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Get ready to spread some serious holiday cheer with the most delightful cookies you’ll bake all season! These festive Christmas cookies are packed with an incredible sweet and salty crunch, making them an absolute treat. With their vibrant colors and irresistible flavor, this Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe is perfect for any holiday gathering or simply a cozy night in.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unique Flavor Profile: Experience the perfect balance of sweet and salty in every single bite.
- Fun for All Ages: These cookies feature a delightful assortment of mix-ins that everyone will love.
- Quick & Easy: No chilling required, so you can whip up a batch in no time at all.
- Perfect for Gifting: They make an excellent homemade present for friends, family, and neighbors during the holidays.
- Beginner-Friendly: Our step-by-step instructions ensure success even for novice bakers.
Ingredients
Gather these simple ingredients to create your unforgettable Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe:
- 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
Light brown sugar is key for that wonderfully chewy texture, as molasses in brown sugar adds moisture to cookies and impacts gluten formation. You can customize the M&M’s with different colors for other occasions like Halloween or Valentine’s Day. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate chips, whether it’s milk, dark, or even butterscotch for a different twist. For alternative crunchy mix-ins, consider chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, or even other cereals like crushed cornflakes. Vanilla bean paste offers a richer, more intense vanilla flavor, but vanilla extract works perfectly fine too.
Equipment
You won’t need many special tools for this delightful Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe. Gather your essentials:
- Large mixing bowls
- Electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer)
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop (2-tablespoon size)
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- Wire cooling rack
- Large circular cookie cutter (optional, for shaping)
Instructions
Follow these easy steps to bake a perfect batch of delightful Christmas kitchen sink cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set them aside. This preparation makes for easy cleanup and consistent baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened, salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream these ingredients together using an electric mixer for about two minutes. Continue mixing until the mixture becomes light and visibly fluffy.
- Next, add the two egg yolks and the vanilla bean paste or extract into your creamed butter mixture. Mix again on medium speed for another two minutes. The mixture should appear pale in color and very fluffy after this step.
- Now, incorporate the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- It’s time for the fun part! Add the M&Ms, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and red and green jimmies to the dough. Gently fold these festive mix-ins into the dough using a rubber spatula until everything is evenly distributed.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 20 uniform balls using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop. Arrange these dough balls two inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. This spacing ensures even baking and prevents the cookies from merging.
- For an extra festive touch, you can press a few additional M&Ms or sprinkles onto the top of each scooped cookie dough ball. This step is optional but makes your Christmas kitchen sink cookies look extra appealing.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes if you prefer a chewier center, or 12 minutes for cookies with slightly crisper edges. Keep an eye on them, as oven temperatures can vary.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, you can use a large circular cookie cutter to gently reshape them. Swirl the cookie cutter around each warm cookie. This helps to push any spread-out edges and mix-ins into a perfectly round shape.
- Allow the baked Christmas kitchen sink cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely for another 10 minutes.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days to maintain their freshness.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Always measure flour correctly by spooning it into a measuring cup and then leveling it off. Scooping directly can compact the flour, leading to dry cookies. For perfectly round cookies, use a cookie scoop and slightly chill the dough if it feels too soft before baking. Adding a few extra mix-ins on top of each scooped dough ball before baking creates a beautiful visual appeal, just like in the pictures.
Ensure you cream the butter, sugar, and egg yolks thoroughly until light and fluffy; this incorporates air for a tender cookie. If your cookies spread too much, try chilling the dough for 15-30 minutes before baking, use cold butter, or check your oven temperature for accuracy. For cookies that turn out too cakey or dry, you might have overmeasured your flour or overmixed the dough.
Serving, Storing & Variations
Serve these delightful Christmas kitchen sink cookies warm, perhaps alongside a cold glass of milk, a cozy mug of coffee, or even hot cocoa for the ultimate holiday treat. They make fantastic holiday gifts when packaged in festive tins, cellophane bags, or decorative boxes tied with a ribbon.
To maintain optimal freshness and prevent spoilage, follow food safety guidelines for storing baked goods by storing any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to three months; simply thaw them at room temperature before serving. For future baking, you can freeze raw dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Beyond Christmas, explore other seasonal variations! Use pastel M&Ms and sprinkles for spring or Easter. Try orange and black candies for a fun Halloween twist on this ultimate loaded cookie recipe.
Nutrition
These estimations provide an overview of the nutritional content per serving of our Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe, based on 20 servings.
| Nutrient | Amount per cookie |
|---|---|
| Calories | 210 |
| Total Fat | 11g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
| Cholesterol | 40mg |
| Sodium | 180mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 26g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Total Sugars | 18g |
| Protein | 2g |
FAQ
Can I use different types of sprinkles?
Absolutely! Feel free to swap out the red and green jimmies for any color or shape of sprinkles you prefer to match other holidays or themes.
How do I prevent my cookies from spreading too much?
Make sure your butter isn’t too warm, measure your flour accurately, and consider chilling the cookie dough for 15-30 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
You can certainly try! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend, ensuring it contains xanthan gum, for a delicious gluten-free Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe.
Conclusion
These festive Christmas kitchen sink cookies are truly a celebration of holiday flavors, combining the best of sweet, salty, and crunchy in one irresistible bite. Their ease of preparation and crowd-pleasing appeal make them the perfect addition to your holiday baking list this season. Don’t wait, bake a batch of this fantastic Christmas kitchen sink cookies recipe today and share the joy with your loved ones! Happy baking!
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