Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted & cooled 5 minutes*

3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

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Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown
sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will
be thin. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will
be very soft, thick, and appear greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may not stick to
the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.

Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. I highly
recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight for less spreading.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Set aside.

Using a cookie scoop or Tablespoon measuring spoon, measure 3 scant Tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or
60g) of dough for XL cookies or 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces, or 50g) of dough for
medium/large cookies. Roll into a ball, making sure the shape is taller rather than wide—almost like a
cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 8–9 balls of dough
onto each cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. (XL cookies can take
closer to 14 minutes.) The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool.
Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops of
the warm cookies. This is optional and only for looks. After 10 minutes of cooling on the baking sheets,
transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up
to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies freeze well
for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie
dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie
dough.

Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula | Baking
Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack

Cornstarch: If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. The cookies are still very soft.

Egg & Egg Yolk: Room temperature egg + egg yolk are best. Typically, if a recipe calls for room
temperature or melted butter, it’s good practice to use room temperature eggs as well. To bring eggs to
room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.

Can I add nuts or different add-ins? Yes, absolutely. As long as the total amount of add-ins is around 1 – 1
and 1/4 cups, you can add anything including chopped nuts, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, dried
cranberries, chopped peanut butter cups, etc. I love them with 3/4 cup (135g) butterscotch morsels and
1/2 cup (100g) Reese’s Pieces. You could even add 1/2 cup (80g) sprinkles to make a sprinkle chocolate
chip cookie.

Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking success tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking

Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms

Description

These homemade peanut butter blossoms are extra soft and thick, super simple to make, and
delightfully peanut buttery. So many reasons why this is a classic holiday cookie recipe! Don’t forget to
place the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent the chocolate kiss candy from melting.

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

3/4 cup (about 185g) creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

24 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped

Coating

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

OR: 1/4 cup (50g) green sanding sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) red sanding sugar

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Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1
minute on high speed until creamy. Switch to medium-high speed and beat in the brown sugar and 1/4
cup (50g) granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and
beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone
spatula as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be
very creamy and soft. Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 3
days.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking
mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside. Also, make sure there’s room in your freezer
because the cookies will need to be placed inside to prevent the chocolates from melting.

Roll & Bake: Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough each. Roll each ball in
the 1/2 cup of sugar (or sanding sugar) and arrange on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for
11–13 minutes or until the tops begin to slightly crack. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool
on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Set the chocolate: Press a chocolate kiss candy into the center of each, then, using a thin spatula,
immediately transfer the cookies to a large plate or a few smaller plates (gently—they’re soft). Place the
plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate in the cookie.

Remove from the freezer and serve.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up
to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to
3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks
on how to freeze cookie dough.

Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone
Spatula | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack

Granulated Sugar: You’ll only need 1/4 cup of granulated sugar for the cookie dough and the other 1/2
cup will be for coating in step 5. Or you can use sanding sugar to coat the cookies instead, noted as
optional in the ingredient list. If using sanding sugar, you do not need the extra 1/2 cup of granulated
sugar listed under Coating. If you’re shopping for sanding sugar online, I like the sugars from this holiday
set, these multicolor, these green, and these red (affiliate links).

Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is ideal for this recipe because crunchy peanut butter creates an
overly crumbly cookie. For this particular recipe, it’s best to use processed peanut butter such as Jif or
Skippy. If you decide to use natural peanut butter, make sure it’s at room temperature, stirred well, and
expect a slightly crumblier cookie.

Can I use almond butter or other nut butter? Yes, you can use almond butter or another nut butter in
this cookie recipe; however, expect a crumblier cookie. I have not tested this recipe with Nutella.

Can I make these without nut butter? For a nut-free version of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for
sunflower seed butter or Biscoff spread. However, you’ll have better luck (and a tastier cookie!) if you
make these sparkle sweetheart cookies and replace the Valentine’s Day heart candies with Hershey’s
Kisses. Or try my candy cane kiss cookies or red velvet blossoms.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1/2 cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons (10ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)

Coating & Topping

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

22–24 Andes chocolate mints, unwrapped

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Instructions

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter,
granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about
2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down
the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With
the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The
cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk. The cookie dough will be
thick and sticky.

Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is
imperative for this sticky cookie dough.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Set aside.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and roll dough, 1 heaping Tablespoon (about 25g) of
dough each, into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 2–3 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges appear set. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by
minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps
initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
Cool cookies for just 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Press 1 Andes chocolate mint into the top of each
warm cookie. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, and then use a knife, icing spatula, or toothpick to
gently swirl/spread the melted chocolate.

Transfer “frosted” cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they
cool. Andes chocolate sets in less than an hour, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies.

Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs*

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon!)

1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)

1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*

1 cup (140g) raisins (see Note below)

optional: 1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts

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Instructions

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both
sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix on high until
combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla
and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients
and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using) on low speed. Dough will
be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you’re
afraid of the cookies spreading too much). If chilling for longer (up to 2 days), allow to sit at room
temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking
mats. Set aside.

