Two holiday favorites combine into one with these snickerdoodle kiss topped ginger molasses blossoms. A welcome addition to your holiday cookie exchange.

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What better time to drop a new cookie recipe than on National Cookie Exchange Day! Do you have a go-to recipe that you bring? It should come as no surprise that I do not as I have too many I love and even more that I want to experiment with. Enter these ginger molasses blossoms topped with a snickerdoodle Hershey’s kiss.

When I found the new snickerdoodle kisses in the holiday section of the grocery store I bought them without any plan – I just knew they needed to be in my cart. I didn’t want to make the obvious, which were snickerdoodle cookies made into blossoms, but I struggled to think of what other flavor to make. And then I remembered how much I adore ginger molasses cookies and I was sold before I even tasted them.

These chewy ginger molasses blossoms are rolled in turbinado sugar to give them a contrasting texture on the outside in addition to the sweet spiced snickerdoodle kiss on top. Maybe serve them with some homemade hot cocoa to really get into the holiday spirit.

If you are stumbling upon this post later on and cannot find the coveted snickerdoodle kisses, they may not live up to the name of these but any white chocolate kiss will do. Heck even a regular chocolate one would work if that’s your flavor preference.

SNICKERDOODLE GINGER MOLASSES BLOSSOMS

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Yield: Approximately 30 cookies Prep Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1-1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Turbinado sugar, for rolling
• ~30 Hershey's snickerdoodle kisses, unwrapped

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, spices, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugars together on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the yolk and beat until incorporated, then add the molasses and vanilla, beating until smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients and on low speed, mix the dough until the flour is just incorporated.
4. Spoon some turbinado sugar into a wide shallow bowl.
5. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls (I used my medium cookie scoop to ensure they were all the same size) and roll in the sugar. Place on a tray, cover, and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
7. Place balls of dough on prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each ball of dough.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes - should be lightly set around the edges and softer in the center. Transfer the sheets to racks and immediately press a kiss int he center of each. Let the cookies rest for 15 minutes before removing from pan and placing them on racks to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Chewy Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies and Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blossoms.

Matcha white hot cocoa is the holiday drink of the season for all the matcha latte lovers out there. Whip up a batch for gift giving!

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I may not make a new flavor of homemade hot cocoa mix every year, but I’ve certainly made my fair share. After the chai hot cocoa I made two years ago I knew what had to be next – matcha!

Normally there is 1-1/2 cups of cocoa powder in the basic hot cocoa mix recipe but I wanted to make this matcha version with a white hot cocoa base. However, a little bit of matcha goes a long way and you only need 1/2-1 teaspoon per serving which if we use the high end equates to 1/2 cup for 2 dozen servings for this mix.

Due to the decreased volume I did consider increasing the amount of dry milk powder to make up for it but in the end decided to just leave it as is and reduce the amount of matcha white hot cocoa mix needed for each serving – reducing from 1/3 cup to a slightly mounded 1/4 cup.

The result was even better than I imagined, even though I already imagined the combination of a matcha latte and white chocolate to be delicious. And the color is extra fun for the season/holidays! I plan to bring this one along with a few other fun flavors to make a little holiday hot cocoa bar for family when we visit this coming week. Maybe serve them with some festive cookies because ’tis the season!

Other Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Flavors:

• Brownie Batter
• Cake Batter White Chocolate
• Chai
• Cinnamon
• Dark Chocolate
• Malted
• Peanut Butter
• Red Velvet
• Salted Caramel

MATCHA WHITE HOT COCOA MIX

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup matcha powder
• 1-1/2 cups* white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the white chocolate is finely ground.
3. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
4. To make matcha white hot cocoa, put a slightly mounded 1/4 cup of the mix in a mug and whisk in 1 cup of hot milk**. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Notes

*About one 12 oz. bag. **Not boiling, preferably 140-175F (60-80C).

Source: Adapted from my Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.

The holidays are not about picking and choosing. Have it all with these Oreo-stuffed, sugar cookie topped, Christmas cookie brownies.

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Evidently, putting pre-sliced holiday sugar cookies on top of a brownie is so last year. After making these Christmas cookie brownies I discovered it has been a TikTok craze that I missed because I deleted the app months ago after even more months of neglect (I’m just not a video consumer).

