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30+ Gingerbread Recipes

Can you believe Christmas is only 3 days away? I feel like this year it has come faster then ever before. I don't know if it's because Thanksgiving was late this year or because I did a crazy amount of baking in December. How much baking? Well I ended up taking 24 holiday orders which totaled 41 dozen decorated sugar cookies, 9 dozen other cookies, 2 dozen fudge, 6 dozen hot cocoa on a stick, 8 dozen chocolate covered pretzels, and a few miscellaneous items. Needless to say, I'm ready for my days off this week!

Since Christmas is almost here, I wanted my last round up of the year to be holiday themed. Nothing says Christmas like gingerbread and I've gathered quite a lot of delicious recipes! The funny part is, I've never made anything gingerbread before last week! As I was looking through my recipe index I couldn't believe I've never made anything with gingerbread flavor because I sure to eat a lot of it!

Gingerbread Recipes

1. Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies from bake.love.give

2. Gingerbread Molasses Cookies from Running to the Kitchen

3. Chocolate-Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies from i heart eating

4. Gingerbread Monkey Bread

5. Gingerbread Cupcakes from Organized Island

6. Double Ginger Apple Gingerbread from Healthy.Delicious

7. White Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti from Chocolate Moosey

8. Gingerbread Cupcakes from Shugary Sweets

9. Gingerbread Spice Caramels from bake.love.give

10. Gingerbread Baby Cakes from Karen's Kitchen Stories

11. Spicy Chocolate Ginger Guys from Snappy Gourmet

12. Three Ginger Gingersnaps from bake.love.give

13. Gingerbread Pancakes from i heart eating

14. Gingersnap S'mores from Healthy.Delicious

15. Gingerbread Spice Syrup (for Gingerbread Lattes) from An Edible Mosaic

16. Gingerbread Men Cookies from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

17. Apple Butter Gingerbread Loaf from Dizzy Busy and Hungry

18. Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Icing from Noble Pig

19. Gingerbread Popcorn from An Edible Mosaic

20. Cocoa Ginger Crisps from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More
21. Gingerbread Donuts with Vanilla Bean Glaze from All Day I Dream About Food
22. Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting from Busy in Brooklyn
23. Apple and Red Currant Cobbler with Gingerbread Topping from Kitchen Tested
24. Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats from Shugary Sweets
25. Gingerbread Waffles from The Kitchen is My Playground
26. Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls from Love From the Oven
27. Gingerbread Pancakes from Growing up Gabel
28. Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Chocolate Moosey
29. Gingerbread Waffles with Maple Pecan Syrup from Canadian Tire Kitchen Crew
30. Gingerbread Whoopie Pies from diethood
31. Gingerbread Cake with Whiskey Frosting from Savour Flare
32. Gingerbread Toaster Pastries with Bourbon Pear Filling from Eat the Love
33. Holiday Gingerbread Loaves from Canadian Tire Kitchen Crew

Gingerbread Recipes

1. Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies from bake.love.give

2. Gingerbread Molasses Cookies from Running to the Kitchen

3. Chocolate-Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies from i heart eating

4. Gingerbread Monkey Bread

5. Gingerbread Cupcakes from Organized Island

6. Double Ginger Apple Gingerbread from Healthy.Delicious

7. White Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti from Chocolate Moosey

8. Gingerbread Cupcakes from Shugary Sweets

9. Gingerbread Spice Caramels from bake.love.give

10. Gingerbread Baby Cakes from Karen's Kitchen Stories

11. Spicy Chocolate Ginger Guys from Snappy Gourmet

12. Three Ginger Gingersnaps from bake.love.give

13. Gingerbread Pancakes from i heart eating

14. Gingersnap S'mores from Healthy.Delicious

15. Gingerbread Spice Syrup (for Gingerbread Lattes) from An Edible Mosaic

16. Gingerbread Men Cookies from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

17. Apple Butter Gingerbread Loaf from Dizzy Busy and Hungry

18. Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Icing from Noble Pig

19. Gingerbread Popcorn from An Edible Mosaic

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Winter Whites

Winter Whites

Here is the last of my remaining holiday treat ideas that didn't quite make it to the blog before Christmas. This is another old family favorite no-bake recipe. Again, my dear old Mudder is the guest chef because I stole these out of her freezer to take the pic! Thanks Mom!

