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Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Monday, December 9, 2019
Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies are the essence of the holidays and are deeply flavored with spices and molasses. Decorate with royal icing and enjoy them for dessert or on your Christmas tree!
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7 Things You Can Do to Stay Healthy While Smashing the Holiday Buffet
Wondering how to eat healthy this holiday season? We’ve got some tips to help you out.
We are knee-deep in the season of total gluttony. You can hear the apps calling your name, the cider and wine and eggnog and cookies and PIE! The PIE! Everything this season is covered in cheese and sugar and cream, and it is one giant conspiracy to get us to buy bigger sweaters. But here are tips for staying healthy this holiday season—while still enjoying all your favorite treats.
So, how do you combat the elastic-waist onslaught? First, if you are anything like us, you’re a little rusty on portion sizes and VERY foggy on what constitutes a serving of fruit or vegetables. Never fear! EatingWell has this handy visual guide you can keep in mind to keep that slowly expanding waistline in check. (Your spring vacation plans will thank you.)
As for targeted holiday advice, here are seven things you can do to keep from losing yourself in the buffet. Remember to do these every day (or as often as possible) and you’ll set yourself up for success.
Related Reading: The Best Healthy Meal Kits to Try in 2019
1. Stay Hydrated
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Seriously. Drinking enough water will not only make you feel better in general (and look as glowy as any softly lit Christmas tree), it’ll help you feel fuller, so you won’t get hangry and have to eat a dozen cookies before you satisfy said hanger.
You should drink a good half gallon of water every day—not all at once, obviously, and yet still, it can seem so daunting, or at least so easy to forget to actually do. Make it less so by infusing your water, and drinking it out of a stylish bottle you’ll want to keep reaching for! But do not forget to clean that water bottle regularly.
Valourgo Collapsible Water Bottle, $11.59
This silicone bottle folds up for easy storage so you can take it eveywhere.
2. Eat the Cookies
Chowhound’s Christmas Cookies
We’re not suggesting skipping any holiday favorites or abstaining from sweets. Instead, try a little of everything you crave AS LONG AS you consume the recommended servings of fruits AND vegetables each day. It sounds overwhelming, but with that little guide we mentioned above, it’s much easier than you think.
And depriving yourself entirely can actually backfire; look into intuitive eating for a non-diet option.
3. Eat a Carrot
Chowhound’s Carrot Chips
Take a tip from Santa’s reindeer and munch on a carrot or two before you move on to the other options.
The vitamins and minerals you get from vegetables will keep you feeling energized instead of sleepy, they’ll boost your immune system and protect you from getting the sicks this winter, and they’ll help your skin and hair look healthy and glowing for the family selfies. Plus they help prevent serious diseases like cancer and diabetes and fill you up so you don’t eat the WHOLE pie. In one sitting.
Almost every holiday buffet has a crudite platter, so help yourself, and just go easy on the dip so you don’t negate the veggies’ benefits.
4. Eat an Apple
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Another reindeer-approved food we recommend for people too!
Breaking it down, it’s pretty easy: The USDA suggests two servings of fruit per day. That’s it. So easy. Have a banana in the morning and slather an apple with a little almond butter in the afternoon and YOU ARE DONE! And likely not hungry enough to shovel up all the chips on that plate.
5. Eat a Salad
Chowhound’s Kale-Apple Coleslaw with Poppy Seed Dressing
This seems like it might be tricky in the wintertime, right? Wrong! Nearing-year’s-end produce is chock-full of winter greens, sweet potatoes, less-than-decorative gourds, even Brussels sprouts (which are great shaved for a salad). And once again, it’s just an easy 2 1/2 to 3 cups per day depending on gender and age. How hard is that? It’s a salad with a sliced tomato on top at lunch (or, you know, something more seasonal) and some roasted cauliflower at dinner.
To simplify all of this information, the USDA stopped using servings and switched to cups, so 1 cup equals 1 serving. There are a few exceptions, like in the leafy greens category or dried fruit, but for the most part this rule holds. For more information, check out the USDA’s ChooseMyPlate.gov site!
6. Make Some Substitutions
Chowhound’s Watercress-Walnut Dip
If you’re headed to a holiday potluck, bring a dish that’s delicious and festive but also healthier than it might otherwise be. See our healthy holiday party appetizer recipes (originally written for Thanksgiving—arguably the event that kicks off the whole season of overeating—but there’s no reason you can’t re-purpose these healthy apps for Christmas too!) for some ideas.
