Sneak Zucchini into Cookies

I’ve realized that zucchini is one of the most versatile vegetables ever and tastes almost like air. You throw it into whatever you want and it just sort of melds into the recipe you’re making. It’s PRIME for getting your kids to eat veggies without them knowing (muwahaha).

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Cookies

These Lemon Zucchini Cookies are almost like a mini cake with a phenomenal texture and a tangy lemon glaze. As you can expect, you can’t taste the zucchini and the poppy seeds pop out with that fabulous lemony flavor. For full recipe details and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Preheat + Prep Pans

Preheat oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine Wet Ingredients

Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. 

Add Dry Ingredients + Bake

Add in all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in lemon zest, zucchini and poppy seeds by hand. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets and bake until bottoms are lightly golden. Cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Make Glaze

For the glaze, stir powdered sugar into the lemon juice bit by bit until you form a thick glaze, about the same viscosity as white school glue. Drizzle over cookies and let set a few minutes. Serve.

Storing Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Lemon Zucchini Cookies can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for about 5 days.

More Lemon Cookie Recipes to Try!

• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
• Glazed Lemon Cookies
• Chewy Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies

Give them a try today! They won’t last long. The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy!

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Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Lemon Zucchini Cookies are sweet pillows of deliciousness. Topped with a tangy lemon glaze these cookies are kid approved!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Prep Time 12 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 32 cookies

Calories 120kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 1/4 cups zucchini grated
• 2 teaspoons poppyseeds

for the glaze:

• 1 lemon juiced
• powdered sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. Add in all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in lemon zest, zucchini and poppy seeds by hand. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets and bake 8 minutes or so until bottoms are lightly golden. Cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• For the glaze, stir powdered sugar into the lemon juice bit by bit until you form a thick glaze, about the same viscosity as white school glue. Drizzle over cookies and set set a few minutes before diving in. Or, pay no attention to me and snarf ’em down!

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 62mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.6mg

The post Lemon Zucchini Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Red Velvet Cookie Basics

I am relatively new to the red velvet craze, but am here for it! While I love my classic Red Velvet Cake, Red Velvet Cupcakes and Red Velvet Nanaimo Bars (so good if you haven’t tried them), these are in a league of their own. These cookies are:

• made with a red velvet cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and white chocolate chips
• they are baked really soft and have a great chewy and cakey texture
• are the cutest cookies for the holidays

What is the Difference Between Red Velvet and Regular Chocolate?

There is more than just a color difference! Red Velvet has a unique acidic taste that comes from the vinegar or buttermilk used in the recipe. Red Velvet has a subtle chocolate flavor because cocoa powder is a main ingredient, but it’s not technically considered a chocolate cake….kinda weird, huh?

How To Make Red Velvet Cookies

Making these Red Velvet Cookies couldn’t be easier! Combine the cake mix, eggs, vanilla, oil and white chocolate chips together and bake. The hard part will be not eating them all in one sitting! For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card down below.

Prep

Preheat oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine + Stir Ingredients

In a large bowl, stir cake mix (I used and prefer Betty Crocker) together with oil, vanilla and eggs. Fold in white chocolate chips by hand.

White Chocolate Chips Optional

While I love the addition of white chocolate chips, you can definitely replace them with milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips or just omit completely. It comes down to personal preference. My kids think white chocolate chips are ‘sacrilegious’ so I enjoyed most of these myself, which I didn’t mind in the least.

Bake + Serve

Scoop dough into 12 even balls and place onto prepared baking sheets. Remove from oven and cool before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Make 12 Large or 24 Small Cookies

I used a larger cookie scoop (OXO 3 tablespoon scoop) to create these cookies, but if you have a regular sized cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoon), then you will get 24 small cookies. If you are making larger cookies, you will have to bake them a little longer, if you’re making smaller cookies, you will bake them for less time.

Storing Red Velvet Cookies

While these will taste the best the day you bake them, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Make Ahead + Freeze

Freezing: These cookies freeze really well before or after they are baked.

To freeze the dough, follow the directions up until baking. Place the baking sheet of dough balls into the freezer for an hour. At that point, place the frozen dough balls into an airtight, freezer safe container or ziplock bag.

To freeze cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Place cooled cookies in an airtight, freezer safe container or ziplock bag, squeezing as much air as you can out before sealing. Cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Love Red Velvet Cookies? Give These Recipes a Try!

• Homemade Red Velvet Oreos
• Mini Red Velvet Cheesecakes
• Red Velvet Nanaimo Bars

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! Have a great weekend, friends!

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Red Velvet Cookies

These Red Velvet Cookies are soft and chewy with a cake-like texture and super easy to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Servings 12 large cookies

Calories 216kcal

Equipment

• 2 half sheet pans
• 1 large bowl

Ingredients

• 15.25 oz red velvet cake mix Betty Crocker brand preferred
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 whole eggs
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir cake mix together with oil, vanilla and eggs. Fold in white chocolate chips by hand.
  
• Scoop dough into 12 even balls and place onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 4 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Red Velvet Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

50 Christmas Cookie Recipes to Try This Season!

I thought I’d pull together a list of 50 Christmas Cookie Recipes from my site that are 100% amazing and festive for the holidays! As we get closer and closer to Christmas, we are all scrambling to find the right recipes for family, friends, neighbors, and Santa! There is bound to be one or two recipes that will give you sweet dreams.

That’s right, 50 Christmas Cookie Recipes to enjoy all season long! Happy Baking

Table of Contents

Ginger Based

Gingerbread Cookies

A lightly spicy and buttery Gingerbread Cookie that isn’t too bitter isn’t too sweet and is soft all the way through. Pair with my Royal Icing Recipe!

