Holiday Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies

More often than not, I tend to forego traditional cookies in favor of cookie bars. I just find that they’re quicker and easier to make, store, and transport. But as yummy as my bars tend to be, there’s just something about that classic cookie shape that screams “holiday season” to me. So in the spirit of wanting to spread some joy around the office this week, I brought in a batch of sugar cookies with chocolate chips.

As far as cookie recipes go, this one couldn’t be simpler. It’s your basic sugar cookie flavored with vanilla and studded with festive holiday chocolate chips (if you can’t find the red and green chips in the supermarket, you could always use regular chips or red and green M&Ms instead). Also, chilling the dough in the fridge is optional, but recommended. I know some people don’t like having to chill dough because it makes the process take longer, but I found that a quick 10-minute chill was all it took to get this last batch just right.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Then, stir in chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare several baking sheets.
Remove the dough from the fridge and use your hands to form small rounded discs. Be sure to leave enough space for the cookies to spread.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Let the cookies cool on their sheets for a minute or two before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: This recipe makes about 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies but can pretty easily be doubled if you’re feeding a larger crowd. These cookies will keep for a good 4-5 days if stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Dec 12

Smores Brownies

Talk about sweetness overload. I’ve made smores bars before, and I happen to think the combination of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow is just fantastic. But whereas the smores bars I usually make feature a graham cracker topping and crust, this brownie version takes the concept to an all-new level. In fact, you’d almost be crazy to eat these without a cold glass of milk at your side. Consider yourselves warned.

Smores Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 and 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan.
Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top of the brownie layer. Then, use a spoon or spatula coated with cooking spray to spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the graham layer.
Spread the remaining brownie batter on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Dec 11

Cinnamon Blondies

Now that we’re deep into the holiday season, I find myself gravitating toward flavors like gingerbread and cinnamon. So when I found myself craving blondies (’cause, you know, it had been a whole day or so since I’d had one), I decided to put a cinnamon-infused spin on a classic recipe.

These blondies are among the best I’ve ever eaten. You heard me correctly. I just love the simplicity of the cinnamon flavor, and the while chocolate adds a touch of (but not too much) sweetness. And the best part? These blondies are super easy to throw together. You don’t need any fancy tools – just a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spoon, and some willpower, ’cause let me tell you, while these babies are baking, your kitchen will smell fantastic.

Cinnamon Blondies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup cinnamon baking chips (Hershey’s makes these)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg. Stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Stir in cinnamon and white chocolate chips, reserving a small amount of each to sprinkle on top if desired.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the blondies cool in the pan (at least one hour) before slicing and serving.