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Cookie Recipe

PEPPERMINT COCOA COOKIES

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December can only mean one thing when it comes to food blogging… COOKIES! Over the years, I’ve done more Christmas cookie baking days and cookie exchanges than I can count. These traditions are fun, right? And they truly bring joy. Joy that tastes delicious, and sweet, and comforting. So many of us have memories of a grandparent or a parent making a certain favorite cookie. No matter how old I get, I will always feel nostalgic love for a chocolate crinkle cookie (in my family, we call it a chocolate Kringle cookie) because that’s what tastes like home so to speak. In a year when many of us can’t be near our families for the holidays, we can at least come together over holiday cookies. Perhaps you and your mom make the same traditional recipe on the same day this year? Or maybe you video chat with your brother as you both try a new cookie recipe? Let’s make cookies together this year even if we still aren’t close enough to hug.

White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.

I’ve had chocolate on the brain lately, brownies specifically, actually. However, brownies don’t scream Christmas to me. With that in mind, I converted a brownie recipe I’ve been working on and turned it into a holiday cookie. My husband loves peppermint with chocolate (frankly, I do too) and so this peppermint cocoa cookie was born. To keep things festive, I used actual peppermint candies for this recipe rather than peppermint extract. I hope you’ll think of your family and holiday traditions as you dive into these cookies.

White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.
White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.

Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

Sarah Baade
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but add richness to the chocolate flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5 oz starlight mint candies or candy canes, broken into small pieces

Instructions
 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, melted chocolate, vegetable oil, espresso powder and vanilla.
  • Stir in eggs one at a time.
  • Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
  • Stir in broken candy pieces.
  • Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat over to 350°F.
  • Form cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet, 2" apart.
  • Bake 13-15 minutes.

Notes

*I did not have any marshmallow fluff on hand when I made these but I think it would be great for turning these into a sandwich cookie.
Keyword Chocolate, Cookies, Peppermint, Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

PERFECT DOZEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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I’ve been on a sweets kick over the past few weeks. Sorry, not sorry about that. In a way, I’m just going back to my roots with this post though. Baking is what first drew me to the kitchen. And chocolate chip cookies? Isn’t that what most of us first learn to bake with? My daughter has known the basic ingredients for chocolate chip cookies since she was two years old. We’re still working on measurements but I love that she can call out the ingredients we need as we grab them from the pantry and fridge.

Even though this is my fourth chocolate chip cookie recipe (you can find links to the others at the bottom of this page), I know I will create more in the future. This has become my favorite cookie to play with and make variations of. Honestly, you guys have also been a driving force behind these recipes. I’ve heard stories about you using my chocolate chip cookie recipes to teach your own kids how to bake. Stories about making my recipes for special occasions. It means so much to me to know that you all are incorporating my cookie creations into your own traditions and communities! Without further adieu, here is the latest version. I really think of this one as a classic chocolate chip cookie. It makes only a dozen because some folks have a need for small batch recipes. That being said, these cookies are larger than I usually make and they are full of flavor.

Perfect Dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sarah Baade
A small batch recipe for a classic chocolate chip cookie – this recipe makes 12 large cookies.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Scape down sides of bowl as needed.
  • Add egg and vanilla to butter and mix until combined.
  • Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips then chill dough for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Once chilled, scoop 6 heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and bake 17 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Enjoy cookies warm with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream.
Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Homemade Cookies, Small Batch Recipe

More chocolate chip cookie recipes:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

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A friend of mine was commenting on my Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookie recipe the other day and said she plans to make those for her kid’s class party this week. First and foremost, I was thrilled that she wanted to use my recipe. However, my second thought was complete shock. I was shocked that any kind of peanut product was allowed in her daughter’s classroom. I was also shocked that homemade treats were allowed. Here in San Antonio, I don’t know of any schools that allow nut products of homemade treats in the classrooms. This is true even at the daycare level. I understand the risks to those with nut allergies, and I’m not necessarily complaining here. I think it just makes me realize how much things have changed since I was a kid. Most people brought homemade cupcakes or cookies to class when we had parties back in the day. There is a part of me that is sad I’ll never be able to bring my daughter’s favorite homemade treat to her class. But you know what? Part of me is also relieved. There will never be that pressure to create some fancy homemade treat at the 11th hour the night before a class party.

