christmas cookies

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Ganache

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I can’t believe we’re already very much in the holiday season! Christmas is 10 days away, and Hannukah started this weekend. One of the reasons it’s my favorite time of year is really because of all the cookies and baking. If cinnamony-sugary cookies (Taylor Swift Chai cookies) aren’t your thing and you’re more of a chocolate person, here’s a fun recipe you can try on your own or bake with kids!

These chocolate thumbprint cookies have become such a staple in our Christmas cookie rotation over the last few years. Even though I started making them after my grandma died, I always think of her while baking them because she was a self-proclaimed chocoholic and I know she would have loved these. I make them in her honor and it makes me happy that my dad and GM get to enjoy them too since they both love chocolate just as much.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (With Chocolate Ganache)

Here’s what you need

For the cookies

  • 3 cups (about 360 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (80 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (330 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the ganache

  • 1 cup (200 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Festive sprinkles for topping

Here’s what you do

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
  4. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough at a time and roll into a ball.
  5. Use a small measuring spoon (or your/your child’s finger) to press an indent into each ball.
  6. Chill the indented dough for at least 1 hour or in the freezer. I like to make these in early December and freeze until they’re just ready to bake before Christmas.
  7. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  8. Arrange the chilled dough balls about 1 ½ inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Bake for 10 minutes.
  9. When they come out of the oven, gently press the centers again with the small spoon if the indent rose during baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 6 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  10. While cookies are cooling, add chocolate chips to a small bowl.
  11. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until just about boiling.
  12. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Then, stir ganache until smooth.
  13. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of ganache into each cooled cookie. Sprinkle sprinkles to the top if you want.
  14. Chill the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes so the ganache can set. I like to pop mine in the freezer for a few hours to ensure they’re hardened before storing.

Questions for you:

  • What’s next on your holiday baking list?
  • Are you team cinnamon/sugar/spice cookie OR team chocolate cookie?

Chocolate Brownie Sandwich Cookies

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In case you didn’t notice, I’m very much in the midst of holiday baking. So far, we’ve made some graham cracker Heath bar toffee and Taylor Swift Chai cookies – with plenty more on the way!

These were next up. I asked each of my kids to share their top 3 holiday cookies, and one of FW’s favorites were these. Last year was the first year I had ever made them, and I wasn’t even planning on making them this year (like the Chai cookies!), but since they were top on his list, we made them again.

I need to first disclose a few things. First, this is not my recipe. One of B’s cousins made these cookies at his family’s annual golfing reunion, and FW gobbled them up there, so I asked for the recipe. Second, this uses a box of brownies! You can try to make them with your own homemade brownie, but I promise you, this recipe is not just easy, but it’s so tasty, and FW loves them this way. B’s cousin’s original recipe called for boxed frosting too – which you could definitely use! – but I think most boxes/cans of frosting have a funky aftertaste, so I opted to make my own and this is how the recipe has morphed into our own.

Here you go – here is the Chocolate Brownie Sandwich Cookie recipe. These are rich and very sweet, so if you’re eating them as part of a cookie tray, you may only want half of one so you have room to try some other cookies. Note that I typically double the recipe so that I have enough for us to enjoy, plus to give away with other holiday cookies.

Chocolate Brownie Sandwich cookies

Makes 1 dozen sandwiches (or as FW calls them, “chocolate hamburgers” — I don’t think that is very appetizing though)

Continue reading →

Five-Ingredient Graham Cracker HEATH Bar Toffee

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Have you started your holiday baking yet? This past weekend I realized that I hadn’t baked anything yet (hello, 3 kids including one 4-month-old who wants to be held all the time plus a full-time job) and decided to change things immediately. When B offered to take the baby with him when he went out on Saturday, leaving me home with just the 3 and 5-year-old, I knew it would be the perfect time for baking!

One of my favorite things to make this time of year is graham cracker toffee. There are so many recipes for it, but my favorite is easy and very few ingredients – chocolate chips, butter, brown sugar, graham crackers and HEATH bar bits. If I make it during the holidays, I also add some festive sprinkles, but that’s it! Easy peasy as my preschooler would say. And yes, it is easy- she even helped me!

graham cracker toffee_i crashed the web

Five-Ingredient Graham Cracker HEATH Bar Toffee

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 15-18 graham crackers (enough to fill the baking sheet you have)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup HEATH bits o’brickle
  • Optional: festive sprinkles for sprinkling all over

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a large jelly roll baking sheet (mine was about 11×15 inches) with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Place graham crackers side-by-side, face up, in a single layer on the baking sheet. To help you reach the end, you may need to break graham crackers in half – this is okay because you’ll be breaking everything at the end.
  3. In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, until it starts to boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, and stir so to ensure it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat, and pour mixture over graham crackers.
  4. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the graham crackers. Let the chocolate chips sit for a few minutes so they’re able to melt. Spread melted chocolate with a knife or rubber spatula. Sprinkle HEATH bites and sprinkles (optional) on top.
  5. Let the toffee harden in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. After it’s hard, break the toffee into pieces or cut with a knife. Enjoy!

