Merry Christmas!

It’s my favorite day of the year! Everyone’s full of joy, you get to give (and receive) presents, eat good food, and spend time with family.

And for my favorite day of the year I ended up making one of my favorite recipes to date. A luxurious, spiced cream cheese frosting in between the softest and chewiest gingersnaps I’ve ever had.

The gingersnaps are the real star of the show here. The flavor is impeccable. So sweet and sugary yet packs a spicy punch. Really, words just cannot describe how good these cookies are. And don’t forget baking 101: cream cheese frosting makes everything better.

These were such a huge hit with my family. They said these were the best things I’ve ever made and I definitely have to agree with them!

Enough about these amazing cookies.. it’s CHRISTMAS! Enjoy this joyful day with your closest friends and family! And happy holidays to everyone else who doesn’t celebrate Christmas!

Soft and Chewy Gingersnaps with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients: (makes 16 cookies, 8 sandwiches)
For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
Sugar, for rolling

For the frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in a medium sized bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the molasses and egg until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat until it forms a dough. Roll the dough into two tablespoon balls, slightly flatten them with the palm of your hand, and coat both sides with sugar. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. To make the frosting beat together all of the frosting ingredients until it forms a smooth, creamy mixture. Frost and enjoy!

Not gonna lie, before yesterday I was lacking Christmas Spirit.

It just didn’t feel like Christmas was coming up so soon. But then last night I had “Christmas” at my dads house and the family drove around and looked at all the beautiful Christmas lights. It really got me in the Holiday mood!

And these cookies. How cute are they? They look like the Santa of South Park and they taste INCREDIBLE. They are so, so fun to make. I had a blast decorating them by myself. These would be the perfect cookies to make with kids on Christmas eve to set out for Santa!

Not only are they cute and fun, but they’re absolutely delicious. The sugar cookie base is my absolute favorite cookie recipe. It’s soft and pillow-y and almost ressembles those infamous Loft House cookies.

Top the best sugar cookies with some decadent cream cheese frosting, grated white chocolate, and tons of sprinkles and you’ve got one amazing cookie. This was my inspiration for my decoration, but I’m not a fan of shredded coconut. In place I used grated white chocolate, chocolate chips for the eyes, and half a red M&M for the nose. This decor just adds to the deliciousness.

Oops! Sorry Santa

Santa Cookies!:
Ingredients: (makes 12)
For the cookies:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the decorations:
Red sprinkles
12 marshmallows
24 chocolate chips
6 red M&Ms, halved
4 ounces white chocolate, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour mixture until it forms a dough. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set. Let cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating. Meanwhile, beat together all of the frosting ingredients. Frost each cookie and decorate! Enjoy!

In need of an easy yet delicious Holiday treat for a party/family/children/classmates/co-workers/etc…?

Well, this reindeer chow takes ten minutes to make. Tops. Not only is it as simple as mixing things together in a bowl, but it also is like crack.

Literally, whoever you give this to (or even you) will not be able to get your hands out of the bowl. I brought this to work and this huge batch was gone in mere minutes.

I’m sure everyone has had this at least once as a kid. A simple, sweet, party mix with cereals, pretzels, and festive M&M’s all covered in white chocolate and butter. Nostalgia at its finest.

All my co-workers were asking for the recipe all night saying “I can’t wait to make this for my kids!” and “This would be perfect for my Christmas party!.” Needless to say, it was definitely a hit.

Reindeer Chow:
Ingredients:
5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex cereal
One 10 oz bag of pretzel sticks
1lb M&M’s
1 stick unsalted butter
16 oz white chocolate (I used four 4 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Stir together the first four ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. In a separate bowl heat together the butter, white chocolate, and vanilla until melted. Pour it over the cereal mixture and incorporate it in with your hands until almost every piece is covered. Enjoy!