holiday baking

Five-Ingredient Graham Cracker HEATH Bar Toffee

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

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!

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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?

Chocolate Fudge Thumbprint Cookies

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

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! 

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

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

I LOVE biscotti. I grew up with biscotti – my mom seemed to always have a package of Nonni’s biscotti on hand for desserts, snacks (breakfast…shh), etc. There’s just something deliciously satisfying about the crunch of a good biscotti, paired with some coffee or hot tea. Amiright? And now that I know how to bake them (I’ve made a few different kinds before, including chocolate pistachio biscotti and pumpkin biscotti), I am loving them even more!

Seeking a last minute cookie to bake for the holidays? Okay, I guess it’s not quite last minute yet, but these make the perfect Christmas cookie. The green pistachio and red cranberries are festive – but these really are great all year round. I made these for a holiday party/cookie exchange and recommend you try them out too. The recipe is from B’s mom, and I was so grateful that she shared it with me – so now I’m sharing it with you!

cranberry pistachio biscotti-icrashedtheweb

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 ½ cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs + 1 egg set aside for egg wash
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ⅓ cup dried cranberries (soak 5 min in hot water)
  • 1 cup pistachios, chopped

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 300°.
  2. Combine first five ingredients.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla. Work into dough using hands.
  4. Drain cranberries and add to dough with pistachios.
  5. Roll into two logs. Flatten slightly and place on greased pan. Brush with egg wash (1 egg plus 1 Tablespoon cold water).
  6. Bake for 50 minutes, slice into pieces and bake an additional 10 min. per side. Makes approximately 36 biscotti cookies. Enjoy!

cranberry pistachio biscotti~icrashedtheweb

I also made this recipe sheet if you’d like to print out the recipe (click here to download the pdf).

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI-icrashedtheweb-recipe-small

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like biscotti?
  • What’s a favorite family cookie recipe?

Chocolate Dipped Heath Bar Shortbread Cookies

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Have you been baking Christmas cookies yet? If your schedule has been anything like mine, you’ve been busy baking up a storm for cookie exchanges, holiday parties and office gatherings.

For this year’s work cookie exchange, I opted to make these cookies. I knew I wouldn’t have time to make them completely the night before, so I actually made the dough, froze it, and then baked and dipped them in chocolate and sprinkles the night before. These cookies are good – not too sweet, but delicious and festive (if you add rainbow sprinkles)! A great cookie exchange addition.

Chocolate Dipped Heath Bar Chip Shortbread-icrashedtheweb

Chocolate Dipped Heath Bar Shortbread Cookies

Recipe from the kitchn. The original recipe says it makes 70-75 cookies. Don’t know what I did differently, but mine made about 45. If yours makes 70, PLEASE let me know what you did!

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup Heath toffee chips
  • 1 cup chocolate melting wafers

Here’s what you do:

  1. Cream together butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth. Add vanilla.
  2. Using a hand or stand mixer on, low speed, mix in the flour until combined and a dough is formed. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the Heath Bar chips.
  3. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log about 10-12 inches long. Wrap both logs of dough in parchment or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the rolls until firm (a few hours, or up to three days). The logs can also be frozen if you don’t plan on baking them within a few days, just make sure to thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
  4. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, cut the logs into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick slices. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange slices slightly apart on the baking sheets.
  5. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges just start to brown brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets before removing from the pan.
  6. Melt the 1 cup of chocolate melting wafers in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate and use a butter knife to scrape off the excess chocolate. Place the dipped cookies on parchment paper. Optional: while still wet, add festive/colorful sprinkles. Wait until set before storing or tasting.
  7. Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Heath Bar Chip Shortbread~icrashedtheweb

Some questions for you:

  • What twists on traditional cookies do you make to give them more of a holiday appeal? I like to shape them into fun holiday shapes (candy canes, snowmen) or add red/green sprinkles (like these!).
  • What’s your go-to cookie for cookie exchanges?

Almond Thumbprint Jam Cookies

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

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.

White Chocolate Oreo Peppermint Bark

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

Yikes. There is suddenly less than one week until Christmas? I know what you’re thinking – that’s plenty of time to get my holiday baking done, right? Well, okay … it probably is. But if you’re looking for a sweet treat to make that won’t take too much time so that you still have time for some holiday shopping (or napping) then this one’s for you! This bark is sweet, delicious and takes no time to make (and no oven to preheat). Pack it up in a fun container and you have the perfect hostess gift (it pairs well with a bottle of wine too …. just saying) for a holiday gathering this year.

 

oreo peppermint bark

White Chocolate Oreo Peppermint Bark

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c. chopped / crushed andy canes (about 2-3 regular ones or 8-10 mini candy canes)
  • 12 holiday (red creme) Oreos, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • Red/green/white sprinkles (optional)

Here is what you do:

  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Melt milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Mine took about 1 minute 30 seconds to melt and I heated them up at 30 second intervals, stirring after each Pour onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet and spread flat with a spatula.Let cool for at last 10 minutes or until hardened.
  3. Add white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and melt like you did with the chocolate chips, stirring about every 30 seconds. Pour over chocolate layer and spread to the edges of the milk chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped candy canes, chopped Oreos and sprinkles.
  4. Chill until set, then break into pieces enjoy!

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your go-to hostess gift?
  • Do you still have some last minute shopping to do?
  • Who is the hardest on your list to get gifts for?

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

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

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