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      Crisp Gingerbread Cookies

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      These Crisp Gingerbread Cookies are not just delicious – they double as a sweet Advent calendar to make your holiday countdown extra magical! The high yield dough makes a whole bunch of buttery, spiced cookies with a snappable baked texture.

      With Thanksgiving now in the rearview, there’s no better way to kick off the Christmas festivities than by baking a big batch of gingerbread cookies. (It’s cookie season, after all!) Buttery, spiced, and with a snappy texture, these Crisp Gingerbread Cookies can be fashioned into any shape you like! I decided to stamp the dough with number cookie cutters, for a fun edible advent calendar.
      We all know that classic royal icing is the usual decoration for gingerbread cookies (it’s a favorite of mine!). But this time, I used green modeling chocolate instead (also called covering chocolate). It has the texture of fondant, but it tastes totally different. Think white chocolate flavor meets candy melts color. I used the same cookie cutters that stamped the gingerbread dough to make same-sized green numbers. This makes for some very simple decorating! However, if you’re not into buying a specialty ingredient, I’m including my standard royal icing formula in the recipe notes.

      Make the gingerbread dough.
      To start, mix up the dough in the bowl of an electric mixer – preferably a standing mixer – this makes a lot of thick dough. It shouldn’t be very sticky. There’s a small amount of ground black pepper mixed in, which is nearly undetectable. I think it adds a little more zing to the ginger flavor. Once well blended, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

      Roll the gingerbread dough thin.
      There are two ways to go here. The first option is the old fashioned way: dust your rolling pin and a work surface with flour, and roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. The second option, and my favorite technique: roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper to 1/8 inch thickness. The second technique creates less mess and doesn’t leave flour marks on your dough.

      Transfer the cut-outs to baking sheets.
      Now comes the fun part – cutting out the cookies! Use number-shaped cookie cutters to create your Christmas countdown shapes. You can find the ones I used for purchase right here. (I bought the set in 2017, and they come in SO handy for birthdays in particular.) Transfer the cut cookies to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one. Bake them until crisp and fragrant.

      Decorate!
      As I mentioned earlier, royal icing works just fine, but I had some leftover covering chocolate that I needed to use up. It’s a really easy way to decorate these number cookies – you use the same cookie cutters that you used to stamp the number with to cut the covering chocolate. You can find the covering chocolate I used for purchase right here.

      The covering chocolate has a firm texture and should be kneaded and rolled like fondant, but it adds a candy coated flavor to the mix. Use the same number-shaped cookie cutters to cut out pieces of the covering chocolate. Brush the cookies with a little water, then carefully place the chocolate numbers on top of your gingerbread cookies. The moisture works to ‘glue’ the chocolate to the cookie.

      Add some sprinkles.
      Add dots of piping gel or clear corn syrup to the cookies and then sprinkle on some holiday cheer! The cookies will need to stand overnight for the sprinkles to set completely. As usual, I made my own sprinkle mix from what I had on hand, but this mix is fairly close to my own.

      Aren’t these bags cute? Right after I purchased them, they sold out! (Boo!) If you’re crafty, and you’d like to make your own, you can buy some cotton drawstring bags, this stencil, some fabric paint, and then stencil the image onto the bags. Tie on a red felt tip marker so the recipient can cross off the dates as the cookies are enjoyed.
      All that’s left is to fill the bags! A whole month of cookies will fill each bag to the top. This advent treat is a fun way to (literally) savor each day up to December 25th. And besides, who could say no to cookies every day? ‘Tis the season!

      Crisp Gingerbread Cookies

      Heather Baird

      Whether you’re counting down the days to Christmas or simply indulging in a festive treat, these crisp, buttery gingerbread cookies are a fun way to celebrate cookie season. The high-yield dough is perfectly spiced, buttery, and easy to work with. Roll them thin to 1/8″ thickness for a crisp texture.As I mentioned in the blog post, this dough as a little black pepper mixed in. It’s subtle, and doesn’t stand out. Rather, it underscores the zingy flavor of the ground ginger.Use your favorite cookie cutters for this recipe, such as gingerbread folk or Christmas tree motif cutters. Or use number cookies for an edible Advent calendar.

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      Prep Time 20 minutes minsCook Time 10 minutes mins5 hours chilling and setting time 5 hours hrsTotal Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 4 dozen

      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Gingerbread cookies6 cups all-purpose flour sifted1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks 1 cup dark brown sugar packed4 teaspoons ground ginger4 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves1 1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper2 large eggs1 cup unsulfured molassesDecors1 lb. green covering chocolate such as Choco Pan by Satin IcePiping gel or clear corn syrup1 cup mixed holiday themed sprinkles
      Instructions Gingerbread cookiesIn a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set this mixture aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Add the spices, salt, and pepper, followed by the eggs and molasses. Mix until well combined.Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until a cohesive dough forms. Divide the dough into thirds, and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.Preheat the oven to 350F.On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Or, you may choose to roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper. Use number cookie cutter for Advent cookies, or use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes. Re-roll dough and repeat process for more cookies.Transfer the cut-outs to parchment-lined baking sheets, and place them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up.Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are crisp but not overly browned. Keep a close eye on them as baking times may vary slightly depending on the size of your cookies.Allow the cookies to cool on wire racks before decorating.DecorsKnead the modeling chocolate well and roll out on a work surface or a large piece of parchment paper using a rolling pin. If the chocolate is sticky, dust your surface and rolling pin with a little powdered sugar.Use the same cookie cutters you used to stamp dough shapes to stamp out shapes from the chocolate.Brush a little water on a cooled cookie and top with a matching chocolate cut out. Repeat with remaining cookies.Using a small kitchen-dedicated art brush, apply small beads of piping gel or corn syrup to the chocolate covering on the cookies. Top with holiday sprinkles. Allow cookies to stand until the sprinkles are well set, about 4 hours or overnight.Package the cookies for gifting or for your own enjoyment each day up to December 25th.
      NotesIf you’d rather go classic with royal icing, here’s my favorite recipe made with meringue powder. 
       
      Royal Icing
      4 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
      3 tablespoons meringue powder
      1/4 cup warm water plus more for thinning
      1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
      green gel food color
       

      In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, stir the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder on low speed until combined. Add the water and beat on medium high speed until very stiff peaks form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add water drops at a time if too thick. Add flavoring and beat on low until combined; tint with the green gel food color.