When my daughter’s current classroom has parties, they ask us to sign up to bring something off of a premade list of foods. This week, our contribution is Valentine colored m&m’s. Perfect. Easy. Done. But for home, I still wanted my daughter to have a fun treat made by mom. Inspired by pink m&m’s, and my daughter’s love for chocolate chip cookies, I’ve created these chocolate chip cookie bars. Mixing up the dough is easy and adding m&m’s along with sprinkles adds a festive flare. I also love that you end up with two dozen servings all done at once. No scooping. No swapping out baking sheets. It is all in one pan and then you simply cut it as you’re ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sarah Baade
The all-American classic chocolate chip cookie turned into a bar.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (whichever you prefer – you just want variety from the semisweet you'll be adding in)
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Optional toppings: 1/4 cup candy coated chocolates such as m&m's, 1 Tablespoon jimmie sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and granulated sugar with butter.
  • Add eggs and vanilla.
  • Mix in dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, until all ingredients are fully combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Press cookie dough into pan. If adding candies and sprinkles, spread them evenly and press into the top of cookie dough.
  • Bake 35-38 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely before cutting.
Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Dessert Recipe, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Valentine’s Treat

OATMEAL CHERRY COOKIES

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We are in full cookie exchange season and I am loving it! This week I participated in an exchange at work and we ended up with seven varieties of cookies (and recipes). SEVEN!!! It had been several years since I last participated in a cookie exchange and I had kind of forgotten how great it is. I love seeing what people bring in and the stories behind the recipes. This is such a great way of using food to create community. With each story that is told about a recipe, we get to know each other a little bit better.

I am a huge fan of any category of dessert – cakes, pastries, tarts, etc. But let’s be real here, cookies are awesome for several reasons. They are typically easy to make. Most recipes make at least a couple dozen cookies which means you have more to share. If you aren’t needing a few dozen cookies to share, you can always freeze them for later. Actually, you can freeze the dough into individual cookie dough balls and then bake them when the craving strikes. OR, you can bake them all from the get go and just thaw them out when you’re ready for a treat. Cookies really do have a flexibility that most other desserts just don’t have.

For this year’s cookie exchange, I reached into my grandmother’s recipe box. To be fair, I chose this Oatmeal Cherry Cookie recipe partly because I already had all but one ingredient in the house and partly because it sounded like a fun twist on the more traditional oatmeal cookie. The maraschino cherries add a different sweetness than the raisins you would typically find in an oatmeal cookie but they also give a festive pop of color. These cookies are a bit smaller than what most recipes seem to make but I actually really love the size. It gives you that sweet treat that you’re looking for without over indulging. This recipe is also perfect for a cookie exchange because it makes FIVE dozen cookies. That’s right, no need to double the recipe. You’ll get five dozen little cookies out of the recipe as it is. You’re welcome.

OATMEAL CHERRY COOKIES

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup red maraschino cherries, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugars, egg, and vanilla extract.
  • Stir dry ingredients into sugar mixture.
  • Stir in oats and cherries.
  • Drop dough by the teaspoonfuls, two inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes.

Notes

Tip: Wear food safe gloves when chopping the cherries so the food dye doesn’t stain your hands.
Keyword Oatmeal Cherry Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies
Original recipe source unknown. Recipe has been modified from this version for the purpose of this blog.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Potato Chip Cookies

Lemon Iced Ginger Cookies

Vegan Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Stir-N-Drop Sugar Cookies

KEY LIME SUGAR COOKIES

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I used to make sugar cookies on the regular. I would do thick, soft, cut-out style cookies and then spend hours decorating them. If I’m honest, I made them in order to escape life’s stress. I was in a miserable, unhealthy relationship. Staying focused on the baking and decorating kept my mind at peace. I felt like I was in a situation that I couldn’t escape physically so I would do so mentally. Some people exercise to escape stress, some people turn to drugs or alcohol… I turned to baking. I did ultimately end that toxic relationship, got therapy and moved on to much happier times. It would be easy to resent those years but that would only keep me locked into the misery. Instead, I think of it as one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t be in the incredible marriage I’m in today if I hadn’t experienced my past. I probably wouldn’t be as thankful as I am for the healthy, loving and supportive relationship I have with my husband.

My love for sugar cookies is still strong but I don’t spend hours baking and decorating unless I’m motivated to do so out of joy. “Escape baking” is a thing of my past.  Instead, I choose easier, less time-consuming recipes to satisfy a sugar cookie craving. With summer comes bright citrus – lemon and lime season. When I was looking to make some sugar cookies, I saw key limes sitting on my counter and knew I need to incorporate them. This recipe is easy to make, you don’t even need to chill the dough. Perfect for when you don’t want to wait all day to have a homemade cookie.

Tips:

  • If you can’t find key limes, go ahead and use regular limes or you could even swap out for lemon if you prefer.
  • I made the icing somewhat thick so I could manipulate it on the cookies. If you prefer a lighter icing, reduce the amount of powdered sugar.

Key Lime Sugar Cookies

A vibrant take on a classic cookie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons key lime zest
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the icing

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh key lime juice
  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda then set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lime zest until light in color. Add in egg, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add in flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl periodically.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1” balls then place on parchment covered cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
  • Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Let cookies cool completely before adding icing.

