If you haven’t noticed, this year the holiday recipes I am sharing are tried and true comfort foods that are not difficult to make and satisfy everyone. Build your own TV Trash anyone?

The same goes with holiday cookies this year. Of course there will be the specialty Magic Bars and Peanut Butter Kisses but I also wanted to include a variation of the beloved chocolate chip cookie – my personal favorite. I am always tempted to try HalfBakedHarvest’s plethora of incredible combinations. If you haven’t checked out her holiday cookie box selections each year, they truly are a masterpiece. How she has the time to make 12 different types of cookies all look that good each year is beyond me. But I also know my limitations. Baking has never been my strong suit. It does not come naturally! So making my own caramel or maple butter to use in a cookie recipe or praying that I used the exact right amount of baking soda to get the consistency right is just not in the cards. 

Then I remembered my absolute favorite, tried and true, chocolate chip cookie recipe that many have made (and loved). What if I used that cookie dough base then mixed in all the amazing flavors of the season? 

I will admit I have compulsively bought 3-4 bags of the seasonal mix-ins at Trader Joes… peppermint chips, salted caramel chips, butterscotch chips, pralines, you name it… I have bought it. And since this recipe makes so much dough to begin with, it’s beyond easy to divide up and mix in whatever combination your heart desires! Don’t like peppermint? Grab a butterscotch cookie. Don’t like butterscotch? Try a chocolate chip pecan one. Or even just buy green and red M&Ms to make them look festive. Genius!

Why do we insist on making life difficult for ourselves this time of year? Let’s take back the stress of doing the most during the holidays… still make it look like we are doing the most… but really just make it easy and oh so sweet! Good luck not packing on the pounds though, they are highly dangerous to have in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup salted butter

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups GF baking flour (I’ve been using Cup4Cup, make sure it’s the baking-specific mix)

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix-Ins: chocolate chips, peppermint chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, pecan pralines, m&ms

Serving Size: 2 dozen

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In one large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In another large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract into the butter/sugar mix. Beat until fluffy.
• Slowly add flour mixture into the butter mixture a few handfuls at a time.
• Separate cookie dough base into 4 bowls and fold in desired mix-ins. 
• Scoop into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 minutes.
• *Note – the cookies will look undercooked, keep them that way. They will solidify while they cool down.