Tag: dark chocolate sugar cookies

Salted Caramel Apple Almond Bars & My Fave Cookie Swap Recipes


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LOVES!!

Ahhh, it’s finally that time of the year. Time for warm snuggles while watching holiday movies, white snow, knit hats and most importantly…HOLIDAY BAKING.

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That’s why during the month of December we are ALL about some holiday baking recipes. From gluten free coconut flour bread (the most delicious I’ve ever had) to some FAB holiday appetizer inspiration, get ready for a month full of holiday surprises!

 

I also want to give y’all the chance to subscribe to the Luv Cooks YouTube channel. This is the BEST source for all of the fun holiday tips and tricks, plus pumpkin spice reviews, what to do with leftovers- lots of foodie life hacks!

 

And since we’ve also been highlighting parties and party tips on YouTube I thought I’d share my three favorite recipes to bring to a cookie swap party. These recipes are awesome because you can make them up to days in advance, the steps are simple, and they allow for easy customization to your personality in the kitchen.

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Salted Caramel Apple Almond Bars: I love this recipe for so many reasons! It’s healthy (full of great fats from the coconut chips and chia seeds), gluten-free, doesn’t require and oven, and gets topped with drizzled caramel and chunky salt. Need we say more?!

Dark Cocoa Cookies

Dark Chocolate Christmas Sugar Cookies: This recipe makes sooo many tasty cookies! I love to make this one in a myriad of ways. You can substitute whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose flour, sprinkle the cookies with cayenne before baking for a spicy flair, or dunk them in a simple glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons almond milk) and top with more chocolate. Gorgeous!

Chocolate Chip Cookies 2

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: The ingredient that makes these cookies extra special is browning the butter. It’s not a hard step, and takes the flavor notch up a TON! Plus, these cookies taste better if you let the dough sit in the fridge for 24 hours. And the smell of these baking- heavenly!!

And of course, we can’t leave out the pups!! Here is a link to the almond butter dog treats I made!

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To top it all off, a cookie swap party is simple. Simply bake enough cookies for everyone at the party to share, along with a printed copy of the recipe. You can even allow each guest to share why they chose their cookie recipe. Then, here’s the fun part- provide pretty bags, ribbon, candy canes, etc. and allow each guest to package their favorite cookies to go. I’ve even been to some parties where you vote on your favorite cookie, and the winner gets a prize!

The cookie swap party is one of my favorite holiday celebration ideas. One- well, you get to eat all the cookies your heart desires- but two, because you get to know your friends even better, and maybe even connect with someone you don’t know. Someone’s favorite cookie recipe says a lot about them: where they are from, what flavors they like, why this cookie in particular is so special. I love getting to know the heart of someone through food!

Happy holiday baking!! XOXO- Callie

 

 

Dark Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Salty and sweet. Kind of like a sailor with a santa hat.
Salty and sweet. Kind of like a sailor with a Santa hat.

Can you tell I like Christmas cookies?

Honestly, I didn’t want to do two Christmas cookies posts in a row. It goes against every food blog rule out there. But I had to, because this recipe is so good. It’s worth a second batch of Christmas cookies. And I want you to have the chance to make some before time runs out and we are all post New Year’s, drinking smoothies and eating kale.

Well, some people are doing that. I never liked kale and only drink smoothies with peanut butter. But best of success to you, juicers!

These cookies are dense, chocolatey and rich, and the salty kick after you bite into them takes the flavor to another level. And for those of you who don’t like the chocolate/sea salt combination, you can also accent them with cinnamon candies, sanding sugar, and what the heck- go all out with some icing too.

I wish all Christmas trees were made of chocolate.
I wish all Christmas trees were made of chocolate.
Chocolate cookies en papillote (sort of)
Chocolate cookies en papillote (Well, sort of; I think that was French-lish)

Dark Chocolate Christmas Cookies with Sea Salt

(This recipe is adapted from the fabulous blog Sweetapolita; My changes are in italics)

What You Will Need:

  • 6 cups (750 g) all-purpose flour, sifted (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1 and 1/4 cups (137 g) dark cocoa powder (I love organic cocoa powder!)
  • 1 teaspoon (8 g) salt
  • 2 cups (454 g)(4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (Try organic here too)
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar (I used 1 3/4 cup)
  • 1 cup (228 g) light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, cold
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • Various fun toppings (cayenne pepper, sea salt, icing, more chocolate, sprinkles!)

What You Will Do:

  1. In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs until just combined.
  3. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. (Please do this slowly. I got carried away and ended up with a light brown powder on my mixer, counter, and clothes. And pants? I have no idea.) Add vanilla and blend.
  4. Remove 1/2 of the dough from bowl, make a ball, and place it on a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter.Wrap the sides of wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2″ thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with the second half of dough. Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.
  5. Once ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325.
  6. Remove one disc and remove the plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper (I used a silicone bakers mat underneath it to make sure it didn’t slip while I was rolling it out), then put another large piece of parchment paper on top of the dough.
  7. Roll dough with a rolling pin (Ok, this is where your work-out comes in. It takes a bit to get it warm and ready to cut) until it is an even thickness; I aimed for about 1/4 of an inch.
  8. Remove the dough from the fridge, and cut your shapes using the cutters of your choice, placing them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat, with 2″ clearance around each one and the edge of sheet. Top with salt, cayenne- whatever you like!
  9. Bake until cookie edges are just crisp, about 16 minutes. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
  10. Cool the sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling. After cool, ice or glaze to your heart’s content! And don’t forget the sprinkles!
  11. Promptly consume with a large glass of egg nog. So delicious!