Ready for some deliciously baked holiday treats, but tired of using the same old pre-packaged M&M cookie dough? Look no further! Her Campus has compiled a list of 10 new easy-to-bake holiday cookies! Get out your oven mitts and read on; you’ll almost be able to smell that warm, sugary goodness!
Peppermint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
What you need:
- 1 (16.5 ounce) tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, separated into 1-cup portions
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- crushed candy canes or peppermint candies for decoration
- 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop
- 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- tablespoon
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat it to 350 degrees. In your mixing bowl, knead the cookie dough and 1/4 cup of flour together until smooth. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough. Keep kneading out the scraps of dough and rolling it out until you’ve used all of it (you should be able to cut about 24!). Place your dough circles on one of the baking sheets and bake the cookies in the oven until they’re slightly golden around the edges (approx. 10 minutes). Let the cookies cool completely.
Set up a double boiler by placing a bowl with the cup of chocolate chips and the cream over a pan of simmering water. After the chocolate has melted, whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for an hour.
Take the chocolate mixture out of the refrigerator and place about a tablespoon of the chocolate on half of the cookies. Use the remaining cookies to make sandwiches with the chocolate-topped cookies. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and freeze them until the chocolate filling has set (about 25 minutes).
Combine the remaining cup of chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in another bowl, set up another double boiler, and stir the mixture until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie sandwich in the melted chocolate and place on the baking sheet to set. Sprinkle the tops with your crushed candy canes and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
What you need:
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups oatmeal
- wax paper
- small pot
- teaspoon
In your small pot, combine the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute, and then add the peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Use the teaspoon to dollop the mixture onto your wax paper. Wait until your cookies have cooled and hardened, and enjoy!
Cookie Dough Truffles with Sea Salt
What you need:
- ready-made chocolate chip cookie dough
- 2 (12-ounce) bags semisweet chocolate morsels
- coarse sea salt
- your preferred type of chocolate morsels (white, milk, etc.), melted
- sprinkles
- chopped nuts
- cocoa powder
- powdered sugar
- toothpicks or wooden skewers
- baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- plastic wrap
- teaspoon
Use your teaspoon to dish out large spoonfuls of the cookie dough and roll them into little balls. Arrange them up on your lined baking sheets. Cover the sheets with plastic wrap and let them set in the freezer for at least 2 hours (they can stay in there for up to 1 week). Set up a double boiler by placing a bowl of the semisweet chocolate morsels over a pan of simmering water and melt until smooth. Remove the baking sheet of truffles from the freezer and use the toothpicks/skewers to dip the dough into the chocolate. Place the coated balls on the parchment to set, removing the toothpick. Sprinkle the truffles with a little bit of sea salt and decorate them with your other chocolate morsels, chopped nuts, sprinkles, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the chocolate can set. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week!
“Forgotten Kiss” Meringues
What you need:
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- electric mixer
- 2 teaspoons
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use the electric mixer to beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and continue to beat until fluffy (be careful not to over beat; make sure you stop mixing when the whites make fluffy peaks, otherwise the whites will fall). Add the sugar to the mixture slowly until half of it has been incorporated, then add the vanilla extract. Continue to beat the egg whites and add the rest of the sugar gradually. When all of the sugar has dissolved, gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Use the two teaspoons to push spoonfuls of the meringue back and forth from spoon to spoon in order to dollop the mixture onto your baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the oven and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven for at least 2 hours, or until they’re crisp and dry.
Dark Chocolate Chipotle Cookie
What you need:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into softened 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/2 cup for topping
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons crushed, dried chipotle peppers
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 pound high-quality bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/2 cups high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, plus 1/2 cup for topping
- electric mixer
- large bowl
- ice cream scoop
- baking sheets lined with parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Use the electric mixer to beat the butter until smooth, then add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of light brown sugar, 1/2 cocoa powder and chipotle peppers and mix at medium speed until fluffy (about 1 minute). Next, add the eggs, vanilla extract, and water to the bowl and beat until combined (about 30 seconds). Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until even. Add the large bowl with the flour mixture; don’t forget to scrape the sides when necessary! Add the chocolate chips and mix briefly (about 5 seconds).
Refrigerate the dough until cool and fudge-like (not solid) for about 1 hour. Use your ice cream scoop to create even-sized cookies. Press the tops of the cookie dough balls into the 1/2 cup of topping sugar, and then top each one with 2 or 3 dark chocolate chips. Place each one on the baking sheets and bake in the oven for about 12 to 14 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, the cookies should be a little bit underdone. Let them cool, and enjoy!
