The holiday season is the perfect time to bake delightful treats, and Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are a crowd-pleaser! These cookies are packed with everything but the kitchen sink, making them a festive mix of flavors and textures. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or giving edible gifts, these cookies are sure to spread cheer.
Ingredients
- Butter (unsalted) – 1 cup, softened
- Granulated sugar – 1 cup
- Brown sugar – 1 cup, packed
- Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons
- Eggs – 2 large
- All-purpose flour – 2 ¾ cups
- Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
- Christmas M&Ms – 1 cup
- Chocolate chips – 1 cup (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- Mini pretzels – 1 cup, broken into smaller pieces
- Toffee bits – ½ cup
- Crushed candy canes – ½ cup
- Chopped nuts (optional) – ½ cup
Instructions
- Prepare the dough base:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. - Mix the dry ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until fully combined. - Add the mix-ins:
Gently fold in the Christmas M&Ms, chocolate chips, broken pretzels, toffee bits, crushed candy canes, and optional chopped nuts. Ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough. - Chill the dough:
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This step helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking. - Preheat the oven:
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. - Form the cookies:
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out the dough and roll it into balls. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. - Bake the cookies:
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly undercooked. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. - Serve and enjoy:
Once cooled, your Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are ready to delight your friends and family!
Serving and Storage Tips
- Serving: Serve these cookies with a glass of milk or hot cocoa for the ultimate holiday treat. They also make a great addition to your Christmas dessert spread.
- Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them fresh when needed.
FAQs
1. Can I use different mix-ins?
Absolutely! You can customize these cookies by adding dried fruits, white chocolate chips, or even shredded coconut to suit your taste preferences.
2. Do I need to chill the dough?
Yes, chilling the dough helps the cookies maintain their shape and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
3. Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Yes, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend. Make sure to check that your other ingredients, like pretzels, are also gluten-free.
4. How can I make these cookies softer?
Avoid overbaking the cookies. Remove them from the oven when the centers are slightly undercooked and allow them to set on the baking sheet. You can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the dough for extra softness.
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are a delightful blend of sweet and salty flavors, packed with festive mix-ins like red and green M&M’s, pretzels, potato chips, and sprinkles. They’re called “kitchen sink” cookies because they include everything but the kitchen sink! Here’s a recipe to make approximately 20 cookies:
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup red and green M&M’s
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup pretzel pieces, crushed
- 1/3 cup potato chips, crushed
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles (jimmies)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream Butter and Sugars:
- In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla:
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture.
- Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in Mix-Ins:
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chips, and sprinkles until evenly distributed.
- Scoop Dough:
- Scoop the dough into 20 equal-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- For a festive touch, press a few extra M&M’s or sprinkles on top of each dough ball.
- Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- For chewier centers, bake closer to 10 minutes; for crisper edges, aim for 12 minutes.
- Cool:
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measuring Flour:
- For best results, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid using too much flour.
- Mix-In Variations:
- Feel free to customize the mix-ins. Other options include butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit.
- Storage:
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.