holiday cookies (chocolate chip, cranberry white chip, gingersnaps, and sugar cookies)

this year, along with several batches of fudge and caramel corn (recipe for those here), dinah and i made cookies. lots of cookies! all wonderful and delicious perfect-for-the-holiday cookies. we made chocolate chip, christmas cranberry, gingersnaps, and some really festive sugar cookies.

we had family friends over for a grazing style christmas dinner of tamales and posole yesterday, so instead of making a pie or cake for dessert, like I would for a more formal sit-down meal, i just laid out a platter of christmas cookies. the tray was bare, aside from a few crumbs, by the end of the evening, so they were a hit, i think. everyone loves holiday cookies, right?! 

THE chocolate chip cookies

chocolate chip cookies are probably the most common and well loved cookie there is, especially in my house. they are my husband's absolute favorite. there are a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, and probably most are perfectly fine, but this one, from sally's baking addiction, are, as she says, THE chocolate chip cookie. they are so easy and so, so, so good. rich and sweet. so soft and chewy and perfect. cornstarch is the key ingredient - that's what makes them so soft! i didn't change much to the original recipe. i use light brown sugar instead of dark and i used less salt than what's called for (because i never have unsalted butter on hand) and i shaved one minute off the baking time. 

THE chocolate chip cookies recipe

3/4 c. butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy, then add in the sugars and mix until fluffy and light in color. mix in egg and vanilla. scrape down the sides, mix again. in a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until well combined. add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

cover dough and chill for at least one hour (and up to two days). preheat oven to 350 degrees. remove cookie dough and allow to set out at room temperature for ten minutes. line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. each ball of dough should be about 1.5 tablespoons each. bake for 9-11 minutes or until barely golden brown. allow at least five minutes to cool on the baking sheet. this makes about 24 cookies. 

soft-baked christmas cranberry cookies

these cookies are essentially the same recipe as the chocolate chip cookie recipe i used above, but i use white chocolate chips and dried cranberries instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. i haven't tried this yet, because i never seem to have pistachios on hand, but i think pistachios would have been a perfect addition to these already delicious christmas cookies. not only would they taste amazing together, but with the green nut, the red berry, and white chip together, it would look so festive too. alas, i had no nuts, but they were awesome without them. i had no complaints.

i got this recipe from sally's baking addiction as well. basically, i get all my cookie recipes from her. i hardly changed a thing. i used light brown sugar instead of dark and less salt and one minute less on the baking time. these are thick, fluffy, chunky. again, the cornstarch is the secret ingredient!

soft-baked christmas cranberry cookies recipe

3/4 c. butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. white sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
3/4 c. dried cranberries

in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy, then add in the sugars and mix until fluffy and light in color. mix in egg and vanilla. scrape down the sides, mix again. in a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until well combined. add white chocolate chips and dried cranberries and mix until evenly distributed.

cover dough and chill for at least one hour (and up to two days). preheat oven to 350 degrees. remove cookie dough and allow to set out at room temperature for ten minutes. line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. each ball of dough should be about 1.5 tablespoons each. bake for 9-11 minutes or until barely golden brown. allow at least five minutes to cool on the baking sheet. this makes about 24 cookies.

soft gingersnaps

i found this recipe from sunset magazine a few years ago and have been making them every christmas ever since. they are THE best gingersnap cookie i have ever had. they are, in dinah's words, "really, really, really spicy, and super, super, super good!" and she's right! i increased the spices by about a 1/4 teaspoon each from the original recipe, because i like things a little spicier than most recipes call for and the crystalized ginger in the cookies makes them spicier than the average gingersnap. also, they are soft-baked, so they are chewy and moist, which i prefer to crunchy or hard cookies. every bite is packed with robust ginger flavor. and they're even pretty! really, they are probably my favorite holiday cookie.

soft gingersnaps recipe

1/2 c. chopped crystallized ginger
about 3/4 c. white sugar, divided
6 TBS butter, at room temperature
1/4 c. molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg 

in a food processor, whirl chopped crystalized ginger and 1/3 cup of sugar until ginger is finely ground. remove from container. back in the food processor, whirl butter and 1/3 cup of sugar until fluffy. add ginger mixture, molasses, and egg to sugar and butter and whirl to mix. in a mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until combined. then add the butter mixture and mix until well combined.