20211211_111741

My three and five-year-old helped spread the butter/sugar mixture on the graham crackers before they went into the oven.

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your go-to holiday cookie or treat you like to share?
  • Are you baking up a storm right now?

WIAW: brinner and bacon! (and the worst dinner pic ever)

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Happy happy Wednesday! I know I’m usually cheering for the middle of the work week, but today I’m off!! That’s right- I’m off for the holidays and will soon be with my family in NY and I can’t wait! Our days will be filled with holiday goodies, snacks and of course, wintry delicious meals. In the meantime. Here is today’s What I Ate Wednesday – yesterday’s meals. Featuring breakfast for dinner and BACON!

Admittedly, the day wasn’t the healthiest. Or at least it didn’t start off that way- because I started the day with a gingerbread cookie! I just made these and they are so so so good!! Here is the recipe.

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Lunch was some egg white oatmeal with brewer’s yeast and flaxseed for BF-ing,  plus some fruit salad.

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And some delicious crunchy peanut butter. Yes, I ate more than just that spoonful 🙂

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For dinner I had a GREAT brinner and beer. And the photo was awful!! I’m so sorry – but instead, imagine a holiday beer – Shiner Holiday Cheer – and eggs, egg whites, spinach, nitrate-free bacon and toast.

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Aforementioned awful blurry photo. If you blur your eyes it almost looks normal! 20161220_194426

And cookies!! B brought home some cookies for work and I tried a few. My favorite were the coconut macaron and that green tree sugar cookie. 20161220_192101

There we go – another What I Ate Wednesday. Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite holiday beer?
  • How often do you do brinner?

Disclaimer: Stemilt sent me some complimentary Skylar Rae cherries, and I loved them. All views are my own. 

Chocolate Fudge Thumbprint Cookies

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It’s Christmas Eve! If you’re like me, that means lots of relaxing, eating, and spending time with my family. And maybe some last minute (yes, now it’s really last minute) baking.

If you’re seeking a relatively quick, very easy, festive holiday cookie, look no further. These are great for the chocoholic (sorry, not me) in your family. Or a chocolic friend, because who doesn’t like to be surprised with a plate of cookies this time of year?

Chocolate Fudge Thumbprint Cookies-icrashedtheweb

Chocolate Fudge Thumbprint Cookies

from Cafe Mom

Here’s what you need

  • 2 sticks + 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 heaping cup powdered sugar
  • 2­ Tablespoons hot water
  • 1 Tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • holiday sprinkles

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter, sugar and ⅓ cup cocoa powder. Mix well until one thorough mixture.
  2. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture by thirds and mix until combined.
  3. Roll the dough into small balls, about one-inch in diameter. Indent each ball with your thumb or a small spoon in the center.
  4. Bake for 7-8 minutes until cookie dough is lightly cracked on the surface but still soft.
  5. When they come out of the oven, don’t be surprised if your thumbprint is gone!  You’ll likely need to press the center of each cookie down again to make your frosting well. Cool completely.
  6. While cookies are cooling, make the frosting: mix the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, hot water, and vanilla. Spoon the frosting into the centers of the cooled cookies and add festive sprinkles while frosting is still wet. Allow frosting to set before putting away.

Enjoy! I’m not a huge chocolate fan and even I enjoyed one (or a few). They’re not MY favorite (again, not a big chocolate fan) but they were definitely a hit. For simple modifications, I may play with the filling, adding peppermint or peanut butter in the future.

Chocolate Fudge Thumbprint Cookies

Questions for you:

  • Chocolate lover or not?
  • What are some thumbprint cookies you enjoy? I love jam cookies! 

Almond Thumbprint Jam Cookies

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The countdown until Christmas is here! Each year, my family goes into full holiday baking mode, making a combination of new cookies as well as Christmas classics from past years (including Lemon Bars, Tuxedo Hugs, Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies and more). One of the cookies we do year over year are the Thumbprint Jam Cookies. They’re light, flaky and have just the right amount of jam to add an additional sweetness.

This year, we decided it was time for something new. My mom is a big fan of almond (And so am I!) so we opted to try these almond thumbprint jam cookies. My mom loved them, so I’ll consider them a win – and perhaps a new addition to our holiday cookie mix?

Almond Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Almond Thumbprint Jam Cookies

(via allrecipes)

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons milk

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
  3. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Refrigerate dough at least 4 hours or overnight. This prevents cookies from spreading!
  4. When ready, roll dough into about 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with raspberry jam.
  5. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
  6. Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over cooled cookies.

Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Enjoy!

Some questions for you:

  • What are 2-3 standard holiday cookies or things you bake? Jam cookies, tuxedo hug cookies, lemon bars! 
  • Have you tried any new cookies lately? Yes! This year we also have a ginger cookie (I LOVE GINGER) and chocolate chip dried cherry cookie. 
  • Any types of cookies you don’t like? Anything super chocolatey. Chocolate cookies with peppermint are one example. I prefer vanilla or non-chocolate (including peanut butter!) for my cookie base.

Peanut Butter Fudge Caramel Bars

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Just in time for the holidays, I’m excited to share with you a recipe that is delicious and perfect for peanut butter and chocolate lovers.

This is not realllllly a holiday recipe, but you can dress it up with red and green and then it’s the perfect for the holidays! It’s not difficult to make but it IS somewhat time consuming because it’s a few layers. But I promise it’s worth it because it really is that good.*

*if you don’t like peanut butter or chocolate you WON’T like these. I can’t be held responsible for your taste buds.

Peanut Butter Fudge Caramel Bars - icrashedtheweb

Peanut Butter Fudge Caramel Bars

Here’s what you need:

For the cookie layer

  • 1/2 c butter (1 stick)
  • 1/3 c granulated sugar
  • 1 c flour

For the peanut butter caramel layer

  • 30 caramels, unwrapped
  • 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

For the peanut butter fudge layer

  • 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I ended up using about half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate)
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/2 c. candy topping – I used peanut butter M&Ms that were red and green

Here’s what you do:

  1. For the cookie layer: Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 in. pan with foil and/or spray with cooking spray. Creaming the butter and sugar with a stand mixer until fluffy. Slowly stir in flour. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes until it starts to slightly brown. Cool for at least 20-30 minutes before continuing.
  2. For the peanut butter caramel layer: Mix caramels, peanut butter, and heavy cream in a pot over medium to medium low heat. Stir until smooth and melted. Carefully pour on top of cookie layer. I used a spatula to evenly spread on top of cookie. Chill at least 15 minutes before adding chocolate peanut butter layer.
  3. For the chocolate peanut butter layer: Melting chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir until smooth and peanut butter is incorporated and pour over caramel layer. Again, I used a spatula to spread evenly and carefully. Top with candy of your choice – I use red and green M&Ms and sprinkles to fit within my holiday theme.
  4. Chill bars until completely firm; I chilled mine in the fridge for a few hours and then let sit at room temperature before cutting.

Peanut Butter Fudge Caramel Bars (1)

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

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Let the countdown begin – Christmas Eve will be here in just a week! If you’re looking for a great cookie to add to your holiday cookie collection, look no further – here is a keeper.

Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam are a staple in my household and one of the cookies we have nearly every year during the holidays. When my friend Melgar, who typically joins us for dessert during the holidays (but sadly won’t be there this year), asked me to share the recipe, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t already posted it here! So here you go – enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam - i crashed the web

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

Here’s what you need:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • about 1/4 c jam of your choice – I love raspberry!

Here’s what you do:

  1. Cream butter with sugar in large bowl of electric mixer until fluffy.
  2. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla, stopping machine as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl.
  3. Add flour and continue beating just until mixed through; do not overbeat or cookies will be tough.
  4. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes for firmer cookies that will not spread very much.
  5. Shape dough into 2 tbs. size balls* and flatten with your palms. Transfer to cookie sheet.
  6. Smooth and round cookies using knife (or your finger) dipped in cool water. To make a simple filled cookie, press thumb into formed cookie to make an indentation. Fill with jam.
  7. Transfer to greased baking sheets.
  8. Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies one sheet at a time until edges are brown and centers are just firm to touch, about 8-10 minutes. Cool on racks.

Makes about 2 dozen or so cookies.

Thumbprint Cookies w Jam - i crashed the web

*Feeling crafty and have extra time? Feel free to roll out dough and cut into cute, festive shapes instead of shaping dough into balls, before putting thumbprint onto dough.

Plus, as always, some questions for you:

  • Have you made these before? What do you do that’s different?
  • What’s your favorite type of jam?
  • What’s your favorite holiday cookie?  I love these! And Buckeyes, do they count? 

And here are two more of my favorite holiday cookies:

Super Easy Peasy Tuxedo Cookies - i crashed the web

Cherry Almond Chocolate Kiss Cookies - i crashed the web

 

A wonderful Cleveland holiday

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I love the holidays. The lights everywhere. The baked goods. The cookies. The music. The Christmas Ale. The overall warmth and jolliness that everyone seems to espouse (especially after a few cookies and Christmas Ale!). And even though it’s not even the middle of December yet,  I’m already in full blown holiday spirit!

