/4 cup scoop/your hands, scoop mounds of the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart.

6) Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm, about 16 minutes.

7) Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack (or I just use a plate) to cool.

8) Share and Enjoy!

These are like pillowy bundles of deliciousness. They are so fluffy and jam packed with flavor, you can definitely not eat just one. Everyone raved about these bad boys and they really hold their own. Definitely a cookie recipe that everyone should have and use. often.

Made: 10/26/10

Posted: 01/12/11

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

For Close Buddy of BOOF's Birthday a while back, I wanted to send her something to celebrate her special day despite my inability to be there in person. I knew that I was going to include my staple Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies , but I wanted to mix it up and try out something new. I like Oatmeal but I hate raisins...but I love Craisins, so I decided to try them out in the oatmeal cookie form. There it is not a huge difference between Craisin and Raisin, so I pretty much just used a standard Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and just morphed it a little bit.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Cups of Craisins
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon* the Secret Ingredient!
1 teaspoon of Nutmeg* Secret Ingredient # 2!

Directions

	1) Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time. 2) Mix in Craisins 3) Round in 2 inch balls and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

eggless cookies and brownies galore.

For good friend of BOOF's birthday, ml, I wanted to do something special because with his religion, he's a vegetarian plus no eggs. I always find ways to bake things eggless in the office but knowing that his favorite dessert is brownies, it was my number 1 goal to finally master the eggless brownies after numerous failed attempts. Because numerous of my co-worker buddies also boast sweet "teeth", I also decided that I would try and master the eggless chocolate chip cookie. Mission Possible. Yes.

I quickly got to googling to try and find the best way to tackle both ventures and was quickly grabbed by a brownie-from-scratch which featured applesauce. Because I have tried making brownies with applesauce before, I was a little skeptical but I had also used the mix and not made it from scratch. Knowing that it was going to take a little more effort on my part, I gladly accepted the challenge and got baking.

On the other hand, I had never tried to make eggless chocolate chip cookies, so this would be a completely new adventure. I found an "easy" cookie recipe that featured non-fat plain yogurt as the holding ingredient, so I thought I would give it a try.

Both recipes were very simple to make and thankful to my wonderful kitchen-aid mixer, I was able to successfully bake the brownies and 3 dozen cookies in 1 1/2 hours. Take that Betty!

Now baking was the relatively easy part, but the taste was a whole different ball game. I was able to taste the cookies while they were cooling, and I was so taken back by how good they were. As a chocolate cookie expert, I have very high expectations and I just dont usually trust the reviews but boy, were they right. The cookies ended up being the perfect consistency and were nice and browned on the edges while remaining deliciously delectible and chewy on the inside. yum. I usually have very high expectations for my baking, so this high of a review was a lot coming from me but the same sentiments were reciprocated by my work buddies. They raved about the cookies and insisted that I should get them patented and probably open a bakery to pay for my medical school education...this is something i'm really considering. :-D

Now, the brownies on the other hand, I was super nervous about. I couldn't taste them beforehand because clearly, that just would look weird. So, I had to wait until I got to work and I would let ml, the birthday boy, be the first official taste tester. He LOVED them. Now, anything that is chocolate ml will love, so I had to get my own review as well as my other co-workers reviews before I knew they were the real deal. Welp, they were definitely the real deal. The applesauce allowed the brownies to have a beautifully fudgy moist interior, but yet they were still fluffy and not crumbly on the outside. ML was convinced that the brownies were not going to make it home with him because he was going to eat them all by the end of the day, and actually we were all very concerned about this because we thought that we would continue munching on them for the rest of the day.

Although he was able to take about five brownies home with him (he started with 20 on the day), he was only left with one chocolate chip cookie because we demolished those. Nevertheless, I think that I am going to tend to bake more things eggless more often...as a matter of fact, I think i will potentially be baking all my chocolate chip cookies eggless because those were probably the best cc cookies that i have ever had. no lie.

Cookie Grade: A

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, margarine and shortening until light and fluffy. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until incorporated, then mix in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.