cover dough and chill until firm, about one hour. preheat oven to 350 degrees. shape dough into 1-inch balls and coat tops with the remaining sugar. place balls two to three inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. bake until slightly darker brown, about ten minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through cooking. i let mine cool about five minutes on the baking sheet. 

christmas sugar cookies

this is the absolute best sugar cookie recipe i've ever found. the almond and vanilla extract create a wonderfully light and delicate flavor. they are also soft as opposed to hard and crispy like a lot of sugar cookies I've tried. they maintain their shape and they don't crumble easily, which is a good thing when baking and decorating cookies with an almost four year old. also, the icing has the same delightful vanilla/almond flavor. i used this recipe from sally's baking addiction, and didn't change a thing, except i didn't use salt and added a little bit of almond extract to the icing.

before adding the flour, the dough is so light and fluffy

dinah's sweet little helping hands

ready for the oven!

dinah and i had so much fun decorating together. she really has a knack for cookie decorating; decorating anything, really. my girl has a lot of flare when it comes to decorating. she seems to know just what sprinkles to use and how much will work for each cookie. she's also very understanding and respectful of my anal-retentive tendencies and that i need an orderly work station or i may go nuts. :) i really look forward to the next holiday we can decorate cookies together again. 

oh, and just a note, this recipe requires a little forethought, so be sure you give yourself enough time to make these cookies. the cookie dough needs to chill for at least an hour, the baked cookies need to cool for at least an hour before icing them, and the icing needs at least 24 hours to set.

the decorating committee

charlie even got in on the action. he's the official taste-tester, i guess.

finished product. dinah and i were so proud of our cookies this year!

christmas sugar cookies recipe

cookies:

3/4 c. butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. white sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

icing:

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 tsp light corn syrup

2 TBS warm tap water 

in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and then add sugar and beat until light and fluffy - about three minutes. scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. add the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and beat until well combined - about two minutes. 

whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. add half the mixture into the wet ingredients. beat until well combined and add the remaining half. if the dough seems too soft, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until it reaches the right consistency for rolling.

divide the dough into two equal parts. roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick. stack the pieces in between paper and chill for at least one hour. 

once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. remove one dough piece from the refrigerator and using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place them on the baking sheet. re-roll the remaining dough until all is used. repeat for the second piece of dough. 

bake for 9-11 minutes or until very lightly colored on top and around edges. rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking time. allow to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before icing. about an hour.

for the icing, whisk sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, corn syrup, and water in a mixing bowl. it should be thick. try drizzling a little of the icing with the whisk. the ribbon of icing should hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. this will keep in the fridge for up to two days, if you're not using it right away. decorate cookies and allow 24 hours for icing to harden. 

yule stump cake

yule stump cake

i really want nothing more on my birthday than cake. ...and snow, but it never seems to snow on my birthday here in albuquerque. so, although i can never count on snow, i can always count on cake.

most years, i put a lot of thought and planning into trying new and different kinds of cakes and frostings. for me, part of the fun is trying new recipes. i've made many birthday cakes for myself over the years: a pear spice cake with brown sugar buttercream frosting, a buttermilk cranberry cake with vanilla buttercream, and a vegan coconut layer cake with coconut cream frosting last year when i was taking a break from dairy, for my poor newborn nursling's tummy troubles.

this year though, it marks the end of birthday cake experimenting and the beginning of a very sweeeet (and chocolatey) december tradition. for years i've been wanting to try baking a classic rolled yule log cake (a bûche de noël) and i may still do it at some point this month, but i got an excellent idea from the hither and thither blog to make a yule stump cake instead. i used the amazing sour cream chocolate cake recipe i always use, from smitten kitchen, and used the chocolate sour cream frosting suggested by ashley in her blog entry. this cake looks impressive, but it was surprisingly simple to do.

the experience and this cake were amazing. it is such a fun cake to make. and so yummy. i could eat it everyday, seriously. it's so good. so rich and sweet and chocolatey. it just sort of melts in your mouth. and it's messy, so clearly, the kids are drawn to it as well. ha ha! i let charlie have two tiny bites of mine, and dinah had one small slice on my birthday, and i hid the rest. sorry kids; too much chocolate for you! dinah had plenty of chocolate when she licked the mixing whisk.