      Flood Consistency: Stir drops of water into the icing until it is thinned but still has the consistency of a thick milkshake, this is called flood consistency. To make sure the consistency is correct, drag a spoon through the center of the icing in a straight line, creating an indentation. When the icing is of perfect flood consistency, the indentation should completely disappear in 10 seconds. If it disappears too quickly, then the icing is too thin and will not dry properly. The indentation should disappear as close to the 10 second mark as possible. It is much harder to thicken the icing after it has been thinned than to make thick icing thinner, so take your time and add water drops a few at a time.

      Place a #2 round decorator piping tip into the bottom of a small piping bag; snip off plastic on the end of the piping bag. Fill piping bag with green icing and seal the open end with a rubber band. 

      Pipe an outline of icing around a cookie and then flood the inside of the outline. Use a toothpick to push royal icing into blank areas and gaps. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until set, overnight.
      Continue to decorate with piping gel and sprinkles as directed.

      This recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart Living Magazine recipe, circa 1997.

      Keyword advent cookie recipe, Chrismas cookie recipe, coarse black pepper, covering chocolate, crisp gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookie recipe, ground cloves, holiday sprinkles, molasses

      You may also enjoy: LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Haunted Village Cake

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      Introducing the Haunted Village Cake! It’s a spooktacular two-tier centerpiece for your Halloween celebration. Made of Halloween confetti cake, it’s decorated with a landscape of haunted house sugar cookies.

      Spooky season is here, and I wanted to make something extra-special for the occasion! This Haunted Village Cake is definitely a project, but it’s also really fun to put together. As I was planning the design and sketching out the specifics, it reminded me of when I was a kid – I loved drawing haunted houses! Adding all the details was so much fun, and it was really neat to think about what kind of eerie creatures lived there. So I’d fill in windows with spooky cats, bats, ghosts and monsters. I’d always draw a witch on a broom flying over the rooftop.
      This two-tiered confection is a true homage to that memory. It’s made of funfetti cake, with confetti sprinkles in Halloween hues and colorful swirls of batter hidden within. It’s decorated with frosted sugar cookie haunted houses – each one with a resident specter or spooky inhabitant!

      The cake batter.
      First, whip up a large batch of my favorite WASC cake. It takes on food color beautifully because of its pure white base – it’s also super moist and tasty! Remove one cup of batter to each of three bowls. Tint each bowl a different Halloween color. I used neon green, purple, and orange. Set these aside for a moment.

      Funfetti batter.
      Add Halloween confetti sprinkles to the remaining plain white batter. Fold it in until all the sprinkles are well dispersed throughout. You can usually find this mix at most US grocery stores and craft stores in the seasonal/baking aisle, or you can buy them in bulk (like I do!) right here.

      Swirl in some color.
      Next, divide the funfetti batter between greased cake pans. You’ll need four 8-inch round cake pans and three 6-inch pans. Place a spoonful of each colorful batter into each pan and swirl with a butter knife. Next, bake them until well puffed and a toothpick tester comes out clean when inserted in their centers.

      Level the cakes and frost.
      The cakes will puff slightly in the centers. So, level them in order to have stackable tiers. You can save the scraps for cake pops, or just eat ’em! Whip up some confectioners’ neon purple buttercream, fill and frost the cake. Use a bench scraper or cake smoother to make the edges as smooth and neat as possible. Because next, we’ll add a spooky stenciled tree motif to the sides of the cake!

      How to stencil a cake.
      I had this 6×6 tree stencil on hand from a previous cake project, and decided it would create the perfect backdrop for a haunted neighborhood. This stencil is not made for cakes specifically, but it works well enough. However, if you don’t want to buy the stencil, you could just pipe on some branches with some black or chocolate buttercream.
      Chill the cake well before applying the stencil. You’ll hold the flexible stencil against the cake with one hand, and with your dominant hand you’ll spread black buttercream over the stencil opening. Next, scrape away the excess black buttercream and carefully peel away the stencil. You need to chill between each ‘tree’ application before adding the next to set the image. Only stencil the bottom 8-inch cake tier.

      Make the haunted house cookies.
      The sugar cookie recipe is my old standby, from the Sprinkle Bakes cookbook. It’s a buttery cookie that holds its shape well during baking. Instead of buying another set of cookie cutters (my collection runneth over) I decided to make some templates – and you can too! Just print this template on some cardstock at 100% size and cut them out. Chilled, the dough handles really easily and cuts cleanly. Use your sharpest small paring knife or I recommend using a kitchen-dedicated X-acto knife to cut around the templates and into the dough. Alternatively, you can buy some haunted house cookie cutters right here and here.
      I didn’t get too fancy or complex with the frosting of these cookies, because there’s a lot going on already with the stencil. However, I did use some mini fondant cutters to make windows and doors. Cover each cookie with a different color of flood royal icing and let them dry completely. It’s up to you whether you make all of the dough into cookies, or just enough cookies to decorate the cake. However, if you’re having a Halloween party, some extra cookies on a platter near the cake will look nice!

      Chocolate wafer ghosts, bats, cats, and skeletons!
      The Halloween mold I used was purchased years ago (in 2016!) for an Etsy Journal project (see here), so of course – it is no longer available. But there are so many other cute ones for purchase now, such as this one) that will work well with this project. I may have to add them to my collection!
      Simply melt chocolate wafers, pour into the molds, and freeze them. Then pop them out and use a little royal icing to affix them to the haunted house cookies. Now, the house cookies are ready to decorate the cake!

      Tah-dah! The Haunted Village Cake! (Which is also a bit inspired by THIS Gingerbread Village Cake I made for Food Network.)

      Choose your slice.
      This cake will serve a crowd for sure, but it’s not as huge in real life as you might expect! Don’t let the double tiers intimidate you – it’s pretty easy to put together. It’s a moist cake but sturdy enough that I didn’t have to use a dowel to anchor the tiers together. However, you should totally dowel it if it has to travel.
      Each slice reveals a different swirl of colors. So party-perfect – really fun to share!