However, that version baked the holiday cookie on the bottom of the brownie for a little surprise while I put it on top so it’s cute design could shine.

How did I get the inspiration to make these if not from TikTok then? As if creativity could not possibly exist with out it… but actually I made double decker holiday cookies with a sugar cookie baked on top of a chocolate chip cookie 3 years ago. It was a very easy transition to do the same for brownies.

But what makes these a little different than their cookie cousin is that they are three things in one with a festive Oreo baked into the bottom of the brownie as well. Again, the TikTok version also had an Oreo but it was baked into the middle. Personally, I like my Christmas cookie brownies better :-P.

• Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Penguin Nutter Butter Cookies by Blogghetti
• Holiday Sugar Cookie Cups by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Pistachio Cranberry Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Double Chocolate Orange Buckwheat Cookies (redo) by Magical Ingredients
• Gluten Free Molasses Cookies by Art of Natural Living
• Chocolate Cherry Bubbles by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Buttery Oatmeal Raisin Molasses Spice Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Candy Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

CHRISTMAS COOKIE BROWNIES

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cooking Time: 22 Minutes 22 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 box brownie mix, and ingredients indicated on box
• 24 festive red creme Oreos
• 24 festive sugar cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cupcake pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the brownie batter ingredients as indicated on the box.
3. Place Oreos in the bottom of each cupcake cavity, fill 2/3 with brownie batter, and bake for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, quickly but carefully top each with a sugar cookie slice and bake for another 12 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely. 

Source: The Spiffy Cookie Original.

Love a good dessert mash up? The crunchy sweet filling of pecan pie is baked into a brown sugar cookie crust to create these delightful pecan pie cookies.

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If I could only pick one pie during the holidays, it would be pecan pie. Preferably with a scoop of ice cream on top, of course.

Christmas may be more about cookies than pies but that won’t stop me from turning my favorite pie into a cookie! After all, cookies are my favorite thing to bake, so it just makes sense.

Originally, after being inspired by a horrible AI generated recipe on Facebook, I was going to make these as standard drop cookies. But I worried the filling wouldn’t stay on top as they baked. Thus enters the cupcake pan.

With a brown sugar cookie acting at the crust, these pecan pie cookies are first partially baked in a standard-sized cupcake pan, topped with partially cooked pecan filling on the stove top and finished in the oven again.

And guess what? Since it’s baked in a cupcake pan you don’t need to chill the dough like I usually suggest in pretty much all of my cookie recipes.

The end results in the perfect little mini pecan pies. Good luck eating just one. Proof of how good they are is evident in the fact that I ate the first one without even considering getting out a scoop of ice cream to put on top. Heck I got through taking all these photos without thinking of it either.

Check out some other great additions for your holiday cookie tray this season:

• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sandbakkels by Art of Natural Living
• Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Sprinkles by Blogghetti
• Cornmeal Dried Cranberry Brown Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Peppermint Candy Sugar Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Chocolate Mint Thumbprints by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Christmas Wreath Treats by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Turtle Cookie Bars by Magical Ingredients
• Welsh Cakes by That Recipe
• Sesame Shortbread Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

PECAN PIE COOKIES

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to almost room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FILLING

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 Tbsp (or heaping 1/3 cup) packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cavity regular cupcake pans with shortening and lightly flour.
2. In a medium bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
4. Shape dough into walnut-sized (1-1/2-inch) balls (I used a medium cookie scoop), place in prepared muffin cups, make an indentation in center of each*. Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until barely light brown.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: melt butter in a metal bowl set in a skillet of water that is just below a simmer (or use a double boiler). Remove the bowl and from the water when butter is melted, whisk in sugar and salt. Whisk in egg, corn syrup, and vanilla. Place bowl back into the water and whisk until hot and the temperature of the mixture registers 130 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and whisk in pecan pieces.
6. Reform indentations in the center of each cookie*. Spoon 1 tablespoon of pecan filling into each cookie cup.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until edges of cookies are just starting to brown. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*Use thumb or the end of wooden spoon.