Ginger Cookies aka Gingerdoodles!

These soft-baked Ginger Cookies, or Gingerdoodles, are the quintessential Christmas cookie! Chewy, buttery, and full of warm spices that everyone will love.

Gingerdoodle Sandwich Cookies

These Sandwich Cookies are a Ginger Cookie-Snickerdoodle mix that are soft, chewy and so delicious! Filled with Cinnamon Buttercream!

Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’re planning on making treats for neighbors or loved ones this holiday season, these soft and chewy Gingerbread Bars, are perfect.

Shortbread

Classic Shortbread Cookies

Get perfect Shortbread Cookies every time with this buttery, yet sweet Shortbread Cookie Recipe. Just in time for Christmas Cookie exchanges!

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

These festive Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are turned into wreaths and topped with powdered sugar and a candied cherry!

Vanilla Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

These Vanilla Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies are sweet and tender. The vanilla extract complements the jam and the optional glaze is gorgeous!

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

These Christmas Shortbread Cookies are so easy and delicious! Fill the middle with anything from strawberry jam to Nutella! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and what dreams are made of! Sweet and a little salty too, you will never need another peanut butter cookie recipe. 

Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Salted Nutella Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies are warm peanut butter cookies, stuffed with Nutella and sprinkled with a little salt.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies are so soft and chewy with little hints of toffee and chocolate throughout! You will absolutely LOVE these!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms are the quintessential cookie for the holidays! They are the perfect combination of sweet, soft, and peanut buttery goodness! 

Sugar Cookies

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

This Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe is easy to cut out, holds its shape after baking, and yields soft and chewy sugar cookies. Perfect for Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or any party, especially when paired with this simple buttercream frosting. It really is the best sugar cookie recipe!

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

 Create a beautifully decorated pan of Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars that will feed a crowd! They look fancy, but couldn’t be easier!

Classic Sugar Cookies

Need a quick and easy cookie fix? Try these super simple chewy Sugar Cookies! Only a few pantry ingredients and 10 minutes are needed. You’re just one small pot away from the chewiest, sweetest, and most amazing sugar cookies EVER!

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

These Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies are just what you’re looking for! Bakery-style cookies topped with frosting and sprinkles. 

Copycat Swig Sugar Cookies

I love these big, thick, soft sugar cookies! Pressed down with a glass, softly baked then topped with a light pink buttercream, you too will fall in love with these cookies!

Cinnamon Based

Snickerdoodle Cookies

You’ll never need another Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe after this one! Slightly crispy edges with big chewy centers, just how they should be. Snickerdoodle heaven.

Snickerdoodle Waffle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Waffle Cookies are quickly “baked” in a waffle iron! And they’re extra amazing drizzled with cream cheese glaze! Kinda like Snickerdoodle Cookies but in waffle form.

Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars

Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are seriously addicting! All the things you love about snickerdoodles plus soft caramel in the middle!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

If you don’t have the time to make cinnamon rolls, make these Cinnamon Roll Cookies! Chewy, soft, and very sweet! Perfect for any occasion.

Cinnamon Butterscotch Cookies

These Butterscotch Cookies are soft baked, sweet, and comforting. Plus they’re so simple and easy to make, all cookies should be this good!

Oatmeal

Oatmeal Cookies

Soft and chewy, this is a classic recipe for Oatmeal Cookies. Filled with butter, sugar, lots of oatmeal, and a ton of sweet flavor. Enjoy them plain, add in raisins or chocolate chips or make them into Oatmeal Cream Pies. 

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

These delicious Apple Oatmeal Cookies are topped with creamy brown butter frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s like apple pie meats oatmeal cookie, perfect as a yummy Fall treat!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

These Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cream Pies are easy to make and so much better than store-bought! Soft baked Oatmeal Cookies sandwiched with a simple marshmallow buttercream filling. So sweet, comforting, and classically delicious. You will love these.

Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies are like three cookies all rolled into one(Oatmeal Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Double Chocolate M&M Cookies)! Filled with oats, peanut butter, and M&Ms, these will have you coming back for more. All the goodies we love about cookies in one glorious sweet treat!

Chocolate Chip

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Soft baked, extra sweet with two kinds of chocolate, and nearly impossible to ruin.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are oh so gooey and so good! Bite into a perfect mix of sweet, salty, and chocolatey! 

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like chocolate chip cookies, you will die over Salty Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re soft and chewy and delicious. Our of all the Christmas cookie recipes on this list, this is one of the most popular.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are simple yet so magical. Eat warm with a cold glass of milk and enjoy yourself!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

If you like a lot of goodies in your cookies, then these chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are perfect!

Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies are laced with tons of dark chocolate which takes them right over the top! They are similar to my Chocolate Chip Cookies but with brown butter and chocolate chunks instead of chips. So good, make a double batch!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipe! Filled with mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and walnuts. Basically Chocolate Chip Cookies but way easier!

Chocolate Based

Double Chocolate Cookies

This Double Chocolate Cookies Recipe is also known as the chewiest chocolate cookies made in a pot on the stove!! The easiest recipe ever!!

Chocolate Snickers Cookies

I’m not sure there’s any better cookie than these Chewy Chocolate Snickers Cookies! A simple chocolate cookie dough with lots of candy bar pieces stirred in and gently baked to give you big, fat, chewy decadent Snickers cookies! You’re gonna love them!

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

These Chocolate Fudge Cookies are everything that is right in the world. Soft, sweet, so easy to make (made with cake mix)!

No Bake Cookies

This No Bake Cookies recipe has been in my husband’s family for the last 50 years! You only need one pot and ten minutes to make them. A sweet dessert everyone loves!

