TL;DR: These holiday chocolate chip cookies are a fun, customizable twist on a classic favorite. They’re soft, festive, and easy to adapt for any celebration by swapping in different candy colors and sprinkles. The blog has a simple step-by-step recipe plus a pro tip for creating perfectly round, bakery-style cookies.
When I was growing up, my mom was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. So much so that I often wondered if my friends wanted to come over to our house so they could eat my mom’s cookies more than hang out with me. But even if they did, I can’t blame them. Those made-from-scratch, warm-from-the-oven confections were hand-held masterpieces.
My mom’s chocolate chip cookies inspired my love of baking. And while I’m not sharing her recipe in this blog (spoiler alert: you can get it from the back of the chocolate chip bag), I like to think I’m carrying on her tradition with these extra special cookies.
As a gift to you (as if these cookies weren’t gift enough), you don’t even have to jump down to the recipe!
Adapted from celebratingsweets.com/christmas-cookies/
Ingredients
- 1½ cups plus one Tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chocolate candies or a mixture of chocolate candies and chocolate chips
- ¼ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed, add in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Gently stir in the chocolate candies and/or chocolate chips.
5. Place the sprinkles in a shallow bowl.
6. Scoop balls of cookie dough, and press the top of each ball into the bowl of sprinkles. Then press a few chocolate candies into the top of the balls. You can bake the cookies right away (they’ll be on the thinner side) or chill the dough balls in the fridge for about 15 minutes so they bake a little thicker.
7. Place dough onto the baking sheets leaving an inch or two for spreading.
8. Bake for 8-11 minutes until the edges of the cookies are set but the center is still slightly underdone; this will create a soft cookie.
Want to get extra? Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven place a round glass or coffee mug upside down over the top of the cookie. Gently but quickly swirl the glass/mug in a circular motion. The edges of the cookie will bump against the inside of the glass creating a perfectly round shape. This will take the look of your cookies to the next level! Trust me; it’s totally worth the extra step.
Note: This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
9. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
The beauty of these cookies is that they can be made for any holiday or celebration like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Flag Day, Tuesday. Just change up the candy colors and sprinkles to fit the festivity. This fun, delicious cookie makes any day a celebration. Enjoy!
