All month long, we've been counting down to Christmas with 25 Days of Cookies! Now, famed pastry chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres faced off against the "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro in a Christmas cookie bake off.
The two prepared their most festive confections and shared the full recipes so you can bake the treats at home this holiday season.
Tis The Season Cookies from Jacques Torres
Time: 45 minutes (for one 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling
Yield: 1 and 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.
Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
3 standard size (14g) peppermint candy canes crushed
Instructions:
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about five minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, five to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.
Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop six 3.5-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto the baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.
Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.
Red velvet cookie sandwich with cream cheese icing from Buddy Valastro
Cook Time: 8 - 12 minutes
Yield: 48, 1.5 ounce cookies
Ingredients:
1 pound and 1/2 ounces butter
11 ounces sugar
11 ounces brown sugar
6 whole eggs
2 ounces corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 pound, 13 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 ounces cocoa powder
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pound dark chocolate chunks
Cream cheese icing:
3 ounces softened cream cheese
2 ounces softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions:
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add liquids next into butter mix in two stages, scrape.
Sift then add dries to butter/egg mixture, mix in 85 percent, scrape.
Add chocolate chunks last and mix in completely. Taste and portion.
Press cookie dough slightly after portioning then set dough in the refrigerator to chill. Once chilled, bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes, times may vary based on oven.
Once baked, cool to room temp or pop in the fridge briefly to ensure no heat, as it can melt the icing.
For the cream cheese icing:
Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until soft and creamy.
Beat in sugar half a cup at a time until smooth and spreadable.
Once mixed, flip one set of cookies so bake side is facing up and spread icing onto cooled cookies, then place another cookie on top to make a sandwich.
Garnish with white chocolate coating and holiday sprinkles. Let sit until ready to serve.
Head to our full guide here all month long for the most beautiful, fun and delicious holiday cookies that are sure to become a new tradition.
Tell us which cookies you're baking! Tweet @GMA using #25daysofcookies with your #25daysofcookies pictures and we may feature you on our GMA Facebook page or in our morning GMA newsletter! Deck the halls with lots of cookies, fa la la la la, la la la la!