Mocha Cookies

Chewy, double chocolate cookies with a hint of coffee flavor. These Mocha Cookies will knock your socks off.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Cocoa powder, two kinds of chocolate chips with a chewy cookie base makes these triple chocolate Brownie Cookies pretty amazing. Basically my incredible Homemade Brownie Recipe in cookie form!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are a classic, soft-baked chocolate cookie with lots of peanut butter chips folded in and pressed into the cookies before baking. Chewy, salty and sweet, these cookies have it all!

Peppermint/Candy Cane

Candy Cane Cookies

These Candy Cane Cookies are adapted from my Lemon Crinkle Cookie recipe. They are absolutely divine. Simple, sweet, soft, and most of all, the perfect amount of peppermint flavor.

Triple Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

These Triple Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies are the perfect Christmas Cookie! Soft, chewy, extra pepperminty, and laden with lots of chocolate! Totally decadent dessert for the holidays.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cookies are chewy, sweet and SO addicting! Perfect for Santa and almost as fudgy as brownies. Filled with my favorite mint truffle Hershey kisses, these soft and minty cookies are so easy and so fabulous. You will LOVE ’em! The ultimate Christmas cookie recipe!

Miscellaneous

Cranberry Orange Cookies

These Cranberry Orange Cookies are a new holiday favorite! Simple to make in one bowl, soft-baked to perfection with the perfect amount of tang and chewy sweet goodness.

Homemade Red Velvet Oreos

These Red Velvet Oreos will blow you away! They are soft, sweet, and have the lightest cocoa flavor that will knock your socks off! Of course, all inspired by Classic Red Velvet Cake.

Red Hot Cookies

Red Hot Cookies are sweet, spicy, chewy, basically perfect cookies. Great for gifting and/or hoarding!

Sweet Potato Cookies with Homemade Streusel

Sweet Potato Cookies are soft and lightly spiced cookies make with mashed sweet potato, topped with homemade streusel and powdered sugar.

Butterfinger Reese’s Pieces Cookies

Reese’s Pieces Cookies are made in one pot, baked soft, and feature peanut butter, chocolate, Reese’s pieces, and a Butterfinger bar. So festive for Fall!

Cake Mix Cookies

Incredibly soft, these Cake Mix Cookies are easy to make and even easier to eat! Only 4 ingredients are needed to whip up a batch with endless flavor combinations. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to these cookies! Delicious with crockpot hot chocolate or eggnog for the holidays!

Coconut Macaroons

This easy Coconut Macaroons Recipe is perfectly soft and chewy on the inside while crisp and toasty on the outside. Chocolate is optional.

Merry Christmas, friends!!

xo Lauren

The post 50 *MUST TRY* Christmas Cookie Recipes appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Candy Cane Cookies-Tips and Tricks

I love a soft, chewy and pepperminty cookie, especially at Christmas. So, if you have made a few of my Christmas cookie recipes before, odds are you will like this recipe as written. Here are some tips and tricks to get you cookies that look just like mine!

Baking Time. If using a nonstick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Peppermint. Want even more minty flavor? Try adding a few drops of peppermint extract to the dough. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and work up from there.

Spreading. If your cookies are spreading too much, it’s because there isn’t enough flour. (The butter to flour ratio is off…happens a lot with cookies because everyone measures their flour a little differently.) Try adding in 1 tablespoon of flour and baking one cookie to see if you get that signature cookie dough texture.

How to Make Candy Cane Cookies

This Candy Cane Cookie Recipe uses everyday ingredients to make soft, chewy and delicious cookies. Perfect for the Christmas season because this recipe uses candy canes! YUM! For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements and baking time see the printable recipe card down below.

Prep

Preheat your oven. Grease light colored baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper or use silicone baking mat and set aside.

Crush Candy Canes

Throw the candy canes into a plastic Ziploc bag and bang them up with a rolling pin. I didn’t even unwrap the candy canes either. Once they’re crushed, you can pick out the plastic wrappers. I had a few bigger chunks of candy cane, but for the most part, these were pretty small.

Make Candy Cane Cookie Dough

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This is a super important step for soft cookies. Whip in vanilla and egg. Scrape sides and mix again. Measure out your baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir it into your flour. Excluding the powdered sugar, dump all your dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until it’s just incorporated. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Add in Crushed Candy Canes

Add in the crushed candy canes. I don’t know about you but I could eat this whole bowl of dough. Come to momma.

Form Into Balls + Roll in Powdered Sugar

Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake

Pop those babies into the oven and let them bake. NOT TOO LONG! The key to this is their chewiness. You want the outside of the cookie to look matte {not shiny} when you pull them out. Mine were done in 8 minutes on the nose.

Storing

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. Obviously, the longer they sit, the less fresh they will be! Nothing a quick zap in the microwave can’t handle though.

To Freeze: Place baked and cooled cookies into a freezer safe, airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers. Cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Christmas Cookies to Bake!

• Triple Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
• Chewy Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Peppermint Glaze
• Chocolate Mint Cookies
• Jumbo Double Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

I LOVED these Candy Cane Cookies and hope they make it to your mouth soon. Printable recipe card below!

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Candy Cane Cookies

These Candy Cane Cookies are adapted from my Lemon Crinkle Cookie recipe. They are absolutely divine and we can thank my ex’s mom for that!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Candy Cane, candy cane cookie recipe, Candy Cane Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Cooling Time 3 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 113kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 3 candy canes crushed (1/4 cup)
• ½ cups butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoons baking soda
• 1-½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cups powdered sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper or use silicone baking mat and set aside.
• Place candy canes into a plastic food storage bag and crush using a rolling pin. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla and egg. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir all dry ingredients together in a small bowl and then in pour into the mixer and slowly mix until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly. Stir in crushed candy canes.
• Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begins to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

If using a nonstick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Candy Cane Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

3 Simple Ingredients

Skip the stovetop method and use this super easy and quick microwave fudge recipe. The longest you’ll wait is for the fudge to set, so it’s the best make-ahead dessert. Made with 3 simple ingredients, but with time and experimentation, the possibilities are endless and perfect for the holidays.