whipped pudding filling

first, when making this cake, i can't state firmly enough: greasing and dusting the cake pans with flour (or cocoa powder in this case) is a must or they will get stuck in the pans and come crumbling out instead. And freezing the individual cake layers before icing it, is an absolute must. if you don't, you will be sorry. you'll be left with a huge crummy mess and will never successfully frost it. it is such a moist and delicate chocolate cake. i bake it the day before and freeze it overnight, and then frost it a few hours before it's to be eaten so that it has time to thaw out before cutting into it.

next, for the filling between layers, instead of using the same sour cream frosting as i used to ice it, which is amazing and so, so rich and sweet, i went with a lightly sweetened and very creamy whipped chocolate pudding filling between each cake layer. between the rich chocolate cake and the rich chocolate icing, having a rich chocolate filling would have been just too much.

so, once the three cake layers are stacked and iced, then comes the exciting part - decorating! you can decorate this yule stump cake with a whole array of different things; edible or not. it was fun and easier to decorate than you might think. dinah and i had so much fun, we will absolutely be doing this again next year.

for our decorations, dinah and i used sprigs of rosemary for greenery, cranberries and chocolate covered cherries for red berries, crushed pistachios for moss, and a dusting of powdered sugar for snow. and for the mushrooms - the decoration that really made the cake - we used pepperidge farm's rolled wafer cookies for the stems and for the mushroom heads, we cut a marshmallow diagonally, dusted it with powdered sugar, and stuck it to the end of the rolled cookie, then lightly dusted it with cocoa powder. then, dinah's favorite part, she placed a beloved christmas ornament, our red cardinal, atop the cake, and we were done!

  

sour cream chocolate cake

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. neutral vegetable oil

1 c. sour cream

1.5 c. water

2 TBS. distilled white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. grease bottoms and side of three 8-inch round cake pans. line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and dust with flour or cocoa powder.

sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. whisk to combine. in a mixing bowl, blend oil and sour cream. gradually beat in water, then blend in vinegar and vanilla. whisk in eggs and beat until well combined. gently mis the dry ingredients into the wet. scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure the batter is mixed well. 

divide batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 20 minutes and gently invert onto wire racks. once completely cooled, wrap in plastic and freeze for at least 30 minutes (i left it over night) and ice while cakes are still frozen. 

whipped pudding filling

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 3.9 oz. box instant chocolate pudding powder

beat with a mixer on high speed until smooth and creamy. divide evenly between cake layers.

chocolate sour cream frosting

1/2 c. butter softened

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. sour cream

in a mixing bowl, beat butter at a high speed until it's creamy. add cocoa powder and vanilla. continue beating until creamy. add milk and sour cream and then powdered sugar, one cup at a time. continue beating until creamy. refrigerate leftovers.

 

pumpkin streusel coffeecake

pumpkin streusel coffeecake

we woke up to a cloudy and chilly late fall day. i turned up the thermostat, but it was still pretty shivery in the house. dinah and i pulled on warm socks and wrapped ourselves in a blanket as we rubbed our eyes and began waking up. charlie, however, seemed totally unfazed by the chill and kept ripping off his socks and padding around on the cold wood floors barefoot while dinah and i cuddled in her bed reading about all the children killed in the "amphigorey" abc book (dinah's choice...her granny tonda would be so proud). 

anyway, i love cold weather, so does dinah. this is just how the last few weeks of fall should feel. we even had a few snow flurries this morning. the chill in the air makes me feel nostalgic for my youth growing up in western montana. such a comfy cozy feeling. the cold weather also gives me a good excuse to stay home and do nothing but cuddle my babies and really savor this special time in my life when i get to be at home with my two little ones. and, of course, it also puts me in the mood for baking! 

dinah and i decided to make a cake, but it was still very early in the morning, so we needed to make something appropriate for breakfast. so, we decided on a coffeecake. and since it's still fall, we made a pumpkin coffeecake. because duh, we are, in dinah's words: "super-duper crazy for pumpkin" this time of year. 