      You can serve your Haunted Village Cake in classic wedge-shaped slices, or as pictured above. Which is more like wedding cake-size slices. Cutting it this way will make the cake go further if you have a lot of people to serve. Instead of wedge-shaped pieces, you’ll cut a cake tier into 2-inch rectangles, then cut the rectangles into pieces. I wish I had a better illustration, but you can find template guide near the end of this (very long) post.
      Here’s an affiliate link to an easily shoppable picture of the cake, which has most everything I used for its creation and decoration. As I mentioned earlier, the exact candy mold is no longer available, but there are two very similar mold options at the link that I’d love to have in my collection!
      Happy Haunting!
      Related recipe: Giant Stained Glass Spider Web Cookie

      Haunted Village Cake (Halloween Confetti Cake)

      Heather Baird

      For those ready to get their bake on this Halloween – this project is for you! It’s a two tier confetti-fied Haunted Village Cake complete with a landscape of haunted house sugar cookies. Each house has a mini specter with spooky-cute details like candy tombstones and spider sprinkles.The cookie dough recipe will make more cookies than you need to decorate the cake, however, if you’re planning Halloween party, you may choose to serve them on the side or package them for take-home favors. You may buy the cookie cutters as linked in the blog post, or use my template (see recipe notes for instructions).It’s best to make this cake over the course of 2-3 days. It spreads out the work, and gives the cookies a chance to completely set overnight.

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      Prep Time 2 hours hrsCook Time 55 minutes minsTotal Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 20

      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric White confetti cake layers2 boxes white cake mix 16.25 oz. each2 cups all-purpose flour2 cups granulated sugarPinch of salt2 cups sour cream2 cups water6 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extractNeon orange gel food colorNeon green gel food colorNeon purple gel food color3/4 cup confetti sprinkles in Halloween huesPurple buttercream and black stencil2 cups unsalted butter softened8 cups confectioners’ sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extractMilk or cream to thinSuper black gel food colorNeon purple gel food colorSugar cookies1 cup unsalted butter softened1 cup granulated sugar1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract3 cups all-purpose flour1 pinch saltRoyal icing and decors4 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted3 tablespoons meringue powder sifted1/4 cup water plus more for thinning1 teaspoon lemon extractSuper black gel food colorNeon orange gel food colorNeon green gel food color12 oz. white candy melts12 oz. black candy melts12 oz. orange candy melts6 oz. green candy meltsSpider sprinklesBone candies
      Instructions White confetti cake layersPreheat oven to 350°F. Coat three 6-inch round cake pans and four 8-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray. Set aside.Sift together the first 4 ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk to combine.In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, water, eggs and extracts. With the mixer running on low speed, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl down and mix again.When the batter is consistent, remove 1 cup of batter to each of 3 bowls. To one bowl add neon orange food color. Mix, and add more as needed to achieve a vibrant orange hue. Repeat the process with the neon green and purple food colors. Set the three bowls aside.To the remaining batter, fold in the confetti sprinkles. Divide the confetti batter evenly between the prepared pans, 1 cup per 6-inch pan, and about 1 1/2+ cups per 8-inch pan. Next, add spoonsful of each colorful batter to each pan and swirl the batters together with a butter knife or skewer.Bake for 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch pans, and 20-25 minutes for the 5-inch pans. – or until the cake springs back in the center when pressed. Remove the cakes from the pans to wire cooling racks. Cool completely. Level each cake using a cake leveler. (Save the cake scraps for cake pops or just eat them!)Purple buttercream and black stencilIn a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.Add vanilla and beat again for another minute. Add milk or cream a little at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Beat until light and fluffy.Remove 1/2 cup of the frosting to a small bowl. Mix in 1 teaspoon of super black food color and mix well. Add more food color if needed to achieve a consistent black color. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside.To the remaining bowl of frosting, add 1 tablespoon of neon purple food color. Mix well until a brilliant shade of purple is achieved. Add more food color if needed to deepen the hue.Place a dot of frosting on an 8-inch round cake board. Place an 8-inch cake layer on top. Cover with a thin layer of purple buttercream. Repeat step with the next three cake layers. Spread an even thin crumb coat layer of frosting over the cake and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth evenly using a bench scraper or cake smoother. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.Place a dot of frosting on a 6-inch cake board; top with a 6 inch cake layer. Fill and frost as previously instructed with the 8-inch tier – repeating the crumb coat layer and final smooth layer. Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. Reserve any leftover buttercream in an airtight container.Stencil the cakeWhen the 8-inch tier is firm, remove it from the refrigerator. Hold the flexible stencil flat against one side of the cake with one hand, while you spread on the reserved black frosting using an offset spatula with the other hand. Scrape away the excess black frosting using a bench scraper and gently peel off the stencil to reveal the branch design. Refrigerate the cake until the stenciled area is set, about 5 minutes. Repeat the process around the rest of the cake (about 4 stenciled areas total). Store both tiers in the refrigerator uncovered while you prepare the sugar cookie decors.Sugar cookiesIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix at this stage, or the cookies may spread while baking. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as needed.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on lows peed until a dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. The dough will often clump around the paddle attachment while being mixed. This is normal and a good sign that your dough is the right consistency. If your mixture does not come together and is crumbly, add ice cold water 1 tbsp. at a time until the dough clumps.Roll the dough flat between sheets of parchment paper and chill until ready for use, at least 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 350°F.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Use haunted house motif cookie cutters to stamp shapes from the dough (or use the provided template linked in the blog post). Transfer them to the prepared pans. Use mini fondant cutters to cut out windows and doors. Chill the shapes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown on the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Re-roll scraps and repeat process.Allow all the cookies to cool completely before icing.Royal icing and decorsIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sift in the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder; whisk on low speed until combined. Add the water and beat on medium-high speed until thickened and pure white. Mix in the flavoring. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. Divide the frosting into three bowls and cover them with damp paper towels. Tint one bowl with black gel food color and mix until a dark black color is achieved. Stir neon orange food color into a second bowl until a bright orange color is achieved. Tint the last bowl neon green and mix until a consistent bright green color is achieved.Mix in just drops of water at a time to each bowl and stir well, repeating this process until the icing thins to flood consistency. It should be thick and pourable like a milkshake but not too runny. Run a spatula through the icing to check; the indention should disappear by the count of 10. If it disappears more quickly, it is too thin, and you’ll need to add in additional sifted powdered sugar.Transfer the three flood frostings to disposable piping bags and close the ends with rubber bands. Prep three tall drinking glasses with a wet paper towel in the bottoms of each. Snip a small hole in the end of the black icing piping bag. Outline a cookie with the icing and then flood the center with the icing. Use a toothpick or a scribe tool to push the icing into any gaps or blank areas. Repeat with 1/3 of the cookies. Reserve the remaining black icing by folding over the snipped end and standing it upright into a glass. Repeat the process with another 1/3 of the cookies and the orange icing, then the final 1/3 of the cookies with the green icing. Let dry completely, about 4 hours or overnight.Melt each color of candy melting wafers according to the package directions. Transfer to small piping bags. Snip a hole in the ends and pipe the candy into the corresponding cavities: white candy melts for ghosts and skulls; black candy melts for bats and cats, orange candy melts for pumpkins, and green for their stems. Mix together black and white candy melts to create grey and pipe into tombstone cavities.Place the mold in the freezer and chill until solid. Gently remove candies from their cavities while they are still frozen. Repeat molding process until all of the candy is used (this makes a LOT of molded candies – plenty enough for all the sugar cookies!).When the cookies are set, use the reserved icing to adhere the molded candy to the cookies. Use ghosts and black cats to haunt windows. Place tombstones and pumpkins beside doors.Decorate the cakePlace the 8-inch tier on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread a small dot of leftover buttercream in the top center of the cake and top with the second smaller tier. (If the cake is traveling, use a long dowel to anchor the two tiers together.)Use the reserved buttercream to dot on the back of the haunted houses. Place 5 decorated house cookies, spaced evenly, around the bottom tier of the cake. Affix extra molded candy pieces around the houses. Place 5-6 decorated houses end-to-end around the edge of the top tier. Add candy bones around both tiers of the cake.Store the cake loosely covered in plastic wrap. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve slices of cake with accompanying haunted houses.
      NotesIf using the template provided, print on paper slightly heavier than copy paper. Or, print out on regular copy paper, cut out the houses, and trace them onto a piece of heavy card stock.
      Make sure the cookie dough is well chilled, then place the templates on top of the dough. Cut out dough shapes using a small paring knife or a kitchen dedicated X-acto knife.  