• Sweetened Condensed Milk – this is basically milk with the water taken out and sugar added in.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – if you’re more of a dark chocolate person go for it!
• Walnuts – this is optional and can be switched out for a ton of different mix-ins and toppings. See below for variation ideas.

How to Make Microwave Fudge

For full recipe details, see the recipe card down below! This recipe is really simple to make, with little baking skills required.

Prep

Line 8×8 glass dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray lightly. Set aside.

Microwave the Fudge Mixture

In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together and microwave in 30-second increments until smooth and completely melted. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bring to Room Temperature, Cut + Serve

Bring to room temperature before refrigerating. Once it’s pretty solid, remove from the pan using the foil and cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!

Customize Your Fudge

Like previously said this delicious Microwave Fudge is super versatile! Here are some ideas to get your fudge ideas flowing.

Chocolate

You can change your chocolate source to be as bitter or sweet as you want. Try different flavors to see what you like best, from dark to even white chocolate.

Mix-Ins & Flavorings

Besides just a variety of nuts you can also mix in marshmallows, pretzels, or how about a peanut butter swirl? YUM!

Although this recipe doesn’t use any vanilla extract, you can play with different flavored extracts to up your microwave fudge game. Imagine mint fudge or orange white chocolate.

Toppings

Sprinkles are always a big hit for my kids, so why not include yours while making this easy fudge? Other topping ideas include different nuts, pretzels and to be more adventurous, try potato chips.

Storing Microwave Fudge

At room temperature, stored in an airtight container, microwave fudge can last for one to two weeks. If you refrigerate it, it can extend the shelf life up to three weeks.

Freezing Microwave Fudge

Make this Microwave Fudge ahead of time and then freeze it! This is seriously the best recipe and by freezing it you can have it whenever you want.

To freeze, make the fudge accordingly, refrigerate, and slice. From here wrap the fudge tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and then finally place in a freezer bag. I know it’s a lot but no one wants freezer burn treats.

More Fudge Recipes to Try!

• Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
• Gingerbread Marshmallow Fudge
• Peppermint Cookies and Cream Fudge
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge
• Peppermint Patty Fudge

I hope this recipe leaves you much less intimidated by the thought of making fudge. Add this to your holiday baking list this Christmas season. Have a great week, friends! 🙂

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Microwave Fudge

If you're pinched for time but need an absolutely divine treat this 3 ingredient Microwave Fudge Recipe is for you! Perfect for the Holidays!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Fudge, Microwave Fudge, Microwave Fudge Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Setting Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 36 pieces

Calories 143kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts chopped, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Line 8×8 glass dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray lightly. Set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together and microwave in 30 second increments until smooth and completely melted. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bring to room temperature {about 1 hour} before refrigerating. Once it's pretty solid, remove from the pan using the foil and cut into squares. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Microwave Fudge appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Not All Peanut Butter is Created Equal

With this Peanut Butter Blossom recipe, the cookie base is made with peanut butter, two kinds of sugar, and some other pantry ingredients. Something to note is that not all peanut butter works interchangeably in this recipe. Be sure to use Jif, skippy or any other brand of peanut butter that is not ‘natural’. You need the sweetness in the peanut butter that all-natural kinds don’t have PLUS Jif is a more consistent product and tends to give you better results.

That’s not to say if you only have all-natural peanut butter you should go out and get some Jif. If that’s all you have, then use it. They WILL turn out, but might be a little flatter because of the nature of the natural peanut butter. (Does anyone else struggle with stirring jars of separated peanut butter?)

How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

I’ve been on a bit of a cookie-eating binge and decided to add Peanut Butter Blossoms into the mix! Not only are these super popular with practically everyone, but they are super simple to throw together if you have a little time on your hand this holiday season. They are basically a soft peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss in the middle. SO GOOD. For full details on how to make Peanut Butter Blossoms, see the printable recipe card down below

Make the Dough

Preheat oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Beat softened butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Measure and add in 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; stir well. 

Stir flour, baking soda, and salt into the peanut butter mixture until just incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Scoop + Roll Dough

Scoop into cookies using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop. Roll in between your palms and then roll in sugar. Place on baking sheets.

Chilling the Dough. My recipe doesn’t require you to chill your dough, but if you are paranoid that your cookies will spread too thin, go ahead and refrigerate. Chilling for 20 minutes is a good amount of time.

Bake, Kiss + Cool

Bake until very lightly golden in color. Cracks are OK! As soon as you pull your cookies out of the oven, plunge a Hershey kiss into the center creating a crackly looking cookie that these Peanut Butter Blossoms are known for.

Cool on the hot baking sheet and then remove to cooling racks.

Can I Use Other Flavors of Hershey Kisses?

You can absolutely change out what type of Kiss you use here! During the holidays Hershey has a ton of different flavors on the shelves. Milk Chocolate is the classic version but you can use any flavor combo you think would taste good (dark chocolate almond, perhaps?).

Why Are My Peanut Butter Blossoms Dry and Crumbly?

If your cookies turn out too dry and fall apart, you either baked them too long, or added too much flour. Everyone measures flour differently, but try the spoon and level method for measuring out flour. As far as determining if they are baked enough, bake until they lose their glossy sheen and the bottoms are slightly golden brown.