Originally published Jan 7, 2010.

2013 update. The new photo above shows a batch of Winter Whites made by my teenage daughter Olivia, who now keeps us well supplied with this family favourite during the holidays. She loves to eat these straight from the freezer!

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat combine:

¾ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Very quickly whisk in

3 beaten eggs

and cook for about a minute whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add quickly fold in:

3 cups graham wafer crumbs

1 cup coconut

2 ½ cups mini marshmallow

In a 9x13 inch baking pan, line the bottom of the pan with graham wafer crackers. Spread the prepared mixture evenly over the crackers and chill well for a couple of hours or overnight. Top with whipped cream, cut in squares and serve. These freeze very well but you might like to use a non-dairy whipped topping if you want to freeze them with the cream already on them. If not, freeze them without the whipped cream and just add it before serving.

Winter Whites

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Caramel stuffed snickerdoodles

Historically, I have never been a big proponent of stuffing cookies with other things. It's not that I don't like eating them, because I do, but my big issue is that it just tastes too long. I have a hard time shaping the dough around the filling since my cookies don't usually turn out as pretty as I'd like. Also, my cookies tend to spring leaks so they get pretty ugly (and messy).

I made an exception to this and on a whim decided to bake up some caramel stuffed snickerdoodles. I hadn't made any snickerdoodles this year and thought that a caramel stuffed one would be mighty tasty. I already had pre-packaged caramels in the pantry so I used those. The hardest part about making these cookies was unwrapping the caramels - the shaping part was easy since the dough was pliable and forgiving.

This was the second type of cookies that I sent to my recipient for the online cookie exchange. I heard that she and her fiance enjoyed them both. One bad thing about these cookies is that the caramel hardened pretty quickly so they were quite chewy. I'd recommend eating these cookies while they are warm (you can always microwave them for 15 seconds to soften them up if needed). One other nitpicky thing is that the caramel leaked to the bottom of the cookie. If you want to help prevent them from leaking, you can turn the cookies upside down while they are cooling.

Hope the tips I provided above are helpful. These were very yummy cookies, and I'd definitely make them again.
Caramel stuffed snickerdoodles

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
36 unwrapped caramels (you can use homemade as well)
2 TBSP sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop (or a spoon), scoop out portions of dough and flatten them with your hand. Place an unwrapped caramel in the middle and wrap the dough around it completely. Then shape dough into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes (mine baked for 12). Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Yield: I halved the recipe above, used a medium cookie scoop and got 18 cookies

Source: Adapted from my snickerdoodle post

Photobucket

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
36 unwrapped caramels (you can use homemade as well)
2 TBSP sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Yield: I halved the recipe above, used a medium cookie scoop and got 18 cookies

Source: Adapted from my snickerdoodle post

Photobucket

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Best Tasting Sugar Cookie Icing

The search for the best ever sugar cookie is over. It starts with a fabulous cookie recipe and ends with the most scrumptious sugar cookie icing you have ever sunk your teeth into. Just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes stand between you and deliciousness!

Chad and I were married 7 years ago almost to the day. After our wedding we decided to send out thank you cookies. Ever since I have been on a mission to create the perfect cookie. I had the most incredible cookie but worked for a few years to hit the perfect recipe for the icing.

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White chocolate funfetti pudding cookies

Have you ever been part of a cookie swap? My friend Leigh hosts one at her house every year, but I also participate in an online cookie swap. My online cooking friends and I started a new tradition of swapping cookies with each other, and last year was the first time I participated. I got assigned someone who is local (and whom I've never met in person yet, but I hope to soon), and I decided to bake her something festive for the holidays - white chocolate funfetti pudding cookies. Pudding cookies have been on my to-bake list for a while now, and I finally get to cross them off my list.

