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Top 11 Holiday Cookies and Confections from the CIA

holiday cookie recipes

Happy Holidays! Enjoy these recipes from the bakeshops of the CIA.

With the holidays around the corner, we’re sure you’ll be up to a lot of baking. Why not include some of these very delicious cookies and confections recipes from The Culinary Institute of America.

 

Pecan Diamonds

PECAN DIAMONDS

 

Chocolate-Stout-Oatmeal-Cookies-Recipe

CHOCOLATE STOUT OATMEAL COOKIES

Stout beer has flavors of chocolate and coffee and it will add a new flavor dimension to your traditional oatmeal cookie recipe. When you are done making cookies, enjoy them with the beer used in the recipe. Try New York State craft-brewed stout to make this unusual and delicious recipe.

Ingredients

Makes 24 to 30 small cookies

  • 2 cups stout beer
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1/2 pound room temperature butter, diced
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup spent grain flour (substitute all-purpose flour if unavailable)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine 1 cup of the stout and the raisins in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Combine the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Slowly cream the mixture together until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the remaining cup of stout to the rolled oats and let sit.
  5. Mix together the cocoa powder, flour, spent grain, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and fold into the oat mixture.
  6. Add the oat mixture, raisins, and egg to the creamed butter. Gently mix until it comes together.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  8. Spoon tablespoon-size drops onto a parchment-paper-lined cookie tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned but still soft.

 

Mudslide Cookies

MUDSLIDE COOKIES

 

Anise Biscotti

ANISE BISCOTTI

 

Coconut Macaroons

COCONUT MACAROONS

 

Soft Caramels

SOFT CARAMELS

 

Turtles

TURTLES

 

Sand Cookies

SAND COOKIES

 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

 

Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Makes about 24 cookies

  • Flourless cooking spray
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • Royal Icing (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and honey on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until smooth and light, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the dough is evenly mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, pat into an even disk, and chill until firm, at least 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use 51/2-inch cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies until they are firm, about 12 to 14 minutes, depending on size of cutter used. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely before decorating, if desired. Bake the remaining dough in batches as directed.

Adapted from the CIA’s Baking at Home cookbook.

©2009 The Culinary Institute of America

 

holiday-Carrot-Cake-Cookie-recipe-og

CARROT CAKE COOKIES

These Carrot Cake Cookies are cake-like and always a hit—make them small for a cookie tray or larger for an easy dessert.

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 2 cups Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Cookie Directions

  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, gently blend the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla on low speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Add to the butter mixture all at once and mix on low just until combined.
  4. Stir in the oats, coconut, carrots, raisins, and walnuts by hand. Chill the dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  5. While the dough is firming up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a #40 scoop (1 3/4 tablespoons) about 1½ inches apart.
  7. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Rotate and switch the baking sheets as necessary for even baking.
  8. Allow the cookies to cool for a minute on the baking sheets then transfer, using a spatula, to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
  9. Use an offset spatula to spread a few tablespoons of frosting on half of the cooled cookies, then sandwich the cookies together.
  10. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups

  • 1 cup cream cheese (8 ounces), soft
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Frosting Directions

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add the vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix to combine.
  3. Store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed. Before using, allow to come to room temperature and beat on medium speed using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy these recipes from the bakeshops of the CIA. With the holidays around the corner, we’re sure you’ll be up to a lot of baking. Why not include some these very delicious cookies and confections recipes from The Culinary Institute of America.

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