The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Soft Gingersnaps

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Admit it.  You're one of those people that bites the heads off of those innocent gingerbread men, aren't you?  It's okay, we won't tell.  Or perhaps you enjoy indulging your inner architect by spending an afternoon building the world's most elaborate gingerbread house?

Whatever your gingerbread preference, today's recipe is guaranteed to be a hit.  Gingersnap cookies tend to be crispy and a little dry, but this version is soft, moist, and chewy - perfect with a glass of milk!

Soft Gingersnaps
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Additional sugar for coating dough

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg and continue beating until well mixed, then beat in molasses.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Add a small amount at a time to the butter mixture and continue beating until a soft dough forms.

 

3. Cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 1 hour in order to make the dough easier to handle.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll cookie dough between hands into walnut-sized balls.

5. Roll each dough ball in a bowl filled with additional sugar to coat.

6. Place dough balls on ungreased baking sheet (use parchment paper for easy cleanup).

7. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.  Cool for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next tasty recipe:  Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies!


Did you miss one of our previous cookie recipes? Find them here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons
Day 2 - Almond Kisses
Day 3 - Banana Bread Cookies
Day 4 - Melomakarona
Day 5 - The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie
Day 6 - Chocolate Chip Bites with Salted Caramel Glaze
Day 7 - Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

photo credits: Amy Johnson

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Many holiday cookie recipes tend to come from relatives, passed down generation after generation like a family heirloom. They're familiar, comforting, and something to look forward to every year.

But sometimes a new twist to a traditional cookie can be just the thing to spice up your dessert table. Today's recipe takes a classic favorite, the snickerdoodle, and turns it into something a little extra special. And instead of apple chips, this recipe could be modified with your own creative add-in!

Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps. finely chopped red and green crispy apple chips, plus whole chips for garnish
2 tsps. apple pie spice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat the cider in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

4. Beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the light brown sugar in a separate bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Beat in the reduced cider and the egg (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the chopped apple chips until combined.

6. Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple chips and the apple pie spice in a small bowl.

7. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll in the spiced sugar mixture.

8. Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and top with a few pieces of whole apple chips.

9. Bake until the edges are just set but centers are still soft, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next recipe: Soft Gingersnaps!

Did you miss one of our previous cookie recipes? Find them here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons
Day 2 - Almond Kisses
Day 3 - Banana Bread Cookies
Day 4 - Melomakarona
Day 5 - The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie
Day 6 - Chocolate Chip Bites with Salted Caramel Glaze

photo credits: Amy Johnson, FoodNetwork.com, Squidoo.com, SouthernPlate.com

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Chip Bites with Salted Caramel Glaze

Today's recipe comes courtesy of All Habs team member, Dayes (@cokeaddict)!

by Dayes, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

TORONTO, ON -- What is Christmas without cookies? Nothing. Without cookies, there *is* no holiday! Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating just a smidge, but cookies are a must-have in my holiday book, so here is a popular favourite that I bake for my friends and family.

Chocolate Chip Bites – with salted caramel glaze

The recipe for the glaze makes more than you will need for the cookies. It’s something that I learned to make when I was going to school in Nice and eating it always makes me happy. The recipe for the glaze makes about 1½ cups of salted caramel sauce which you can put on ice cream or cake (or anything, really). Also, the glaze is optional. It just makes the chocolate chip cookies a bit fancy – a nice touch for the holidays. But the cookies are just as good without it.

Cookie:

2¼ cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup white granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar (you can use any kind, but I like the darker stuff)
½ lb butter, softened (I leave it out on the kitchen counter over night – that’s usually soft enough)
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 package of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (you can use the Christmas colour coated ones if you want)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer, beat the two sugars together. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue beating until mixture looks light and creamy – not curdled.

Add flour mixture ½ cup at a time – and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips.

Pour dough onto plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm – but not frozen solid. (If you’re tight on time, you can skip this step. It just makes the dough a little easier to handle.) Cut the dough into ½-inch cubes and drop into a mini-cupcake pan.

Bake for 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

When completely cooled, brush the salted caramel glaze over the bottom of each cookie and let dry. Package or serve when the glaze has set.

Using the mini-cupcake pan, this yields ~13 dozen cookies.

If you’re making regular-sized cookies, use a teaspoon to drop the dough onto a cookie sheet and leave a fair amount of space between them as they will spread. Bake them for 9-10 minutes. This will yield ~40 cookies.

Glaze (Makes about 1½ cups):
1 cup white granulated sugar
3 ounces (6 tbsp) salted butter (don’t cheap out – crappy butter makes crappy caramel)
½ cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream, at room temperature

Melt the sugar over medium to moderately high heat in 2- or 3-quart pot. Whisk or stir the sugar as it melts and cook it until it is a nice, dark copper color.

Add butter all at once and stir it in. Pour in the heavy cream then remove from heat. The sauce will foam up quite a bit, so be careful. Whisk it until smooth.

This can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next recipe: Apple Cider Snickerdoodles!

Did you miss one of our previous cookie recipes? Find them here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons
Day 2 - Almond Kisses
Day 3 - Banana Bread Cookies
Day 4 - Melomakarona
Day 5 - The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie

photo credits: Dayes

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- If for some reason there was a worldwide cookie shortage and I could only ever have one type of cookie for the rest of my life, today's recipe would be it.  I'm a purist when it comes to baked goods - simple, time-tested treats with lots of flavor are my favorites.

