COOKIES: It seems like Christmas is a great time for cookies and candy.
There are all kinds of recipes out there, or some tasty choices at places like John Williams European Pastry Shop and Bradford Chocolate Factory.
We found a few to share — recipes, not cookies. We’re fresh out of those.
Santa’s Trash Cookies — Ingredients: ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ⅓ cup crushed potato chips, ⅓ cup crushed pretzels, ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 3 tbsp red and green sprinkles and flaky sea salt for garnish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. In another large bowl, whick together flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth (dough will be thick).
Gently fold in potato chips, pretzels, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Scoop tablespoon-size balls of dough and transfer them to prepared baking sheets. Slightly press them down onto baking sheets and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake until edges are just starting to get golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from over and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Store them in a resealable container for up to one week.
Peppermint patty-stuffed chocolate cookies — Ingredients: I box chocolate cake mix, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 large eggs, ½ cup canola oil, 14 peppermint patties, sprinkles for decorating.
Preheat the over to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and baking powder; in another bowl, whisk together eggs and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until fully combined. Using your hands, form small balls of dough. Flatten a ball, then place a peppermint patty in the center and fold dough to completely cover. Transfer to baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough (you should have enough for about 14 cookies). Top with sprinkles and bake until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
