Welcome to my second annual Christmas Cookie Countdown. Last year I was inspired by all the Christmas boxes everyone was creating and decided to do my own version! I did a Christmas Cookie Countdown, which included 6 cookies: Ginger Molasses, Mint Milano, Christmas Funfetti cookie, Chocolate Crinkle, Thumbprint, and Linzer cookies. Go Check Them Out!
This year, however, I decided I wanted to do 5 treats that included candy!
So I began with perfecting my top two Christmas cookies, Ginger Molasses and Chocolate Crinkle! These cookies are timeless.
For the holidays, I think it's a necessity to have a ginger cookie. Whether it is a gingerbread man or a chewy cookie, like these Ginger Molasses Cookies, spices like ginger, cloves and cinnamon are the spices of the holidays! They are warm and spicy, and will give you a nostalgic feeling in one bite! My second all-time favorite is Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, and its perfection. I've tried MANY different Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, ones that only use chocolate or cocoa, and others that don't spread or spread too much... I basically did the work for you and found out that the combination that the American Test Kitchen came up with is the best!
My third cookie, is NYT Poppy Seed Linzer Cookie. Last year I tried my very first Linzer cookie and fell in love! I did a chocolate Linzer cookie with a tahini filling, I know how it sounds, but trust me its worth trying. This year, I saw the NYT Christmas Cookies and they all looked deliocous, but when I was deciding what other cookie I would add to my countdown, the Poppy Seed Linzer was a no brainer! The recipe for this cookie is a Poppy Seed dough with a grapefruit filling, but I decided to use blackberry preserves instead. I thought the savory and earthiness of the cookie would air well will a berry filling!
For my last 2, I wanted to make candy. Cookies are delicious, but candy is even more scrumptious! So for my fourth treat, I made a Chocolate Dipped Meringue Cookie. I love anything meringue, pavlovas are my go-to desserts for a crowd. They are light/crispy on the outside and chewy in the inside! They complement well with any fruit or chocolate you top it with. Instead of making a pavlova or large meringue, these mini meringues are the perfect size for cookie swaps, a display and more importantly to pop into your mouth! Additionally, what makes these meringues extra unique, are the spices. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are folded in and adds additional flavor that will leave you wanting more!
For my last dessert, I wanted to use chocolate. During the holidays, all you see are the chocolate and peppermint bark, which is delicious, but I wanted to do something different. Instead, I did a White Chocolate and Matcha Bark! The matcha does not only give this chocolate a festive green color, but the flavor of the matcha balances the sweetness of the white chocolate. To add texture and flavor, I sprinkled pomegranate arils on top, that adds a freshness to this rich chocolate and looks beautiful with the white and green swirl. This bark is so simple to do and very versatile. If you do not like pomegranates, freeze-dried raspberries will work perfectly well! Try this bark out for a last-minute party or treat!
