"CookieADay" news and stories

We've fallen a little behind on our cookie of the day posting, mostly because we thought that you might all be a little overwhelmed by the avalanche of sweets and treats that have a way of filling our homes around the holiday season. It's taking all my willpower right now not to go and cut a slice off the chocolate and caramel covered apple that is currently hanging out in the fridge.

If you aren't totally tired of cookies, I came across a recipe a couple of days ago and spoke to me. I haven't tried it out myself yet, but it's from Julie at Noshtalgia and her recipes tend to be pretty darn reliable. It's for Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies, a style of cookie that is good any time of year, not just around the holidays.

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We've been baking cookies like crazy around these parts, all December long. I'm giving my rolling pin and baking sheets a break today and dipping into the archives to bring you some cookies from our archives.

Looking for a recipe that will look gorgeous on your buffet? These Cranberry-Cherry Icebox Ribbons are alternating stripes of red and white and are awfully nice to look at and will be tasty to boot.

Nicole's Vanilla Cut-Out Cookies incorporate buttermilk for a soft consistency that isn't cake-like. She also brought us Gingersnaps Two Ways last holiday season.

Want an easy, seasonal cookie? What about this Cranberry, Orange and Dark Chocolate Chip cookie? It's a quick mixing drop cookie with a great taste.

For the chocolate lovers in the crowd, check out these Chocolate Peppermint Drops.

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When I got home for the holidays, my mom mentioned that she'd been craving some peanut butter cookies with bits of chocolate chips in them. I smiled and nodded and didn't think that much more about it. Then I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and realized that these might just be my mom's dream cookie. Being the kind of daughter I am, I decided to pull together a batch and so last night ran out to Safeway for some chunky peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I knew they were a winner when I tasted the batter and when they baked up they were even better. The one thing I have to stress about this recipe is that you must follow Deb's instructions and get them out of the oven before you think they are done. I cooked the first tray a little bit too long and ended up regretting it as it somehow cooked the essence of peanut out of them. But as long as you take them out before they really start to brown up, you will end up with some amazing cookies.

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I've been wrapped up in finishing my masters thesis this last week (thankfully it's finally all done) so I haven't done much in the way of holiday baking. So today, instead of offering you a recipe that I've tried and can vouch for, I'm pointing you in the direction of a recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Drop Cookies that I bookmarked several weeks ago on Vanilla Garlic. These treats appeal to me because they are drop cookies, none of that fussy rolling and cutting (which I actually do enjoy doing, but I also like cookies that can just scooped and baked). It's a recipe that he adapted from Jill Van Cleave's book Big, Soft, Chewy Cookies. And I'm sure, having tried some of Garrett's past recipes, that it will be a good one. So go over and check it out!

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My search for good holiday cookie recipes has taken me far and wide. I've flipped through my file folders, scanned indexes of cookbooks, searched the internet and called my mom, all in the pursuit of tasty cookie recipes. Today's recipe comes from the Woman's Day 1984 Holiday Baking supplement. My mom has had it tucked into her binder of recipes for the last 20+ years and read me a few recipes from it over the phone a couple of nights ago.

The one I chose to make today was originally called Honey Boys or Trees, but I've changed the name slightly because I used a variety of cookie cutters. The other thing I did to alter the recipe was to up the amounts of the spices slightly, as I was going for a more flavorful cookie. They turned out really well, with a texture that reminds me vaguely of shortbread. These cookies would be good if you're trying to avoid processed sugars but still want a holiday cookie that looks and acts like the traditional cut out cookies.