The cookies were soft and chewy from the pudding mix, and the white chocolate and sprinkles made them more festive, flavorful and fun. I used a french vanilla pudding mix for my cookies but I bet that the cheesecake one would taste just as good. I've heard that the reason pudding cookies work so well is because of the cornstarch in the pudding mix. Try them and let me know what you think.

My cookie recipient will also receive another batch of cookies that I will share with you soon. I hope that she and her fiance' enjoy these.

White chocolate funfetti pudding cookies

2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3.4 oz package cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
½ cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and dry pudding mix. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until they are fully incorporated.

Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Then add the sprinkles and chocolate chips. The mixture will be very thick.

Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop out the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking pans.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes (I baked for 10 minutes) or until the tops are slightly golden. Turn off the oven, remove the pan and allow the cookies to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Yield: I used my medium cookie scoop and got 3 dozen (36) cookies

Source: The Recipe Critic

Photobucket

2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3.4 oz package cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
½ cup rainbow sprinkles

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Haystacks

Haystacks

Here's a very quick and easy macaroon cookie recipe using just a few simple ingredients. I always get requests for this recipe during the Holiday season because they are a real old fashioned Newfoundland favorite during Christmas time. It seemed every baker I knew while growing up made these every year.

I've modified the original recipe to include sweetened condensed milk which not only makes the recipe easier, it keeps the centers more moist too. A nicely packaged batch of these would make a lovely gift for the coconut lover in your life too.

Haystacks

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Haystacks - a real old fashioned simple coconut macaroon cookie that's formed in a boiled egg cup. A very popular treat at the Holidays.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
5 cups unsweetened dried coconut, (fine or medium cut)
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp sugar
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup glace cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet/2 with parchment paper.
Combine the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla extract and salt.
Fold in the coconut.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks along with the sugar and cream of tartar.
Fold the egg whites completely through through the coconut mixture.
Form the haystacks using a boiled egg cup or small ice cream scoop. Keeping the inside of the egg cup slightly wet helps form the cookies.
Top each haystack with a piece of glace cherry or other dried fruits or nuts.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the bottom edges just begin to turn brown.
Cool completely on the pan. Store in an airtight container. Can be frozen too.

Haystacks

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Haystacks - a real old fashioned simple coconut macaroon cookie that's formed in a boiled egg cup. A very popular treat at the Holidays.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
5 cups unsweetened dried coconut, (fine or medium cut)
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp sugar
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup glace cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet/2 with parchment paper.
Combine the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla extract and salt.
Fold in the coconut.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks along with the sugar and cream of tartar.
Fold the egg whites completely through through the coconut mixture.
Form the haystacks using a boiled egg cup or small ice cream scoop. Keeping the inside of the egg cup slightly wet helps form the cookies.
Top each haystack with a piece of glace cherry or other dried fruits or nuts.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the bottom edges just begin to turn brown.
Cool completely on the pan. Store in an airtight container. Can be frozen too.

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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies #cookingwithkerrygold

Brrrrr! It's cold outside today. It's also snowing like crazy and they are calling for sleet and freezing rain so it's a good day to stay inside. I've got my sweats on and I'm trying to stay warm. Since I can't go out and it's almost Christmas, I wanted to do some holiday baking.

I've already made chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and sugar cookies, so I wanted to make something a little different. The lovely people at Kerrygold sent me a few pounds of butter to make some holiday treats with so I took advantage of that! They are hosting a Holiday Recipe Contest and I can't wait to share my holiday treat. I love to use Kerrygold Unsalted Butter in my baking because it has a higher butterfat content that makes cookies buttery and delicious and pie crusts flaky and perfect.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies using Kerrygold Butter

When I think of the holidays I often think of peppermint and chocolate so I wanted to showcase those in a cookie. I had red peppermint crunch chips and green chocolate mint chips in my pantry so I worked those in as well. I then made a buttery chocolate cookie, added in the chips, and baked the cookies.