Or check out some general guidelines for healthy ingredient swaps and substitutions that can see you through the holiday snacking season and beyond. You could also explore the world of keto Christmas cookies and healthier desserts.
7. De-Stress
The holidays—meant to be the happiest time of year—are often more like the most stressful, and we all know that stress can induce us to eat more food (and more carby, sugary, salty, fatty food at that). Combat the urge to eat your feelings into submission by taking some time for self care, and getting plenty of sleep. Check out our picks for the best holiday stress relief gifts, which are great for treating yourself too.
Head into that holiday party relaxed and happy, and you’re far less likely to gorge on sweets or overdo the alcohol.
Make these seven easy things happen, and you can pretty much eat all of the pie, or at least as much you want!
For more tips, tricks, hacks, and recipes, visit our Holiday Headquarters.
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What Is the Difference Between Sugar Cookies and Snickerdoodles?
This time of year, we’ve got one thing on the brain: cookies. But what is the difference between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles? Whether you’re carefully cutting out stars and stocking-shaped cookies to leave for Santa, or just trying out recipes for a cookie exchange party, this question may have been bouncing around in the back of your mind during holiday baking.
Though they’re similar in appearance, it’s a common misconception that sugar cookies and snickerdoodles are one and the same. And the name “snickerdoodle” (which most believe to be an adaptation of a German word for a type of pastry, not to be confused with German Spice Cookies) unfortunately doesn’t shed much light on the issue. But believe it or not, snickerdoodles and sugar cookies are very different cookies.
Many would point to the presence of cinnamon as the distinguishing factor here, but as cookie connoisseurs well know, sugar cookies can be made with a pinch of cinnamon too. And yet, a cinnamon-y sugar cookie does not a snickerdoodle make! The actual defining ingredient for snickerdoodles may surprise you.
Sugar Cookies
Chowhound
Sugar cookies are a true classic in the cookie canon. Some of our earliest memories are making Christmas sugar cookies like these with our families around the holidays—but this cookie is also often overlooked for its simplicity.
There are a lot of bad sugar cookies out there—dry, store-bought ones; tasteless varieties at the office holiday party—but that doesn’t mean we should settle for substandard sugar cookies. When done well, sugar cookies can be pure perfection.
Chowhound
Sugar cookies have an unassuming ingredient list composed of butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking powder. Though the recipes may vary, these are the core components.
Related Reading: Can You Substitute Brown Sugar for White Sugar?
Some aspiring bakers choose to go the extra mile and top their sugar cookies with a silky-smooth layer of royal icing, creating works of edible art that rival those of your favorite Instagram baker.
Chowhound
Those who prefer a more creamy frosting may choose to add a swirl of buttercream to their sugar cookies for an extra-luxurious look. But many choose to stick to the classics, leaving their sugar cookies lightly dusted with sanding sugar, or entirely unadorned—for the purist, try our easy slice-and-bake Icebox Sugar Cookies.
Snickerdoodles
Chowhound
That being said, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a snickerdoodle with icing or frosting on it. There’s simply no need—the beauty of snickerdoodles is their soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and simple adornment of cinnamon.
Snickerdoodles have many of the same ingredients as sugar cookies, but the important distinction here is cream of tartar—an unexpected addition that keeps snickerdoodles super-soft and prevents the crystallization of sugar. If you’ve ever had a hard, crunchy sugar cookie, you already know what cream of tartar does and why the addition of cream of tartar in a snickerdoodle is so important.
More recently, we’ve begun to see recipes popping up that utilize sour cream in snickerdoodles—a controversial choice that may have been born out of a misunderstanding about what cream of tartar is and the subtly sour, tart taste it can impart to the cookies. However, some proud cookie fanatics stand by these recipes as superior, if somewhat unconventional.
Another distinguishing factor between these two cookies is that snickerdoodles are rarely cut into shapes, instead being rolled into balls and coated in cinnamon sugar, giving them their signature appearance. If you’re a true snickerdoodle die-hard looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite cookie, fear not—in recent years, the flavors of snickerdoodles have been replicated in more and more creative desserts, including these snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches.
Chowhound
Or, keep things simple and try our recipe for classic snickerdoodles.