Cleveland public square at night - all lit up

Cleveland during the holiday times is great. Public Square is lit up and there’s so much going on! In addition to a few holiday parties (not mentioned below), here’s how I’ve been celebrating  – with 15 days left until Christmas!

Baking … and more baking!  

Yes, as if I need an excuse for baking … but so far this year I’ve made Oatmeal Scotchies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies and Cherry Almond Chocolate Kisses.  When I get back to NY, I’ll likely make some more – probably some lemon bars, thumbprint jam cookies, peanut blossoms, Tuxedo Cookies, and much much more.

Some of the holiday cookies we baked for our office potluck/cookie exchange party

Some of the holiday cookies baked for our office potluck/cookie exchange party

Rocking it at the Cleveland Rocks! Awards

Each year, before the holidays, the Cleveland PRSA Chapter celebrates the best in the year’s programs and invites local PR pros to celebrate as well. This year, projects I worked on won several awards, including Best in Show! Plus, the Silent Auction I helped coordinate garnered a record number of funds to support the chapter’s scholarship fund. It was a great night and definitely wonderful to celebrate with my other coworkers and friends in the business.

Coworkers Goofing Off At Our Photo Booth at the Awards

Coworkers Goofing Off At Our Photo Booth at the Awards

Best In Show winners with our award - a guitar!

Best In Show winners with our award – a guitar!

Enjoying the Cleveland Orchestra’s Holiday Performance

Each year, the  Cleveland Orchestra puts on a performance for St. Ignatius as a fundraiser for student scholarships during the holidays – and it’s amazing! They play holiday concerts during the entire holiday season for the public, but I love the Ignatius concert tradition. We get dinner in Little Italy with B’s entire family (parents, siblings, aunt, uncles, grandma, cousin, etc.), then enjoy a performance in Severance Hall by the Cleveland Orchestra. It’s a great way to get in the holiday spirit – and I love it!

third row at the Cleveland Orchestra!

third row at the Cleveland Orchestra!

Watching A Christmas Carol at Playhouse Square

This weekend, B and I got tickets (THANKS CHRIS!) to see A Christmas Carol, put on by Great Lakes Theater. We made the evening into a date, and got drinks with his brother and parents before, saw the show, and then enjoyed dinner at Cowell & Hubbard. It was a great way to spend a wintry evening  – the show was great (although it made me really want to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol) and dinner was awesome. We enjoyed some beef ceviche, escargot, fois gras donuts and seafood dumplings — all food that I don’t normally order.

Escargot, beef ceviche, seafood dumplings and fois gras doughnuts @ Cowell & Hubbard

Escargot, beef ceviche, seafood dumplings and fois gras doughnuts @ Cowell & Hubbard

Giving Back with Caring Cubs

This weekend, B and I took ourniece and nephew to the zoo! Not only were we there to see some of the animals, but we were there for a Caring Cubs event. Caring Cubs is an organization I became introduced to through Bridge Builders- they hold monthly events for young children, ages 2 to 7, designed to teach various lessons of social responsibility.  We took Oliver and Sofia to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, brought some new and gently used toys that were in turn donated to the Department of Child and Family Services, and then got to enjoy an animal show plus tour of the zoo afterwords. We finished up the afternoon in Little Italy, enjoying some pizza and dessert at  some of our favorites – Mama Santas and Presti’s.

caring cubs

Caring Cubs collected more than 500 toys!

sofia touching armadillo

zooo with children

hmm ... which cookies to choose?

hmm … which cookies to choose?

What about you? What have you been doing to get into the holiday spirit?

A holiday baking favorite – Oatmeal Scotchies!

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

It’s December 4! Do you know what that means? Not only is it exactly THREE WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS (can you tell I’m excited?) … but it’s also National Cookie Day!

That’s right, National Cookie Day. Who makes up these bizarre holidays? Who knows. Do I care? Not if it means I can celebrate with baking and eating cookies!

In honor of the holiday, I’m sharing with you a recipe that we make every year at Christmas – Oatmeal Scotchies (or Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies).

butterscotch oatmeal cookies

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Here’s what you need:

  • 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs (as usual, I used 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats , uncooked
  • 1-3/4 cups (one traditional 11 oz. pkg.) Butterscotch Chips

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat  your oven to 370 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. I used Pam.
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
  3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt — slowly stir into the creamed mixture. Beat until well blended.
  5. Fold in oats and butterscotch chips and mix well. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto your cooking sheets.
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. If you prefer your cookies chewy, cook around 8. For crunchier cookies you may need 10-11 minutes.
  7. Cool on wire racks.

butterscotch oatmeal cookies cooling off

Enjoy! For some extra deliciousness, add a few chocolate chips to the batter when you have a little left and share those with your chocolate lover friends.