dinah adding in the pumpkin

charlie has figured out this is the best part of baking

i tried a recipe from king arthur flour and it turned out perfect. fluffy and delicious, but not too sweet, probably because i changed a few things. i'm sure it's fine with all the sugar called for, but i don't really like super sweet coffeecakes, so i used way less sugar than the recipe calls for, i used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and halfed the streusel topping ingredients. also, i should add, the quality of butter makes a big difference in a good streusel topping. we use kerrygold. yummm.

buttery streusel topping

after i took the coffeecake out of the oven, we decided to have an impromptu tea party, with fancy hats. dinah even invited mr. bear.

tea party

now, as I write this entry, both dinah and charlie are squealing and laughing and dancing like crazy to really loud christmas music in the living room. sometimes, those two make me so happy. so full and complete. mornings like this reaffirm just how much i love being the mama to these two wonderful little humans.

pumpkin streusel coffeecake

topping:

1/3 c white sugar

6 TBS all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 TBS melted butter

filling:

3 TBS brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cocoa powder

cake:

1/3 c melted coconut oil

2 large eggs

1/4 c sugar

1 c pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch round pan (i used coconut oil cooking spray). 

topping:

whisk together sugar, flour, spice, and nuts if you're using them. add melted butter, stirring just until well combined. set aside.

filling:

in a small bowl, whisk together sugar, spice, and cocoa powder. set aside.

cake:

in a mixing bowl, beat together oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth. add flour and mix until smooth. pour half the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges. sprinkle the filling evenly on top of the first layer of batter. spread the remaining batter on top of the filling (carefully, it's very sticky). use a butter knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, just like you would for a marble cake. then sprinkle the topping over the swirled batter. bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

cake layers

buttermilk roasted chicken

roasted buttermilk chicken

there are a few dinners that are always popping up on my monthly menu, like buddha bowls, potato soup, black bean chili, chicken tacos, and meatloaf, among other favorites. this recipe is so ridiculously easy, quick, inexpensive, and so freaking good, I won't be surprised if it makes an appearance weekly for the rest of the winter. we all love it, and even my picky dinah-girl asked for seconds. 

it's inexpensive. i bought three pounds of organic chicken legs at trader joe's for less than eight bucks, i tend to always have buttermilk in the fridge (doesn't everyone have buttermilk on hand? oh no, just me? ha ha). and who doesn't already have paprika, salt, sugar, and garlic on hand? and it feeds my family of four for at least two days, so it makes for a very affordable dinner option.

it's quick and easy. this is perfect for a no-fuss midweek meal or if you're having friends over for dinner. it just takes a teeny bit of forethought, because you need to let the chicken legs soak in the buttermilk brine for at least 24 hours. but other than that, it's so quick and roasts in only 30 minutes.

it's delicious. it's flavorful and tender and juicy. both my 13 month old and almost four year old asked for more, which is a very rare occurrence around here.

charlie loved it

we made this last week while my little brother was visiting. the day before he arrived, dinah helped me mix up the brine and toss the legs in a ziplock bag before we let it sit in the fridge for 24+ hours.

dinah mixing the brine

swishing the chicken legs

my brother and i took a long hike the day i made it, so by the time i made it home to cook supper, i was pretty tired and was thankful i didn't have a big meal ahead of me. i chose two easy sides (rice and green beans) to serve with it, so that i could spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.

view of our hike in the sandia mountains

i pulled the legs from the buttermilk brine, arranged them in a baking dish, sprinkled paprika and salt over them, and drizzled with olive oil. as the rice and green beans cooked, the chicken roasted quietly in the oven and i was able to barely pay attention to supper and instead enjoy a glass of wine and conversation while everything cooked. 

raw chicken, sprinkled in paprika and drizzled in olive oil

i served it with green beans and wild rice this time, but have served it with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts or just a salad and bread too. this chicken would taste great with literally any side. or no sides. and it makes great leftovers. i got the recipe is from smitten kitchen, and i don't think i changed much on this one. 

buttermilk roasted chicken

2 cups buttermilk 

5 cloves garlic, mashed and diced

1 TBS kosher table salt

1 TBS sugar

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

ground pepper 

3 pounds of chicken parts (i used legs)