They came out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The cookies were rich and buttery with a lot of chocolate and peppermint flavor. The red and green chips added a festive touch to the cookies as well. I've already got another batch frozen in the freezer waiting to bake on Christmas Eve!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (a Hezzi-D original)
2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. peppermint extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. chocolate mint chips
3/4 c. peppermint crunch chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix well.

4. Stir in the peppermint and vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder and mix until completely combined.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combine. Fold in the chocolate mint chips and the peppermint crunch chips.

6. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until cooked through.

7. Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Mint Cookies with Pepermint Chips

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25+ Peppermint Recipes for the Holidays

What flavor do you think of when you think of Christmas and this time of year? While several flavors come to mind, the one that screams Christmas time is peppermint. I love peppermint hot chocolate, peppermint fudge, and peppermint cookies.

I've put together a collection of peppermint treats perfect to make for the holidays. From bark and cookies to beverages and ice cream you're going to love this collection of all things peppermints from some of my favorite food bloggers!

Peppermint Recipes

1. White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse from An Edible mosaic

2. Candy Cane Blossoms from Cupcake Diaries

3. Candy Cane Martini

4. Peppermint Bark Snowflakes from bake.love.give

5. Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies from Alida's Kitchen

6. Spiked White Chocolate Peppermint Steamer

7. Hot Chocolate Peppermint Shots from Spabettie

8. Peppermint Ice Cream Cookie Bars from Yummy.Healthy.Easy

9. No-Bake Fudgy Peppermint Cathedral Cookies from Chocolate Moosey

10. Peppermint Pretzel Munchies from bake.love.give

11. Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark from Noble Pig

12. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cupcakes from beyond frosting

13. Chocolate Peppermint Bark from Ricki Heller

14. Peppermint White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories

15. Peppermint Bark Snowflakes from Rhubarb and Honey

16. Simple Peppermint Cookies from Organized Island

17. Peppermint Pretzel Bark from The Pink Flour

18. Homemade Peppermint Patties

19. Peppermint Patty Ice Cream from Chocolate Moosey

20. Chocolate Mint Truffles from Ricki Heller
21. Chocolate Peppermint Cake Cookies from Miss Information
22. Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Latte from diethood
23. Peppermint Cookietini Cocktail from Snappy Gourmet
24. Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
25. Peppermint Rice Crispy Treats from Chocolate Moosey
26. Dark Chocolate Mint Truffles from Spabettie

Peppermint Recipes

1. White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse from An Edible mosaic

2. Candy Cane Blossoms from Cupcake Diaries

3. Candy Cane Martini

4. Peppermint Bark Snowflakes from bake.love.give

5. Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies from Alida's Kitchen

6. Spiked White Chocolate Peppermint Steamer

7. Hot Chocolate Peppermint Shots from Spabettie

8. Peppermint Ice Cream Cookie Bars from Yummy.Healthy.Easy

9. No-Bake Fudgy Peppermint Cathedral Cookies from Chocolate Moosey

10. Peppermint Pretzel Munchies from bake.love.give

11. Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark from Noble Pig

12. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cupcakes from beyond frosting

13. Chocolate Peppermint Bark from Ricki Heller

14. Peppermint White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories

15. Peppermint Bark Snowflakes from Rhubarb and Honey

16. Simple Peppermint Cookies from Organized Island

17. Peppermint Pretzel Bark from The Pink Flour

18. Homemade Peppermint Patties

19. Peppermint Patty Ice Cream from Chocolate Moosey

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies #12WksXmasTreats

My parents came to visit last weekend. It's nice when they are able to drive down and see us for the day. We usually end up driving up to Pittsburgh which is fun but sometimes it's nice to see them without the drive. Whenever my mom comes down she always brings bags of things down with her. This time she brought several bags of chocolate chips, several containers of cream cheese, and Jif Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I know what you are thinking; why in the world did she bring down all of this food? The simple answer is that it is baking season and using coupons she got all of the above products for less then a dollar each. Yes folks, my mom is that good.

