Thursday, December 17, 2015

Christmas Cookies with a Chocolate Twist #recipe @LucyBurdette #giveaway


LUCY BURDETTE: First things first: Hayley Snow and Miss Gloria and all the Key West characters wish you Merry Christmas, and happy holidays, and Happy New Year. Having you as readers is the best gift we could possibly receive!

Now on to the cookies...A couple of years ago, Annie Knox posted what has become my favorite Christmas cookie recipe. But this year was the first year I actually tried working with a vanilla bean. And I also added good chocolate to half the batter, and reduced the salt. These little gems freeze well both baked and unbaked, so you can take them out to use for company nibbling as needed – or nibbling yourself!

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
One scant teaspoon salt (reduced from Annie's recipe)
Three egg yolks
The innards of half a vanilla bean
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup good-quality cocoa (I used Penzey's)
Decorations for the top (I used sugar in the raw for sprinkles)


Place the butter, sugar, and salt into a mixer bowl and cream until well blended. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each. Scrape in the contents of half vanilla bean, and mix that in too.

Add the flour to the bowl and mix only until combined. Don't get too vigorous or you will risk tough cookies. Remove half of the dough, and mix the chocolate into the other half. I personally liked the slight marbling effect and would do more of that next time. Roll the dough into four logs, wrap these in parchment or wax paper and refrigerate from two hours to several days.


Preheat the oven to 325. Slice the cookie dough rolls into half-inch thick rounds, dip them into sugar or sprinkles if you were using them, and place them on a nonstick pan, or one covered with parchment. 



Bake about 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown. Cool and serve or freeze.

 Are you still frozen about stocking stuffers? Cozy mysteries are the perfect size, and bring hours of enjoyment!


(Here's my Pinterest board with tons of suggestions...) And because it's the season of giving, I'm giving away one of these books--your choice! Leave a comment telling us about your favorite holiday cookie or treat--and your email...

49 comments:

  1. The thing that makes me think of Christmas is my grandmother's spiced tea, called Russian Tea where I'm from. There would be jugs of it in her refrigerator. And when we dropped by for a visit, she would heat some tea, the scents of clove and cinnamon would fill the house, and we would all have a cup. When I discovered my grandmother's recipe, written in her handwriting, in my mother's recipe box, I was so excited.

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  2. My sister's toffee from my Mom's recipe.

    gibsonbk at hiwaay dot net

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  3. My favorite holiday cookie is Iced Gingerbread Men cookies. EMS591@aol.com

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  4. I really like a good sugar cookie. I will be trying this recipe! Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway!
    angelhwk68@yahoo.com

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  5. My boyfriend's daughter makes lemon cookies that I really like.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  6. My dad makes these GF chocolate cookie with chocolate chips which are yummy! Plus he makes these sweet and spicy mixed nuts which are so good.
    myrifraf (at) gmail (dot) com

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  7. A recipe given to my Mother by her half sister. Its called Heavenly Hash: Melted Hershey's kisses, butter, sweetened condensed milk mixed with marshmallows and chopped nuts. Merry Christmas! dbahn@iw.net

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  8. Everyone wants caramel puff corn this time of year, lots of it! The cookies look delicious and I love using Penzey's too.
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. This recipe looks delicious. At this time of year, I most look forward to the cookies that one of my library co-workers makes for us. There are several different kinds but all are buttery and chocolatey and absolutely decadent. Thanks for the chance to win a book from this great series. rencw@verizon.net

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  10. Always ready for a new recipe to try and a new book to read. :)

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  11. I love Christmas cookies,ginerbreads cookies are one of my favorites.Thank for the chance and the cookie recipe. Colissaladoux@icloud.com

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  12. I love Christmas cookies,ginerbreads cookies are one of my favorites.Thank for the chance and the cookie recipe. Colissaladoux@icloud.com

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  13. I love the sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies my husband makes.
    karen(dot)kenyon(at)rogers(dot)com

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  14. I love following your boards on Pinterest by the way. I have a cookie and a candy that
    I have to make every year at Christmas or it isn't Christmas. raspberry thumbprint cookies with almond glaze and sour cream fudge with pecans and candied cherries. Thank you for the chance and Merry Christmas! dr(dot)oldsmobile(at)icloud(dot)com

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    1. Glad you're enjoying the Pinterest boards:). Your treats sound lovely!

