We held our annual baking slumber party with my mom and sisters last week, so I thought it would be fun to share our favorite recipes with all of you as this week's Friday Favorites! There's nothing like a day of jammies, Christmas music, girl talk, and the smell of warm cookies in the oven. :) We always have a great time every year.
This year, Baylee wasn't feeling to well in the afternoon, but she was happy long enough in the morning to help out a bit in her cute little apron. Love my tiny baker!
First batch was our peanut butter blossoms:
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
Hershey kisses and hugs
sugar sprinkles
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. Using a stand mixer, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter. Beat until fluffy scraping down sides.
4. Add egg and vanilla and continue beating until combined.
5. Add flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time and continue to beat until combined.
6. Scoop a full tablespoon of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Then roll in sugar sprinkles and place on baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 mins.
8. Remove cookies and immediately press Hershey kisses and hugs into centers.
9. Let cool on a cooling rack.
Next, came my fav, white chocolate chip cranberry! Yum! We also added macadamia nuts to one of the batches that we made and they were incredible!
White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts (optional)
Instructions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy.
2.Beat in the vanilla and egg until combined.
3. Combine flour, corstarch, baking soda, and pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture until a soft dough has formed.
5. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
6. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (We chill all our doughs overnight to be safe!)
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
8. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on sheet about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes
10. Cool cookies on a rack.
Last but not least, our family tradition since I can remember, stained glass sugar cookies.
Stained Glass Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
sprinkles of any kind
Instructions:
1. With a stand mixer, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, egg, vanilla, and almond extract until well combined.
2. Add in baking soda, and cream of tartar.
3. Start adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until ball of dough forms. The dough should be moist and not flaky.
4. Chill dough for at least 3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
6. Roll a ball of dough to about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured board. (We use a silicone baking pad, but you can tape wax paper or parchment to a table and get the same effect.)
7. Use cookie cutters to cute out any shapes you want, and transfer to baking sheet.
8. Cookies will spread, so place about an inch apart at least.
9. Shake sprinkles on top of cookie shapes.
10. Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. (Baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter, just watch closely.)
11. Cool cookies on a cooling rack.
Also, if you want to make a quick, easy treat with no baking involved, these white chocolate covered pretzel candy bars turned out amazing!
White Chocolate Covered Pretzel Candy Bars
Ingredients:
Square pretzels
Mini candy bars (any flavor...we used snickers!)
White chocolate chips
Sprinkles
Instructions:
1. Melt chocolate chips in either a small crock pot, microwave, or double boiler.
2. Unwrap all candy bars ahead of time.
3. Once chocolate is melted, put a dab on two pretzels and place candy bar in the middle like a sandwich.
4. Dip 1/2 of the "sandwich" into melted chocolate.
5. Place on wax paper to cool.
6. Sprinkle with any kind of sprinkles while still melty.
So easy, and they look great with a platter of cookies as a gift for the neighbors! :)
I hope these recipes give you some ideas for your holiday baking! I promise, each one of them will give you this face when you try them...
;)
Until next time! XoXoXo
No Comments Yet, Leave Yours!