Source: Adapted from my Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cookies, Nutella Pecan Pie Bars, and Betty Crocker.

Sugar and spice and everything nice, which in the case of these cookies means maple browned butter snickerdoodles.

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Have I made snickerdoodles before? Yes. Pumpkin snickerdoodles? Of course. What about chai snickerdoodles? You bet. Earl Gray snickerdoodles? That too. Okay but eggnog snickerdoodles? Um duh. But what I have not yet made are maple snickerdoodles – until now.

Inspired by combining a snickerdoodle with my maple brown sugar cookies, these maple browned butter snickerdoodles we born. I may have swapped the brown sugar for browned butter but the inspiration was still there!

Some people may be satisfied with the O.G. snickerdoodle, but as evident by my blogging history, I am not. Sure I love a solid classic cookie as much as anyone, but I also love the exploration of other possible flavors. My blog wouldn’t exist were it not for this drive.

So change up your holiday cookie tray this year and brown the butter before mixing it into your cookie dough. And replace some of the sugar with real maple syrup. Your taste buds will thank you.

Want more fun holiday cookie tray ideas? Check the list below!

• Eggnog Biscotti by That Recipe
• Almond Flour Cookies by Magical Ingredients
• Snickerdoodle Biscotti by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Eggnog Crackle Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Coconut & Dried Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies by Blogghetti
• Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies by Art of Natural Living
• Hot Cocoa Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Gingerbread Men by A Day in the Life on the Farm

MAPLE BROWNED BUTTER SNICKERDOODLES

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Yield: 1.5 Dozen Prep Time: 1 Hours Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp maple extract, optional

COATING

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and foamy. Continue to cook until brown specks begin to appear and it has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the cooled browned butter, sugar, and syrup until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and maple extract and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon-sugar coating. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar, shaking off any excess. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just starting to brown and centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Snickerdoodles and Maple Brown Sugar Cookies.

There’s no frogs breath, worms wort, or deadly nightshade in this Nightmare Before Christmas Soup but it looks good enough to kill! Kale and pea green curry is topped with a skull-shaped slice of provolone to resemble Sally’s Worms Wort Soup.

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Other than frogs breath, worms wort, and deadly nightshade, I have no idea what is in Sally’s worms wort Nightmare Before Christmas Soup. So I took some liberties and remade a kale and pea green curry soup inspired by spring vegetables and Thai/Cambodian flavors that I had at a dinner party recently, made by Damian of Fetty’s Street Food.

Despite the lengthy list of ingredients, this soup actually comes together in just 1 hour. I know that’s not super fast but given the complexity of flavors you would think it took longer. However, this is one of those recipes that the quality of the ingredients matter. Sure it uses frozen peas and spinach, but make sure you are using good green curry paste, coconut milk (no light milk here), and fresh seasonings because they make the difference.

At the dinner party, Damian served this soup with Thai style fried pork belly, a drizzle of Thai bail oil, and peas/pea shoots for garnish. It was exquisite but not necessary for Sally’s Nightmare Before Christmas soup. Instead I added a slice of provolone cheese cut to resemble the skull that appears over the soup as she makes it. I know, lots of skulls this week!

The result is a velvety bright green soup with all the flavors: fish sauce for salt, sugar for sweetness, vinegar for sour/tartness, and mushroom seasoning for umami. Not nightshade to put you to sleep here like Dr. Finkelstein, but you may enough enough to put yourself in a food coma instead.

Welcome to 2024’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!

If you’re new here, Welcome! If you’re a returning haunt, welcome back!

#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife . This spooky event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some frightfully fun Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween loving bloggers!

For this year’s 7th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 12 hauntingly talented bloggers who are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! You can follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media to collect all of these frightful recipes to use at your own Halloween parties and events!

