Good morning. I am waking up to a quiet house this morning. My mom flew out last night and Finn spent last night with his dad. Definitely a bit of an empty feeling after a week of having my mom with us.
Speaking of little man, he is down for the count. I took him to see his pediatrician first thing Monday morning and he has a double ear infection and a virus that is giving him mouth and throat ulcers (but not full-on HFM, doctor said there are many different strains). Add teething on top of that and he’s been feeling pretty miserable. While I obviously hate that he is sick, it’s somewhat of a relief to know that he is and what to do about it.
He was scheduled to go to his dad on Monday night. It’s always hard for me to be away from him when he’s sick but I also know it’s good for him to get comfort from his dad, and necessary for me to get rest. After multiple nights with multiple night wake ups, having uninterrupted sleep last night was amazing.
I’m off to teach this morning and then I’ll spend the rest of the day with Finn. My goal for the day is to finally get my holiday decorations up. It’s happening…TODAY!
On that note, I wanted to share a few of my favorite cookie recipes with you guys since I know holiday baking and cookie exchanges are in full swing. I have quite a few delicious recipes on my blog and I’d love to give them some extra attention!
MATCHA CHAI-SPICED SUGAR COOKIES
These Matcha Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies are PERFECT for holiday baking because 1) they’re green!, 2) they’re full of warm chai spices and 3) who doesn’t love a good sugar cookie for the holidays?
These are a fun twist on traditional sugar cookies!
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies could be a nice variation for the traditional peanut butter blossom cookies (you know, the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey’s Kiss on top?). I love how pretty and round they are and how the dough cracks a bit when baking and the chocolate marbles the cookies.
They package up great for individual treats.
CARROT CAKE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Who doesn’t love a frosted cookie at the holidays? This recipe for Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect way to turn a favorite cake flavor into a cookie that everyone is sure to go crazy over.
OATMEAL RAISIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies take two popular cookie flavors and blends them together for a cookie that is thick, chewy and bursting with both chocolate chips and plump, juicy raisins. This recipe is so easy, and great for bulk baking.
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
Not technically a cookie but the most popular bar cookie that I have ever posted! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are delicious and I’ve been baking them for over 10 years now. They’re a huge crowd-pleaser.
OATMEAL, CRANBERRY AND CHOCOLATE COOKIES
I shared this Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Cookie recipe in 2013 and deemed them “the best cookies that I had ever baked.”
These cookies are big, full of cranberries and chocolate and thick in the center. You use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough out into big balls. The whole recipe only made 14 cookies and are more similar to a bakery-style cookie thanks to their size. You cannot go wrong with a combo of cranberry and white chocolate during the holidays!
QUESTIONS
Do you bake cookies during the holidays? Have you ever been to a cookie swap? Planning one this year?
I’d love to hear about your favorite holiday cookies to bake! Recipe links welcome!
