Christmas Cookies for Every Craving

Everyone has different reactions to stress. Some people nap, some eat, some exercise, but personally, I love to go into my kitchen and bake. Normally I will just bake something like chocolate chip cookies that I have the recipe memorized for because it is a mindless task, but this year I have been using that time to test out new recipes from the Martha Stewart Living magazine, Pinterest, etc. With finals approaching and Christmas being one of my favorite seasons, I have already tried quite a few holiday cookie recipes and plan to try even more in the coming weeks. Below are some of my favorite recipes that I've made, or want to make. Believe it or not, I think my current favorite recipe comes from Taylor Swift. Also, I promise all of these can be made without the aid of an electric mixer or food processor since I have neither... seriously, I hand-whisk everything. I did ask for a mixer for Christmas though, so maybe that will all be changing...(*wink wink* Momma)

Peppermint-Candy Sugar Cookies

I definitely used too much flour when I made these last week, but people still enjoyed them! Personally, I would recommend buying pre-crushed peppermint or candy canes for this one because those peppermint rounds are a lot harder to crush than I realized! This is basically one of Martha Stewart's great sugar cookie recipes with just a subtle hint of peppermint, definitely nothing overwhelming. However, I think next time I make them I will add a dash of peppermint extract to the batter to really enhance the holiday flavor.

Gingerdoodles

These cookies kill two birds with one stone. I actually stumbled across these while searching for a good snickerdoodle recipe and thought these would be a fun holiday variation of a cookie classic. Plus, it makes me feel less guilty about using the pre-made Pillsbury gingerbread dough that you just have to roll out since I will at least be making something with a ginger flavor.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

These sound amazing. I feel like the same few flavors get all the attention this time of year, neglecting other wonderful flavors like cranberry! So, I haven't actually made these yet, but I probably will soon...do you think the twins will like them? I hope so, since I use them and their friends as guinea pigs when I am home (they don't complain).

Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Cake Cookies

When I made these, I had to tweak the recipe a bit due to Kroger having largely insufficient holiday baking supplies. Seriously, they had no peppermint chips of any kind, Christmas sprinkles, cake mixes, or Christmas Oreos (I needed them for Christmas bark). I was more than a little annoyed after that trip, but I substituted chopped up Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares for the peppermint chips and they turned out just fine. I also used a devil's food cake instead of dark chocolate which was perfectly good as well!

Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies

When I was going through my list of holiday flavors to include, I realized I had totally skipped over anything with nuts! There are so many options out there for praline, walnut, chestnut, etc. cookies too, but I love using pecans, plus I already have some in my kitchen from various other projects. On the note of nut-flavored items, I highly recommend the new Chestnut Praline Latte at Starbucks. I got a skim one over Thanksgiving to try and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it!

Chai Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Spice Glaze

Thank you, Taylor Swift. These cookies are basically like a chai latte and I love it. The sugar cookie recipe she recommended is one I am going to use for years to come. Plus, she also introduced me to two new cooking blogs through this post, so I am doubly grateful. I would definitely recommend adding the icing glaze on the cookie because it wouldn't be quite sweet enough without it, but to each their own. I hope you enjoy my favorite cookie of the season...maybe even the year.*

What are your favorite Christmas cookie recipes? I'd love more suggestions!

xx

erin

*just kidding, the salted caramel dark chocolate chip cookies are going to take that title

The Essentials: Kitchen Edition

This is probably strange, but I love grocery shopping. I think it's that I feel so accomplished after I do it...you know, because without it, I'd starve. Well I was grocery shopping the other day and I realized that:
A) it is much different to grocery shop for an apartment than for a dorm (much less Easy Mac)
B) there are a few essentials that I always have at my disposal. 

Fruit and Veggies

Everyone thinks fresh produce is expensive but it really isn't. If you buy it, eat it and you won't have to spend money on more unhealthy snacks. Bell peppers are a personal favorite because you can chop them up and throw them in a salad, bring them as a snack, or sauté them to accompany your main course. I also love bananas, apples, berries, spinach, and carrots. 

Coffee

Keurig. Duh.

Chicken

It's cheap and it freezes well. I get the value packs and then just cook up one or two for the week and reheat them. I would absolutely fail as a vegetarian so this is a must for me.

Pasta

Kroger brand whole wheat pasta is $0.99. You can't beat that and a box is good for a couple of meals. Just grab some olive oil and seasonings or red sauce and you have a quick and easy meal. I also get the bulk pack of frozen meatballs to heat up and toss in with the pasta...perfect and cheap!

Sandwich Supplies

I love sandwich thins because they're perfect for a regular sandwich or a breakfast sandwich. I get the vacuum-sealed deli meat at Harris Teeter because it's a great selection at a great cost.

Ice Cream

How do I avoid exhibit self-control with ice cream? I buy the individual serving cups when they're on sale. I love the Skinny Cow Carmel Cone ice cream (which apparently Kroger doesn't have...). These are sometimes put on sale for 10/$10 so stay on the lookout. And don't worry, the cashier's judgmental face when you buy 7 single servings doesn't seem to matter when you get all that goodness ;P

Snack Foods

If I am running out the door to a meeting or classes, I often don't have time to prep something. I usually grab a trail mix and an apple for lunch and that easily gets me through to dinner. My friend at tech had a great idea to prep snack baggies ahead of time for the week so it's cheaper and just as healthy!

Instant Meals

Sometimes it is just a easy mac kinda night. There's no shame in being too tired to cook. I have easy mac, soup, and tuna at my disposal for nights when cooking just isn't happening.

It was really hard for me to pare down this list, and honestly there are quite a few other things I rely on, but what are your kitchen essentials?

xoxo,

SSP