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The holiday season calls for baking something truly special and unique. This delightful Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe offers a perfect blend of sweet, salty, and crunchy textures in every bite. Bursting with festive flavors and vibrant colors, these cookies are incredibly easy to make. They are a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie platter or a fantastic treat for sharing with loved ones.
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe
You’ll find countless reasons to adore this incredible Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe and make it a holiday tradition. It brings pure joy to both bakers and eaters!
- Irresistible Sweet and Salty Flavor: Enjoy the perfect harmony of sugary goodness and savory crunch that keeps you coming back for more.
- Fun, Customizable Holiday Mix-ins: This recipe encourages creativity, letting you choose your favorite festive additions to make each batch unique.
- Quick and Easy, No Chill Time: Get delicious, fresh-baked cookies in no time, ideal for busy parents and beginner bakers.
- Perfect for Holiday Baking: These vibrant cookies are a showstopper on any festive dessert table, spreading cheer with every bite.
- Great for Sharing and Gifting: Package them up for friends, family, or neighbors; they make a thoughtful, delicious homemade present.
Ingredients
Gather these simple ingredients to create your batch of amazing Christmas kitchen sink cookies. Make sure your butter and egg yolks are at room temperature for the best results.
For optimal cookie texture and consistency, understanding why room temperature ingredients matter in baking is crucial for achieving a smooth, cohesive dough.
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup red and green M&Ms
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup pretzel pieces
- 1/3 cup potato chip pieces
- 2 tbsp red and green jimmies
Notes & Substitutions
Room temperature butter and sugars create the ideal base for these festive cookies. The egg yolks contribute to a rich, chewy texture, while vanilla bean paste offers a deeper flavor than extract, though either works beautifully. For M&Ms, feel free to swap in other small, festive candies like mini Reese’s Pieces or chopped candy bars. Instead of white chocolate chips, try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even butterscotch chips. If you’re out of pretzels or potato chips, cornflakes, chopped nuts, or even crushed crispy rice cereal make excellent salty additions. Use jimmie sprinkles rather than nonpareils, as they hold their shape better during baking.
Equipment
Having the right tools makes baking these holiday treats a breeze! You likely have most of these items already in your kitchen.
- Measuring cups and spoons for precise ingredient amounts.
- A large mixing bowl for combining the cookie dough.
- An electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) to cream butter and sugars.
- Two baking sheets to bake multiple batches simultaneously.
- Parchment paper for non-stick baking and easy cleanup.
- A cookie scoop to create uniformly sized cookies.
- A large circular cookie cutter (optional, for shaping).
- A wire rack for cooling the freshly baked cookies.
Instructions
Making this Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe is simple and straightforward. Follow these steps for perfect festive treats every time. Remember, the key is to gently mix the dry ingredients and not overwork the dough.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, then set them aside. This ensures your cookies won’t stick and makes cleanup a breeze.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened, salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream these ingredients together for about two minutes. The mixture should become noticeably light and fluffy, indicating that air has been incorporated.
Next, add the two egg yolks and the vanilla bean paste or extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Continue to mix on medium speed for another two minutes. The mixture will lighten further in color and become even fluffier, creating a beautiful, smooth base for your cookies.
Now, introduce the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed, just until the flour mixture is fully combined and no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
Finally, it’s time for the exciting part: adding the festive mix-ins! Carefully fold in the red and green M&Ms, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and red and green jimmies with a spatula. Mix just until everything is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Scoop the cookie dough into 20 uniform balls. Arrange them about two inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. This spacing allows the cookies to spread without touching each other during baking.
Optional step: For that bakery-style look, gently press a few extra M&Ms, white chocolate chips, and pretzel pieces onto the tops of the scooped cookie dough balls. This makes your cookies even more visually appealing, just like the pictures!
Bake for 10-12 minutes. For a chewier center, bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier edges, bake for 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them; cookies bake quickly!
Optional step: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, while they are still warm and pliable, use a large circular cookie cutter. Place it around each cookie and gently swirl it to push in any uneven edges. This helps to create perfectly round cookies.
Let the freshly baked cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. This allows them to set up slightly before you move them. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for another 10 minutes.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Achieving perfect cookies is easier with a few simple tricks. These tips will help you master this Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe and avoid common baking mishaps.
