What's better than fresh-baked cookies to get in the holiday spirit?
New York Times Cooking video producer Vaughn Vreeland shared two of his seasonal recipes with "Good Morning America" on Saturday that offers a sweet option for chocolate, peppermint or eggnog fans.
"Brownies can be contentious. You may be an edge person or someone who loves middle pieces, a fudgy fanatic or a cakey purist. These cookies will please all brownie lovers, with chewy edges, tender centers and crunch from crushed peppermint candies. While any unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe, Dutch-processed cocoa will make the brownies taste more chocolaty and round out their peppermint flavor. Whisking the eggs and sugars for a long time may seem fussy, but this process gives the cookie body, makes the batter easier to scoop and ensures a shiny top, the hallmark of any good brownie."
Yield: 12 cookies
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
4 ounces/113 grams semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup/42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1/2 cup/113 grams unsalted butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar
1/2 packed cup/107 grams dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3/4 cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
1/4 cup/41 grams crushed peppermint candy
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Put chocolate and ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa in a small heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, and pour over the chocolate. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar.
Put the eggs, both sugars and the salt in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. If any solid pieces remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.
With the mixer on low speed, add the peppermint extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then add the flour and remaining ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa and mix on low until a few streaks of flour and cocoa remain. Use the spatula to finish folding in the dry ingredients to avoid overmixing. The dough will be looser than traditional cookie dough but not as thin as brownie batter.
Use a 1/4-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop 12 (2-ounce) balls of batter onto the prepared sheets and bake. After 10 minutes, take the sheets out of the oven and bang them once on the counter to create a craggy surface and dense texture. Sprinkle a bit of crushed peppermint candy in the center of each cookie and return to the oven for another 2 minutes.
Let cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies will keep for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
"These pillowy, festive cookies are great to have in your back pocket when you're in the mood for a quick holiday fix. Rum extract, widely available during the holidays, is non-negotiable in replicating that iconic eggnog flavor. The addition of egg yolks in the dough combined with the nutmeg-sugar exterior cookie create for a cookie that's crisp on the outside and custard-like on the inside. These keep very well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 4 days, and are even better the second day. Forgo the eggnog all together this season and enjoy these cookies with a bourbon neat."
Yield: 24 cookies
Time: About 45 minutes
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups/445 grams all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 3/4 cup/350 grams granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup/50 grams for rolling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg plus 2 yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon rum extract
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1 ¾ cups sugar and salt on medium-high speed until very smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, return the mixer to medium speed and gradually add the egg and egg yolks, incorporating each before adding the next, then add the rum extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for another minute or two.
Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (You may want to start by "pulsing" the flour so that it doesn't go everywhere.) Set the dough aside to hydrate for about 10 minutes while you prepare to bake.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Make the nutmeg-sugar mixture by combining the remaining ¼ cup/50 grams sugar with the nutmeg in a small bowl.
Roll the dough into balls, the size of a golf ball or about 45 grams each, then roll each dough ball in the nutmeg-sugar. Transfer the dough to the baking sheets, set about 2 inches apart, and bake 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through, until slightly puffed and just set. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies should keep for a few days sealed in an air-tight container, and are even better the next day.
Recipes reprinted courtesy of New York Times Cooking.