Roll balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking
sheets. I recommend using a cookie scoop since the dough can be sticky. Bake for 12-14 minutes until
lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven
and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The
cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Baked cookies freeze well—up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well—up to three
months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here’s how to freeze
cookie dough.

Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or
Parchment Paper | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack

Oats: For these oatmeal raisin cookies, I use old-fashioned whole oats. They provide the ultimate hearty,
chewy, thick texture we love!

Eggs: Room temperature eggs preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when
using room temperature butter.

Raisins: Soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes before using (blot very well to dry them) – this
makes them nice and plump for your cookies.

Black and White Cookies

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), or more as needed, see note*

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup (80g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*

Icing

5 and 1/2 cups (660g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (measure before sifting)

7 Tablespoons (105ml) whole milk, divided

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons (15g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and
sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and
vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up
the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Reduce to low speed and add the dry
ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Beat everything on low until combined and
no pockets of flour remain. Batter is extremely thick.

Using a greased 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 4 inches apart on prepared baking
sheets—6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow
cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before
icing.
Make the icings: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 6 Tablespoons milk, the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and
salt together in a medium bowl. Transfer 1 cup to a separate bowl, add remaining Tablespoon of milk and
the cocoa powder. Whisk until combined.

Spread vanilla icing onto half of the cookies—the flat side. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set so that
the icings do not bleed into each other. Spread chocolate icing onto other side and allow the icing to set
completely, about 1 hour, before serving.

Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for
up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: You’ll want to bake this cookie dough right away as the baking powder is
initially activated once wet. You can, however, bake the cookies in step 4, cool completely, cover tightly,
and store at room temperature for up to 3 days before continuing with step 5. Frosted or unfrosted
cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room
temperature before serving or frosting.

Flourless Monster Cookies

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups (128g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter (see note)

1/2 cup (105g) regular-size M&M’s, or 1/3 cup (77g) mini M&M’s

1/3 cup (60g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the oats, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until combined. Whisk
in the peanut butter.

Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula until
combined. (Takes some arm muscle!) Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky
and gooey.

Cover the cookie dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Scoop the dough, a heaping 2 Tablespoons (45g) each, and place the mounds of cookie dough about 3
inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (A medium cookie scoop helps with the sticky dough, but
make sure it is a heaping scoop to get you 2 Tablespoons (45g) of dough.)

Bake until the edges are set and golden brown, about 12–15 minutes. The cookies will still look soft in
the centers.

Cool cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, I like to press a few more chocolate
chips or M&M’s into the tops of the warm cookies. (This is optional and only for looks.) Transfer to wire
rack to cool completely.

Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make this dough ahead of time and keep it in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls
freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.

Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cookie Scoop | Baking
Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper Sheets | Cooling Rack

Oats: Oats are naturally gluten free, but if you have dietary restrictions, be sure they are labeled
“certified gluten free” because oats can be packaged in a facility with gluten.

Can I Use Quick Oats? You can certainly try it. The cookies will not spread as much, and you’ll lose some
of the chewy texture.

Peanut Butter: I strongly recommend using processed creamy peanut butter for these cookies, such as Jif
or Skippy. Using natural peanut butter will make for a drier, more crumbly cookie.
Nut-Free: We tested these cookies with sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter, and the
recipe works; but keep in mind that when sunflower seed butter and baking soda combine, there’s a
natural reaction that causes the inside of the cookies to turn green! It’s harmless and doesn’t change the
taste or texture.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups + 1 Tablespoon (260g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract*

1/2 cup (about 90g) nonpareil sprinkles (I use these)

32–36 candy cane flavor Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

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Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and
sugar together on high speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract,
and peppermint extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the
bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until fully combined. The dough will
be very thick.

Roll dough into balls, 1 scant Tablespoon of dough each (each dough ball should weigh about 20g). The
dough may seem dry, but the warmth of your hands will allow it to come together in a ball. Roll each
dough ball generously in the sprinkles. If the sprinkles are not sticking to the dough balls, the dough may
be too firm. Try pouring the sprinkles onto a plate and pressing the dough balls into the sprinkles. Or
continue rolling the dough balls, as the warmth from your hands can help get the sprinkles to stick. If this
still isn’t helping, beat 1 teaspoon of water into the dough to help make it a bit stickier, and then try
again.

Place sprinkled dough balls on a baking sheet or plate (whatever will fit in your refrigerator). Chill them
in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, and up to 1 day. If chilling for longer than 1 hour, cover them.

While the cookie dough balls are chilling, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

Place the chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes or
until edges appear set. The cookies may look under-baked in the centers; that’s ok—do not over-bake.
Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.

Set the Hershey’s Kisses: Press a kiss candy into the center of each, then, using a thin spatula,
immediately transfer the cookies to a large plate or a few smaller plates (gently—they’re soft). Place the
plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the candy in the cookie.

Remove from the freezer and serve.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.