Cranberry Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Hello everyone! I hope this new year brings you much happiness. I’ve been taking it so easy these days that I almost missed posting a recipe for this month! I made these shortbread cookies for part of my annual holiday cookies and fudge gift boxes last month. But you don’t need a special occasion to make these. Any day is a good day for cookies! This recipe makes 24 cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 sticks butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl (mix together until creamy.)
3. Add flour 1 cup at a time until all of the flour is well incorporated with the butter and sugar.
4. Mix in white chocolate, cranberries and macadamia nuts. The dough will be very thick.
5. Form 1 1/2 inch balls (flatten them if you wish) and place them on cookies sheets. NOTE: These cookies do not expand so you can place them about one inch apart.
6. Bake for 10 minutes (for moist center) or until you see the edges turning brown. Cook 12 minutes if you like a harder shortbread cookie.
7. Let cool on cookie racks and store in air tight containers.

M&M’s Pudding Cookies

Here’s another cookie recipe that I made for my treat boxes to give out this Christmas. Who can resist M&M’s and white chocolate chips? I’m not sure if the pudding mix is for added flavor or to make the cookies soft and chewy. Either way, these cookies are a sweet treat. Next Christmas, be sure to put some out for Santa! You can most certainly switch out the M&M’s candy colors to suit other occasions to enjoy these cookies all year long.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 box (4 ounce size) vanilla pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup green and red M&M’s
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl.
4. Beat in dry pudding mix. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
5. On low speed, gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended.
6.  Stir in chocolate candies and white chips until blended.
7. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto lined cookie sheets.
8. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Italian Christmas Cookies

Every year I give out Christmas cookies and candies to my family and friends. And every year I try swap around the cookies and candies I make. I came across these Italian Christmas cookies. I noticed they traditionally use anise extract, but I’m not an anise (or black licorice taste) fan. So I substituted almond extract. You can choose to use either.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon anise or almond extract

GLAZE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nonpareil sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla and anise flavoring.
5. Slowly mix in the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
6. Refrigerate dough for one hour.
7. When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip the bottom of a small glass into some powdered sugar and press each ball down slightly.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
10. Remove and cool completely.

GLAZE DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift two cups of powdered sugar in a bowl. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
2. Dip top of each cookie in the glaze. Garnish with some nonpareil sprinkles.
3. Allow glaze to dry before freezing.

 

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you need to make a large batch of cookies? Do you like dark, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips? Have I got a recipe for you. Toss those ready made cookie dough tubes. You can make your own triple chocolate chip cookies from scratch.  These cookies will have a crispy bottom and a soft center. Just the right amount of chewy and crispy.

Now you may be looking over the recipe ingredients and are thinking that’s a lot of sugar and butter!  Just remember this recipe will make 5 dozen cookies or more depending on how generous you scoop your dough.  That’s 60+ cookies! Feel free to share with your family, friends, and neighbors. Just don’t forget to save some for yourself!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 sticks of salted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Prepare baking sheets using a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, granulated sugar  and brown sugar. Add vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in flour and baking soda until mixed well. If using an electric mixer, stop at this time.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
5. On your prepared baking sheets, drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls or using a cookie scoop. 
6. Bake 10 minutes or until the cookies are light brown. The centers will be soft. Cool for a minute before transferring cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool. 

Lemon Butter Cookies

Spring is here, but you wouldn’t know it by the dark and gloomy days we’ve been having around here. Cheer up. I have a cookie that will brighten your day. They are flakey on the outside and chewy on the inside. And the tangy lemon flavor combined with the sweet butter cookie is like a bite of sunshine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
•  1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 drops yellow food coloring
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and food coloring.
4. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
6. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
7. Roll dough into 2 inch balls then roll in powdered sugar and place on baking sheets. Let sit for 2 minutes until sugar is absorbed, then reroll in powdered sugar.
8. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until cookies crackle and set but still slightly soft in center, 17-19 minutes.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack  and let cool completely.
10. This recipe yields 24-30 cookies depending on how evenly you roll your cookie dough. One day I am going to invest in a dough scoop so I can have uniform cookies. I  sprinkled a little extra powdered sugar on the cookies when cooled, but that is not necessary.

