Santa Cookies

Leaving cookies for Santa is a serious tradition, so selecting the ideal treat is crucial. Filled with chocolate chips, vanilla chips, mini M&M's, and nuts, these cookies are sure to bring a smile to Santa's face. Tis the Season!

By Rose Huxford

With such a wide variety of cookies available, it's tough to determine which one the big man in red will prefer. I chose these cookies because they're simple to make, yield a large batch, and are packed not only with chocolate but also with oats and nuts, providing an energy boost. These Santa Cookies can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, making them a delightful treat for gatherings and perfect for gifting!

By Rose Huxford

Santa Cookies

Yields: ~40 cookies

Pre-heat oven: 375 degree F

Prep-time: 5 minutes

Bake-time: 10-12 minutes

Total-time: ~20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, soften, or dairy free earth balance butter sticks

• 1 1/4 cups cane sugar, or monk fruit sweetener

• 1 cup brown sugar, or coconut sugar

• 2 lg eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 tsp pure almond extract

• 3 + 2 tbsp cups all-purpose flour, or GF flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp corn starch

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, or Trader Joes 72% dairy free chocolate chips

• 1 cup vanilla morsels, or Pascha dairy free white baking chips

• 1 cup mini m&m's, or dairy free Unreal chocolate pieces

• 1 cup pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degree F.

2. Line 1-2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a stand or hand electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Then, add in the sugars and beat for about 20 seconds, until well blended. Then, add in the vanilla and almond extract. Add one egg at a time, beating on medium speed until each egg is fully incorporated.

4. In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn starch. Use a whisk to blend everything together.

5. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour, about 1/3 cup at a time. Make sure each time you add the flour it's getting mostly incorporated. Continue until all the flour is gone. Once the flour is all incorporated, beat the batter for 10 more seconds on medium speed. Then, use a spatula to add in the oats, chocolate morsels, vanilla morsels, mini m&m's and pecans.

6. Use a small cookie scooper and scoop out about 1" size balls. Keep each cookie ball about 1 inch apart.

7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is slightly golden brown.

8. The goal is to take the cookies out while the center is slightly under done. This will make for a chewy cookie!

9. Once the cookies are done, let them sit on the sheet pan for few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies will continue to cook as they cool.

10. Enjoy right away or freeze in a tin or airtight container for up to 1 month.

11. These make for great holiday gifts, and especially for Santa!

By Rose Huxford