See our Ultimate Guide to Christmas Cookies for more, and visit our Holiday Headquarters for other tips, tricks, and recipes.
Related Video: How to Pimp Those Sugar Cookies for the Holidays
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How to Make Perfectly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you love a good chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe, listen up: Here are several tips to ensure chewy cookies every time.
Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, of course. But we all have an idea of the perfect version—yours might be crunchy and studded with dark chocolate or soft and chewy with creamy milk chocolate chunks. (Or maybe not even baked.)
Today, we’re talking about some tips to make a chewier, softer chocolate chip cookie. If you like yours crunchy and crisp, get our Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. (And if you prefer unbaked dough, see this Edible Cookie Dough recipe that’s safe to eat raw.) But if you’re into the chew, keep reading!
There are a few things to keep in mind when aiming for a softer texture with your cookies in general:
1. Flour
Arisara Tongdonnoi / EyeEm / Getty Images
For classic chewy chocolate chip cookies, stick with all-purpose flour. When you start introducing things like whole wheat flour or spelt flour, you’re going to affect the texture of your final cookie. That doesn’t mean you can’t bake a chewy whole-wheat chocolate chip cookie, but it requires more manipulation. So keep it simple.
If you’re gluten-free, choose a 1:1 flour like Cup4Cup that isn’t too starchy.
Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour, 3 lb for $13.06 on Amazon
This gluten-free blend will get you chewy cookies.
2. Fat
When baking cookies, you’ll be using some sort of fat, typically butter. However, if you want to make a very chewy cookie, coconut oil is the way to go. Coconut oil produces a cookie that is softer and less likely to crisp up than a butter-based cookie. Bonus: that also makes it vegan (at least once you account for the eggs; more on that below)! You can either try subbing coconut oil for the butter in your favorite recipe, or try this Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
Kirkland Signature Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, 84 ounces for $15.99 at Costco via Google Shopping
Can't beat that price.
Related Reading: Easy Swaps to Make Recipes Vegan
3. Sugar
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Most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for regular white granulated sugar. Swapping some of the sugar for a sweetener with more moisture (like brown sugar or even molasses) can help create a chewier texture. Don’t swap all of the white sugar out or you can alter the texture negatively, but try a small substitution and see how you like the result.
Related Reading: A Guide to Types of Sugar
4. Eggs (& Egg Substitutes)
According to Pinch of Yum, if you barely beat in the egg, you’ll end up with a chewier texture. And Sally’s Baking Addiction suggests adding an extra egg yolk, among other tricks.
But what if you don’t eat eggs?
There are lots of egg substitutes you can use in baking, but some work better in cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and quick breads than in cookies. Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking suggests going the flax egg route for cookies. Simply whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (you can do this in a spice grinder or coffee grinder if all you have are whole seeds) with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit until the texture becomes a little gelatinous, then use in place of the egg.
5. Secret Ingredients!
For chewy chocolate chip cookies, there is one additional baker’s trick, and that’s to add a little something extra. Try stirring a teaspoon of baking powder into your flour before mixing up your dough. Baking powder encourages dough to rise (which is why we use it in biscuits and breads). It makes sense: Causing the dough to rise slightly higher means your cookies won’t be as flat, and therefore not as crunchy. See it in action in this Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
You can also add a bit of cornstarch or tapioca starch, per this Thick and Chewy Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
And if you’re making a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe, you can also sneak a little cream cheese into the dough to keep the texture nice and smooth.
6. Chill Out
If you can bear to wait (or remember to plan ahead), chill your dough in the fridge for at least 24 hours. That improves the cookies’ texture and flavor too. You can stash the dough in any bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap or another lid, or try these silicone cookie molds and storage trays—they portion your dough with a simple press and then you can stash them in the fridge or freezer until ready to bake!
The Smart Cookie Cookie Maker & Storage Containers, 2 for $35 at Food52
Smart cookies, indeed.
7. Baking Time
A surefire way to create chewier cookies is to underbake them slightly. No, you don’t want them to be raw in the middle (then we’d just all be eating cookie dough, which isn’t a bad thing but isn’t quite the point of this article), but you want to take them out while they still look and feel soft. The edges should be set, but the center should look slightly underbaked. Let them cool, and then reap the chewy rewards.
Related Reading: The Best New Baking Books for Fall
Now go forth and bake cookies! Start with your favorite classic chocolate chip cookie recipe and experiment to your heart’s content.
