Our first platter of cookies was sent up for the party by Amy's mom. What a gift!
It included sugar cookies with green & red sprinkles, pizzelles, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. She also sent a bowl full of spiced pecans that were divine!
You know those chocolate cookies that are plump and look like they're cracked on top? I've been searching for weeks for the right recipe and have often ended up with cookies that were too hard or too cakey or just not right. Even good ol' Paula Deen's recipe failed me. But finally, the night before the party, I stumbled upon a great Chocolate Crackle Cookie recipe...hallelujah!
Chocolate Crackle Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp softened, unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
4 tbsp confectioners' sugar
Directions:
In a bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and blend in butter. Stir in egg and vanilla until mixture is blended. Stir in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Spread dough in a thin layer in a bowl and freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease baking sheet.
Put confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and dust hands. Roll each piece of dough into a small, gumball-sized ball and then in confectioners' sugar. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are just set.
Another "cookie" that debuted at the party was the Kiss Pie. Even though it's called a pie, it's really just a fancy cookie. We try not to let it get too full of itself. These were so easy to make and delicious (if you don't forget to set the timer and burn them like we did with our first batch). The Kiss Pies are a great way to use up leftover Hershey Kisses or pie crusts that you may have from other holiday sweets & treats.
Kiss Pies
2 store-bought, refrigerated pie crusts
Hershey kisses (I used regular, but any kisses would work!)
1 egg white whisked with 1 tbsp water
Granulated and powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter (I used a drinking glass with a 2 1/2 inch mouth), cut out as many circles from the pie crust as you can. Continue cutting out circles until you use all the dough. Place one unwrapped Hershey Kiss in the middle of each circle and pinch four sides of the dough up to the top off the kiss. Make sure the edges seal in the middle so they don't burst open in the oven.
Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-28 minutes or until pies are golden. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Dust each with powdered sugar and serve.
Lastly, we made a glorified version of a precious dessert called "Untitled." We may have admitted that we finally went to far with this, but I think if we hadn't already eaten gobs of sweets by the time these came out of the oven, we would have loved it.
The tradition of making "Untitled" began in my freshman dorm at Vanderbilt. After weeks of baking Tollhouse break & bakes in the dirty community kitchen, we decided to take it a step further and make s'mores with our freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Untitled is, in its most basic form, a s'more made with chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers. It doesn't have an actual name because there simply is no name to justify how delicious it is.
At this year's party, we made Untitleds with break & bakes (after all this baking, I didn't have it in me to make homemade chocolate chip cookies), Kung Fu Mallows, and melted dark chocolate chips. My oh my, what a decadent take on Untitleds.
Untitled: Second Annual Christmas Pajama Party-Style
Nestle Tollhouse Break & Bake cookies
Kung Fu Mallows
Dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Bake break & bake cookies as directed on package.
With one minute remaining on the cookies, melt dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Begin by heating them on high for 30 seconds and stir. Continue heating at 10-second intervals, stirring between each take until melted.
Immediately after you take the break & bakes out of the oven, assemble your Untitleds. Turn one cookie upside down and slather the melted dark chocolate on its bottom. Place one Kung Fu Mallow on top. Place another cookie on top of that, right-side-up. Continue until all your Untitleds are assembles. Enjoy immediately.
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