Cookies

Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies

Posted on March 15, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Just when you thought confetti cookies couldn’t get any more fun and cute, Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies have arrived! I took confetti cookies, also known as birthday cake cookies, over the top by adding confetti crumb topping and a drizzle of pale pink icing. For top level fun, I finished them with edible glitter.

Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies

Vanilla cookies with white chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, crumb topping and icing drizzle

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

Confetti Crumb Topping

¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour
7 tablespoons (87g) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ½ tablespoons (64g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles

Confetti Cookies

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips or chunks
¼ cup (44g) rainbow sprinkles

Icing

½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk
pink gel food coloring or any color of your choice optional
edible glitter optional

Instructions

Confetti Crumb Topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like sand with no large chunks of butter. Stir in the sprinkles. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.

Confetti Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookies sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk in two additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the extracts.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and the sprinkles.
Form the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size balls. Place them about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Flatten the dough balls slightly. Top each one generously with the crumb topping.
Bake until the cookies are set and the edges start to turn light golden, about 11-13 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake to avoid drying out your cookies.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Using the tip of a toothpick, gradually add a tiny bit of food coloring and whisk until incorporated.
Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Top with edible glitter if desired.

Notes

If your cookies spread too much, chill the dough for 20-30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

Keyword birthday cake, confetti, cookies

Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

Posted on March 10, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you love chocolate chip cheesecake, you’ll adore these Brownie Cheesecake Cookies. I took my favorite elements from brownies and chocolate chip cheesecake and combined them into a cookie. The brownie batter cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges. The cheesecake filling is creamy and smooth and dotted with mini chocolate chips.

The cookie dough should be refrigerated for a few minutes to help make the dough easier to work with. A short amount of chilling time worked best for me. I had minimal spreading during baking, but If your cookies spread to much, you can form the dough balls, add the indentations and refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

Since it’s so close to St. Patrick’s Day, I also made a version with Irish cream filling. See the notes below.*

Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

Brownie cookies with soft, chewy centers and crisp edges, filled with creamy cheesecake filling and mini chocolate chips.

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

Filling

½ cup (113g) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons heavy whipping cream room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (43g) mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided

6 ounces (170g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces (57g) bittersweet chocolate (70-72%), chopped
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅜ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (57g) mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Filling

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract together until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. Stir the remaining mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.

Cookies

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave with short bursts.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Refrigerate the cookie dough for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to work with. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll 2-tablespoon (40g) size portions of cookie dough into balls. Place them onto the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Press a 1-inch wide indentation into each cookie dough ball using a pastry tamper, the flat top of a bottle cap or with your thumbs. Spoon a generous 1 teaspoon of filling into each indentation. Sprinkle with the reserved mini chocolate chips.
Bake until the edges are set and beginning to crack, about 9-11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

To make the Irish cream version of the filling, replace the heavy cream and vanilla extract with 2 teaspoons of Bailey's Irish cream liqueur.

Keyword brownie cheesecake, cookies

Chocolate Love Potion Cookies

Posted on January 28, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

You’ll fall in love with these bewitching double chocolate cookies with pistachios and rose petals. As if the chocolate chips weren’t enough, I topped them with pieces of dark chocolate which melt into heavenly little pools of deliciousness. You may have heard that chocolate is considered to be an aphrodisiac because it contains tryptophan and phenelethylamine. Tryptophen increases the mood booster serotonin in the brain. Phenelethylamine is released by the brain when you fall in love. Pistachios are also considered to be natural aphrodisiacs and these cookies contain plenty of pistachios! The rose petals add a touch of romance to finish off the perfect love potion cookies.

If you’re not a fan of pistachios, feel free to substitute your favorite toasted nuts. If you want to skip the nuts all together, make sure to replace them with another add-in, because the nuts help to provide structure to the cookies. I recommend dried cherries or white chocolate chips as a nice alternative.