I was most interested in the hazelnut spread because I've never used this brand before. I've actually only used chocolate hazelnut spread a handful of times so I was looking forward to baking with it again soon. I was hoping to make cookies with it and went with a classic peanut butter cookie recipe, substituting the chocolate hazelnut spread for the peanut butter.

The cookies were awesome! They were crisp on the edges, chewy in the center, and tasted of chocolate and faintly of hazelnut. The cookies turned out large and almost perfect and when stacked I just had to tie a ribbon around them! These would be the perfect cookie to give as a holiday gift.

I'm sharing these delicious cookies as part of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, hosted by Meal Planning Magic, because they are just too pretty not to gift to someone else! If you don't want to gift them, you are deifnitely going to want to have them on your holiday dessert table.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies (adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book: 1963)
1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. Jif Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine the butter, hazelnut spread, and sugar. Using a mixer, cream until well combined.

3. Add in the egg and vanilla and stir well.

4. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.

5. Drop 1" balls onto a baking sheet 3 inches apart. Flatten with your hand.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet to a wire cooling rack. Allow to completely cool.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

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Cranberry Bliss Bars #ChristmasWeek

Welcome to Day #2 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

During the holidays I enjoy spending time with my family. We often have dinner together and then will play a game. Our current favorite is Buzz Words, which we like to play boys versus girls. It's not really the game itself, it's just being able to sit down and spend time with each other.

After we are finished playing games it's usually time for dessert. As desserts are my specialty, I am the one who makes the desserts. I like to make seasonal desserts that are holiday appropriate. One that I have found that is perfect for winter holidays is the Cranberry Bliss Bar.

The Bliss Bars have a layer of blondies, topped off with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with cranberries. Not only is it delicious but it's a pretty dessert as well. This dessert is easy to make but is certainly a crowd pleaser.

Cranberry Bliss Bars (adapted from Taste of Home)
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. white chocolate chips, melted
3/4 c. dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. It will smell nutty. Once it begins to turn brown remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl mix the browned butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

4. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and white chocolate chips.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir well. Spread into the greased pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

6. To make the frosting combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Pour in the melted white chocolate and beat until smooth.

7. Frost the top of the blondies with the frosting. Sprinkle with cranberries. Cut into bars and serve.

White Chocolate cookie bars topped with cream cheese frosting and cranberries

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Wands by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chewy Brownies by Juanita’s Cocina
Chocolate-Peppermint Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
Pomegranate Margaritas by Dinners, Dishes, and Deserts
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cupcakes by Chocolate Moosey
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Poached Pears and Maple Buttercream by Pineapple and Coconut
Cranberry Bliss Bars by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Reindeer Cookies by Noshing With The Nolands
Mo’s Easy Homemade Eggnog by Food Lust People Love
Spiced Madeleines by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Flourless Nutella Marshmallow Cloud Cookie Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Pear and Dried Cranberry Baked Custard by See Aimee Cook
Bacon Bark by Cooking In Stilettos
Snowflake Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Gingerbread Sugar Cookies by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Hot Chocolate Biscotti by Home Cooking Memories

