Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I am so swamped this season, the only cookies I will be baking are drop cookies. I came up with a new peanut butter oatmeal cookie the other day that was pretty darn tasty, if I do say so myself. The recipe is up on my blog:

http://tinyurl.com/62tlxt

I usually make a tray for my husband to bring to work--you know, to give the guys a break from donuts :) It always includes:

Pecan tarts
Potato chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies

And I try to throw in something different each year as well. Last year it was ginger snaps. This year I'm thinking maybe shortbread with my cookie press.

I'm making both biscuits (cookies) and tea breads. I'm still undecided regarding biscuits though (I've narrowed it down to 17 possible candidates), but I'm definitely making some kind of biscotti (chocolate hazelnut, most likely), some kind of shortbread and sesame biscuits. I'm considering chocolate & peanut butter cups. And I'm certain about the 3 kinds of tea bread: blueberry, banana/walnut and spiced butternut squash/almond.

I haven't finalized my list but here is how my cookie tray stands at the present:

The definites:

1) For my gluten-free/wheat-free family members:
- flourless chocolate almond cookies
- flourless PB blossoms
- cranberry pistachio meringues
- peppered peanut brittle
2) For the rest of the family:
- more of the above
- rasberry jam bars
- speculaas (Dutch and/or Belgium spice cookies)
- Mexican wedding cookies

One or more of the following:
- oatmeal carmelitas
- cafe latte cookies
- lemon poppyseed cookies
- chai snickerdoodles
- sweet/spicy and/or savory/spicy trail mixes

Oh, I was also considering peanut butter granola ...

@Esmerelda--tell me about your chai snickerdoodles.

I'm planning on a much simpler array of cookies to share:
snickerdoodles (traditional ones unless Esmerelda comes through with that chai recipe)
pecan tassies
lemon bars
and a pistachio and dried cranberry cookie (green and red, get it?)

I'd like to make some Linzers...we'll see.

i'm doing the bulk of my holiday baking this weekend. I'm making:

Monster Cookies (signature chocolate chunk/oatmeal cookie recipe)
Molasses Spice Cookies with a Dark Rum Glaze
Fleur De Sel Caramels
Biscotti di Prato
Chocolate Wasabi Cookies (an experimental recipe I'm going to work on today)

I wish I had more time, though, because Rum Balls are sounding better and better!

Fruit-nut bars
Gingersnaps
Chocolate-chocolate chip peppermint cookies
mini mince pies
sugar cookies

Those are the regulars demanded by my family

And then I will probably do some looking around for something new and fun

brownies
short bread (both plain and chocolate-dipped)
M&M cookies
pecan bars
coffee toffee (actually candy - not cookies)
sugar cookies
gingerbread men (and stars, trees, etc.) -- with dough left over from the gingerbread houses
cheese straws (savory -- not sweet, but an annual tradition)

Izzy's not kidding. She really wants us to send her cookies.
Now she's sad =(

i think izzy should heat up her oven and bake us the cookies.

Thanks Brooke! I really hope you feel better soon. Your biscotti sound really yummy! *she says with a hopeful look*

@dearrie ~ Izzy don't bake.

I use my oven for storage. Where would I put everything?

@iz~What do you need to store if you don't bake? Look at all that space you just freed up!

@TEXIE ~ Salted caramels.

@Texas--it's basically a butter cookie with crushed potato chips added. The sweet/salty/crunchy combo is insane. Here's the recipe:

2 sticks butter @ room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups AP flour (give or take a little, depending on the humidity)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c crushed potato chips (plain, obviously--BBQ or salt & vinegar would be very strange)
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the flour and vanilla and beat on low speed until flour is incorporated (here's where you'll need to play it by ear on the flour. If it's raining or otherwise precipitating, I'll use the full 3 cups, but if the air is drier, 2 1/2 cups is enough). Add the potato chips and beat until the mixture comes together.

Place balls of cookie dough (I do about 2 Tbsp each) on ungreased cookie sheets and bake until lightly browned around the edges but soft in the center, 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool 1 minute before transferring to wire racks. Then immediately generously sprinkle half the confectioners' sugar over them. Let them cool completely, then sprinkle the rest of the confectioners' sugar before serving.

Melt-in-your-mouth goodness awaits.

captain

@buffy~Thanks, I copied it and I'm going to try them.

@texas you got it
malibu would be good if you rolled them in coconut

I would like to know more about the Russian tea balls.

@texas & dearrie--my t-totaling grandmother, who's already pretty crazy to begin with, enjoyed a few too many rum balls at a Christmas party last year and got quite tipsy, from what I heard. Wish I could've been there to see it.

He's MY boyfriend!!

How did I miss this thread? Phooey!

Those Chai snickerdoodles sound good. I have had the Chai shortbread and it was pretty good, but I have not tried making any.

I always make too much. Hard to help myself! Plus everyone wants a favorite...and I am bad at saying no...

Moravian spice cookies
Chewy ginger cookies
Mexican wedding cakes
Kourabedes
Espresso-almond sticks
Baklava
Mammoul
Date swirls
Fig pinwheels
Mission fig bars
Marzipan-filled bars
Raspberry bars
Plain and dark chocolate-dipped, shortbread
Lebkuchen
Lemon raspberry shortbread sandwiches
Peppermint surprise cookies
Chocolate covered cherry cookies
Mixed dried fruit and nut bars

Hopefully that is all, though most this year are single batches so it won't be bad.
I am already making some of the simpler doughs and freezing them in advance. Saves time and space in my tiny kitchen.

@Texas--those potato chip cookies sound fun! I may have to make some, they sound good!

Good thread!

Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa. Get lost Cookie.

@lamora - cream cheese and almonds, you certainly got my attention! I would love the recipe, please!

@iz - thanks! And since you're asking so nicely, the first batch of chocolate hazelnut biscotti I make once I'm back on my feet is going to you:-)

OK I am talking on behalf of my mother here;
Nut bread
stollen
popseed bread
fruitcake
spritz cookies
sugar cookies shaped with holiday cookie cutters
biscotti with both ends dipped in choc.
the horseshoe shaped cookies with powdered sugar on them (forgot name)
rum balls
fudge
Linzertorte cookies
some Austrian jam cookies (forgot name).
I make naomie bars, and peppermint brownies .

@lamora~I know this is an old post, but if you get back could you pleeeeze post the recipe? I think I'm starting Tuesday. I suddenly realized I'm mailing most of them!