      Keyword american buttercream, confetti cake, confetti sprinkles, decorated sugar cookies, funfetti cake, Halloween cake, Halloween confetti cake, haunted house cake, Haunted Village Cake, royal icing, spider sprinkles, sprinke cake, sugar cookies

      You may also enjoy: LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Throw a Glam Halloween Party with Spooky Sweets and Treats

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      Dazzle your guests with a Glam Halloween Party filled with dramatic décor and a spooky menu. An edible spider web croquembouche serves as an eerie table centerpiece. A coffin-shaped charcuterie board overflows with much to savor. Witchy cookie favors are a take home treat that will ensure the magic continues long after the party is over!

      Earlier this year, my friends at HGTV.com invited me to craft a Glam Halloween Party for their lifestyle and entertainment section, complete with festive food, décor, and more! Well. I guess you already know – I couldn’t say yes fast enough! Just thinking about all the goth and glam made my brain light up, and I couldn’t wait to dive in. We spent a big chunk of August giving one end of the workshop a makeover with all the haunted mansion vibes we could find.
      There is much inspiration, and many recipes to explore, along with crafting articles and free printables. Which I’ll link individually in this post. However, I urge you to view the entire slide show right here on HGTV.com. There are many more links in the gallery captions to all kinds of Halloween party ideas, costumes – the works!

      The tablescape.
      No doubt about it, I’m a more is more kind of gal. So we absolutely layered this table with velvety and gilded textures, along with some pretty dramatic florals and glittering details. You can read more in the slideshow captions about where we sourced our tableware and décor – on a budget!

      A spider-infested centerpiece.
      Classic croquembouche makes a commanding centerpiece, so I decided to give this French confection a spooky makeover. It’s also a shortcut recipe that uses store-bought profiteroles from the freezer section at the grocery store. Get the recipe for Spiderweb Croquembouche RIGHT HERE.

      Halloween place card holders.
      These Skeleton Hand Place Card Holders were SO FUN to craft using foam pumpkins and skeletal swizzle sticks. They’re not hard to make and there’s a free editable template for the black floral place cards. You can find that tutorial on HGTV.com RIGHT HERE.

      Sparkling sweets.
      I made these Tipsy, Glitzy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for a New Year’s treat for HGTV.com many years ago. But I felt they’d work perfectly as a gilded treat for this party! So here they are again. Get the recipe for Chocolate-Covered Strawberries and Champagne RIGHT HERE.

      Something to sip.
      Shimmery Scary Cherry Mocktail (or Cocktail) has a secret ingredient that makes it glitter like a magic potion. Find the recipe for Halloween Shimmering Cherry Mocktail RIGHT HERE.

      Creepy crawly wall gallery.
      How fun are these framed glittering specimens? (Honestly, I’m tempted to keep them up as dark academia décor year-round.) It’s not only easy, but thrifty, to make an entire Halloween gallery of wall art using dollar store frames, plastic bugs, and glitter. Get the step-by-step tutorial RIGHT HERE.

      A fancy favor.
      These Fancy Witch Hat Cookies with gilded bands and bat decors make a fun parting gift for guests. And they can be made far ahead of party time because they keep so well air tight. There’s also a free printable tag with a spooky-sweet message – just print and tie on (easy!). Get the recipe and tutorial RIGHT HERE.

      I hope you’ve enjoyed this preview of our party. Again, you can find all the images, recipes, how-to articles, and MUCH more RIGHT HERE on HGTV.com. xo-h
      Related recipe: Four Easy Halloween Treats for HGTV.com

      You may also enjoy: LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

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      These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars are a delightful dessert mashup of the classic cookie and pumpkin spice bars. Baked in a 13×9 pan, this recipe makes plenty for sharing!

      This Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bar recipe is a fusion of everything I love about fall baking. It takes the classic snickerdoodle cookie, famous for its cinnamon-sugar goodness, and turns it into a quick(er) baking project with an autumn makeover. Pumpkin puree in the batter gives the bars a beautiful golden interior. Pumpkin spice added to crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping adds an extra layer of warmth and flavor. A batch comes together quickly and is baked in a 13×9 inch pan, which means there will be plenty to go around!

      Make the pumpkin batter.
      This is such an easy batter to whip up. Start with an entire cup of melted butter, both white and brown sugars, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice and blend well. Add in a little fine grain salt to balance out the flavors.

      Mix in the flour and leaven.
      Next, add flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder. Mix it all up just until the batter is consistent. (I’m not even sure step photos were necessary for this, because it’s SUCH a simple recipe!)

      The finished batter should be fairly thick. I used a hand mixer, but you could easily mix this together by hand with just a spatula.

      Top with sugar and spice mixture.
      The cinnamon-sugar and pumpkin spice mixture is crucial to the snickerdoodle appeal of this dessert. It creates that wonderful crunchy top. Cover the entire surface with the mixture – it will seem like too much sugar, but it bakes up just right.

      You can serve these directly from the baking pan, or plate them if you’re having a special dinner.

