White Chocolate & Cranberry Christmas Cookies

December 1st means Christmas is officially acceptable to be celebrated in all entities! Which means bring on the Christmas cookies, hot chocolate and Christmas movies on every night. 

The idea for these cookies popped in my head last week and I immediately started doing research to craft the recipe. I love the signature cranberry and white chocolate combo and it's v festive. The dough base is similar to chocolate chip cookies but I added lots of cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a seasonal spice! 

Cranberry & White Chocolate Christmas Cookies
yields 2 dozen

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried cranberries (reserving a little)
4 oz or 1 cup white chocolate bar, chopped (reserving a little)

Directions:
Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla until combined, scraping the sides as needed. In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. 

Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate. Make sure and reserve a little bit of the cranberries and white chocolate. I'll explain why. Form golf ball size balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Don't over crowd the pan. I got 8 on each sheet. 

Now for the reserved cranberries and chocolate. The key to a pretty cookie is topping them with a few of the ingredients inside the cookie. I chopped up the cranberries and topped each ball of dough with a few pieces of each. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just lightly browned. 

I'm headed to Dallas later today for the OU vs. TCU Big XII championship game. These are name Christmas cookies, but there crimson and creme esthetic are making them a perfect game day treat too!

Boomer Sooner & Merry Christmas!  

Annie  

Bites of My Life

It's wedding week!!!!! We are headed to Brooklyn later this week as we prepare for Claire and Mike to tie the knot. We have been waiting for this day for years! From previous experience, Tucker weddings are a little too fun, I'm sure this will be no different. Last week's bites are below, but stay tuned for a wedding week bites post coming next Monday!

-What's for lunch? Elle!! 
-Another Cookie Pizza recipe because there is really nothing more fun to eat and they are perfect for birthdays. I shared this Triple Chip Cookie Pizza recipe last week with perfect pictures from KGC Photography. 
-A little downward dog action with #GabetheBabe! Catch us on the StudioHop insta. 
-A go-to single girl meal, this time fit for a 5 year old. Trader Joe's Frozen turkey burger cooked up and served salad style and with a smile. 
-Give me Mexican food and a bingo card and I'm sure to have a good time. A successful fiesta raising money for Infant Crisis Services. 
-Love getting to be apart of the restaurant industry and the friends it has brought my way. Congrats Neighborhood Jam, a sure success. Brunch all day starts tomorrow as they open their doors. PSA get the biscuits and apple jam.  
-Snoozin' for the Sooners. After our loss on Saturday I'm feeling the same way as Elle about this season...
-Late night cookies and milk at The Jones Assembly with my sweet treat lover Maddie. 
-This is the snack mix I based my Banana Chip Savory Snack Mix. I don't have time to make a batch of mine before heading out of town, so the original will do and will make the perfect Whole 30 airplane snack! And booch cause it was on sale at Uptown Grocery for $1.99!!

Annie

The Only Key Lime Pie Recipe You Need

Look no further. This is the last key lime pie recipe you need. I got the recipe from one of my best friend's moms. She adapted it from Joy of Cooking then I made of few tweaks myself. The results=absolute deliciousness. I'm not even going to ramble on about it, let's just cut to the chase.

I'm a sucker for a good graham cracker crust. Especially this one. It has brown sugar it. I'm telling you it makes all the difference. 

Key Lime Pie
yields 1, 9" pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham crackers (about 10)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar 

Filling:
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice (about 12 to 14 key limes)
zest of two key limes, plus extra for garnish

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Preheat your over to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind up your graham crackers until finely ground. Pour melted butter and brown sugar in and process together. Dump graham cracker grounds into a 9 inch pie pan. Using your hands spread them out and up the sides. Use the base of a measuring cup to help pat down the crust so that it is even. Use the side of the measuring cup to smooth the sides and make sure the crust is even all along the rim. Bake for 10 minutes.  

