gingerbread latte cookies

I adore coffee.  I adore cookies.  So it should really come as no shock when I name my cookie creations after the wonderful creations that my happy places create.  These little holiday treats?  Those came from good old 'bou.  But these?  These come from the mecca.  The institution.  The 'bucks.

Why am I calling these Gingerbread Latte Cookies?  Simple, really.  They're gingerbread-like, but they are suuuuuper moist and soft.  (Can you also tell that I despise hard cookies?)  I found this recipe on Two Peas and their Pod and knew that I had to work with it - it's not often that I find others share my utility in moist, soft, chewy cookies.  They even added white chocolate chunks to them (which is also one of my favorites, and come to think of it, Caribou's gingerbread latte is white mocha...hmm...), but I decided just to work with the base of the recipe.

The spices all work together nicely - and I think the allspice is key.  Just make sure to cook these little things for a while - they end up very moist and soft even with a longer baking time.  I think I've learned that adding canola oil to cookies and muffins make them extremely doughy, which I think is why you need to bake them longer (and also why my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were an epic fail.)  Leaving the cookies on the baking sheet after they have finished baking for at least five minutes definitely proved to also be key, too - it allows them to continue to bake and harden a bit while the pan cools.  I also love rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking!  Fun to do and it definitely cuts down on the spice in the cookie.  All in all, this recipe is most certainly a keeper!

Gingerbread Latte Cookies

Adapted slightly from Two Peas and their Pod

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 large eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks, optional

1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling dough

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream together butter an sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Beat in molasses, canola oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and spies. Mix until well combined.
4. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Slowly add in flour. Stir in white chocolate chunks if desired.
5. Form dough into 1/2" dough balls and roll in sugar. Place on lined baking sheets and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be very doughy, but let cool on baking sheet for five minutes to allow to harden. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

chocolate iced christmas sugar cookies

You know that song in The Hangover that plays once the guys start trying to figure out what happened the night before?  The super catchy one that makes you just want to bob your head left to right?  Yeah, the one that's super vulgar and nasty, but nonetheless, catchy.  Well, it was stuck in my head the whole time I was making these cookies.  And I couldn't help but come up with my own little tune.

What do you say when your friend asks for cookies?

You say thank you. Thank you for giving me a way to update my blog.

What do you do when you actually don't have the white chocolate you thought you had to make the frosting that you're-so-proud-you-thought-of-yourself-and-can't-wait-to-share? (I took some syllabic liberties here with that verse.)

Make milk chocolate frosting instead and dip those suckers in it.

What do you do when you get tired of making the cookies the same way?

You make little cookie sandwiches. And tell yourself you're a genius for creating homemade Milanos.

What's your friend say when you bring her the cookies in the morning?

...well, stay tuned.

Chocolate Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Bake at 350

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 c sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold

1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 
3. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.
4. Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes.Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Chocolate frosting:

from yours truly

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (I used Guittard)

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Place chocolate, milk, and vanilla in microwave safe bowl or over a double boiler and melt, careful not to burn.  Stir until no lumps remain.
2. Add powdered sugar until frosting becomes less runny but still pliable.
3. Frost cookies once cooled, and let cookies set overnight before packaging.