• Mozzarella Skull Caprese Pasta Salad from BigBearsWife
• Hocus Pocus Spell Book Rice Krispie Treats from Semi-Homemade Recipes
• Vanilla Citrus Cider from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Purple People Eater Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Mini Pizza Skulls from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Halloween Candy Chocolate Pie from Sweet ReciPEAs
• Halloween Bark from Art of Natural Living
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm

SALLY'S WORM WORT NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS SOUP (GREEN CURRY SOUP)

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed/chopped
• 1 heaped Tbsp good green curry paste*
• 1 bunch kale, stripped off the stem and roughly chopped
• 1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen peas, thawed
• 2 (13.5 oz.) cans of coconut milk
• 10 oz. water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce**
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp mushroom seasoning/powder
• 2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed or excess liquid
• 8 thin slices provolone

Directions

1. In a wok/heavy based sauce pan, heat oil over medium high and fry onion until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until lightly browned all over, about 1 minute.
2. Add curry paste and sauté until oil starts to separate from the paste stirring frequently (about 2 minutes). Quickly add kale and peas, and cook until the kale is wilted and halved in volume (about 5 minutes).
3. Add coconut milk, water sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, mushroom seasoning, and white pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning: fish sauce for salt, sugar for sweet, vinegar for sour/tartness, mushroom seasoning for umami. Remove from heat and let the soup cool completely.
4. Transfer the soup and thawed spinach to a high speed blender***. Blend for at least one minute until completely smooth and bright green. Return soup to the pot and reheat.
5. While soup reheats, use a small round cookie cutter and/or paring knife to cut provolone slices into skulls.
6. Serve soup with provolone skull on top.

Notes

*I have the privilege of getting fresh homemade green curry paste from Damian himself, but you can find good pastes from a local Asian market. **For fish allergies or vegetarian option use soy sauce. ***I normally like to use my immersion blender to avoid the need to cool and transfer, but a high speed blender is preferred here to get a silky smooth texture.

Source: Adapted slightly from Damian of Fetty’s Street Food.

This man-eating Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath veggie tray is made of broccoli and tomatoes, with edible cheese and olive eyes.

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I may have started decorating for Halloween in August but today is the first of October which means it is time to share Halloween recipes, starting with one inspired by my favorite Halloween movie – The Nightmare Before Christmas. While I strongly believe that The Nightmare Before Christmas movie is both a Halloween and a Christmas movie, especially since there is a Friday the 13th in December (an actual nightmare before Christmas), it is more popular for Halloween.

Somehow before this the only themed recipe on my blog is Sally’s sugar cookies. I’m going to change that this year, as my kitchen is decked out in all things Nightmare Before Christmas, complete with Sally’s apothecary jars, and is inspiring me to make more themed recipes.

If you’ve seen it, you should remember the man-eating wreath among other scary decorations and presents that Jack Skellington delivers to unsuspecting households while acting as Sandy Claws. But this Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath isn’t going to be eating anyone The tables have been turned as it is the people who are eating it – it’s a Nightmare Before Christmas wreath veggie tray!

How to make The Nightmare Before Christmas wreath veggie tray? It’s simply broccoli florets arranged in a ring, with grape tomatoes dispersed within to look like holly, and topped with two ovals of sliced white cheese and two slices of black olive for the eyes. I originally intended to add a red pepper bow like I did with my Christmas wreath pizza ring, but I totally spaced. Feel free to fix my memory lapse when you make yours.

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS WREATH VEGGIE TRAY

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Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 heads of broccoli, trimmed, washed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, washed and patted dry
• 1 slice provolone or mozzarella, preferably round, sliced into two ovals
• 2 slices of black olive
• Spicy ranch dip, for serving

Directions

1. On a large circular platter, place a small ramekin or dip bowl. Around the bowl, arrange the broccoli into the shape of a wreath. Fill in any gaps with cherry tomatoes.
2. Place cheese slices on the top portion, with a slice of olive on each, to emulate eyes.
3. Fill center bowl with spicy Ranch dip or other preferred vegetable dip.

 

Source: The Spiffy Cookie Original

What happens when you blend together homemade chai mix with hot cocoa? You get a deliciously warm homemade chai hot cocoa mix!

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Just like my varieties of buckeye candy, every year I try to come up with a new flavor spin for my homemade hot cocoa mix. This year, I had a serious light bulb go off while in NYC last weekend to combine the forces of chai and hot cocoa into one.

I am not sure how or why it took me this long to come up with this combination. After all, I knew chocolate chai was already a thing, and I make my own homemade chai and hot cocoa mixes, so why not combine them? And that’s precisely what I did.