While your crust is baking whisk your egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and key lime zest in a large mixing bowl. Once your crust is done, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour in the filling and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Let your pie cool completely before adding the whipped topping. 

Once the pie is cool, make the whipped cream. Using an electric mixer, mix heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, loosely top the pie with a hefty amount of whipped cream. Sprinkle with extra key lime zest. Serve cold. 

Make it for you momma this weekend. I know she will love it. Mine sure does!

Annie

Perfect Fudge Brownies

If you've been reading my blog or following me on Instagram you probably remember last year when I set out on a quest to find my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I found it, and you can get the recipe here. Well now I have put it on myself to find my perfect brownie recipe. Like CCCs, people differ in how they like their brownies. My brother-in-law is a brownie connoisseur. He even had brownies and milk instead of a groom's cake he and my sister's wedding. 

I was excited and he was excited as I began my brownie recipe testing, only to find out we have very different opinions when it comes to brownies. I like mine dense, fudgy and super chocolatey. He likes his cakey and fluffy. I'm sorry John, but no. 

With my flavor and texture profile in mind, I did some research, developed a recipe, and to my excitement I found it on the first try! My cookie quest took four rounds of testing... This brownie recipe checked all of my required boxes. Dense, fudgy, strong chocolate flavor, and makes more than an 8x8 in pan. I know that is a funny requirement, but I always feel like 9 square brownies from an 8x8 is not enough. This recipe fills a whole 9x13 pan! 

I gave out lots of samples to gain feedback (completely ignoring my B-I-L's opinion). There was a "Stop testing, you found it" and my favorite compliment, "These remind me of 501's." Cafe 501 is a local restaurant that has my favorite brownies. I had them in mind the whole time I was developing this recipe. So, if you are like me and want your brownies, dense, fudgy and chocolatey, keep reading. 

Perfect Fudge Brownies
yields 9x13 pan, 18 brownies

Ingredients:
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. ground coffee (enhances the chocolate flavor)
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolates in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until fully melted. Stirring between each 30 seconds. Make sure to scrape the bottom to keep from burning. In a separate bowl, use a hand held mixer or a whisk to beat sugar, eggs, coffee and vanilla together. With a wooden spoon, stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Fold the flour and salt into the mix. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Annie

Last Minute Holiday Treats

I love my job, but if I could quit my job and just stay home and bake all day, I'd be the happiest. And probably the fattest. This time of year especially, all I want to do is bake.

I'm a little down to the wire, but I still had a few special people I wanted to gift with a little something. I made up a batch of my peppermint bark and cookie butter rice krispie treats, with festive sprinkles, of course. Packaged them up and I'm getting them delivered today. Below I have rounded up tasty holiday treats, some made by me, the rest inspired by others.  Co-workers, neighbors, classmates, instructors, yourself ;), anyone who is still left on your list would love one of these treats! Just click on any picture above for it to take you to the recipe. 

Peppermint Bark

Christmas Crack

Snowball Cookies

Merry Berry Scones

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Homemade Turtles

Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Holiday Peppermint Brownies

Spicy Hermit Bars

The first few recipes are pulled from the TAB archives, but these other gorgeous recipes are from the gals below! 

Baked by Rachel's Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Sally's Baking Addiction's Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Cookie + Kate's Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Local Roots Dietitian's Healthy Holiday Peppermint Brownies

And Ina's Spicy Hermit Bars

And because it's the season of giving, I'm giving you a few more ideas that could easily be transformed Christmasy with a few sprinkles or red & green colored candies like my Signature Sugar Cookies (we make these for santa every year), Cookie Butter Rice Krispies, Cookie Butter Popcorn, M&M Cookie Pizza, Homemade Pop Tarts and Slutty Brownies.

I'm spicing my sugar cookies up a bit this year and adding crystallized ginger in them. Inspired by Ina of course. Because WWTBCD? Add crystallized ginger to her sugar cookies! I'll keep you posted on how they turn out. 

Annie