Indulge In {Nutella Crinkle Cookies}

If you have never had Nutella, you need to stop reading this right now, close your computer, go to your local grocery and pick up a jar. I lived on this stuff on many a trips to Italy. The hazelnut spread is seriously amazing and was quite possibly the best treat ever, until Nutella crinkle cookies. Soft, gooey, and yummy these cookies are perfect for a holiday cookie swap, office party, or just a Saturday on the couch. Here's the recipe for all the deliciousness!

:: Ingredients ::
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/4 cups Nutella spread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cups (8-3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant hazelnut cappuccino powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup (4ounces) confectioners’ sugar

:: Directions ::

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat Nutella, butter, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, instant cappuccino, and eggs and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and milk, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Adjust oven racks to middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line three baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

3. Add confectioners’ sugar to bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls then roll in confectioners’ sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (12 cookies/sheet). Refrigerate first sheet of dough for 10 minute while preparing the second sheet. Bake cookies for approximately 8-10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Delightful Dining {Gingerbread Men}

You can't eat them any other time of year, but every holiday season, I get my fill on gingerbread. While I typically get my fill on pre-made gingerbread men from the store, this year I decided to take on the task of making my own. These are full of flavor and incredibly soft and chewy. They are actually quite the perfect cookie! And amazingly fun to decorate by yourself or with friends. Personally, I decked mine with cute little bow ties making southern gingerbread gentlemen! Here's the recipe I used from Mel's Kitchen Cafe...

*Makes about 2 dozen gingerbread men*

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (15 ounces) flour
¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature (but not warm!), cut into 12 pieces
¾ cup light or dark molasses
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
With an electric mixer, stir together the flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces. Mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and with the mixer running, gradually add the molasses and milk; mix until the dough is evenly moistened about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

Scrape the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough ¼ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment or wax paper. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment or wax paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.

Remove one dough sheet from the freezer and place on the counter. Peel off the top parchment or wax paper sheet. Gently cut the dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring the shapes to the prepared baking sheets with a wide metal spatula and spacing them ¾ inch apart. Set the scraps aside. Repeat with the remaining dough until the baking sheets are full. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary.

Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake!! Cool the cookies on the sheets 2 minutes, then remove the cookies with a wide metal spatula to a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Gather the scraps; repeat the rolling, cutting and baking. Frost as desired (I used a ziploc bag filled with simple white icing).

Store soft gingerbread in a wide, shallow airtight container or tin with a sheet of parchment paper between the cookie layers. These cookies are best eaten within one week.

Birthdays & Bonfires

Yesterday was R's birthday! And the weather here finally got cold enough to break out the fire pit. So, along with some good friends, we built a fire, made s'mores, enjoyed a cookie cake, and grilled some burgers. It was the perfect low key, fun birthday that R wanted. He is still talking about how much fun he had this morning. Until next year...Happy Birthday R! 

Have a Happy Veteran's Day and a relaxing weekend! xo