      These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars are cakey inside, but deserve to be called bars because of their tight crumb. The interior is soft and the cinnamon-sugar crunch on top is so addictive! Serve them warm with coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up. They keep well stored in an airtight container.
      Related recipe: Pecan Praline Pumpkin Torte

      Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

      Heather Baird

      This is a quick baking project, easily made in about an hour from start to finish. A plateful makes a wonderful edible gift or just a sweet indulgence for yourself. They’re easy to make, absolutely delicious, and they capture the essence of fall in every bite.

      #wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #5A822B; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }No ratings yet

      Prep Time 10 minutes minsCook Time 23 minutes minscooling time 30 minutes 30 minutes minsTotal Time 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 18 bars

      Equipment13×9 inch baking pan
      Ingredients  Cinnamon-spice sugar coating5 tablespoons granulated sugar2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spicePumpkin snickerdoodle batter1 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled1 cup granulated sugar1 cup light brown sugar packed2 large eggs1 tablespoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or other fine grain salt1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar1 teaspoon baking powder
      Instructions Cinnamon-spice sugar coatingCombine the sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.Whisk until the ingredients are well combined; set aside.BatterPreheat the oven to 350°F.Coat a 13×9 inch baking pan with flour-based baking spray, or mist it with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper that overhangs two sides of the pan. Lightly coat the paper with cooking spray.Place the melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix together using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk.Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix again until well blended.Next, add the flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with all of the cinnamon-spice sugar mixture. Use a spatula or your hand to lightly tamp the sugar down.Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached. The sugar coating will create a crunchy crust, along with some loose granules shifting around on top when the pan is moved. This is normal.Cool in the pan 30 minutes to serve warm, or cool completely for about 1 hour. Serve bars from the pan or transfer squares to a platter (try to keep as much loose sugar on the bars as possible). If using the parchment liner, lift the entire sheet of pumpkin bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment, then cut into squares.Serve slices warm or at room temperature. Squares reheat well in the microwave for 20 seconds. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
      NotesThese bars can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature before serving. 

      Keyword bar recipes, brown sugar, canned pumpkin, canned pumpkin puree, fall desserts, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin snickerdoodle bars

      You may also enjoy: LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      The Best Blueberry Recipes

      ha scritto per te

      Make the best of the blueberry season with my favorite Blueberry Recipes. I’m sharing delicious blueberry desserts, baked treats, breakfast ideas, and more. Plus, handy tips for picking and storing fresh blueberries!

      Table of Contents

      22 Best Recipes to Make With Blueberries
      The one time of the year I look forward to more than the holiday season? Berry season! Summertime is when many of my favorite ingredients come out to play. After sharing my favorite Strawberry Recipes, I figured it was blueberries’ turn in the spotlight. 
      Ah, fresh blueberries. You can bake them into delicious desserts, turn them into sauces, freeze them for later, or devour them by the handful. There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy seasonal blueberries. I’m here to try them ALL. I’m also sharing all my best tips for choosing and storing blueberries. Let’s get into it!
      Why You’ll Love These Blueberry Recipes

      Variety. I’ve rounded up mouthwatering blueberry desserts, breakfast recipes, and baked treats to try. From cobblers to cakes and crumbles, all you need is a scoop of homemade ice cream.
      Easy to make. Who doesn’t love a delicious dessert recipe that’s also simple to make? These blueberry recipes are approachable and beginner-friendly.
      Fresh or frozen. The blueberry recipes below taste incredible when they’re made with fresh blueberries. However, many turn out perfectly delicious with frozen blueberries, too. Enjoy your favorites all year round!

      When Are Blueberries in Season?
      In the US, blueberry season falls between April and September. The peak months vary by state, but this is when the blueberries that you find in the stores and at your local farmer’s market will be at their best ripeness and juiciness. 
      Tips for Choosing the Best Blueberries
      Same as with picking the best strawberries, there are some tell-tale signs that indicate you’re getting the best blueberries for your buck. Whether you’re picking them right from the plant or selecting blueberries at the store, here are my tips for picking perfect ripe blueberries:

      Look for dry, plump, and smooth berries that are dark blue or purple in color. It’s normal to see blueberries with a silvery film/coating.
      Try to find blueberries that are even in size. 
      Avoid blueberries that are shriveled or wrinkled.
      Avoid reddish-colored berries, as these are underripe and blueberries won’t ripen further once they’re off the bush.

      Blueberry FAQs
      How can I tell if blueberries are sweet? The best way to tell is by their appearance. Sweet, juicy blueberries will be plump, firm, and darker in color. Usually, the darker blue the berry is, the sweeter it is.  Should blueberries be kept in the fridge? Yes, fresh blueberries should be refrigerated. Properly storing your blueberries is key to keeping them fresh, see the section below for storage tips. Can I buy blueberries year-round? I prefer to buy fresh blueberries locally when they’re in season. They always taste the best! That being said, it’s fairly easy to find imported berries year-round in most places. You can also make many of the recipes below with frozen blueberries. How do I know if blueberries have gone bad? Blueberries that have gone off will be soft or mushy to the touch, with signs of discoloration or bruising. Make sure to pick out blueberries that show mold, leaky juices, or signs of decay so that they don’t spoil the rest of the pack.
      How to Store Fresh Blueberries
      Leave fresh blueberries unwashed for storage. Washing them breaks their natural protective barrier and leads to moisture, which can cause the berries to spoil faster. Store your clamshell of blueberries in the fridge as soon as you’re back from the store, and don’t leave them at room temperature for too long.
      Store hand-picked blueberries in a single layer, in a shallow container lined with paper towels. I recommend using additional paper towels in between layers if needed. Cover the container loosely and refrigerate the blueberries for up to 1-2 weeks.
      Freezing Blueberries
      Freezing is a great way to ensure that you have real, fresh blueberries on hand all year round. Spread out your blueberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with foil, and pre-freeze them prior to storing. 
      Once the berries are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They will keep fresh for up to 6-8 months in the freezer. Thaw blueberries overnight in the fridge before using them.
      My Best Blueberry Recipes
      These recipes really blue me away the first time I made them. I’m all about revisiting these bright and zesty blueberry recipes every summer when blueberries come into season. I can’t wait for you to try them, let me know your favorites!
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      Homemade Blueberry Crisp
      Bursting with blueberries beneath a baked buttery oat crumble, this easy blueberry crisp recipe is the perfect summer dessert. It’s like the yin to fall apple crisp’s yang!