Chocolate Love Potion Cookies

Double chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and pistachios topped with pools of melted chocolate, chopped pistachios and dried rose petals

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (256g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (48g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (256g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
½ cup (57g) roasted unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
2 ounces (57g) semisweet or dark chocolate broken into pieces
Finely chopped, roasted unsalted pistachios for garnish
Dried rose petals for garnish

Instructions

Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
Form the dough into 18 portions, about 2 ounces (57g) each. Form the portions into 2-inch heart shapes. (They don't have to be perfect, because the cookies are going to spread as they bake.) Place the heart shapes on a tray. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place 6 dough portions on each cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Top each one with a piece of chocolate. I placed my chocolate pieces on the upper left of each cookie. Bake the cookies until the tops look set, about 10-11 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the cookies or they'll be more difficult to shape into hearts.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use a large, metal heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies. Place the cookie cutter onto the cookie sheet over each cookie and slide it up and down, then side to side a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Top the cookies with chopped pistachios and rose petals before the melted chocolate sets.

Notes

To find culinary rose petals, click here.

To find the cookie cutter I used, click here.

Keyword chocolate, cookies, love potion

Peach Crumble Pie Cookies

Posted on July 25, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I couldn’t decide whether to call these cookies or pies, so I made a compromise. They’re about the size of cookies, but they taste like little peach crumble pies. The base is tender like shortbread or pie crust and the filling is made with fresh peaches. I’ve seen people make something similar with jam and call them cookies, but since I used fresh fruit for these, they deserve to be elevated to pie status.

The peaches are macerated to draw out the excess juices, to help avoid making your cookies soggy. If you’re impatient, don’t be tempted to skip this step. It’ll go by fast as you prep the crumb topping and the remaining ingredients.

When I first made these, I used cupcake liners because I was worried that they might stick to the pan. It turns out that they stick to the cupcake liners more than the pan. So the next time I made them, I opted to lightly spray the pan with nonstick spray instead of using liners. I ran a small thin offset spatula around the perimeter of the cookies to loosen them from the pan and they popped out nicely.

I love topping these little peach delights with caramel sauce. Salted caramel is also a delicious addition. Or you can simply sprinkle them with powdered sugar if you prefer.

Peach Crumble Pie Cookies

Tender, peach-filled cookies with crumble topping and caramel drizzle

Print Recipe

Servings 12 cookie tarts

Ingredients

Macerated Peaches

1 ¼ cups (213g) chopped peaches
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon cornstarch

Crumble Topping

½ cup (64g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 ½ tablespoons (35g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cookies

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
7 tablespoons ( 99g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar

Topping

3-4 tablespoons caramel sauce, purchased or homemade

Instructions

Macerated Peaches

In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with lemon juice. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine. Let stand 30 minutes.
Drain the peaches, reserving 1 tablespoon of the juices. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved peach juice with the corn starch. Mix with the drained peaches.

Crumble Topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
With your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like wet sand. Press the mixture together to form chunks.

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly spray a 12-serving muffin pan with nonstick spray. (If you're concerned about the cookies sticking to the pan, see notes below.*)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Mix in the flour mixture on low speed or by hand, just until combined.
Press generous tablespoon size (about 20g each) portions of dough into the bottoms of the muffin pan cups with a pastry tamper dipped in flour. You can also use the bottom of a flat shot glass.
Top with the peaches, then the crumble topping mixture. Bake until the cookies are set and the topping is golden brown, about 15-17 minutes.
Cool the cookies completely in the pan. Once cool, remove the cookies from the pan by running a small offset spatula or paring knife around the inside perimeter of the muffin cups to loosen them. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Notes

*You can line the bottoms of the muffin cups with 2-inch parchment circles to make sure your cookies release. I don't recommend cupcake liners because the cookies stick to the ridges of the liners. You can, however, cut the circles from the bottom of the cupcake liners if you don't have parchment paper.