Bonus Tip: Skip the Chips
Chowhound
This doesn’t affect the texture quite so much (though while warm, you will get amazing pockets of melted chocolate), but is a generally great rule of thumb for leveling up your CCCs. Although chocolate chips are right in the name of these classic treats, you’ll get a far tastier result if you use chopped chocolate instead. Try a mix of milk and dark.
See our Ultimate Guide to Christmas Cookies for more, and visit our Holiday Headquarters for other tips, tricks, and recipes.
This story was written by Posie Harwood in 2015 and updated by Jen Wheeler.
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Christmas Cookie HQ: The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Cookie Baking
Holiday baking season means lots of cookies, and we have plenty of great Christmas cookie recipes, tips, and tricks to share. Consider this guide your Christmas cookie HQ, where you’ll find everything you need to pull off perfect sweets Santa himself would no doubt endorse (and immediately devour).
Click the links below to jump to the information you need the most, or keep scrolling to see it all.
Cookie Recipes
Everything that’s worthy of a spot on your cookie plate.
Must-Make Christmas Cookies
Chowhound
We love all our children Christmas cookie recipes equally…but here are some of our most festive, from classic sugar cookies to a new twist on chocolate chips. See our must-make Christmas cookie recipes.
Crazy Easy Christmas Cookies
Chowhound
No time for complicated cookies (or no confidence in your baking skills)? We developed these no-fail, no-fuss Christmas cookie recipes for just such scenarios. Get our easy Christmas cookie recipes.
Keto Christmas Cookies Are a Holiday Miracle
Chowhound
A very merry keto Christmas can still include cookies, as long as you have the right recipes and ingredients (since flour and sugar are both out). Check out the best keto Christmas cookie recipes to bake.
Great Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies Everyone Will Love
Chowound
If sugar’s not an issue for you but gluten would wreck your halls, bake these gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes and rejoice.
These Pistachio Raspberry Cookies Look Like Little Wreaths
Frauke Antholz
Cornflake wreath cookies dyed green with food coloring are cute and all, but these pistachio-raspberry cookies are much more refined and just as festive.
Eat the Rainbow: Make Italian Christmas Cookies
Anna Gass
These multilayered confections are much easier to make than you might think, and too delicious (and jolly) not to bake. See how to make Italian rainbow cookies.
Mexican Wedding Cookies Melt in Your Mouth
Anna Gass
They look like little snowballs, and they melt away almost as quickly, whether you make them with almonds or pecans. Get the Mexican wedding cookie recipe for your holiday dessert spread.
And see all of our holiday cookie recipes if you’re still hungry for more.
Cookie Tips & Tricks
Expert advice on making your cookies the best they can be (and how to avoid disasters).
9 Holiday Baking Mistakes You Should Stop Making
Denis Tevekov / GettyImages
These pitfalls are easy to make but even easier to avoid when you know what they are (and why they’re bad). See our guide on how to avoid holiday baking disaster.
11 Ingredients to Upgrade Your Baking
GMVozd / E+ / Getty Images
Ready to level up? Take your cookies (and cakes, and anything else you bake) into a whole new world with these best baking ingredients.
How to Make Perfectly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chowhound
Some people crave thin, crisp chocolate chip cookies. If you’re not one of them, see how to make chewy chocolate chip cookies (and stock up on milk, stat).
How to Make Your Sugar Cookies Taste Better
Chowhound
So simple, yet so easy to screw up. If your last batches have been blah, see how to make sugar cookies better.
How to Pipe Icing Like a Pro
Chowhound
One way to jazz up cookies is to ice them with adorable designs. With tips from an expert, you too can wield a piping bag like you’re a contestant on a holiday baking show. See how to ice Christmas cookies like a pro.
How to Decorate Cookies So Cute They Could Be From a Bakery
YinYang / E+ / Getty Images
Even if you’re not into royal icing, there are lots of other ways to make your cookies look as amazing as they taste. See our tips on how to decorate Christmas cookies no matter what your skill level.
How to Ship Christmas Cookies
ingwervanille / Moment / Getty Images
Sending some love to far-away friends and fam? Don’t ruin all your hard work by packing your cookies the wrong way or shipping them too late. See how to mail Christmas cookies (and when you need to send them).