      Blueberry Crumble Bars
      These sweet and crumbly blueberry crumble bars are perfect for sharing. I love taking these bright berry dessert bars along to family potlucks and picnics. They’re always a huge hit!

      Easy Banana Blueberry Muffins
      These soft and fluffy banana muffins are filled with fresh blueberries. They’re one of my favorite make-ahead breakfast ideas! Bake these muffins to eat right away, or stash them in the freezer for later.

      Blueberry Cobbler
      Summertime treats don’t get more classic than a fabulous and buttery homemade blueberry cobbler. Fresh blueberries take the flavor of this cobbler to a whole new level of delicious!

      Sour Cream Blueberry Bundt Cake
      This blueberry bundt cake recipe is a keeper! It’s ultra-moist and tender, made with sour cream with bright pops of berries. Every soft, fruit-filled bite melts in your mouth.

      Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies
      You have to try these soft, cake-like sandwich cookies filled with blueberries and lemon cream cheese frosting! These homemade lemon blueberry whoopie pies are simple to make and taste like summer.

      Blueberry Banana Bread
      Blueberries and bananas are a match made in baking heaven, and one bite of this tender blueberry banana bread is here to prove it. Enjoy a slice with your morning coffee. It’s the BEST way to start the day!

      Easy Blueberry Muffins
      Light and fluffy blueberry muffins are a breeze to make and taste incredible spread with butter. This is the only recipe for homemade blueberry muffins you’ll ever need.

      Blueberry Pancakes
      A quick and easy recipe for the fluffiest-ever blueberry pancakes! These are so delicious, you’ll want to make them every morning. Luckily, these homemade pancakes need simple ingredients and come together in minutes!

      Pound Cake Trifle
      The next time you’re feeling fancy, make this perfect pound cake trifle loaded with fresh mixed berries and cream! The real secret is that this classic dessert is SO easy to make from scratch.

      Blueberry Cream Cheese Biscuits
      What do you get when you mix a buttery biscuit with a blueberry muffin? You get blueberry cream cheese biscuits, and they are DELICIOUS. These easy homemade biscuits are crisp at the edges and soft in the middle, with blueberries in every bite.

      Berry Ambrosia Salad
      Creamy and filled with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries, this berry ambrosia salad is the perfect picnic dessert. It’s a fruit salad like you’ve never had before!

      Blueberry Muffin Cookies
      All the flavors and softness we love about a blueberry muffin wrapped up a delicious and easy cookie recipe! I even topped these irresistible blueberry cookies with a buttery streusel. Perfection.

      Blueberry Cobbler Bread
      This tender blueberry cobbler bread is the best way to take a favorite blueberry dessert on the go. It’s a sweet quick bread recipe filled with blueberry puree and topped with a crumble cobbler topping.

      Blueberry Mousse Cheesecake
      Looking for an impressive and easy dessert to make for a special occasion (or any occasion)? Look no further than this rich and creamy cheesecake recipe topped with blueberry mousse and plump fresh blueberries.

      Blueberry Muffin Cake
      I love this blueberry muffin cake because it’s exactly what the name suggests: a soft blueberry muffin in the form of a light, fluffy cake! This dessert is loaded with blueberries, complete with a crunchy streusel topping.

      Blueberries and Cream Muffins
      These blueberry muffins have a decadent surprise in the form of a sweet cream cheese filling. The tang of cream cheese combined with the sweetness of blueberries in these fluffy homemade muffins is unreal.

      Angel Food Cake with Wine Soaked Berries
      Gather your favorite medley of fresh summer berries, because you’re going to want to make this dessert ASAP! This is an easy angel food cake recipe with an adult twist. Wine-soaked berries – need I say more?

      Berry Crisp
      This bright berry crisp is the ultimate dessert to make during berry season, and it’s just as easy to make with frozen berries at any other time of the year. Perfect to serve with a scoop of ice cream!

      Berry Slab Pie
      I love making this berry slab pie with any type of berry, but especially fresh juicy blueberries! It’s a simple dessert that’s absolutely popping with summertime flavor.

      Glazed Berry Sugar Cookie Bars
      These blueberry-filled cookie bars are an easy shortcut to soft home-baked sugar cookies. There’s no need for portioning or rolling out the dough, here. Drizzle them with glaze for extra sweetness!

      Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole
      Have breakfast ready for the oven the night before with this delectable overnight blueberry French toast bake. Each slice is filled with the flavors of cinnamon and blueberries and drizzled with blueberry sauce.

      Craving more easy summer recipes? Check out my recipe finder for more tasty ideas! LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Compost Cookies (to Satisfy Every Craving!)

      ha scritto per te

      Compost Cookies® are loaded with all kinds of sweet and salty snacks. Adapted from Milk Bar’s famous recipe, this version has peanut-ty flavor.

      Compost Cookies. I think we can all agree that it’s not the most tempting name. But don’t let that fool you! These cookies are buttery rounds of YUM. Filled with plenty of mix-ins that include chocolate chips, peanut butter morsels, pretzels, graham crackers, oats, honey-roasted peanuts, and coffee grounds. Yes! You read that right. Not used coffee grounds, but fresh ground coffee. Each bite offers something unique for the ultimate snacking experience.
      The story goes that these cookies were born of necessity due to an ingredients shortage. And sweets chef Christina Tosi of Milk Bar fame made something special from what was on hand. They’ve been called Kitchen Sink Cookies and Garbage Cookies due to their impressive amount of add-ins. Tosi says “Call them what you want, and make them as we make them at Milk Bar, or add your own favorite snacks to the cookie base in place of ours”. Which is exactly what I did.

      One special ingredient I added to the base dough is plain yellow cornmeal. This gives the cookie even more creaveable texture. I’ve made these a few times now – with and without – and I love the cornmeal addition. However, if you don’t have cornmeal on hand, it can be replaced with an equal amount of flour. No big deal!
      Get all the dry dough ingredients into a big bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Next, it’s time to raid your snack pantry!
      My suggested mix-ins: broken pretzels, honey-roasted peanuts, broken graham crackers, peanut butter morsels, oats, ground coffee, semisweet chocolate chips.

      Compost Cookie mix-ins.
      The Milk Bar cookie recipe encourages experimentation, which makes me happy. Who doesn’t love a variable recipe where almost anything goes? However, my peanut-ty take was so well-received that I keep repeating the same ingredients. And that was the reason I decided to post the recipe here.
      Gather the recipe’s mix-in ingredients, or whatever mixture of snack foods that inhabits your pantry, and stir them together in a bowl. Set aside to make the base dough.