I equate the holidays with these cookies - they're the original Nestle Toll House cookies and are good enough to make all year round.  So pour a tall glass of milk and have a few!

The Original NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookie
Recipe courtesy of VeryBestBaking.com

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 12-oz. pkg. NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

 

4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets (use parchment paper for easy cleanup).

6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy! Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next recipe: Chocolate Chip Bites with Salted Caramel Glaze!

Did you miss one of our previous cookie recipes? Find them here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons
Day 2 - Almond Kisses
Day 3 - Banana Bread Cookies
Day 4 - Melomakarona

photo credits: Amy Johnson

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Melomakarona

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- It's Friday, so celebrate! If your weekend is filled with holidays parties to host or attend, we've got a delicious dessert for you offer guests. Our fourth installment of The Twelve Cookies of Christmas are delightfully sweet little golden pieces of dough called Melomakarona!

Also considered "honey macaroons", melomakarona is a traditional Greek Christmas cookie soaked in honey syrup and sprinkled with walnuts. Today's unique recipe comes to us courtesy of All Habs team member Effie (@MistressFE0503) and they sounded so good, I couldn't wait to try these cookies!

Melomakarona (Honey & Spice Cookies)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

COOKIES:

1 1/2 cups sunflower oil

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup brandy

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup fine-ground semolina

1 tsp. baking soda

grated peel of 1 orange

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

SYRUP:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 cups honey

3-4 whole cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). If using a convection oven, preheat to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C).

2. Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice.

3. Add the flour, semolina, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves to a large bowl and whisk until blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

4. Pour the sunflower oil, orange juice, and brandy into the well. Incorporate the liquid into the flour with your hands, kneading the dough until it becomes sticky.

5. Take a chestnut-sized piece of dough and roll it in your hands to create a log. Press the dough gently with your fingers on one side to flatten slightly. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet (use parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup).

6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before moving on to step #7.

7. Once the cookies are cool, start preparing the syrup by adding the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, and cloves to a wide pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, skimming and discarding the foam that develops on top.

 

8. Reduce heat to low and remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Add enough cookies to cover the bottom of the pan and gently press down on them with a spatula to keep them submerged for about a minute to soak up the syrup.

9. Remove the cookies using a slotted spoon to allow the excess syrup to drain off. Place on a large serving dish and sprinkle each layer of cookies with chopped walnuts.

Effie says these cookies should not be refrigerated and to cover them well with plastic wrap or store them in tins so that they don't dry out. "They'll last for several days - if they aren't eaten by then. At my mom's they don't last!"

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next great recipe: The Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Did you miss one of our cookie recipes? You can find them all here:

Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons

Day 2 - Almond Kisses

Day 3 - Banana Bread Cookies

photo credits: Amy Johnson

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Banana Bread Cookies

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Sometimes the best Christmas cookies don't have to be overly fancy or complex - they just need to invoke feelings of comfort and familiarity.  Our third recipe in The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies combines two of my favorite sweet treats: banana bread and chocolate chip cookies.

These soft, chewy delights are best right out of the oven with a tall glass of milk but since banana bread is technically a popular breakfast item, I say enjoy them any time of day!

Banana Bread Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Woman's Day

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat butter, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs, banana, and vanilla until well blended and banana is completely mashed.

4. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour to banana mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips (and macadamia nuts, if using).

5. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  (Now would be the perfect time to sneak a few while they're warm!)

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our fourth recipe in The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Melomakarona (Honey & Spice Cookies)!

Did you miss a day of cookie recipes?  Find them all here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons
Day 2 - Almond Kisses


photo credits: Amy Johnson, Rose's Recipes, Baking Bites, and The Tasty Gardener

Read more...

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Almond Kisses

photo credit: Amy Johnson

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Ready to restock your cookie tray? It's time for the second round of our Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! Today's Almond Kisses recipe comes to us courtesy of another one of our All Habs team members: Chantal (aka @habsgirl4life).

Chantal describes these treats as a "delicious almond cookie baked with a Hershey's kiss in the middle". She also notes that this recipe makes a LOT of cookies, so she usually cuts the recipe measurements in half. (Unless you're having a party or attending a cookie exchange where you'll need 10 to 12 dozen cookies!)

I made fairly big cookies, but it's possible to get more out of the dough by making the cookies bite-sized. The chocolate lover in your house will certainly love these! Happy baking!

Almond Kisses

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/8 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt (if using salted almonds, cut salt to 1/2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
26 oz. Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with oven rack in center position.

2. Place butter in microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave until just melted.

3. Add sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and molasses. Stir until well blended, then add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

4. Grind the almonds in a food processor. (I used unsalted slivered almonds.)

5. Add them to the bowl and mix throughout the batter.

6. Stir in the beaten eggs. Gradually add the flour to the batter and continue to mix until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

7. Allow the dough to rest and firm up for a few minutes. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands and place on a greased cookie sheet. (You could also use parchment paper, as shown below.)

8. Unwrap the Hershey's Kisses and press the base of one piece of candy into the top of each cookie ball.

9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. The chocolate will soften but will not melt and lose their shape.) Cool cookies for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool. Enjoy!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next recipe: Banana Bread Cookies!

Did you miss a day of cookies? You can find them here:
Day 1 - Raspberry Ribbons


photo credits: Amy Johnson

Read more...