This holiday season, you don’t necessarily need to stress over that one friend that you haven’t talked to for three months who suddenly calls before Christmas expecting a gift.
Who doesn’t love a plateful of holiday cookies?
Even UDM President Antione Garibaldi enjoys a cookie when he can get one.
“I’m a cookie monster,” Garibaldi said. “I love cookies.”
So, whether you need a last-minute gift idea or just a sugar fix, holiday cookies are always a good place to start.
We baked several batches last week and offered them around campus.
In addition the recipes, you will find what UDM students and staff had to say about the cookies.
McNichols Road Rolo Stuffed
This cookie is caramel and chocolate chips enveloped by chocolate cookie dough.
“That is sexy. That one is badass,” said Blake Wagnon, a CIS student. “That is like diabetes right there; I love it.”
Enough said.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Bag of Rolo candies, unwrapped
Sugar (for rolling the cookie dough balls in)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, sal, and cocoa. Set aside.
3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Next, add vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend well. Take a spoonful of chocolate cookie dough and wrap around one Rolo candy. Make sure Rolo is completely covered with cookie dough. Roll dough ball in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until you run out of cookie dough.
5. Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling tray.
TITAN PRIDE SUGAR COOKIES
Show your Titan pride with this colorful sugar cookie.
“This one is visually appealing with the multiple colors,” said Michael Jayson, audio engineer at UDM.
After eating one of these trance-inducing red-and-blue cookies, everyone will know you go to UDM.
Feel free to add some of your flair to this simple cookie as well.
“It was delicious,” said Molly Redigan, architect graduate. “But maybe add sprinkles.”
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla.
3. Turn the mixer off. Add the flour and then beat just until combined. Remove the dough and separate it into two equal pieces. Shape one piece of the dough into an 8-inch square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. (This will be the white portion of the cookies.)
4. Return the remaining piece of dough to the stand mixer bowl, and with the mixer on "low," add in the red food coloring, drop by drop, until it reaches your desired pink color. Remove the pink dough, shape it into an 8-inch square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut each square in half to form two rectangles. Wrap half of each color of dough in plastic wrap and return it to the fridge. Place the white dough in between two pieces of wax paper and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Roll out the pink dough between two separate pieces of wax paper until it is a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick.
7. Peel the top layer of wax paper off of the white dough and then peel the wax paper off one side of the pink dough and use the other side to transfer the pink dough on top of the white dough. Very lightly roll the two layers together.
8. Starting at the shorter end of the rectangle, roll the dough as tightly as possible into a log. Repeat the rolling and stacking process with the remaining dough in the fridge. Wrap the logs in wax paper and then plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1 hour.
9. Remove the dough logs and roll them on the counter several times so they don't develop a flat side. Unwrap the dough logs and place the sprinkles in a large, shallow dish. Roll the dough logs in the sprinkles until they are completely coated. Re-wrap the dough logs in wax paper and plastic and refrigerate them for 4 more hours.
10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and slice each log into 1/4-inch rounds. Place the rounds about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, as the cookies will expand when baked.
11. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until pale golden, and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
GROUNDS COFFEE COOKIE
These cookies are really based on your personal preference.
For history Prof. Greg Sumner, who doesn’t like coffee, these were not his favorite cookies.
But for others, like Alison Cutuli, Jesuit volunteer, her distaste for coffee didn’t stop her from enjoying the cookie.
“I don’t even like coffee, but I like this,” said Cutuli.
Leave this one up to your own discretion, but it’s definitely worth a try during finals week.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. fresh ground coffee (you can also use instant crystals or powder)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.
2. In a small bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, and coffee until fully incorporated.
3. In separate bowl add together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Slowly add your egg mixture to the butter mixture until well combined. Slowly add flour mixture until fully combined, do not over beat.
5. Chill this dough for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
6. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Roll out dough on floured solid surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter, punch out circles and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden. Allow cookies to cool completely before covering in any icing.
OAKLAND U. GRINCH COOKIES
Even if you love Christmas, you might also enjoy this cookie.
Some surveyed loved it.
Others on campus were not so pleased with this simple sugar cookie, feeling that it could have had a more complex flavor.
