Chai-Spiced Gingerbread Kiss Cookies

Happy Monday and let us talk about cookies!

You absolutely HAVE to add these cookies to your holiday baking menu. They are soft and pillowy, bursting with warming spices and kissed with chocolate!

That's right. These are Chai-Spiced Gingerbread Kiss Cookies, and trust me when I say that they are here to put your classic peanut butter blossom cookies to shame. If you love gingerbread, you will absolutely devour these beauties.

OH and not only are these part kiss cookies and part gingerbread, but they are also part snickerdoodle. Yes yes yes. Before going into the oven, these cookies are getting rolled in sugar and a mix of chai spices that will truly knock your socks off. That includes cinnamon, nutmeg. and ground ginger. There is no spice combination more warming this time of year than chai. I just love it! It's not just for tea anymore :-)

Now, I know that everyone has their own holiday traditions and cookie recipes that they hold strong to this season. But if you're looking for a new treat to wow the whole family (and Santa, for that matter) I'm quite confident this is it. Happy baking!

Oh, P.S. This recipe is 100% kitty approved!

Recent Eats - Volume 1

A round-up of my favorite bites and other food drama from the past few weeks

It probably comes as no surprise that I love cooking, eating, and generally just spending time in the kitchen. I'm glad to be able to have a forum to share my food-ventures on the internet, but really what makes it onto the blog is only a fraction of what ultimately comes out of my kitchen. Because of that, I'm starting a new series called Recent Eats where I will share what I'm cooking and eating, and other food musings as I see fit! 

Birthday Brunch! 

My husband and I celebrate our birthdays two days apart (Me, May 17 and he, May 19) so we have gotten into a not-so-formal tradition of smashing our two birthdays together for some kind of celebration...usually at our place...usually with me doing most of the cooking. This year was no exception! And because we are trying to be hip at age 27, we decided this year called for brunch and a casual 8 bottles of champagne polished.

 

As for the food, I made a ridiculous amount of waffles from the Joy of Cooking cookbook (any home cook needs this! It's my bible!) with warm syrup, two types of quiche (sausage and peppers with cheddar, broccoli/spinach/mushroom with fontina), avocado toasts with marinated tomatoes and vanilla yogurt with berries and granola! 

Snapchat Crispy Gnocci BLT Salad

A few weeks ago, I started sharing some behind the scenes/bonus recipe and meal ideas on Snapchat (@jkomdabomb). Last night, I whipped up a Crispy Gnocchi BLT Salad and wow did you guys enjoy it! I have a few tweeks I want to make to the recipe before posting it here, but be sure to check it out before it disappears for some meal inspiration to get you through the week! 

Mango Salsa

My friend was in a "salsa-off" for Cinco de Mayo and we spent a couple of hours (no exaggeration) making, tweaking, and tasting a delicious mango salsa. It had everything you could want in a salsa: juicy tomatoes, spicy jalapenos, sweet and tangy mango, crunchy corn, black beans, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, yum! Just thinking about it makes me hungry again. We won't discuss whether or not he won the competition, but I like to think that, if nothing else, we personally won. Because we ate a lot of chips. And drank a lot of wine.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Although it looks like summer is finally here to stay, a few weeks ago there was still a chill in the air in Boston so I whipped up one last big pot of soup to bid adieu to winter. I made this amazing roasted cauliflower soup from Two Peas and Their Pod, but added some Italian sausage to the mix. It was so delicious! Two thumbs up for this recipe.

Dove Peanut Butter Squares Pudding Cookies

I am absolutely obsessed with pudding cookies - soft, cakey cookies that stay fresh for days thanks to a packet of dry pudding mix. Chocolate, vanilla, lemon, you name it! A few weeks ago I made my classic chocolate pudding cookie recipe but instead of chips, I chopped up Dove Peanut Butter Squares and mixed them into the dough. Wow. Decadent and delicious, I wish I had another!

Crispy M&M, Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies

GUYS.

THESE COOKIES.

It has been, precisely, two months and ten days since my last blog post. I am sorry about my absence. It's been a crazy 2015 so far. Cory and I spent an amazing week in Park City, Utah at the Sundance Film Festival--I saw 26 movies in a matter of six days!! Work has also been a bit of a whirlwind, plus we moved out of our apartment of 3+ years to a bigger, better apartment with--if I may brag--a big, awesome adult kitchen!

So after a bit of time away, I thought it would be rather fitting to get back into the blogging action with crazy, awesome cookies! Everyone LOVES cookies, after all :-)

These cookies are e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. The are chewy and sweet, packed with wonderful goodies like chocolate chips and--the grand finale--CRISPY M&Ms!

If you are anything like me, and I hope you are, you absolutely lost. your. sh*t when they announced that Crispy M&Ms were back. These candies made my childhood complete, and I developed a lot of trust issues when they were discontinued (along with 3D Doritos, and Mountain Code Red...STOP TAKING AWAY THINGS I LOVE!).

Anyway, now, they are back. And I ran to the closest store and found the biggest bag and I tore into those M&Ms like I hadn't eaten in weeks. And now, I am putting them into cookies.

These cookies are chewy and sweet, spiced with just a touch of cinnamon. Mini chocolate chips are speckled all throughout along with nutty rolled oats and those perfect, wonderful Crispy M&Ms. The textures and flavors are surprising and fun--perfect for kids of all ages!

Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Cookies

I need to talk to you about the last chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need.

It’s this one. This recipe for amazing, delicious, silky Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Cookies is the game changer.

I know these are big statements but I cannot stop eating this cookies. And neither can Cory. Mr. “I don’t eat sweets” REQUESTED that I make ANOTHER batch of these glorious cookies because, well, they change lives.