      Make the base dough
      In the bowl of an electric mixer (preferably a stand mixer) cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add an egg and vanilla extract; blend those together well.

      Add the dry mixture and beat until just combined. Don’t over mix!

      Finally, get all those bits and bobs in the bowl and mix briefly. Beat together for 10-15 on low speed. This should distribute the mix-ins throughout without beating them up too much.

      Look at that gorgeous dough chock full of – everything! All of those additions seem to be held together with a whisper of cookie dough. But in the end, the cookies bake up with a nice balanced ratio of dough to mix-ins.

      The right measure.
      Portion these by the level 1/4 cup measures. Use a standard size ice cream scoop if you have one. Because it’s approximately 1/4 cup capacity. Space the cookies far apart. They will spread a little. If you find they’re spreading a little unevenly, you can gently push the cookie edges into a round shape using a butter knife while they are still hot.

      Add some extras on top! This gives the finished cookies bakery-made appeal. I used broken pretzel sticks on some of the unbaked cookies, and tiny twists on others. Bake the cookies. They should be well browned on the edges and barely set in the centers. About 13 minutes was just right in my oven, but no two ovens are alike. So keep an eye on them as they bake.

      I’m tempted to call these ‘Midnight Snack Cookies’ instead of ‘Compost Cookies’ because they sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, chocolaty, and peanut-buttery all at once. They satisfy every craving!

      This recipe makes about 2 dozen (I got 21 in my kitchen), so there’s plenty to share. Although, no judgment here if you decide to keep them all to yourself!
      Related recipe: 10 Cup Cookies

      Compost Cookies

      Heather Baird

      Simply put, this is a really delicious cookie with a lot of stuff in it. Adapted from Milk Bar’s famous recipe, this cookie has an abundance of sweet, salty, and crunchy ingredients. This rendition of the recipe has peanut-ty flavor with honey-roasted peanuts and peanut butter morsels in the mix. It also has semisweet chips, oats, crushed graham crackers, and ground coffee. A small amount of plain yellow cornmeal bumps up the texture of the cookie dough. If you don’t have any on hand, you can still make this recipe. Swap in 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour for the cornmeal.Be careful not to overbake these cookies. The cookies are done when the edges are brown and the center is just set and still soft and pale. 13 minutes was just right for my oven, but since ovens vary, I urge you to keep an eye on the cookies as they bake.

      #wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #5A822B; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }No ratings yet

      Prep Time 20 minutes minsCook Time 15 minutes mins1 hour chill time 1 hour hrTotal Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 2 dozen

      Equipment¼ cup measure, or trigger ice cream scoopparchment paper2-4 Light aluminum cookie sheets
      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup plain yellow cornmeal stone ground1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt1 cup honey-roasted peanuts1 cup broken pretzel sticks or tiny twists or a combination of the two1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers about 8 squares1 cup semisweet chocolate chips1/2 cup peanut butter morsels such as Reese’s1/3 cup quick cooking oats1 tablespoon coffee grounds1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature1 cup granulated sugar2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed1 large egg at room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      Instructions In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.In a separate large bowl combine the peanuts, pretzels, graham crackers, peanut butter chips, oats, and coffee grounds. Stir to combine.In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat again until well combined.Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and beat until just combined on low speed. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat again briefly.Pour in the mixture of add-ins and stir together on low speed until they are all well dispersed throughout the dough, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl with a large rubber spatula to make sure there are no hidden pockets of plain batter. If you find some, incorporate them using a large rubber spatula.Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper (avoid using dark-coated cookie sheets; light aluminum works best here). Scoop dough by the level 1/4 cup measures and place them on the cookie sheets, well-spaced because these cookies spread. Top with additional chips, nuts, and pretzels, if desired. Chill the dough on the sheets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 375 F.Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the centers are just set yet still soft. The centers will look underbaked. Let the cookies stay on the pans until they are firm enough to transfer, 5-7 minutes. If cookies aren’t perfectly round when they come out of the oven, use a butter knife to gently push the edges into shape while they are still hot. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.Store cookies airtight for up to 5 days. To freeze cookies, store double bagged freezer bags with the air removed for up to 2 months.
      NotesUse the right pan: Light aluminum pans work best with this recipe, as dark-coated non-stick pans tend to make the edges of the dough spread.
      Anything goes! Fritos, tortilla chips, cereal, nuts, dried fruit – you name it. The original Compost Cookie recipe has potato chips as an ingredient. If you plan to swap in potato chips, choose a thicker cut variety with ridges so they’ll stand up to being mixed into the cookie dough.
      This recipe was adapted from Christina Tosi’s recipe from Milk Bar. 

      Keyword compost cookies, garbage cookies, ground coffee, kitchen sink cookies, midnight snack cookies, peanut butter morsels, semisweet chips

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    • in Recipes

      Mint Chocolate Chip Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

      ha scritto per te

      Add some holiday flavor and color to your cookie tray with Mint Chocolate Chip Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies!

      Shortbread is my favorite kind of cookie. That’s no secret to long-time blog readers, I’m sure. The formula is so simple and the end result so delicate and buttery, I’m always dreaming up new ways to flavor and shape the dough. This year for a Christmas cookie offering, I decided to make them into thumbprint cookies! These Mint Chocolate Chip Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies are fun and festive with bright color and zingy mint flavor. Mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers will want to make these.

      Cream the butter.
      Cream one cup of butter with 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar until smooth. A hand mixer will work just fine for this task. The ratio of sugar makes the shortbread lightly sweet so the mint and chocolate flavors shine through.

      Color and flavor.
      Frontier Co-op Organic Mint Extract is what I keep in my pantry to make minty treats. It’s not overpowering if used in moderation. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the extract, along with a little green food color to the creamed mixture. I used a pastel green gel food color, but it ended up being bolder than I expected – but I like it! A few drops of liquid green food color would work just fine also.

      Add in the flour and mini chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Don’t be tempted to overmix here, tender shortbread depends on not developing the flour’s gluten.

      Scoop and shape.
      Portion the dough out onto parchment-lined baking sheets using a cookie scoop (or a slightly heaped tablespoon). After scooping, make a well, or a thumbprint, in each dough ball. I use the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure.

      Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, then reshape the ‘thumbprint’ after baking. The cookies will puff up a little under the heat, and the well becomes shallow. Just press the 1/2 teaspoon measure into the divots to make them slightly deeper.