“It looks cool,” said Alexis Doetsch, who is in the five-year MBA program. “It’s good, but bland. I like the color; it looks really cool and tastes like a homemade sugar cookie.”
INGREDIENTS
1 box French vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
green food coloring, 1 drop
Confectioners (powdered) sugar for dusting
Sprinkles or candies, large heart-shaped
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream together cake mix, food coloring, oil, and eggs.
3. Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes.
4. Drop by tablespoon into confectioners sugar and roll into balls.
5. Place on baking sheet and press 1 large heart candy/sprinkle.
6. Bake for 8 minutes until just set.
7. Let cool 2 minutes on pan before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
KISS UNDER CLOCK TOWER
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
A UDM twist on a classic.
Dr. Sumner noted, “I would give this one a five.”
INGREDIENTS
48 Hershey’s Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup JIF Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated
sugar 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates (the most time consuming of tasks, so get someone to help).
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet
to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
UDM STUDENTS NEED WARM HUGS
PEANUT BUTTER ALMOND COOKIES
Don’t we all need a warm hug?
These cute little guys are sure to melt any heart this holiday season.
With a basic peanut butter cookie recipe, you can add just about anything to the top and it’ll still be delicious.
So, if almonds aren’t your thing, try pecans or raisins.
This cookie was met with rave reviews around campus, but also some criticism.
“The almond is a hit or a miss,” said Felicia Mitrovich, student success coordinator. “You don’t even need the almond.”
Cassandra Wadley offered her opinion on how to improve the cookie.
“You probably could’ve crunched (the almonds) up,” she said.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
Extra sugar for rolling
1 cup of almonds
Gingerbread Man cookie cutter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
1. Beat together the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix in both sugars, salt, and baking powder. Gradually mix in the flour, half at a time. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add more flour to thicken, if needed.
2. Roll out dough and cut out figure using cookie cutter.
3. Place on almond in the center of the cookie and wrap arms around.
4. Bake for 12-13 minutes.
5. After removing the cookies from the oven, let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.
GREAT THINGS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
“Now that’s a chocolate chip cookie!” said Peter Williams, an education student.
What sets this chocolate chip cookie apart and adds a little UDM flair, is that it not only includes milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chips, but also red and blue M&Ms.
How could you go wrong?
To make it your own, try mixing up which chocolate chips you choose to add.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
M&M candies, (preferably red and blue)
DIRECTIONS
1. Beat together butter, shortening and sugars using a stand or electric mixer until fluffy and light in color. Add eggs, yolk and vanilla; continue beating until well combined.
2. Stir together flours, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Time to bake: Preheat oven to 350°. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Form balls with about 2 Tablespoons of dough. Place on cookie sheet and press down slightly to flatten. Press M&Ms into each cookie dough ball, use as many as you like.
6. Bake 10-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.
JESUIT-MERCY NUTELLA COOKIES
This rich cookie is for chocolate lovers only; this is chocolate on top of chocolate, stuffed with chocolate.
“It’s very good,” said Fr. Simon Hendry, S.J. “I could probably eat half of one with a glass of milk or a little vanilla ice cream would be superb.”
When finals get you down, try this cookie for an instant sugar buzz.
To cut the sweetness, try adding a little coarse ground sea salt to the top before putting them in the oven.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
heaping 1/3 cup Nutella (stir well before adding)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 1/4-ounce chunks dark chocolate, divided
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup standard-sized muffin pan with cooking spray or floured cooking spray; set aside.
2. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, Nutella, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 12 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
6. Transfer dough to prepared pan, placing one mound of dough in each cavity. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
7. Stuff one 1/4-ounce chunk of dark chocolate in the center of each cookie, pressing the chocolate down so it's flush with the top of the dough; repeat for all remaining cookies.
8. Bake for about 11 to 12 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set (I bake for 11 minutes exactly); don't overbake. Cookies will rise in the oven, but fall as they cool.
9. Allow cookies to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before carefully removing. They should pop out easily but if they don't, rim each muffin cavity with a table knife to help dislodge. Cookies will have a tendency to flatten and break apart somewhat after being removed from muffin pan.
10. Cookies are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