Keyword cookies, peach

Blueberry Lavender Cookies

Posted on April 30, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Blueberry cookies remind me of a time when I was little. Every year my family would take a road trip up to Northern California. My parents loved stopping at roadside stands to buy fresh produce on the way back. One year my dad bought an enormous box of blueberries. When we got home, for the next couple of weeks, we ate far too many blueberry pancakes. My dad also used the blueberries in his famous cobbler, which was delightful. Then he made biscuits which turned out like rocks and we all laughed. My favorite blueberry creations that year were the blueberry shortcake and blueberry cookies. I’m sharing my version of the blueberry cookies, with the addition of lavender to make them a little more special.

My Blueberry Lavender Cookies start with butter and homemade lavender sugar. The original cookies had fresh blueberries plopped into the dough, which is perfectly fine if you’re making muffins. To reduce the soggy spots that form as the fruit releases its juices while baking, I typically macerate or cook fruit before it’s added to many of my recipes. The extra step makes a big difference. A quick, cooked blueberry compote is folded into the batter of these cookies, making pretty blueberry swirls. I finished these cookies with a sprinkle of sparkly sanding sugar in a lilac shade. This is optional, but very pretty. You can also make extra lavender sugar to use for sprinkling on your cookies. Sprinkle the sugar on before baking or after the cookies bake, while they’re still warm.

Blueberry Lavender Cookies

by Mari Vasseur

Chewy lavender scented sugar cookies with crisp exteriors and swirls of blueberry compote.

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

Blueberry Compote

½ teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons (30ml) water, divided
¾ cup (113g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Lavender Sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225g) sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons dried culinary lavender*

Blueberry Lavender Cookies

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons (18g) corn starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg white, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lilac, lavender or purple decorative sanding sugar optional

Instructions

Blueberry Compote

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water, stirring until the blueberries soften and start to release their juices. Smash the blueberries slightly with the back of the spoon. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer until thickened to a jam consistency, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the blueberry compote to a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Lavender Sugar

In a small food processor or a clean spice grinder, combine 1/4 cup (50g) of the sugar with the lavender. Pulse a few times to chop the lavender into smaller bits. Add the remaining sugar and pulse a few more times to combine.

Blueberry Lavender Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and lavender sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Add the the egg white and the vanilla extract and beat until well combined. On low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions and mix just until combined.
Add dollops of the blueberry compote to the cookie dough. Fold it in gently, but don't over mix it. You want to see swirls of blueberry.
Place 2-tablespoon size portions of dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Sprinkle with decorative sugar if desired.
Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and the bottom edges turn light golden brown, about 10-14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Do not over bake your cookies or they will become dry & crumbly. Test one cookie before baking the entire batch if you are unsure about how to determine the doneness of cookies.

Notes

*To find culinary lavender, click here.

**To find the decorative sanding sugar I used, click here.

***To find the scoop I used, click here.

Keyword blueberry lavender, cookies

Pink m&m’s Chocolate Cookies

Posted on March 14, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Pink m&m's Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies with pink m&m's candies

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 13 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz or 142g) all purpose flour, sifted
¼ cup (3/4 oz or 21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fines sea salt
½ cup (4 oz or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (1 3/4 oz or 50g) sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 5/8 oz or 75g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (7 oz or 200g) pink m&m's candies plus extra for tops

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla in separate additions and beat until well incorporated.
Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.
Gently fold in m&m's.
Place 2-tablespoon size portions, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.**
Add a few more m&m's to the top of each cookie.
Bake until edges are set and tops puff slightly, about 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack.

Notes

*To find pink m&m's, click here.

**To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

Keyword chocolate, cookies

Pink Velvet Cookies

Posted on February 8, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Whenever I walk into a bakery, my eyes are always drawn to anything pink. Pink cupcakes, cookies, donuts or anything with pink icing will inevitably come home with me. This probably started in childhood. Most bakeries back then, including the bakery my aunt always took me to, had pink boxes, so I associate it with delicious, freshly baked treats. Maybe pink desserts do taste better or maybe our minds just tell us that. Either way, if you love pink treats, you’ll love these cookies.