Storing Peanut Butter Blossoms

Store cooled Peanut Butter Blossoms in a single layer or stack them by placing a sheet of wax paper in between layers in an airtight container for up to three days. They should stay pretty fresh and soft!

Make-Ahead Instructions

To make these Peanut Butter Blossoms ahead of time, simply freeze the dough! This can be done after rolling in sugar and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To bake, no need to thaw these cookies before baking just add a minute or two to the baking time.

Doubling This Recipe

Let me give you some much-needed advice, double this recipe. Seriously, these Peanut Butter Blossoms will go quick! The more the merrier, right?

Love Peanut Butter Blossoms? Try these other Peanut Butter recipes:

• Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
• Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
• Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
• Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• Reese’s Pieces Cookies

ANYWAYS. Be sure to pin or save this peanut butter blossoms recipe because it’s one of our favorites. Below you’ll find the printable recipe card, as usual.

Have a great day, friends! xo

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms are the quintessential cookie for the holidays! They are the perfect combination of sweet, soft and peanut buttery goodness!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Cooling time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 92kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• extra granulated sugar for rolling
• 36 whole Hershey Kisses unwrapped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Beat softened butter and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Measure and add in 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; stir well. 
• Stir flour, baking soda and salt into peanut butter mixture until just incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
• Scoop into cookies using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop. Roll in between your palms and then roll in sugar. Place on baking sheets.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until very lightly golden in color. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey kiss into each cookie. Cookies will crack around the edges with you press the chocolate in…totally normal! Cool 5 minutes on the hot baking sheet and then remove to cooling racks.
• Store cooled cookies in airtight containers for up to three days.

Notes

*Recipe based off the Hershey Kiss package around the holidays.

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Peanut Butter Blossoms appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Different Kinds of Holiday Snack Boards

While I went the chocolate and cookie route for this board, you can definitely change it up depending on the party, the crowd you’re feeding or your preferences. And, the best part is you can buy ALL these things at Walmart. Here are some simple ideas:

• Italian Antipasto Board– one of my favorites! Fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic drizzle, roasted red peppers, baguette, breadsticks, prosciutto, salami, etc.. This is always a crowd pleaser
• Charcuterie Board– a snack board mainly focusing on high quality meats. Head to your deli case for a really nice genoa salami, spicy sopressata, capocollo, mortadella, summer sausage and/or pate. Obviously serve with some nice crackers, pita chips, olives and cornichons.
• Chocolate Board– this is next level delicious, especially for all you chocolate lovers. Have a nice spread of white, dark, milk and semi-sweet chocolates all arranged on a board. It’s stunning.
• Chocolate & Nut Board– like the chocolate board, but with the addition of nuts! Try some honey roasted or smoked varieties. They pair really nicely together with the chocolate.
• Cheese Board– a cheese-focused board with 3-4 varieties. I like to pick a hard cheese (like a good quality cheddar), a soft cheese (double cream brie!), a smellier cheese (really good blue is a favorite) and a cheese I typically don’t buy regularly (like cheese curds, smoked gouda, a goat cheese log or other kind that looks interesting.) Serve with grapes, apple slices, dried fruit, a nice nut mix and simple crackers.
• Veggies and Dip– this is a little plain jane, but try using green and red veggies for a festive touch! Broccoli, cucumber, sugar snap peas, celery, red and green peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc..

How to Make This Christmas Dessert Board

This is the easiest thing to make in the world! It takes a little practice, but once you get the basic method down, the sky is the limit! I also love being able to go to Walmart, get literally everything I need for this dessert board and head home. It’s a one stop shop for all my holiday needs.

What I Used

This is the list of ingredients I used to create this Christmas Dessert Board. Like I mentioned above, I bought everything at Walmart and assembled everything in about 15 minutes. Yes, its really that simple! I tried to keep things in the white-silver-red color theme, with a few random outliers. Obviously you can pick and choose items that you think would be best for your board. I also picked up this festive table cloth and this round, red platter that I used. Served with Sparkling Cider in Champagne Flutes…for the kids

• Butter Cookies– these are widely available and extremely popular for Christmas! I thought they were an obvious choice. Make your own buttery shortbread cookies here.
• Candy Canes– I actually don’t remember the last time I sat down and enjoyed a candy cane, but my kids love them and thought they were a good option mainly for the kids.
• Pirouette Wafer Cookies– I only buy these around the holidays, but they are so good! Comes in quite a few flavors; I bought the chocolate fudge.
• Strawberry Creme Wafer Cookies-again, bought for the kids! I can eat the whole package and feel like I’ve eaten air. Ha!
• Cherry Cordial Hershey Kisses– only available in December, so I bought a few extra bags! Have you tried these yet?
• Candy Cane Hershey Kisses– Another specialty kiss only available around the holidays. These and the truffle mint kind are my favorite!
• York Thins– These are peppermint patties, but made thinner and wrapped individually. They are my favorite!
• White Reese’s Mini Cups– My husband thinks these are sacrilegious, but I don’t care. I love white chocolate and thought these were a great addition to my Christmas Dessert Board!
• Lindt Milk Chocolate Truffles– who doesn’t love these? Yes, I chose this kind because they are red
• Christmas Tree Pretzels– available around the bakery section. I also found a Santa Snack Mix which looked pretty stellar.
• Kit Kat Minis– these come unwrapped and ready to add to your board. I love that these are minis!
• Gingerbread Cookies-I don’t personally love gingerbread cookies, but they look so darn cute on this board! Make your own with my recipe here.
• Christmas Bark- I couldn’t find a link to this, but I totally found it at Walmart where the gingerbread cookies were. Of course you can make your own.

Three Easy Tips to Make Beautiful Boards

To make your Holiday Board look amazing, here are the three main guidelines I use to create delicious and appetizing boards.

