Holiday Treats: Chocolate Drop Cookies

Try these simply delicious and fun treats for the whole family.

Living far away from my family, I cling to the happy memories of my childhood. Growing up in an Italian household, many meaningful moments were surrounded around food. More than the holiday meals, with which we call gathered in the dining room eating on the fancy dishes, the simple times spent in the kitchen meant the most.  With all the food that passed through our kitchen, desserts were a rarity. Luckily, every once in a while, I accompanied my mom to the local bakery where  I would eagerly peer into the display case, trying not to press my nose so hard as to leave an imprint. Bypassing the cakes, my eyes immediately went to the Cherry Marzipan Cookies, Molasses Crisps, Butter Almond Cookies, Amaretti Pinenut Cookies, and Sfogliatelle, a…

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Holiday Treats: Chewy Brownie Cookies

Give yourself a treat this holiday season with these chewy brownie cookies.

CHEWY BROWNIE COOKIES (taken from Santa’s Favorite Cookies) 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 2/3 Crisco stick or 2/3 cup Crisco all vegetable shortening 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips(12oz package) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place sheets of foil on counter for cooling cookies. Combine brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixure. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded measuring …

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Holiday Treats: Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

Here's a cookie recipe for all those who just can't live without chocolate.

As one wise man once said, anything worth doing is worth overdoing. This recipe proved to be very chocolaty. Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 36 cookies Ingredients: Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Recipe by MaMa's …

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Holiday Treats: M&M's, Nutella

An easy recipe that's sure to be a hit with kids and kids at heart.

If you are on a diet, or a health food junkie, stop reading now. I warn you, the recipe I'm about to share isn't healthy. In fact, it includes ingredients like butter, M&M candies and Nutella hazelnut spread. However, if you want a cookie recipe that's unique and sure to be a crowd pleaser, you must try this. This is another one of those recipes I found on Pinterest (yes, I have an addiction) and, like I said, it isn't healthy but boy, it sure tastes good. I'm a believer in moderation, meaning anything is good for you, as long as it's in moderation. I like to apply this philosophy to food especially. As someone who enjoys eating good food, I think it's important to not starve yourself for the "perfect" body. As long as you exercise at …

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Holiday Treats: Chewy Sugar Cookies

If you love to bake, you've probably got your baking pans and mixing bowl working overtime. Here are a few of my favorite cookie recipes from some of my favorite cooks and chefs.

Total Time: 30 min Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 10 min Yield: 4 dozen cookies Ingredients Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet. Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes…

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Holiday Treats: Thumbprint Cookies

These kid-friendly cookies are basically thumbprint cookies with a twist. They are easy to make and delightful to eat.

Whisk together flour and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, then beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll 3 separate level teaspoons of dough each into a ball, then flatten each ball slightly (to 1 inch wide and less than 1/2 inch thick). Arrange them in a triangle on baking sheet with edges touching in center, then make a deep indentation in center of each round with wooden spoon handle. Make more cookies…

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Holiday Treats: Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

If you're in the mood to try making a different kind of cookie, here's one that might pique your interest.

Here’s an interesting recipe for a cookie. Bakers who tried this recipe warn it can involve a bit of work. Different people have gotten different results. Sugar cookies can be sort of mild on flavor so peppermint extract included in the recipe is helpful. If you think you’re ready for it, here is Food Network Alton Brown’s Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies. A recipe on how to make sugar cookies is below. Total Time: 2 hour, 58 minutes Prep: 45 minutes Inactive: 2 hours Cook: 13 minutes Yield: 3 dozen cookies Ingredients Directions Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to 1 half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract, and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. Cover both …

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Holiday Treats: Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

A cookie that tastes just like a candy cane hot chocolate.

I love candy cane hot chocolates. And Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses are delicious, and only available this time of year. So, what perfect way to honor the delicious holiday treat than with their very own cookie? Be sure to refrigerate the dough so you can work with it. I found it easiest to make the cookies even by using a cookie scoop and then rolling the dough with my hands. Enjoy these warm as you pull them out of the oven (the Kisses will be melty from the warm cookie) or with milk as a special treat. These are perfect cookies for holiday guests or for a cookie exchange. Ingredients Directions

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No Bake Cookies

These cookies are the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Best of all? No need to turn the oven on when it's warm outside.

No bake recipes are perfect for warm days. Not only are these recipes delicious and easy to make, but you can avoid adding extra heat to your home by not having to use the oven. Growing up, these chocolate no bake cookies were a staple in the house. It's likely you even have the ingredients in your pantry already. To make this recipe you'll need: To start, add the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa together in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for one minute. Turn off heat and stir in the peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Using an ice cream scoop, drop the mixture onto wax or foil paper. Let cool until they set. Enjoy!

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How to Make Candy Cane Reindeer

Take a look at today's Holiday craft and share your crafts and decorating tips with us!