Snickerdoodles & Cranberry Chocolate Chip Kick Off Our Allergy-Safe COOKIE WEEK!
Don't worry, Santa... we've got your back! Lucky for you, it's COOKIE WEEK around here!
Sure, we focused a lot of our attention last week on creating non-food traditions for our families, but you know what? There are some priceless food moments that should absolutely take center stage in our homes this holiday season. On the top of this list for me? Christmas cookies! Some of my earliest memories as a child was baking with my mom. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come, but I loved being in the kitchen with my mom, and this was especially memorable for me during Christmas time. When my sons were diagnosed with their allergies, there was no way I was going to let that stop me from creating these same kinds of memories with them. And I don't want you - for one second - do that, either.
So, that is why I'm so excited to spend the entire week talking all things cookie. For the next several days, I'm going to share some of my favorite recipes, and I'm going to end the week with a post about how you can host your very own SAFE cookie decorating get-together! This is a tradition that two of my dearest friends and I have been doing with our kids for the past four years, and it's something that ALL of us (kids and moms alike) look forward every holiday. I couldn't imagine a Christmas without this special time with our friends, and I just know that it's something you would love, as well.
In the meantime, I wanted to begin by re-sharing two of my favorite cookie recipes that I've already posted... except, I'm going to encourage you to give them both a little "holiday twist." Click on the links below for the original posts, and try my ideas for giving them some Christmas flare. Both of these altered recipes are so special and some of my family's favorites!
Snickerdoodles. If you haven't tried my go-to sugar cookie recipe, complements of The Art of Dessert (click here for the *original post from their website), you are missing out! I can't imagine a Christmas without these fun sugar cookies that you can decorate every which way, but one little variation that I started a few years ago was making them into Snickerdoodles... and they are AMAZING!
How To Alter? Following the sugar cookie recipe, make a batch of the dough. But, instead of rolling the dough out with a rolling pin and using a cookie cutter to make various shapes, use your hands to shape about 1-2 tablespoons of dough into little balls. Then, dip the balls into a cinnamon sugar mixture (a good ratio for this would be about 1/2-1 teaspoons of cinnamon for every tablespoon of sugar) and place on a cookie sheet. You can flatten the balls slightly with a spoon if you'd like before baking, which will give the cookies a more traditional shape. From there, follow the recipe directions and bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes; cookies will be slightly golden when done!
*The Art of Dessert's original recipe calls for regular butter and milk; just sub this out with you favorite non-dairy versions (I used Earth Balance butter and hemp milk).
Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies. This is a super fun variation to my favorite chocolate chip recipe!
How To Alter? Whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough (click here for my original post with the recipe), but when it's time to add the chocolate chips, STOP there. Instead of adding 1 cup of your dairy-free chocolate chips, add just 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries! Then proceed with the rest of the recipe, spooning the dough onto a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Stay tuned for tomorrow when I post my first new cookie recipe of the week. This is going to be a FUN!