1. Start with larger items first, then fill in with smaller items. In this case, I started placing my cookies, wafers, christmas bark and candy canes first and then filled in the smaller spaces with the chocolates, kisses and snack mixes.
2. Add Blocks of Items Together. Don’t treat this like a salad where you sprinkle everything on the platter and hope it looks good. I like to block items together to make it look more intentional and ‘fuller’.
3. Separate Similar Colors. This was a little tricky to do since everything was basically red, but the idea is to separate the colors around the board to make it look more appetizing. For example, I have two main ‘piles’ of butter cookies that are across from each other on the board. Same with some of the Hershey kisses and Lindt Truffles. Little piles that I did my best to separate. Try to fill every space so the bottom of the tray isn’t showing.

Love A Dessert Board? Try These Other Recipes:

• Easy Cheese Board
• Simple Snack Board
• My Huge Christmas Cookie Archive of Recipes!

Anyways, that’s it. I hope you love this Dessert Board as much as me and my kids did! It certainly was a hit. If you have any questions about this or any of the Board ideas I listed above, feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to answer.

Have a great holiday season!

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Christmas Dessert Board

Sweet, store bought goodies arranged beautifully on a board for the holidays! Nothing better (or easier) than this!

Course Appetizer, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert board, Snack Board

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 24 people

Calories 625kcal

Ingredients

• 12 oz butter cookies 1 tin
• 8 oz strawberry creme wafer cookies 1 package
• 18 oz Christmas Tree Pretzels (or chocolate covered pretzels) 1 container
• 7.6 oz Reese's White Chocolate Mini Cups (unwrapped) 1 small bag, not the family size
• 12 whole peppermint candy canes 1 box
• 7.2 oz york peppermint patties thins 1 package
• 7.6 oz kit kat minis (unwrapped) 1 package
• 9 oz candy cane kisses 1 bag
• 9 oz cherry cordial kisses 1 bag
• 13.5 oz Pirouette cookies 1 tin
• 8.5 oz Lindt milk chocolate truffles 1 bag
• 8 oz gingerbread cookies 1 container
• 7.9 oz Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark 1 bag

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Line a large red tray with parchment paper (optional). A cutting board or cookie sheet can also work.
• Arrange dessert items, largest to smallest in groupings on the tray, being sure to separate like colors. Fill in the spaces as best as you can with all the treats. The bottom of the tray should not be seen once you're finished. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 609mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Christmas Dessert Board appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Three Main Ingredients

All shortbread cookie recipes everywhere call for the same three basic ingredients:

• Butter-use at room temperature and yes, I use salted butter for all my baking.
• Flour– all purpose is great. I use unbleached.
• Sugar-I use powdered sugar for a softer texture, but granulated can work, too!

I do like to add in a little vanilla extract to make my shortbread that much more flavorful, but if you’re a shortbread purist, you can certainly omit it.

Shortbread Cookies vs Sugar Cookies

Shortbread cookies are more dense than a sugar cookie. Shortbread also has as super short list of ingredients without any leavening (baking soda or powder). Sugar Cookies are lighter and easier to work with for cutting and decorating with icing.

This is not my first rodeo with Shortbread Cookies. In fact, I have three others on my website that I’ll link here: Christmas Shortbread Cookies, Vanilla Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies, and Hazelnut Shortbread Wreath Cookies.

All of these cookies are perfect for the holidays, but what sets this cookie recipe apart from the others is its simplicity. This shortbread cookie recipe is a classic one that you can customize (see notes below) or leave plain. Sometimes, simple is best!

How to Make Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are some of the easiest cookies you can make! Just make sure you are using soft, room temperature butter and you are measuring your flour correctly! The finished shortbread dough will be crumbly, but when you start to form it together with your hands, it should come together just fine. (The heat of your hands will help with this!)

Prep

Preheat oven. Line two lightly colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Mix slowly until a crumbly dough forms. I do not recommend mixing by hand.

Form Dough, Roll Out + Cut

Form dough into a ball and roll in between parchment paper to 1/3-1/2-inch thick. Cut into small 3-inch circles (or any shape desired**) and place onto prepared baking sheets. Alternately, you can roll into balls and press out with a flat bottomed glass or a fork.

Do I Need To Refrigerate My Dough Before Baking?

Not necessarily. Refrigeration for 30 minutes with any cookie helps hold the shape, but it’s not necessary with this particular recipe. If you’re concerned there is not enough flour, causing these to spread and loose their shape, then by all means refrigerate first, then bake.

Bake + Cool

Bake until the bottoms of the cookies are barely golden brown. Let cookies cool for about 5 mins on hot baking trays before transferring to cooling racks.

Troubleshooting your Shortbread

I never knew there could be so much trouble with shortbread until I posted this recipe online! Ha! Here are my best tips and tricks to helping you get perfect shortbread cookies every time! Because we aren’t weighing the ingredients, this can cause a little differentiation in the finished product.

My Shortbread Dough is Too Crumbly!

Have you tried working the dough together with your hands? The heat of your hands should help it come together. Also, did you use room temperature butter? That will help the dough come together. If you’re trying to roll it out, the edges will be a little crumbly! Just press the extra dough back into place. When in doubt, roll into balls and press with the palm of your hand or a fork. Works like a charm!

Also, how did you measure your flour? This can vary from kitchen to kitchen! Did you fluff the flour first? Flour that sits in a canister or bag over time settles and you have to aerate it before spooning it into your measuring cup, leveling the top and adding to your recipe.

My Cookies Spread Too Much!

Again, I think this comes down to measuring the flour. Cookies spread because there isn’t enough flour in the dough. Shortbread cookies hold their shape so well because there is a lot of flour! So, they shouldn’t be spreading too much in the oven. The good news is if your cookies are spreading, add a little more flour into your dough and that will correct the problem.