The result is exactly what you would expect from a chai hot cocoa – creamy chocolate with extra warmth from the combination of spices and a little boost from the black tea. So be aware that there is instant tea powder in there if you or someone you are gifting this to has a sensitivity to caffeine.

Speaking of the added instant tea powder, Normally my hot cocoa recipes use 1/3 cup of mix per cup of hot milk, but with the extra dry ingredient you have to add a little more to get the same proportions. Yes you can use water because there is dry milk powder in the mix, by why make a sub-par version?

HOMEMADE CHAI HOT COCOA MIX

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Yield: About 2 dozen servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups unsweetened instant tea powder
• 1-1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground.
3. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
4. To make chai hot cocoa, put 1/2 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk

Source: Adapted from my Homemade Vanilla Chai Mix and Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

All of the deliciousness of baklava in a cookie. These baklava thumbprint cookies are chewy, crunchy and crispy all at the same time.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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I adore baklava but if I am being honest I have yet to ever make it myself. All those thin layers of phyllo intimidate me, even if I use premade sheets. As such, I have resorted to making baklava cookie bars for years because they are a deliciously easy substitute.

No, today is not the day in which I finally reveal my attempt at making my own baklava. In fact, I have regressed even further and am sharing a recipe for baklava thumbprint cookies today. All good things lead to cookies, my friends. Hence the name of this blog I suppose.

The base of this cookie is actually a cream cheese sugar cookie that I have used for years. While cream cheese is not usually in baklava, it did produce a chewy cookie which reminds me of biting into true baklava.

Different that usual thumbprints, these baklava thumbprint cookies are baked most of the way before indenting, filling with a combination of almonds, pistachios, walnuts, crushed phyllo, butter, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and returning tot the oven for the final minutes of baking time. This allows the nut filling to caramelize and crisp up just enough without overdoing it. Then finish them off with a lemon-honey glaze.

• Peppermint Bark Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Orange Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies by Blogghetti
• Peppermint Candy Sandwich Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Butter Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Honey Lace Cookies by That Recipe
• Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Panko Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Cocoa Cup Cookies by Our Good Life
• Black Sesame Cookies by Magical Ingredients

BAKLAVA THUMBPRINT COOKIES

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Yield: 3 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp 2% milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

FILLING

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 8 frozen mini phyllo shells (from 2.1-oz package), crushed

ICING

• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, mix ingredients in order until fully incorporated (except for the sprinkles and jam).
2. Place more granulated sugar in a small shallow bowl. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls (I used my medium cookie scoop) and roll in sugar, lightly shaking off excess. Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour (or overnight).
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients until combined; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
5. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and quickly push a crevasse into the center of each cookie (using the back of a spoon - be careful not to push all the way through). Immediately spoon a teaspoon of filling into the center and return to the oven to bake for another 2 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden on the edges.
7. Let cool on cookie sheet 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the cookie cool, prepare the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. If needed, reach desired consistency by adding a little water or more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cookies and allow the glaze to set for a few minutes.
9. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Source: Adapted from my Grinch Heart Thumbprint Cookies, Betty Crocker, and Practically Homemade.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

These aren’t just any oatmeal cookies, they are oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies with a little bit of white chocolate and rosemary in the mix too.

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Some people don’t get excited about oatmeal cookies but I grew up with my dad’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies so I am not some people. And these are not just any oatmeal cookies – they are oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies with white chocolate and a little bit of rosemary. I decided to leave those two things out of the title because it was getting too long and at least the rosemary is optional if you prefer.

I love a good herb addition to my desserts but again, some people have not seen the magic that a little subtle herb flavor can do. You likely won’t even notice the rosemary in these oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies beyond a warmth or depth of flavor that you’ll likely attribute to the other spices mixed in (nutmeg, cinnamon).

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OATMEAL CRANBERRY WALNUT COOKIES

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Yield: 4 dozen Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in rolled oats, cranberries, walnuts, white chocolate chips, and rosemary if using until evenly distributed.
3. Shape dough into balls - 1 heaping tablespoon each. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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