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  15. I see you've updated your picture at the top of the page. Nice, but the one with the motorcycle is even better!
    These cookies sound like the height of simple yumminess.
    Best holiday treat? Seeing my daughter for the first time since August!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  16. I love being a part of this group. It feels like family!❤️❤️
    My favorite recipe for the holidays are my chocolate covered cherries. My children, even though they are grown, also expect me to still have the Cokes in the little bottles for them...ahhh memories...
    I would love to win the first book in the series so that I could give it away and share my love of this series with others. I know they would be hooked!
    Roxie.faubion@gmail.com

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  17. I love decorated sugar cookies. But this recipe looks really good, too---maybe I'll try it this weekend.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  18. I like plain chocolate fudge.
    pmettert@yahoo.com

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  19. My favorite holiday treat is Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake - YUM! I already have all of your books, and they are all wonderful--can't wait for Killer Takeout! Merry Christmas!

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  20. Hi! Thanks for the recipe! My favorite holiday treat changes all the time - lol - but I really enjoy peanut butter balls, and peppermint brownies, 2 things that I only make around the holidays! nicolev.girldetective@gmail.com

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  21. Not much in the kitchen. I bought Ferrero Richer and Lindor Dark Chocolate Truffles.

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  22. My favorite cookie around Christmas is gingerbread cookies with icing. I love these! Thanks for the giveaway. Crossxjo@hotmail.com

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  23. My mom makes the best peanut butter chocolate fudge! It always reminds me of Christmas!

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  24. My favorite Christmas cookies are Walnut Christmas Cookies and Pecan Crescent Cookies. Merry Christmas.
    I would like to read Fatal Reservations.
    diannekc8@gmail.com

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  25. My favorite Christmas cookies are Walnut Christmas Cookies and Pecan Crescent Cookies. Merry Christmas.
    I would like to read Fatal Reservations.
    diannekc8@gmail.com

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  26. I like persimmon cookies. They aren't really holiday cookies but they are only ripe now. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  27. My favorite holiday cookie? Everyone's favorite sugar cookies! I like them plain and slathered with buttercream frosting. My favorite holiday treat? "Nuts and Bolts" as only my mom can make. When I made it, I got too cutesy with M&Ms. I love this book series, and would love the paperback copy of book #1 "An Appetite for Murder." kat8762@aol.com

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  28. My favorite cookies are shortbread. I would love to read An Appetite for Murder. Thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  29. I enjoy mandelbrot especially when dipped. Yum. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  30. We need to make some gingerbread cookies! My kids are big into chocolate, but I am not. So, I feed them all of the chocolate along with my husband. Thanks for the giveaway, and have a Merry Christmas! SherylHbooth@gmail.com

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  31. Cookies look good!
    Have some recipes from my mother in law that I make.

    Death with all the Trimmings

    a.connolley@gmail.com

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  32. Right about now I love Pumpkin Cheesecake but you can't beat Fruitcake on the actual day or Pumpkin Pie...Oh dear its hard to choose...Thank you for the contest and Merry Christmas.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  33. I love pumpkin pie in November and December (but I'd be willing to eat it in any other month, too). I'm more of a baker than a cook. Just made peanut butter bars with chocolate chips a few days ago. It's a Nestle recipe and I think they're called Peanut Buddy Bars.
    catbooks72(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. I love Lemon Bars at Christmas. They bring a sense of summer to cold WI winters! I would love "An Appetite for Murder".
    flickster1@juno.com

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  35. I'm a cookie monster. I love all cookies. This time of year I'm partial to gingerbread men, rum balls, sugar cookies, etc. elainehroberson@gmail.com

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  36. I love this site! My favorite holiday treat is Sees Candy!!

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  37. OOPS!! Just in case you should need it-- lindaherold999@gmail.com

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  38. My fave cookie is Peanut Butter Blossoms. Zeta@iwon.com

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  39. My favorite treat is chocolate pecan pie. Thank you for this chance. areewekidding@yahoo.com

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  40. Spritz are my favorite cookies. Books are my favorite stocking stuffers.

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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  41. Hey Lucy! You make a cute biker babe on that scoot girl! Thanks for the recipe & a chance to win one of your awesome books. I found a recipe on Pinterest for Cinnamon Bun cookies. Baked them the other day & boy are they delish! sxygrndma48{at}yahoo{dot}com

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  42. thank you all so much for stopping in to our kitchen and for your kind words--and for reading! The winner this time is Roxie Faubian. Merry Christmas everyone!

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  43. I do believe this is the first recipe I have ever seen that used the words "the innards of."

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  44. These sound yummy. My favorites are Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Rum Balls, too many more to list. kittygirl15401@yahoo.com

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