The secret is in the flour, or rather the fact that I replace half of the all-purpose flour with almond flour. The crumb is so soft and delicate that I almost named these Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies!

Like any soft-batch cookie, this recipe requires a few tablespoons of melted butter and that is totally OK. We will add 2 egg whites, a cup of brown sugar, and a generous 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the party. The vanilla and the almond create one of the tastiest cookies I have ever known.

Wet ingredients mix with dry, which as I mentioned include almond flour, along with regular flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and cornstarch. A wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease is all you need. Things finish up with semi-sweet chocolate chips, and that requires no explanation.

Be sure to keep an eye on these cookies while they are in the oven. They should hold their shape for the most part. They are baked until just set, to the point that they may still seem under-cooked, but trust your instincts. A tender cookie makes for a happy belly. Let’s get baking!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

ONLY TEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

BAKE ALL THE COOKIES!!

Are you baking up a storm in your kitchen? 'Tis the season after all. I am whipping up a whole bunch of these AH-mazing Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. Rich, sweet, chocolatey cookies, blanketed in a generous layer of powdered sugar. These cookies look like festive balls of snow, and they taste like everything you could ever want in a chocolate cookie.

I love these cookies for so many reason. First is, you can prepare the batter the night before, because it is critical that it chills for at least a few hours. Then the next morning, just roll the batter, toss each cookie in the powdered sugar, and bake! Another reason these are wonderful treats is that there is no fancy equipment or ingredients required. As long as you have a big bowl, a whisk, and a couple of cookie sheets, you are just a few steps away from decadent chocolate cookies.

After baking off my first batch, I was a bit sad because I didn't feel like the crinkles had enough powdered sugar on them (though they still tasted amazing!). The next time around, I was very generous with the powdered sugar, and now they look great! Just like the classic cookies you think of when you hear "crinkle cookies." So, pro-tip: don't be afraid to be heavy handed with your powdered sugar!

I guarantee Chocolate Crinkle Cookies will be a real crowd pleaser this Christmas season. All the chocolate lovers in your life will be begging you for these year-round!

For other chocolate cookie treats, check out the links below!

Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Brownie Cookies

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

In the world of chewy, decadent, delicious cookies, I think these little bebes reign supreme. They are a wonderful marriage of crumbly peanut butter cookies, gooey chocolate chip cookies, and chewy oatmeal cookies. The trifecta, if you will.

Bonus! These cookies are dairy free and contain no flour. Perhaps they aren't completely guilt-free, but I completely support having an extra 2 or 3. They are just the perfect little snack bite!

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies come together in a mixing bowl with a strong wooden spoon. A little elbow grease goes a long way. Softened cashew butter is our base. Nutty, slightly sweet, totally decadent. To the cashew butter we add unsweetened apple sauce, quick oats, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and a bit of sugar. Because we are worth it, I toss in some mini chocolate chips--totally necessary!

I really cannot say enough good things about these cookies. I am obsessed with cashews and, as a result, absolutely love cashew butter. But don't worry--if you have almond butter or peanut butter on hand, they will work just as well! If you want a more traditional oatmeal cookie, feel free to sub out the chocolate chips for a few raisins instead!

Add these cookies to your next BBQ menu--they are sure to be a hit (and nobody will know they are just a teeeeny bit healthier than most cookies!)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

Chocolate lovers, gather 'round. I have a wonderful story for you.

The story is Chocolate Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies. Double the chocolate, double the fun.

I have this problem with brownies. I tend to overcook them. I don't know why this happens specifically for brownies considering they are one of the easiest things to cook. But, alas. I just can't master the cooking of brownies in my oven.

That all changed when I came across this recipe for brownie cookies. These are rich and fudgy and full of deep chocolate flavor just like a brownie, only they are bite-sized! When these cookies are done baking, they have a thin crispy shell on the outside and an ooey gooey center.

These cookies have a pretty traditional brownie base--butter, eggs, brown sugar, and 2 types of chocolate (unsweetened and semi-sweet). I add in a bunch of mini chocolate chips because there is nothing wrong with a little extra chocolate in our lives (RIGHT!?)

I totally love these cookies. I sprinkled a generous bit of powdered sugar on the top to cut a bit of that chocolate richness. I think that is just what these cookies need to take them to the next level.

Share these with that special person in your life who is a choco-holic. Bring them to a friend who needs a sweet pick me up. Make these and devour them. You're worth it!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies {Soft and Chewy!}

If you want Christmas in a cookie, I've got you covered. It exists within this chocolatey, peppermint-y treat.

I'm not one to demand you make MY cookies for YOUR family during the holidays. I know everyone has their own traditions, their own cookies that hold a place near and dear to their heart during the holiday season. I have no authority to demand that you change that.

However, if you are looking for a fun and festive cookie to bring to a holiday gathering or to share with coworkers and friends--I think these soft and chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are just perfect!

There is no better combination than peppermint and chocolate. Don't lie--I know you've gotten a few more Peppermint Mocha Lattes from Starbucks than you'd like to admit! Now, you can get your fix in a cookie.

These are no fuss cookies, but they are all kinds of delicious. Chewy chocolate cookies with adorable mini chocolate chips with a nice hint of cool peppermint extract. While the cookies are still piping hot, a bit of crushed up candy canes get sprinkled on top. This melts the candy just slightly and anchors them to the cookies. Yum!

If you want another tasty and no-bake chocolate peppermint treat, try my Peppermint Oreo Balls! These things are going to fly off your dessert table :-)