My Shortbread Cookies Aren’t Crunchy!

There are a few possible reasons for this. One might be that your dough was pressed out too thick making it harder for the cookie to bake thoroughly. Another reason could be your oven is too hot- causing the top of the cookie to brown before the bottom of the cookie is fully cooked. Keep in mind shortbread cookies (especially this recipe of mine) isn’t necessarily supposed to be crunchy, but tender, buttery and a little crumbly.

Customizing Your Shortbread Cookies

So now that you know how to make this base shortbread cookie you can now customize your next batch however you like. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Extract. Instead of using vanilla extract try using almond, lemon or even lavender extract if you’re into floral flavors.

Chocolate. Add in mini chocolate chips to the dough, dip in melted chocolate or try making sandwich cookies using Nutella as the filling.

Jam. Jams are always a good idea for these shortbread cookies. Try making a jam dipping bar for these cookies.

Nuts. Chop and mix in nuts for a crunchy texture.

Sprinkles. This add-in always goes over well with my kids. Make it festive and roll in Christmas sprinkles to the top of the dough before cutting and baking. Or, after baking and cooling, spread frosting on them and dip in sprinkles.

Storing Shortbread Cookies

Stored cookies will stay fresh in airtight containers for 5 days on the counter, or up to 10 days in the fridge.

To freeze these after baking, allow to cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature and serve.

More Christmas Cookies to Try This Holiday Season!

• Ultimate Sugar Cookies
• Triple Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
• Ginger Cookies “Gingerdoodles”
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Candy Cane Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms

The printable recipe card is below. Make sure you save it so you can make these Shortbread Cookies later. Have a great day, friends!

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Shortbread Cookies

Get perfect Shortbread Cookies every time with this buttery, yet sweet Shortbread Cookie Recipe. Just in time for Christmas Cookie exchanges!

Course Cookies, Dessert, Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword Christmas Cookies, shortbread cookie recipe, shortbread cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 130kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two lightly colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. (Be sure to fluff your flour before measuring to get an accurate measurement.) Mix slowly until a crumbly dough forms. It will look like crumbs in the stand mixer, but when squeezed together in your hands will hold its shape.
• Form dough into a ball and roll in between parchment paper to 1/3-1/2-inch thick. Cut into small 3-inch circles (or any shape desired**) and place onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are barely golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on hot baking trays before transferring to cooling racks.
• Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

Notes

**feel free to scoop and roll shortbread cookie dough into smooth balls and indenting with a fork.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Perfect Shortbread Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Perfect Every Time

Give me every Snickerdoodle in the world. Man, do I love them! Today, I’m sharing the recipe for one of my favorite cookies ever! Snickerdoodle Cookies! My husband is a chocoholic and typically if I’m going to spend the time making cookies, it’s chocolate chip. But when I call the shots, I crack out this Snickerdoodle recipe. Practically foolproof and are the epitome of perfection. Soft, chewy, and just the right amount of cinnamon!

Three Important Ingredients for Snickerdoodles

This snickerdoodle recipe is super simple and only requires basic pantry staple items, plus a couple not as common items.

• Vegetable Shortening + Butter- Vegetable Shortening helps to keep the cookies fluffy and soft. Butter is the trick to a good snickerdoodle. It makes the cookie puffy but not too puffy. It helps thin things out in the oven. You can omit the vegetable shortening and replace it with butter but the texture will be different.
• Cream of Tartar – this is a common ingredient found in almost all snickerdoodle recipes. It gives the cookie its signature slightly tangy taste.

Can I Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar?

Technically, yes but I would stick to the traditional recipe if you can! In a pinch you can simply replace all of the cream of tartar and baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. They won’t be quite the same, but it’ll work.

How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies

Make sure to check out the very informative how-to video in the recipe card below! :). For full recipe details and ingredient measurements see the printable recipe card below.

Prep + Preheat

Preheat oven. Line 2 lightly colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the Dough

In a large bowl, stir shortening, butter, and sugar together until light and pale in color. Whip in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides of the bowl and stir again briefly. Add in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, then stir until incorporated. Scrape sides and stir again briefly.

Roll Cookie Dough in Cinnamon Sugar

In a small, shallow bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together.

Using a cookie scoop {1 1/2 tablespoon size}, scoop dough into even mounds on the baking sheet. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake + Cool

Bake until puffed and look slightly underdone. Remove from oven and cool 3 minutes on the hot baking sheets to finish baking before transferring to cooling racks. As they cool, they will flatten out, which is totally normal! Like most homemade cookies, these are best served warm!

Storing Directions

The best way to store your snickerdoodles (or really any cookies) is in an airtight container so they can maintain that moisture don’t dry up and harden. Of course this method isn’t perfect and after two days or so, the sugar can recrystalize and the cookies will get harder. This is totally normal. Pop into the microwave for a quick 5-10 second zap to soften up again.

If they do start to harden or seem too crispy for your liking, place a piece of plain white bread into the container with the cookies. This will add moisture from the bread back into the cookies. Over time, you will notice the bread will get harder and the cookies will get softer. Again, totally normal. These cookies will last about 4 days on the counter.

How to Freeze

To freeze snickerdoodle cookies, place them into an airtight container (ziploc freezer bags are great) and freeze. These will last up to three months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge or take them out one by one to enjoy and microwave to soften.

Make-Ahead Directions

Besides making these snickerdoodle cookies up to 4 days ahead of time, you can also freeze them!

Freeze. Simply make the dough as you would normally. Roll into balls and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Bake. To bake, start by thawing your cookie dough by transferring them to the fridge 24 hours in advance. This is to get the dough to be sticky enough for the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Next, roll those dough balls in the mixture and bake as directed. Enjoy!

