Photo Credit: Ravi Bangaroo
From our kitchen to yours, here are our picks for cookie recipes perfect for edible food gifts and cookie platters.
There is something about the crisp fall air that year after year pulls us into the kitchen with nothing on our mind but baking trays and trays of cookies. Luckily, all of this delightfully tasty work won't go to waste as you bag and box the array of cookies for holiday gifts or to shore up your cookie coffers and jars.
What makes cookies so irresistible? Everyone has an opinion on what the finished product should be -- crispy, crumbly, or chewy -- which is why we couldn't settle on just one recipe to test. After digging through our collection of more than 300 cookie recipes, reaching out to our Culinary Content Network for their favorite recipes, and tapping into the minds of our favorite expert bakers (pastry chef Zac Young, baker Amy Scherber, cookbook author Paula Shoyer, chef Nathan Lyon, and more) for their picks, we rounded up our most comprehensive list yet.
Before you ready your ovens, mitts, and baking sheets to try every recipe from simple sugar cookies to truffle-stuffed gooey delights, check out our expert tips from none other than the cronut and cookie shot inventor himself, pastry chef Dominique Ansel, that will ensure your cookies turn out golden and tender every time.
Ansel says one of the most common mistakes when baking is overestimating baking times. He explains, "For chocolate cookies, make sure not to over-bake them. Because they're darker in color, people tend to over bake them because it's a bit harder to tell when they're ready. Bake them a little less than you think!"
In addition to not overbaking, remember never rush, Ansel says, "Always rest your cookie dough in the fridge overnight, especially when baking powder is called for in the recipe. Chilling and resting the dough in the fridge overnight helps to activate the yeast, and you get a cookie with a better texture and flavor."
Finally, if you ever wonder why your cookies turn out flat, instead of thick and chewy like the recipe picture shows, Ansel says it's all about oven temperature. "A lot of times, when you see the cookie dough spreading as it bakes in the oven, they're actually melting instead of baking. A convection oven with a high fan is always best for even consistency," explains chef Ansel.
This holiday season, as you search for edible gift and cookie platter ideas, peruse The Daily Meal's round up of 101 cookie recipes, including everything from the classic to the quirky, that is sure to satisfy your cookie needs.
5-Ingredient Pie Crust Cookies
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
If you like the flaky, buttery crust of a pie, you're going to love this easy cookie recipe. These cookies offer everything you love about your favorite pie crust, but in the form of portable cookies. The all-butter pie crust recipe can be used to make cut-out cookies or braided into a beautiful design. Although this recipe for pie crust is basically foolproof, you can also use store-bought pie crust instead. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, these cookies are just sweet enough to enjoy any time of day! -- Kristie Collado
Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Photo Credit: Divine Cuisine
These sweet almond cookies can be filled with your choice of jam, ganache, or other filling for a delicious customizable cookie that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
Ambrosia Cookies
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
These cookies are inspired by the famous Southern salad, which includes coconut, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, pineapple, nuts, and whipping cream. The crisp cookie edits down the ingredients, but still contains pineapple, coconut, and nuts.
Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Tired of chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and plain old sugar cookies? Then try these apple peanut butter cookies, rich with a touch of fruitiness. -- Taste of Home
Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Just a touch chewy, these Biscoff oatmeal cookies are rich, nutty, and sweet. The Biscoff spread, which is slightly sweeter than traditional speculoos, adds a subtle hint of spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Biscoff-Stuffed Snickerdoodles
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
These snickerdoodle cookies have a delicious twist -- the oozing cookie butter center. The Biscoff spread adds flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg to the already spiced cookie.
Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
These cookies will be as good as the chocolate you use to make them, so I recommend purchasing a couverture 64-percent cocoa paste chocolate. Vahlrona, Cocoa Barry, Felchlin, and Dagoba are all great brands. -- Sarah Levy
Angela Carlos, The Daily Meal
Angela Carlos is the Cook Editor at The Daily Meal. Are we missing one of your favorites? Find our Cook Editor on Twitter and tweet @angelaccarlos or @thedailymeal with your favorite cookie recipes.
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