For the icing

  • For the icing: pour lime juice into a small bowl. Gradually whisk powdered sugar into lime juice until fully incorporated and smooth (no lumps). Spoon icing onto cookies as desired.
Keyword Cookies, Dessert, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Key Lime, Key Lime Cookies, Key Lime Dessert, Lime

PEANUT BUTTER CUT-OUT COOKIES

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In high school I was known for being the girl who was nice to everyone. Not a bad thing to be known for but that doesn’t necessarily make a girl particularly popular. Most people knew who I was and which activities I was involved in. I had a solid couple of groups of friends but I certainly wasn’t getting invited to any big parties on the weekends. In fact, the one time did attend a party with the popular kids, I found the scene to be boring and didn’t understand what the draw was. The get-togethers that stand out in my mind are actually almost juvenile. One of my friends would invite a few of us over at Easter and Valentine’s Day for cookie decorating. Her mom was the one who actually wanted her to host these decorating parties, my friend might have even been embarrassed to have us over for cookies and hot chocolate. I hope she looks back at it as fondly as I do though. I remember there being tons of cookies, tons of frosting, tons of sprinkles, and tons of laughter. There was no pressure to impress boys or to do something that might get us into trouble. It was just pure fun. I’m hoping my daughter will want to host similar parties as she grows up.

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog

As I’ve gotten older, I still occasionally spend days decorating cookies but I’ve expanded beyond sugar cookies. Over the past few years I’ve favored gingerbread but February doesn’t exactly feel like gingerbread season. The cooler temperatures still have me thinking deep flavors – I’m just not quite ready for light floral/spring flavors. With Valentine’s Day coming up I still wanted to incorporate chocolate without making it the main event. What could pair better with chocolate than peanut butter?! So, I’ve created peanut butter cut-out cookies. The flavor is traditional but they are just as fun to decorate as a sugar cookie.

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • While you don’t have to refrigerate this dough before rolling and cutting it, you can if you want to. Feel free to make the dough a day ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and then chill in the fridge. Just be sure to pull it out and get it back to room temperature before rolling it.
  • I know it can be tempting to dunk the entire cookie in chocolate but try to show some restraint. Honestly, if you cover more than about half of the cookie, the chocolate will overwhelm the peanut butter flavor.

Peanut butter cookies dipped in dark chocolate – the perfect cut-out cookie for Valentine’s Day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups creamy style peanut butter
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 oz dark chocolate melting wafers
  • variety of sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. 
    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside. 
    In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. 
    Beat in eggs and vanilla. 
    Gradually stir in flour mixture. 
    Once flour is fully incorporated, place 1/3 of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll to ¼” thick. 
    Remove top layer of plastic wrap and cut dough with cookie cutters. 
    Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan for 11-13 minutes or until edges start to brown. 
    Cool cookies completely before decorating. 
    Melt chocolate wafers according to package. 
    Dip cookies in chocolate then add sprinkles as desired. Alternatively, drizzle chocolate over cookies.
Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog

SOFT BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - Slice Of Honey Blog

The other night we were invited to a friends’ house for an impromptu dinner – with no need to bring a contributing dish. What?! These friends were just wanting to love on our family and spend time together in community. How awesome is that??? An evening filled with conversation, kids running around playing and adults catching up on life. This is what sharing a meal is really all about. That being said, I struggle to just show up at someone’s house for a meal without having some sort of food in hand. I looked through the pantry, found some basic baking ingredients and whipped up some chocolate chip cookies.

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - Slice Of Honey Blog

A classic, simple dessert that is always a crowd pleaser. One of the neat things about chocolate chip cookies is how many variations are out there. And people have strong opinions on what they prefer. Soft batch (like this recipe), chewy or crisp. The way to vary the outcome is through changing the flour, the sweetener and the leavening agent. The other thing I like to do is use more than one kind of chocolate in my cookies just to add a little more depth to each bite. If you’re ever creating your own recipe, play around with these variables and see what you come up with!

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - Slice Of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • If you have left your cookies out too long when cooling them and they end up dry, put them in a zip lock bag with a slice of bread. You’ll be amazed at how much moisture those cookies will absorb!
  • If you don’t need three dozen cookies at one time, you can scoop the dough into individual servings and freeze it. Later on, you can pull out what you need and bake just a few at a time.

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sarah Baade
This classic cookie is elevated by using maple syrup and two types of chocolate.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 oz 70% cocao extra bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped into chunks

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar with butter. Add eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Ingredients will not fully combine just yet. Mix in dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, until all ingredients are fully combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheet. Leave 2-inches between the cookies. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven and transfer the cookies from the parchment to cooling racks.
Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Homemade Cookies, Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - Slice Of Honey Blog