How to Make Edible Cookie Dough That’s Safe to Eat
Evan Sung
We all sneak bites of raw dough, but it’s actually pretty risky (as recent flour recalls remind us). If you just love the unbaked goods, though, see how to make raw cookie dough that’s safe to eat.
Cookie Equipment
A poor baker really might be able to blame their tools—so here are the ones you’ll need to perfect your game.
The Essential Baking Tools You Should Have in Your Kitchen
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If you’re even semi-serious about baking, you’ll need these pieces of equipment in your arsenal. See our guide to the best baking tools.
What Is the Difference Between Cookie Sheets and Sheet Pans?
Chowhound
This is not a trick question, and using the right one can make a difference in your cookies. Learn about the difference between cookie sheets and sheet pans.
The Most Festive Cookie Cutters You Can Find Online
Sur La Table
From intricate snowflakes and retro cookie stamps to 3D trees and leg lamps, these are the best Christmas cookie cutters to buy online.
The Unexpected Tool That Stands Between You and Perfectly Round Cookies
Chowhound
Baking maven Dorie Greenspan shared a neat trick with us! See what kitchen tool she uses to get perfectly round cookies.
How to Perfect Using a Cookie Press
Sur La Table
Want to try your hand at spritz cookies? See our guide on how to use a cookie press (plus some spritz cookie recipes to put your new skills to work).
Cookie Questions
Clarifying the finer points to ensure your baking is a success.
Are Brown and White Sugar Interchangeable?
Michelle Patrick / EyeEm / Getty Images
Sometimes, but the key is knowing how each kind affects your baked goods. Read more about swapping brown sugar and white sugar, with some bonus info on powdered sugar and turbinado sugar too.
How Do You Soften Brown Sugar?
Karl Tapales / Moment / Getty Images
If it’s turned into one rock-hard lump, don’t panic—or throw it in the trash. See how to soften brown sugar.
What Is the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?
Pexels
This is important, so read up on baking powder vs baking soda (and see how to tell when it’s time to toss them).
Which Is Better for Baking, Parchment Paper or Silpat Mats?
Chowhound
You’ll want to line your cookie sheets with something, but which one of these is better? Find out who wins in the battle of parchment paper vs silicone baking mats.
Related Video: How to Make Your Own Colored Sugar
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These Mexican Wedding Cookies Could Pass for Snowballs
When holiday preparations begin, I genuinely enjoy the annual tradition of dusting off my old recipe box filled with dishes we only eat this time of year. Like many cooks, I have my go-to recipes that I love to make in December. It’s not that I don’t adore these recipes year round, but this time of year evokes that culinary nostalgia for baking recipes that symbolize holiday cheer.
For me, it’s holiday cookies that instantly conjure images of snow-capped houses and family dinners. So once the aroma of my cookies begins to waft out of the kitchen, everyone in my house knows the holidays are in full swing. Over the next four weeks, I will be sharing my favorite holiday cookies that not only represent what this time of year means to me, but also showcase the melting pot of cuisines and recipes we feast upon in the United States.
This week, I’m diving into Mexican wedding cookies, also known as polvorones in Spanish. While it is a very popular cookie in the United States for the holidays, as it resembles a perfect little snowball, these cookies are most often found in bakeries in Mexico.
Related Reading: Paint the Colors of the Rainbow with this Recipe for Italian Tricolor Cookies
Although this little cookie includes Mexico in the name, many believe it could have traveled from the Middle East or Eastern Europe. But these days, the Mexican wedding cookie is most notably found at celebrations because of its use of expensive ingredients like nuts and butter. In Mexico, they are often served at weddings and christenings.
Regardless of its origins, it’s perfect for the holidays since the dough—a decadent mix of butter, toasted nuts, flour, and a hefty scattering of cinnamon—can be rolled into little balls or shaped into half-moon crescents.
Mexican Wedding Cookies (Polvorones)
The generous dusting of powdered sugar creates the snowball effect for these cookies and also ensures you’ll be licking your fingers with every bite.
Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
Makes: 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans or almonds (your choice)
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Bake the pecans or almonds on a baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, until toasted and aromatic.
- Once the nuts have cooled, pulse them in a food processor until ground fine but not too much they turn into a paste. They should still be loose.
- Place them in a large bowl with the flour, salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Add the vanilla and then the flour mixture, mixing until fully combined.
- Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and then roll them into balls. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Once they are completely cool, roll them in the confectioners sugar.
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