Olive Oil Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries

I know what you are thinking. “What?! Joann is not fattening us up with butter in her cookies like always?” No worries. I made these more out of curiosity rather than trying to be more health conscious. And actually, these were not bad at all. They turned out sweet, savory and moist all in one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries or raisins)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Meanwhile line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Mix together olive oil, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl until blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cloves and nutmeg.
4. Add flour mixture, rolled oats and dried cranberries to olive oil mixture.
5. Drop in tablespoon balls on prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
7. Let cool at least 3 minutes before transferring to baking rack to completely cool.
8. This recipe yielded 32 cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Lemon Snowball Cookies

These cookies you can make all year round. But come on. They call them snowball cookies. SNOWBALLS! When I think of snowballs, I think winter. And when I think winter, I think the holidays. These are similar to Russian tea cookies without the walnuts or pecans. I just don’t really like nuts in my cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar for coating

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. Beat butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract, kosher salt and lemon zest.
3. Add the flour and mix until dough forms into consistency of small pebbles.
4. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls. Leave 1-2 inches between cookies as the dough does no spread.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies no longer look wet.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before rolling in additional powdered sugar.
7. Roll cookies in powdered sugar added to a bowl or go add powdered sugar to a ziploc bag and shake to cover cookies.

Cookies will store for 3 days in air tight container or freeze up to one month. This recipe yielded 30 cookies.

Holiday Explosion Cookies

Okay, technically these are my Holiday Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies. But they are amped up to be even more festive and more chocolatey. How can you resist three types of chocolate chips, sweet cranberries, holiday M&M’s and holiday sprinkles?! I know I can’t. Make a batch of these for your favorite little elves and don’t forget about Santa.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup red and green holiday M&M’s
• 1/2 cup red and green holiday sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 large baking sheets with non stick baking mats or use parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Using a mixer, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, stirring until just combined.
7. Add the dried cranberries/cherries, the 3 types of chocolate chips, M&M’s and holiday sprinkles to the mixture.
8. Mix manually with a wooden spoon until all are combined.
9. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
10. Bake until light golden brown and just set, 8-10 minutes.
11. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: These cookies can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. This recipe yields about 24 -30 cookies. 

1. 

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I took my mom grocery shopping. On an empty stomach. Bad decision. Whatever delicious smelling concoction they were making in the bakery department left an everlasting craving for something sweet in me all day. Good thing I was shopping with my mom and not alone. My growling stomach would have led me to load up the cart with all sorts of goodies!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking oats)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Prepare your baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
3. Add hot water to cover your 1 cup of raisins to plump them up. Drain any excess water after 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract and stir until fluffy.
5. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. ( About 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time.)
6. Continue stirring until all the flour mixture is incorporated.
7. Next stir in the oatmeal, raisins and chocolate chips.
8. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls onto prepared baking pans.
9. Bake 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to completely cool.
10. This cookie dough made 3 dozen plus cookies for me. You can probably get 4 dozen out of it because you make your cookies uniform.

Easy Cookie Bars

Do you need  a quick dessert or treat you can bake? Do you need something easy to make with the kids? Or perhaps, you just want something sweet to eat?  I wasn’t going to publish this recipe because it’s so simple and there’s probably hundreds of variations of it. But I haven’t made anything new to blog about this week. And I know I always like to find quick, semi-homemade recipes like this. So why not share?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups M&M’s  (I used 1 cup regular plain M&M’s and 1 cup dark chocolate M&M’s)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Line a 9×9 baking pan with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, melted butter and oil. Stir until smooth.
4. Stir in M&M’s and spread batter into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges.
6. Allow to completely cool before cutting into squares.

From five ingredients to tasty cookie bars!