Black Forest Cookies

While filming a segment on the Food Network's upcoming new show, The Kitchen, I demonstrated by Chocolate-Dried Cherry Bread Pudding. Host, Sunny Anderson, said it tasted like German Chocolate Cake. So when I stumbled upon her German Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe online, I thought it would be fun to adapt the recipe into a new flavor--using dried cherries and a brandy glaze. 

Sunny's recipe is an embellished version of the classic Toll House chocolate chip, and my Black Forest Cookie recipe is as well. While there are a great many ways to make a double chocolate chip cookie, and even more ways to doctor them up, keeping your base drop cookie batter classic is the way to go. Consider this a grown-up take on America's favorite, and the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tin or New Year's Eve celebration.

Black Forest Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Brandy

2 large eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, such as Hershey's

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 – 1 ½ cup dried cherries

Brandy Glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons Brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer or large bowl using a hand mixer, blend the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, brandy, and eggs. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and blend until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and cherries.

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.

For the glaze, Whisk together and add more brandy, 1 teaspoon at a time, until consistency of yogurt. Drizzle over cookies.

If you make either versions of these cookies and love them as much as I do, give Sunny a shout-out on Twitter! 

French Shortbread Christmas Cookies (Punitions)

A thin, crisp, butter cookie, these shortbread cookies are known as “Punitions” in France. This recipe makes the perfect rolled dough for Christmas cookies, Valentines Day or any other occasion that might call for a cut out butter cookie. You can freeze this cookie dough for up to a month – which makes this recipe ideal for getting a head start on your holiday baking. 

The cookies are delicious alone but are fun to decorate with white icing, colored sugar or sandwiched together with your favorite jam.

These shortbreads should be completely blonde when baked, not golden brown. However, if you do get a brown edge – don’t worry I’ve included a white icing recipe to hide those little blemishes.

Ingredients

10 tablespoons salted butter, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and continue to mix until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, slowly add the flour and mix until dough is smooth and just comes together. Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until chilled, about 20 minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured work surface.

Roll the dough until ¼ -inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter and cut shapes out of the dough. Transfer cookie cut outs to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with any remaining dough and transfer to another baking sheet. Be sure to leave plenty of room between cookies. Bake until set but not golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature before decorating.

White Icing

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

5 tablespoons whole milk

Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk together until smooth. Divide into small bowls and add food dye to individual bowls as desired.

Three-Dimensional Holiday Decorated Gingerbread Cookies

My kitchen is starting to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas! Saturday’s winter storm was the perfect excuse to stay inside and bake these festive three-dimensional gingerbread cookies.

Not only will these spicy cookies warm you up on a cold day, but once pieced together and decorated, they’ll also warm your home with holiday spirit – and are a perfect afternoon activity while the kids are on winter break.

P.S. These cookie cutters made by Williams-Sonoma make a great holiday gift! They are no longer available in stores, but you can find them on Ebay. 

Holiday Gingerbread Cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

½ cup molasses

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and molasses, mixing until combined.

On the lowest speed of the mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, but do not over mix.

Remove the dough from the mixer, divide the dough in half, and flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick disk. Roll each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8^-inch thickness.  Score the dough with the cookie cutters and transfer to the freezer to harden, about 20 minutes. Carefully, pop scored cookies out from the sheet of dough and transfer to parchment-lined sheet tray.

 

Bake cookies until set and golden brown. Test the cookies by touch, they should bounce back a bit. Smaller cookies will take anywhere from 6-8 minutes, while the larger ones will bake in about 8 -10. Let cool completely before decorating.

Oh and this dough is exceptional for gingerbread houses, too! It is sturdy and retains its shape while baking. Happy baking!

Snowball Christmas Cookies

The holidays are the perfect time of year to make classic family recipes. This butterball cookie recipe, sometimes referred to as “Snowballs,” is a must for the holidays. Butterballs are simple yet delicious cookies – and are always festive for wintertime. For a variation on this recipe, add one cup of finely chopped walnuts or pecans. Serve these cookies with warm cocoa or a hot toddy and enjoy!

Snowball Christmas Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling
8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, cream confectioners’ sugar and butter. Do not over mix. Add vanilla extract, flour and sea salt. Process until combined, about ten 1-second pulses until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and roll into a small disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Using your hands, shape dough 1 tablespoon at a time into small balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 -12 minutes.

Cool cookies slightly before rolling in confectioners' sugar. 

Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies

These gingerbread men sandwich cookies are a colorful twist on this traditional cookie. This warm and spicy cookie tastes and smells like the holidays. Depending on your preference you can make these gingerbread men crispy or with a little bit of a chew. These cookies are delicious with or without the filling and can easily be made into gingerbread trees or snowflakes. If you're not a fan of peppermint, substitute green or white sprinkles to add some color to your next batch. What’s your favorite holiday cookie to bake? 

Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies

(Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter)

6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1-tablespoon ground dry ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs

½ cup dark molasses

Juice of 1 lemon

Filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ cups Crushed peppermint or candy canes

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and sea salt until evenly combined. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, molasses and lemon juice until combined. On the lowest speed of the mixer, add the dry ingredients to the beaten butter until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the egg mixture until blended, do not over mix.

Remove the dough from the mixer, divide the dough in half, and flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, gently roll the first half of the dough until ¼ -inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter and cut gingerbread men out of the dough. Transfer cookie cut outs to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. Be sure to leave plenty of room between cookies. Bake until light brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature before filling.

For the Cookie Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and beat until smooth.  

Arrange the cookies in pairs on a large work surface. Spoon or pipe 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies. Generously sprinkle candy cane filling onto the frosted side of the cookie. Gently sandwich the gingerbread men with the remaining cookies, pressing them together so the filling spreads to the edge and the peppermint candies show through.

Peanut Butter & Concord Grape Jam Thumbprint Cookies

A classic American fall fruit is the Concord grape. These hardy, aromatic grapes are only available fresh during September and October. Commonly used in jellies, jams, juices and delectable sweets, they are also delicious eaten out of hand – just remember to watch out for seeds! The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the flesh of the fruit.  

A popular pairing with Concord grape jam is peanut butter. I decided to do a little twist on this American favorite to create a peanut butter cookie with Concord grape jelly - because what goes together better than peanut butter and jelly?

Peanut Butter & Concord Grape Jam Thumbprint Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup smooth peanut butter

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup Concord grape jam (See Recipe Below)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat peanut butter and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dough and form into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and arrange on the baking sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake until cookies are puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and make indentations in centers by pressing with your thumb. Return to oven and bake until edges are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely. Just before serving, scoop 1 teaspoon Concord grape jelly into the center of the cookies.

For the Concord Grape Jam

1 lb. Concord grapes, stemmed          

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Separate grape skins from grape pulp. In a food processor, puree skins with 1 tablespoon sugar until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium size pot. Stir in lemon juice, grape pulp, and remaining ¼ cup sugar and boil over moderate heat. Stir frequently until pulp is broken down, about 20 minutes. Strain jam through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow simmer until mixture thickens. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of warm jam into each cookie thumbprint.

Note: Any jam, preserves or ganache can be substituted for the cookie filling.