Cookies For Santa

Santa and I go way back to the days of rainbow bright, pillow people, popples, and cabbage patch dolls.   So when Trey asked me, “what kind of cookies are we going to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve?”, we both thought long and hard about what the perfect cookie would be.  We don’t want to do sugar cookies, because that’s what everyone does and Santa never eats those anyway.  He just kind of takes a bite to be polite and leaves the rest; we know what that means. 

Santa works very hard (on a holiday, mind you) to inspire children to be good all year long so that they can reel and revel in pure exhilarated joy on Christmas morning as they run through the house to announce to all,”It’s Christmas!  Santa was here!”.  They wake everyone; then run down to the tree to see all of their hard work and exhausting effort has paid off in the form of a beautifully wrapped gift box filled with possibility and wonder from that big bearded man from the north pole (which is not as weird as it sounds, surprisingly).  

It is for such treasures as these, we like to leave a little token of gratitude for all of Santa’s hard work and dedicated service by offering him and the reindeer some treats to nibble on for their all-nighter. Now, If I were pulling an all-nighter, I’d go espresso.  Straight up.  But, Santa is a different breed…you know, magic…  as I’m sure you know; which I’m pretty sure is fueled by butter, sugar and cocoa  (according to my elite and highly classified sources).      So, Trey has informed me that as an avid foodie, I need to do my job and help to keep his jolly belly full…of cookies.   Chocolate cookies, to be specific.    

These cookies are delicious.  They’re an adaptation of a chocolate chocolate chunk cookie recipe I found inside of a box of  baking chocolate.  I switched up the chocolate chunks for white chocolate and used eggnog instead of vanilla for a little extra Christmas flavor and then added a little powdered sugar on top to sweeten the deal.   I figure maybe it might be a gentle reminder to him about how much I like snow on Christmas morning.  I’m not sure he has anything to do with that, but, maybe he’ll be able to pull some strings.

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone. 

Cookies for Santa  

(Chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips and walnuts topped with powdered sugar)

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 3/4  cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons eggnog
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups finely diced walnuts
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake: 14 minutes

Makes: 30 cookies

Preheat oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit.  Roughly chop the semisweet chocolate and microwave in microwave-safe bowl on high power for two minutes.  Stir and set aside.

Next, melt butter in microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 minutes stir and set aside.

Crack eggs into small bowl, lightly beat and set aside.

In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for one minute.  Add melted chocolate and eggnog and beat on high speed for one minute more.  While mixing continuously with electric mixer on high speed, add the lightly beaten eggs in two additions.

Reduce speed to medium and slowly add in the whisked flour and baking powder.  Turn off mixer.

Add nuts and white chocolate chips to mix and fold until combined.

On parchment lined or ungreased baking sheets, drop rounded tablespoons of dough two inches apart.  Bake in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until the cookies “look puffed and set to the touch”.  Cool for one minute on baking sheets and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Adapted from: “Chocolate chocolate chunk cookies”.  Baker’s Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate Squares Box.