Pink velvet is similar to red velvet, but without the cocoa powder and red food color. The texture should be somewhat velvety, like red velvet cake. I have yet to taste a velvety red velvet cookie, but I think the texture of these cookies is pretty velvety as long as they’re not over baked. Pink velvet desserts are typically vanilla flavored. I upgraded the flavor by adding a touch of cherry flavoring. It’s not enough to give you cherry flavored cookies, but it will add depth to vanilla flavored treats. It’s an old bakery trick that I learned years ago that adds a fruity note in the background.

For best baking results, I recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients, especially your dry ingredients. If you love baking, you should invest in a food scale if you don’t already have one.

To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies TikTok video, click here. To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies Instagram video, click here.

Pink Velvet Cookies

Pink vanilla flavored crinkle cookies with chewy exteriors and soft, velvety centers

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon natural cherry flavoring See notes below*
1 small pea size drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink**

Optional

½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
Beat egg whites into butter mixture in two addition, until well combined.
Beat in extracts until well combined.
Add gel food color, a little at a time with a toothpick, until desired shade of pink is reached. (Adding remaining ingredients will lighten the color slightly.) Beat until evenly distributed.
Add flour mixture to batter and beat just until combined. Mix in white chocolate chips if using.
Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Roll dough very generously in powdered sugar. Place two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake until cookies are puffed and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*The cherry flavoring in this recipe is not intended to make a cherry flavored cookie. The addition of cherry flavoring adds a subtle fruity note. You can also use pure cherry extract. Use a bit less (scant 1/2 teaspoon) because extracts tend to be stronger than flavorings. DO NOT use imitation cherry extract. It has a medicinal flavor that will disappoint you. If you want your cookies to be cherry or strawberry flavor, reduce vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon and use 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons of natural cherry or strawberry flavoring.

**To find the pink gel food color I used, click here.

***To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

This recipe was updated on 2/14/23.

Keyword cookies, pink velvet

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Posted on February 3, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

These cute kitties were created two years ago as a special request by someone who grew up playing with Webkinz. Do you remember the Strawberry Cloud Leopard? It was a cute pink Webkinz plushie. The cookies are made of tender, buttery shortbread dough. They get their natural color and flavor from freeze dried strawberries. Mini chocolate chips are added to make the adorable leopard spots. To watch the Strawberry Cloud Leopard Shortbread Cookies Instagram video, click here.

I recently brought back the heart-shaped version of these cookies on social media, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Currently, the price of eggs is very high. These cookies don’t contain eggs, which is so helpful right now. They make a perfect shareable Valentine treat.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Tender strawberry shortbread cookies dotted with mini chocolate chips

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 15 4-inch cat cookies or 20 3-inch heart cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (64g) powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup (18g) freeze dried strawberries not dried
1 cup (227g) good quality unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 cup (57g-85g) mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Decor for leopards vanilla buttercream, finely shredded unsweetened coconut, heart candy sprinkles, melted chocolate optional

Instructions

Process the freeze dried strawberries to a powder with a small food processor or a clean spice grinder. Pass the powder through a sieve to strain out the seeds.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, powdered sugar and salt together.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the freeze dried strawberry powder and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
Add the flour mixture and beat just until dough comes together. Fold in 1/3 cup (57g) of mini chocolate chips for the leopards or 1/2 cup (85g) of mini chocolate chips for the hearts.
Divide the dough into two portions and form into disks. (Alternately, you can roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.) Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the cookies into your desired shapes. I used a 4-inch tall cat cookie cutter** for the leopards and a 3-inch tall heart cookie cutter for the hearts.
Place the cookies about 2-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. To prevent excessive spreading, refrigerate the cut cookies for 30 minutes prior to baking, especially if your dough becomes warm as you work with it.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Bake until the cookies are slightly puffed and the edges barely start to turn light golden brown, about 11-13 minutes. (Smaller cookies will need a shorter baking time.) Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 3-4 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Notes

To find a cat cookie cutter, click here.

