Cookies
Christmas holiday time means eating a lot of sweets and chocolate, and also is meant to bake some cookies. These are some of the ones i decided to make this year.
The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from https://tasty.co/recipe/the-best-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
Yields: 12 cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (155g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 oz (110g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks
4 oz (110g) dark chocolate chunk, or your preference
Preparation:
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste forms with no lumps.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk and remain for a short while before falling back into the mixture.
Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula (Be careful not to overmix, which would cause the gluten in the flour to toughen resulting in cakier cookies).
Fold in the chocolate chunks, then chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. For a more intense toffee-like flavor and deeper color, chill the dough overnight. The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor will be.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (10 cm) of space between cookies and 2 inches (5 cm) of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown.
Cool completely before serving.
Enjoy!
Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
Recipe from https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/double-chocolate-peppermint-crunch-cookies-362593
ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 50 minutes
YIELD: 25 cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (do not exceed 61% cacao; 15 to 16 ounces), divided
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large eggs
4 candy canes or 16 red-and-white- striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Measure 2/3 cup melted chocolate; transfer to small metal bowl and reserve for drizzling.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Add sugar and both extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat in melted chocolate from medium bowl. Add dry ingredients; beat just to blend. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Measure 1 level tablespoonful dough; roll dough between palms to form ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until cracked all over and tester inserted into center comes out with large moist crumbs attached, 8 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely.
Rewarm reserved 2/3 cup chocolate over small saucepan of simmering water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over, arranging some pieces with red parts showing. Chill just until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Store airtight in freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Chai Tree and Snowflake Cookies
Recipe from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/dessert/a25335130/chai-tree-and-snowflake-cookies-recipe/
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yields: 2 to 4 dozen
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Royal icing
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
In another large bowl, using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks and roll each between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 1/8 inches thick. Chill until firm, 30 minutes in refrigerator or 15 minutes in freezer.
Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using floured cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Place on prepared sheets. Reroll, chill and cut scraps.
Bake, rotating positions of baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are light golden brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 min. before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Decorate with royal icing and sprinkle with sugar mixed with ground cinnamon.
Royal Icing
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 2 cups
Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 lb confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sugar, beating until just incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until medium-stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes.