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5 Must-Try Holiday Cookies

Read on for our five must-bake confectionaries to round out this sweet season. Perfect for those days stuck inside.

  1. Chocolate Hazelnut Earthquake Cookies
  2. Chai Vanilla Marble Shortbreads
  3. Honey Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Jam
  4. Spiced Sugar Cookies with Tie Dye Glaze
  5. Brown Butter, Sage, and Orange Cookies
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Chocolate Hazelnut Earthquake Cookies

  • Author: Misfits Market

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2/3 cup hazelnuts
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light  brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (or more) powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown and skin begins to flake off, 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely, remove skins, and blitz hazelnuts into very fine pieces in a food processor.
  3. In a double boiler over medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  5. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula in between each addition. Mix in milk and vanilla, then add the melted chocolate and beat for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add flour mixture in two additions, pulsing the mixer until the dough is fully combined. Add in hazelnuts and mix until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until firm.
  7. Preheat oven again to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Roll dough into ½-inch or ¾-inch balls, then gently press the tops with your palm to slightly flatten. Add powdered sugar to a large bowl and coat each cookie very generously with powdered sugar—this is how you achieve a clean cracked look.
  9. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating halfway through baking, until the top is cracked and the dough looks slightly dry, 14-16 minutes. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

Notes

Makes 50-60 cookies

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Chai Vanilla Marble Shortbreads

  • Author: Misfits Market

Ingredients

Scale

For the vanilla dough:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the chai dough:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons finely ground black tea
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground  cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground back pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Assembly:

  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 cup sanding sugar or demerara sugar

Instructions

  1. For the vanilla dough: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and pulse mixer until dough is fully combined, scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is incorporated. Turn dough onto a work surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together. Wrap dough in plastic and set aside.
  2. For the chai dough: In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and pulse mixer until dough is fully combined, scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is incorporated. Turn dough onto a work surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together.
  3. Assembly: Slice each dough in half, creating 2 chunks of vanilla dough and 2 chunks of chai dough. Roll each dough to form a 5”x5” square. Stack the doughs on top of one another in alternating layers. Then, cut the stacked dough square in half.
  4. Knead one of the halves of the dough a few times to create a marble effect. (Do not overdo this step or the colors will blend together.) Repeat with the remaining dough. Then, combine the two dough halves together and knead 2-3 more times. Roughly form dough into a 9” x 4½” rectangle.
  5. Line a 9” x 4½” loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place dough into the pan and press firmly to form dough to the pan. Wrap dough tightly with the plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
  7. Spread sanding sugar into a single layer onto a baking sheet or cutting board. Remove dough from plastic wrap and brush a thin layer of egg white on all sides, excluding the ends. Press the dough into the sanding sugar until the sides are evenly coated.
  8. With a sharp knife, cut dough into ¼-inch cookies. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until they look slightly dried out and the bottoms are lightly golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying.

Notes

Makes 24 cookies

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Honey Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

  • Author: Misfits Market

Ingredients

Scale

For the honey almonds:

  • 1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

For the cookies:

  • 1 cup fine almond flour
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Jam of choice like strawberry, apricot, or grape
  • 1 egg white

Instructions

  1. For the honey almonds: Place all ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and becomes golden, 3-5 minutes. Spread almonds into a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until completely hardened, 10-15 minutes. Break apart with your hands or a knife, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
  2. For the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk flours and salt to combine, then set aside. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 2-3 minutes. Add almond extract and beat until combined. Add flour in two additions, pulsing mixer until dough is fully combined, using a silicone spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.
  3. Assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
  4. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. With the back of a teaspoon, make an indentation on the top of each cookie. Brush a thin layer of egg white on top of each cookie and then press each cookie, face down, into the honey almonds. Fill each cookie with 1 teaspoon of jam.
  5. Bake, rotating halfway through until cookies are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

Makes 30 cookies

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Spiced Sugar Cookies with Tie Dye Glaze

  • Author: Misfits Market

Ingredients

Scale

For the cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the tie-dye glaze:

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 7 tablespoons (or more) milk
  • 24 colors of food coloring gel or liquid coloring

Instructions

  1. For the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together salt, spices, and baking powder. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 2-3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. Add half of the flour mixture and pulse until dough is fully combined, scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is incorporated. Add remaining flour and repeat.
  2. Turn dough onto a work surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together. Split the dough in half and form two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Working with one disk at a time, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until about ¼-inch thick. (If the dough is cracking, let it rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes). Punch out circle shapes with a cookie cutter and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Reroll any scraps once and repeat with the second disk of dough. Chill cookies for 5-10 minutes until firm.
  5. Bake cookies until golden brown, 10-14 minutes. Let cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. For the tie-dye glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. The glaze should be slightly thicker than heavy cream, so add more powdered sugar if too thin or more milk if too thick. Split the glaze into smaller bowls depending on the number of colors you are using, reserving at least ⅓ of the glaze to remain white. Mix in a few drops of gel or liquid coloring into the smaller bowls to reach desired colors. Stir to combine
  7. Add 2 tablespoons of white glaze onto a plate and lightly drizzle a small amount of the other colored glazes on top. Use a toothpick to swirl the colors. Dip one cookie face down into the glaze and lift to allow the excess to drip off. Then, transfer the cookie to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat glazing 2-3 more cookies, then wipe off the plate and start again. (This ensures that the colors don’t mix too much and you result in beautifully tie-dyed cookies every time.)
  8. Let glaze set for 2-3 hours before enjoying.

Notes

Makes 24 cookies

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Brown Butter, Sage, and Orange Cookies

  • Author: Misfits Market

Description

This delicate cookie pairs woody sage with nutty brown butter and a splash of citrusy sweetness thanks to orange zest—and plenty of sugar.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 2 large room temperature eggs, yolks separated
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 large orange)
  • 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sanding sugar or demerara (raw) sugar

Optional for chocolate dipped cookies:

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup candied orange peels, chopped
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Sanding sugar or demerara sugar

Instructions

  1. Add butter and sage in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally until butter smells nutty and there are browned bits at the bottom of the pan, 5-7 minutes. Remove sage and transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Chill butter over a bowl of ice or chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes until cool and slightly opaque but not solid.
  2. Add browned butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and very pale yellow, 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in egg yolks, vanilla, orange zest, and powdered sugar to the bowl. Add salt, cloves, and then beat in flour in two additions until just combined.
  3. Divide dough in half and transfer each half onto 10-inch sheets of parchment paper. Form dough into 8-inch-long logs (around 1½-inches in diameter) and roll logs tightly with parchment. Twist the ends of the parchment to secure the dough. Chill logs in the refrigerator until firm, around 2-3 hours.
  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Remove dough from parchment logs. Sprinkle sugar in an even layer on a baking sheet or on a cutting board. Brush a very thin layer of leftover egg white on the logs, and then roll the dough in the sugar until fully covered. Using a very sharp knife, slice dough into ½-inch rounds, about 15-18 per log. Place cookies on the lined sheet trays 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake, rotating and swapping baking sheets (top pan to the bottom rack and the bottom pan to the top rack) halfway through, until cookies are golden and even, 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cookies completely cool.
  7. Optional: If dipping cookies in chocolate, place chocolate chips in a wide mouth glass or bowl. Microwave chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until fully melted. Dip cooled cookies into the melted chocolate. Allow excess to dribble off, then transfer cookies back to the lined baking sheet. Top with candied orange peels, granulated sugar, and flaky salt. Pop cookies into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow chocolate to set.

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