This post contains items gifted by Vietri in exchange for use on my social media channels. All opinions are my own.
December 4th is one of those random holiday days- it’s National Cookie Day- but honestly what better way is there to kick off the Christmas season than by starting the month with Cookie Day? Baking cookies is a holiday tradition I love to keep each year. My mom, sister and I usually do a bit of baking together before the big day which I love. I also have always loved bringing a cookie platter to parties for a hostess gift or to neighbors for a little Christmas surprise. Giving something homemade is always appreciated I think!
This year MJD and I are going to be hosting Christmas in our new home. This means there will be lots of baking preparations! I’ve never really frozen my baked cookies before- have only frozen dough- so if you have any tips for how best to do this, I’d love to hear them. Would be great if I could bake some things over the next few weeks and save 🙂 My White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies and Molasses Cookies are two holiday favorites that I make each December and plan to do again this year. The white chocolate and cranberry combo is slightly tart, but definitely sweet and the molasses cookies not only taste amazing, they smell like Christmas to me! I’ve been making both for years as can be evidenced by the original posts for each recipe on my blog (please don’t judge my early photography skills- or lack thereof). Recipes below for your baking needs!
Just like you can never have enough Christmas cookies, you can never have enough Christmas serving platters, especially when hosting! I was really excited when Vietri reached out to send a few pieces from their holiday collection my way. All of Vietri‘s pieces are handcrafted and designed in Italy, making them super special and of the highest quality. I love the company’s story that two sisters and their mother fell in love with the dinnerware when visiting Positano in 1983. I can certainly relate to falling in love with just about everything in Positano too! I can’t wait to use the Incanto Stone Winterland White Snowflake Handled Platter, Incanto Stone Winterland White Tree Platter and the Incanto Stone Winterland White Snowflake Footed Bowl on Christmas this year. While they are obviously great for serving cookies, I am thinking it’d be fun to do a tree shaped vegetable platter on the Tree Platter and to add some seasonal Hershey Kisses to the Snowflake Footed Bowl too! If you are hosting or looking for a gift for your holiday hostess this year, Vietri is offering 20% off their site with code BOSTONCHIC20. Their pieces would make a great gift!
Now for the cookie recipes!
Happy Baking!
xoxo, Jenna
White Chocolate Chip And Cranberry Cookies (first posted in 2014, see it here :))
You’ll Need:
Makes two dozen cookies
- 1/2 cup of butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 and a 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
To Make:
Beat butter and the two sugars on low speed until creamy.
Add in egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix well for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Gradually, beat in flour and baking soda.
Once flour is mixed in, hand mix in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Keep dough in airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
When preparing to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown around edges.
Molasses Cookies (first posted in 2015, see it here)
You’ll Need:
Makes about twenty cookies
- 3/4 of a cup butter, softened
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/4 of a cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Additional 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to coat cookie dough
To Make:
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar.
Add in molasses and egg and mix well to combine.
Gradually mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger until well combined
In a small bowl, combine additional sugar and cinnamon for cinnamon-sugar dusting on cookies.
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie dough into rounded balls.
Roll each ball of cookie dough into cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Place on baking sheet and slightly press down on each ball of cookie dough with your palm.
Refrigerate cookie dough on baking trays for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 375 Degrees F to prepare for baking.
Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes, or until they begin cracking on top.
Cool for five minutes before transferring to wire rack to completely cool.
Once completely cooled, store in airtight container.
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Photography by Caroline The Photographer