      Fill and drizzle.
      After the cookies cool, fill the wells with rich chocolate ganache, then drizzle the tops with leftover ganache.

      These cookies lively little minty bites. They remind me of an Andes mint in cookie form!
      This blog post is sponsored by Go Bold With Butter. View more butter recipes at this link.
      Related recipe: Peppermint Snowball Cookies

      Mint Chocolate Chip Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

      Heather Baird

      The classic flavor of mint chocolate chip brings a mashup of shortbread and thumbprint cookies together! Use real butter to achieve the perfect crumbly shortbread texture. Rich chocolate ganache fills the ‘thumbprints’ with an extra drizzle for good measure.Please note that because these thumbprint cookies have a shortbread base, there is no chemical leaven or egg in the ingredients.

      #wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #5A822B; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }No ratings yet

      Prep Time 30 minsCook Time 12 mins1 hour cooling time 1 hrTotal Time 1 hr 42 mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 24

      Equipment1 disposable piping bag or zip top storage bag
      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Cookies1 cup unsalted butter softened1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar1/2 teaspoon mint extractGreen food color2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chipsGanache Filling2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips1/3 cup heavy cream
      Instructions CookiesPreheat the oven to 350°F.Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.Add mint extract and green food color; mix to combine.Next, add flour and mini chips; mix until just combined (avoid overmixing).Remove dough from the bowl; shape into 1-inch balls. You can also use a 4- teaspoon capacity cookie scoop. Roll the balls between your palms, and then place 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.Create a well in each dough ball with your thumb or by using the rounded back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure. Chill dough for 15 minutes.Bake for 10-12 minutes.Once baked, reshape the wells with the handle of a wooden spoon or the 1/2 teaspoon measure. Let cool on the baking sheets.Move cooled cookies to a parchment paper-covered work surface.Ganache FillingHeat semisweet chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute at 100% power. Allow the mixture to stand 1 minute. Whisk until you have a silky, shiny ganache.Transfer the ganache to a disposable piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped. Fill each cookie well with the ganache. Use any leftover ganache to drizzle over the cookies.Let stand until cookies are completely set, about 1 hour.Enjoy right away! Or store the cookies an airtight container with layers between pieces of waxed paper.
      NotesMake ahead: the shortbread thumbprint cookies can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight. Make the ganache and fill as directed in the recipe. 

      Keyword Christmas cookies, mini chocolate chips, mint chocolate chip cookies, shortbread cookies, thumbprint cookies

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    • in Recipes

      Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

      ha scritto per te

      Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are rich, bite-size sweets with a mini Reese’s cup nestled in their centers. Serve alongside a tall glass of milk – Santa will thank you!

      Full disclosure: I make these cookies year-round. But my Christmas cookie giveaway trays would not be complete without them! Everyone loves them. Especially Reese’s peanut butter cup lovers. These cookies are baked in a mini muffin tin, which creates the perfect size chocolate cookie cup to hold a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup. They are chocolatey, chewy, and so delish with that perfect center of peanut butter.

      Portion the dough.
      Use a cookie scoop (4 teaspoon capacity) to portion the dough and then roll them into balls between your palms. The chocolate dough has a little peanut butter in it, so it is unsticky and very easy to shape. Place each dough ball in the cavity of a mini muffin pan. My mini muffin pan has 24 cavities. This recipe makes about 36 cookies so I had to re-wash my pan and re-grease it for the last dozen.
      Before you start baking, go ahead and unwrap the 36 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and have them ready to hand.

      Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. They come out of the oven looking a lot like mini chocolate muffins!

      Add the peanut butter cups.
      Immediately after removing the pan from the oven, press a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup in the center of each baked cookie. Be careful, though! The pan will be hot. Now, you could stop right here and have some really good-looking cookies. But the holidays call for something a little extra.

      Dress them up!
      Whip up an easy peanut butter drizzle by melting peanut butter baking chips with just a little vegetable oil (I used olive oil). This makes the peanut butter mixture more fluid, more drizzly. I put the peanut butter mixture in a piping bag with a small hole snipped in the end, but you could use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.

      Get out your favorite holiday sprinkles to give these some festive color. I used some holly berry quins, but jimmies would look nice, too.

      The chocolate cookie cup is so soft and chewy, which perfectly contrasts the peanut buttery flavor of the peanut butter cup. These are so poppable – a little too easy to eat, if you ask me!
      Related recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Hot Cocoa Bombs

      Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

      Heather Baird

      These cookies are beloved by kids of all ages. Chocolatey, chewy, and peanut-buttery, they’ll disappear fast! Unwrap the mini Reese’s cups ahead of time and have them ready to immediately press into the cookies after they are taken out of the oven.

      #wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #5A822B; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #5A822B; }No ratings yet

      Prep Time 20 minsCook Time 12 minsTotal Time 32 mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 36

      Equipmentmini muffin tin with 24 cavities
      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 2/3 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup dark cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking soda1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt1/2 cup sugar1/3 cup creamy peanut butter1/4 cup unsalted butter softened1 egg2 tablespoons whipping cream1 teaspoon vanilla36 Reese’s peanut butter cups miniatures unwrapped1/4 cup peanut butter chips1 tablespoon vegetable oil
      Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the cavities of a mini muffin pan with flour-based baking spray (or grease pan with nonstick cooking spray).In small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, peanut butter, and unsalted butter on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until blended.Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. (I used a cookie scoop, 4 teaspoon capacity.) Place one ball into each muffin cup.Bake 12 minutes. Immediately press 1 peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Cool in pan on cooling rack. Combine the peanut butter chips and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals until the mixture can be stirred smooth. It should be a little runny and pourable. Transfer the mixture to a zip-top bag with a tiny hole in the corner snipped. Drizzle over hot cocoa bombs. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over 5 cookies at a time, then immediately top with sprinkles. Continue working like this until all of the cookies are drizzled and sprinkled. The peanut butter drizzle will set up quickly, so be swift with your sprinkling.Allow the cookies to stand until set, about 5-7 minutes. Store the cookies airtight until ready to serve.
      NotesPlace the unwrapped peanut butter cups on a plate and then on  a countertop away from the stovetop. This prevents them from softening and melting. They should be firm enough to press into the hot cookie cups right when they come out of the oven. If your kitchen is particularly warm at room temperature, place the peanut butter cups in the refrigerator while the cookies bake.

      Keyword chocolate cookie dough, cookie cups, mini Reese’s cups, peanut butter cookie dough, reese’s peanut butter cups

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