Drizzle of olive oil 

whisk buttermilk with garlic, salt, sugar, paprika, and ground black pepper in a bowl. place the chicken legs in a gallon size freezer bag and pour buttermilk brine over them. swish it around all the parts and seal. refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

when ready to roast, preheat oven to 425 degrees. line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper (optional, but makes for easy clean-up). remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in your dish. drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle paprika and sea salt to taste. roast 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is browned and lightly scorched in some spots. serve immediately.

autumn spice banana bread

autumn spice banana bread with cinnamon crumble

i realized that i'm becoming somewhat of an old brown frozen banana hoarder the other day when i opened my freezer and three came tumbling out. (does anybody else do this? freeze old bananas instead of toss them in the trash?) 

old bananas taking up space in my freezer

i had two other bananas going squishy and brown in the fruit bowl, so dinah and i decided to whip up a quick loaf of banana bread. I'm so glad we did!

to be honest, bananas just aren't my favorite. banana flavored desserts, sweets, and baked goods are never my first choice. i throw half of one in my kale and blueberry smoothie and the kids make a sticky mess with the rest, but other than that and sometimes thrown in my purse as an easy kid snack on the go, bananas really aren't popular around here. so, we rarely make banana bread and i definitely didn't have a recipe on hand that i loved.

yesterday when we made this, we woke up too early and it was so chilly in the house! frost on the ground, steamed up windows, and icy cold wood floors. it felt just like an early morning in late november should feel. and i was so happy. we threw on some wool socks and cozy sweaters, turned the oven up to 375, and did a quick internet search for a recipe. we happened to stumble on a keeper. i made minor adjustments, but essentially used the one found here. sweet, but not too sweet, moist, and full of robust fall spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. honestly, it was so good, it may compete with my beloved chocolate chip pumpkin bread as the favorite fall loaf of yum. and I have to admit, the house smelled like heaven all day. a perfect warm autumn treat. dinah seemed to agree.

autumn spice banana bread

for the bread:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

dash of cloves

3 ripe mashed bananas

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (i didn't do this, but wish i had!)

for the crumb topping:

2 TBS flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

dash of nutmeg

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 TBS cold butter

preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray one loaf pan with coconut oil cooking spray. in a small bowl, combine crumb topping ingredients. cut in cold butter and set aside. in a mixer, combine bananas, eggs, melted butter, and sugar. in a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. once mixed slowly add to wet ingredients. stir in chopped optional walnuts. sprinkle crumb topping on top of loaf. bake for 45-50 minutes.

pumpkin bread, pumpkin latte

it's pumpkin season

it's autumn, finally! it's october, thank goodness! it's my favorite time of year - the season of pumpkin everything! i forced myself to wait for october, but this weekend, after a visit to the mountains and the botanical gardens to take in some of the already turning leaves, dinah and i made pumpkin bread.

we've been waiting all year for this. it was even a healthy pumpkin bread! it was so moist and delicious and very sweet, even without white sugar.

honey maple pumpkin bread

3.5 c whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp salt

2 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz can organic pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c melted coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c raw organic honey

1/2 c real maple syrup

2/3 c unsweetened applesauce

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees. prepare two loaf pans. mix dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. combine eggs, pumpkin puree, butter, oil, vanilla, honey, maple syrup, and applesauce. once combined add in dry ingredients. mix until combined, then add chocolate chips and gently stir in with a spoon. pour batter evenly into both loaf pans. bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool before serving.

~~~

as the aroma of baking pumpkin goodness wafted through my home, i wanted nothing more than a starbucks pumpkin latte to sip on as we waited. i know, i know, i guess i'm one of those typical white girls who loves fall. i wear yoga pants, take photos of my feet standing on leaves, and i really love pumpkin spice lattes, but i don't love all the icky stuff that goes into your typical fall latte. so, i made my own!

pumpkin spice latte

2 cups steamed milk

2 TBS organic pumpkin puree

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 cup hot strong coffee

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

combine milk, puree, and sugar. heat until very warm, but not boiling. remove from heat add hot coffee, vanilla, and spice. makes three cups. yummm!

see? a photo of my feet...on leaves. happy fall!