Day 9
Christmas Cookies
Homemade gifts are the sweetest! We asked Jennifer De Rycker of Nourishing Eats to share a Christmas Cookie recipe that would be fun and easy to make for bakers of all ages. Here’s her very festive recipe!
White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Makes 36 cookies
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup crushed candy canes
• 1 cup white chocolate chips plus more for dotting on the tops
• 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans (optional)
Cooking time: 10 min
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, white sugar & brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and peppermint extract. Slowly add the eggs one at a time making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next one.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and add in the flour, baking soda & salt in batches until it is all combined. If the dough sticks to your fingers when you squeeze it between them – add in a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Mix in the crushed candy canes & white chocolate chips. I love nuts in my cookies and often add in 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans. I find the savory nuts provide a nice balance to the sweet chocolate and candy cane, if using nuts add them at this point.
Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into balls about 1 to 1.5 Tbls in size* and place them on the lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Before removing from the oven and place a few white chocolate chips on the top of each cookie.
Cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then continue cooling on a wire rack.
For larger cookies, form the dough into balls about 3 tablespoons in size and form the dough balls so that they’re taller than they are wide. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops look just set.
To freeze the cookie dough, make the recipe through step 5 (without turning on the oven in step 1). Form the dough into balls and place them in a freezer bag. Remove the excess air, zipper close, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and place the cookies on lined cookie sheets. Baked from frozen they will need an extra minute or two in the oven.
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Download the recipe (PDF)