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Le Creuset. Respect for tradition and authenticity has been Le Creuset's guiding principle since 1925, and their kitchen and cook ware is known internationally. Le Creuset's Revolution Utensil Set is available in six different colors, and it represents the next generation of functional innovations in the kitchen. Developed with chefs and culinary enthusiasts in mind, each utensil features a task-defined blade made from premium silicone, as well as a carefully crafted wood handle engineered to improve grip for a variety of kitchen tasks. The set includes one of each of the following: utensil crock, small spatula, medium spatula, spatula spoon, basting brush, jar scraper. To enter, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for one Le Creuset Revolution Utensil Set (winner's choice of color)! This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only . When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. The winner will be notified through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Le Creuset. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Wands by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chewy Brownies by Juanita’s Cocina
Chocolate-Peppermint Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
Pomegranate Margaritas by Dinners, Dishes, and Deserts
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cupcakes by Chocolate Moosey
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Poached Pears and Maple Buttercream by Pineapple and Coconut
Cranberry Bliss Bars by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Reindeer Cookies by Noshing With The Nolands
Mo’s Easy Homemade Eggnog by Food Lust People Love
Spiced Madeleines by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Flourless Nutella Marshmallow Cloud Cookie Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Pear and Dried Cranberry Baked Custard by See Aimee Cook
Bacon Bark by Cooking In Stilettos
Snowflake Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Gingerbread Sugar Cookies by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Hot Chocolate Biscotti by Home Cooking Memories

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Le Creuset. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

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Chewy Double Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

This cookie is for the chocolate lover in your life. We have loaded this cookie with chocolate and peppermint to create the perfect Christmas cookie recipe. If you only try one new cookie recipe this season, this needs to be it!

I have so much fun baking cookies each year, this year we participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Which made it even that much more fun.

Munchkin and I got to work on a new recipe. I have been working on a recipe for an incredible moist chocolate cookie. You know that they are few and far between. Well, Chad has been begging for more candy cane desserts.

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Soft molasses (and rum) cookies

This holiday season seems to have come out of nowhere. I feel completely unprepared for December and haven't even organized my thoughts around what to bake this season yet. I think that part of the reason is that Thanksgiving was so late and the fact that I spent about a week in Taiwan in November. One of the events that really crept up on me was my friend Leigh's annual cookie exchange.

My family and I returned home for the holidays the day before the cookie exchange. I didn't have much time to think about what to make for this year's event, so I wanted to find something that would be easy, stress-free and something I could make with my pantry ingredients. I was still dealing with some jet lag from my international travels so this truly had to be a cookie that I could bake in my slightly discombobulated state. I didn't want to repeat anything I've baked in previous years either (pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate peppermint patty cookies, candy cane kiss cookies, and oatmeal raisin cinnamon chip cookies).

I found these soft molasses cookies on the King Arthur Flour website, and I was intrigued that they contained some alcohol. I found the rum to be a bit on the stronger side, so you can dial that down or replace it with water if you aren't a fan of dark rum. These cookies did bake up nice and soft as advertised, and the holiday spices and molasses were very prominent. All in all, these were some good cookies and perfect for the swap.

Soft molasses and rum cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature/softened (if using salted butter, omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt above)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (6 ounces) molasses
1/3 cup dark rum (I used Myer's dark rum)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the molasses.

Alternately add in the dry ingredients and the dark rum until the mixture is fully incorporated.

Using a cookie scoop (or two spoons if you don't own a cookie scoop), portion out balls of dough and place it on a greased or lined cookie sheet or baking pan - make sure you allow about 2 inches around each cookie since they will spread slightly. I was able to fit one dozen (12) cookies on each sheet with no problem.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 11-12 minutes. When they are done, they will be cracked on top, and the edges will NOT be browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Yield: I doubled the recipe, used a medium cookie scoop and got 46 cookies

Source: King Arthur Flour

Photobucket

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature/softened (if using salted butter, omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt above)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (6 ounces) molasses
1/3 cup dark rum (I used Myer's dark rum)

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Can you believe Christmas is only a few short weeks away? It feels like it was just Thanksgiving! Whether you are having a huge Christmas dinner at your house or a cocktail party for friends, if you haven't started planning your menu yet you're in luck!

I've collected my personal favorite holiday recipes as well as some from my food blogging friends to give you the best collection of appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, vegetables, breads, beverages, and desserts. So get your printer or pin button ready and save your favorites for later!

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