More Cinnamon Cookies to Try!

• Snickerdoodle Bars
• Snickerdoodle Waffle Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Cinnamon Butterscotch Cookies

Grab the printable snickerdoodle recipe below and be sure to pin, print, save, bookmark, etc. etc. this recipe because you’re not going to want to lose it. It’s a good one 🙂

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Snickerdoodle Recipe

You'll never need another Snickerdoodle Recipe after this one! Slightly crispy edges with big chewy centers, just how they should be. Snickerdoodle heaven.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle cookies, snickerdoodle recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 191.02kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

cinnamon-sugar mixture

• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 lightly colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir shortening, butter, and sugar together until light and pale in color, 1 1/2 minutes. Whip in eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides of the bowl and stir again briefly. Add in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and stir until incorporated. Scrape sides and stir again briefly.
  
• In a small, shallow bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together.
  
• Using a cookie scoop {1 1/2 tablespoon size}, scoop dough into even mounds on the baking sheet. Roll each dough ball in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 8-9 minutes or until puffed and look slightly underdone. Remove from oven and cool 3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to cooling racks. Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 191.02kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.25g | Protein: 2.12g | Fat: 8.7g | Saturated Fat: 3.67g | Cholesterol: 27.75mg | Sodium: 111.09mg | Potassium: 63.1mg | Fiber: 0.43g | Sugar: 15.1g | Vitamin A: 143.7IU | Calcium: 6.76mg | Iron: 0.76mg

The post Snickerdoodle Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Cranberry Orange Cookies | A Holiday Favorite

So happy to be sharing this new cookie recipe with you today! I love a classic chocolate chip cookie, but sometimes for the holidays, you need something a little more festive and these Cranberry Orange Cookies fit the bill.

These are a festive version of my famous Lemon Crinkle Cookies, just jazzed up with orange and cranberry. Super simple to throw together in only 1 bowl and they have the perfect amount of chewy-yet-tangy goodness. Lovely and light, just how I like my cookies.

Main Ingredients Needed

You don’t need a lot to make these tasty Cranberry Orange Cookies. Lot’s of simple cookie-making staples plus orange juice, zest and fresh cranberries! Here’s what you need:

• Butter + Sugar – for flavor and to sweeten!
• Vanilla – this goes great with the citrusy notes of the orange and the tartness of the cranberries.
• Egg – this is used for structure and for texture.
• Orange Zest + Juice – I used a navel orange to get the zest and fresh orange juice!
• Baking Powder, Baking Soda + Salt – to help the cookies rise and create chewiness. Salt is used to balance all of the flavors.
• Flour – this fills out the rest of the cookies.
• Cranberries – chopped up, these little guys are tart but are perfectly festive for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
• Powdered Sugar – this creates the ‘crinkled’ effect, plus adds a little more sweetness.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Cookies

Here’s the basic rundown, make the dough, roll it in powdered sugar, bake, cool, then devour! For full details on how to make Cranberry Orange Cookies, see the recipe card down below.

1. Start by creaming butter and sugar together. I just made these by hand, but a stand mixer would be fine to use too.
2. Next, stir in an egg, some vanilla, a whole lot of orange zest, and a little orange juice too. It might look a little funky, but this is totes normal.
3. Now, stir in all your dry ingredients. This is just flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Voila! Cookie dough! I seriously could just stop here and eat this with a spoon. I LOVE COOKIE DOUGH.
4. But, we need to resist and forge ahead. Grab some fresh cranberries. Give them a wash and chop them up pretty fine. Add them to your cookie dough and give another quick stir.
5. Then you can scoop the dough into balls and roll in a pile of powdered sugar.
6. Place the cookies onto your baking sheet and bake for a couple of minutes.
7. You want them soft…..and crinkly. That was probably a given though. Let these cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once they cool down enough, start shoveling these bad boys straight into your mouth. I love these because the cranberries are slightly tart and make the perfect addition to the orange.

Storing These Cookies

Because it’s the holidays and most of us are baking up a storm, we want to be able to store these sweet treats for as long as possible! Here are the best ways to store these Cranberry Orange Cookies to keep them fresh and chewy for as long as possible.

At Room Temperature

Once your cookies are cool, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to two days with a slice of plain white bread. The bread helps keep the cookies moist and soft.

In the Refrigerator

To store your cookies in the fridge, transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. This can make the edges get a little too crispy for my liking. But! To enjoy, simply microwave briefly for a few seconds to get them warm and soft again.

In the Freezer

To store your cookies in the freezer, transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months. To enjoy, simply microwave briefly for a few seconds to get them warm and soft.

More Cranberry Recipes to Try!

• Cranberry Orange Donuts
• Holiday Cranberry Salsa
• Lemon Cranberry Coffee Cake
• Cranberry Fluff Pie
• Lemon Cranberry Scones

Give these simple Cranberry Orange Cookies a whirl today! You will love these soft and chewy treats.

The printable recipe card is below, have a great day!

Print

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies are simple to make and have the perfect amount of chewy-yet-tangy goodness. Perfect for Holiday baking!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cranberry Orange Cookies

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 24 small cookies

Calories 106kcal

Author Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 whole egg
• orange zest zest of 1 navel orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries chopped
• 1/2 cups powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  
• Whip in vanilla, egg, orange zest and juice.
  
• Scrape sides and mix again.
  
• Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.
  
• Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
  
• Stir in chopped cranberries.
  
• Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a 2 teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.
  
• Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
  
• Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
  

Notes

*If using a nonstick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cranberry Orange Cookies appeared first on Lauren's Latest.