- Measure flour accurately: Always spoon flour into your measuring cup, then level it with a straight edge. Scooping directly can add too much flour, resulting in dry cookies. This precise method, often referred to as the spoon and level method for measuring flour, prevents over-incorporation and ensures a tender crumb.
- Creaming technique: Ensure your butter and sugars are truly light and fluffy. This step incorporates air, making your cookies tender and soft.
- Room temperature ingredients: Softened butter and room temperature egg yolks emulsify better, creating a smoother, more cohesive dough.
- Cookie shaping secret: Use a large round cookie cutter immediately after baking to gently reshape warm cookies into perfect circles. It’s a game-changer for aesthetics.
- Adding extra mix-ins: Press a few additional M&Ms and pretzel pieces onto the top of the dough balls before baking for an enhanced visual appeal.
- Preventing flat cookies: Ensure your butter is softened but not melted. Over-softened butter can lead to excessive spreading. Also, make sure your baking soda is fresh.
- Avoiding overbaking: Look for golden edges and a slightly set center. Cookies continue to bake slightly on the hot baking sheet after removal.
- Customizing crunch: Break pretzels and potato chips into varying sizes for different textures in each bite. This adds to the “kitchen sink” experience.
Serving, Storage, & Variations
These delightful Christmas kitchen sink cookies are versatile and easy to keep fresh. They are perfect for various occasions, from a cozy night in to a festive party.
Serving suggestions: Enjoy these cookies warm with a tall glass of cold milk, a hot cup of coffee, or a cozy mug of hot cocoa. They’re also wonderful packed into lunchboxes for a sweet surprise.
Storage: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. This keeps them fresh, chewy, and delicious.
Freezing dough: To bake later, scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Freezing baked cookies: Allow baked cookies to cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Holiday variations: Adapt the M&M and sprinkle colors for other seasons! Use pastels for Easter, red, white, and blue for patriotic holidays, or oranges and browns for fall.
Flavor variations: Get creative with other mix-ins. Consider adding peanut butter chips, toffee bits, chopped candy canes for a minty twist, or even a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
Nut-free option: Simply ensure all your mix-ins are certified nut-free. Double-check ingredient labels on M&Ms and other candies to confirm they are safe for those with allergies.
Nutrition Information
Understanding the nutritional content of your homemade treats can be helpful. The information provided is an estimate based on standard ingredient values for this Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe.
Keep in mind that precise nutritional values can vary depending on specific brands and exact measurements of ingredients used. For the most accurate nutritional details, especially if you have dietary restrictions, it is always recommended to use a reliable online nutrition calculator with your exact ingredients. This recipe yields approximately 20 cookies.
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 200-250 |
| Total Fat | 10-15g |
| Saturated Fat | 6-9g |
| Cholesterol | 30-40mg |
| Sodium | 150-200mg |
| Total Carbs | 25-35g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1-2g |
| Total Sugars | 15-25g |
| Protein | 2-3g |
FAQ
Got questions about this festive Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe? Here are some common queries to help you out.
- Can I use other mix-ins? Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with butterscotch chips, various nuts, different types of chocolate, or even crushed candy canes for a holiday twist.
- Can I chill the dough ahead of time? Yes, you can! Chilling the dough for up to 24 hours in the fridge can actually enhance the flavors, or freeze scooped dough for up to three months.
- Why are my cookies flat? Flat cookies usually result from overly soft butter, too little flour, or old baking soda. Ensure your butter is just softened, not melted, and measure flour precisely.
- How long do these cookies last? When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these delightful cookies stay fresh and delicious for up to three days.
- Can I make these gluten-free? Yes, you can! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend, ensuring it contains xanthan gum for proper structure.
Conclusion
This Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe truly embodies the spirit of holiday baking: joy, creativity, and deliciousness. With their irresistible sweet and salty balance, vibrant colors, and satisfying crunch, these cookies are sure to be a showstopper. They are simple enough for beginners yet impressive enough for seasoned bakers, making them perfect for busy parents during the festive rush. We encourage you to try this fun and customizable recipe this season. Share your creations, leave a review, and don’t forget to tag us in your beautiful holiday cookie pictures! Happy baking!
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