Keyword cookies, strawberry chocolate chip

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Posted on December 11, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Fudgy chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

1 ⅓ cups (170g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons (12g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (340g) powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
2 ounces (57g) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 cups (227g) powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside the remaining 1/2 cup (113g) of powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
Beat in eggs in two separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the extracts and the melted chocolate and beat until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into 15 2-tablespoon size balls, 1 1/4 ounce (35g) each. Roll the dough balls generously in the reserved 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bak until the cookies puff and the tops are set, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooking rack to cool.

Keyword cookies

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets

Posted on December 2, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

My fascination with Christmas cookies started as a child when my elderly neighbor used to bring over a tray of her homemade Christmas cookies every year. I loved the moment where I got to choose a cookie from the beautiful, interesting selection. In my humble opinion, I think a holiday cookie should be something special. It should be something that you don’t eat on a regular basis, maybe because it seems fancy or requires a little extra work to make. Or maybe it has a special meaning or a fond memory. These Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets check all the boxes for me. They have that something special a cookie needs to be the star of the holiday cookie tray…tender jam-filled chocolate dough, dipped in shiny chocolate with a pretty pop of red.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets

Print Recipe

Servings 20 cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar
⅓ cup (1 ounce) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (9 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (5 ounces) raspberry jam or or fruit spread
4 ounces melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil or vegetable shortening
crushed freeze dried raspberries or sprinkles of your choice Optional

Instructions

In a medium bowl, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth.
Add powdered sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
On low speed, beat in flour just until combined.
Divide dough into two equal portions. Wrap with plastic wrap and form into disks. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. If dough becomes too soft at any point, chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes then continue with recipe.
Place rounds on prepared baking sheets. Top each round with a teaspoon of jam.
With a small food safe brush or with your finger, apply a small amount of water to the edge of half of each round. Fold over and press edges to seal.
Bake until tops of cookies look set, about 9-11 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
In a small bowl, mix melted chocolate with coconut oil until smooth.
Dip cookies about 1/3 of the way into melted chocolate. Top with freeze dried fruit or sprinkles.

Notes

*To find freeze dried raspberries, click here.

To find the cookie cutter I used, click here.

To find food safe brushes, click here.

Keyword chocolate raspberry, cookies

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Posted on November 15, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are traditional holiday cookies, probably because of the pretty, crackly powdered sugar covered exterior that reminds us of snow. They always seem to show up on cookie trays at Christmas time and I’ve loved them since I was a child. I decided to take my old favorites to another level by adding a surprise inside! Two years ago, I made some cookies with fudge filling that my family and friends raved over. They’re my Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies. To view the recipe, click here. I used the same concept for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I filled them with a simple, smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. The results were absolutely delicious!

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies with a smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

Fudge Filling

¾ cup (4 1/2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup (6 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 ⅓ cups (6 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (2 5/8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (9 5/8 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions

Fudge Filling

In a double boiler or in the microwave*, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Set aside to cool while preparing cookie dough.
Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in 2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) of powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until smooth. Stop to scrape bowl as needed.
Beat in melted chocolate until combined. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Don't skip this step.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough into 15 2-inch balls, 1 1/4 ounce each. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk. Place a fudge ball in the center of each disk and wrap dough around it, pinching edges together to seal. Roll dough balls generously in remaining powdered sugar.
Place dough balls three inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies puff up and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make cookie dough one day ahead, prepare cookie dough. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours. To make fudge filling one day ahead, prepare filling and chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Keyword chocolate, cookies

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Posted on November 5, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I never imagined that I’d ever be posting a peanut butter cookie recipe. There are already crunchy peanut butter cookies, soft ones, chewy ones, and those peanut shaped store bought ones out there. I mean, do we even need another peanut butter cookie recipe? After I tasted this one, it’s a resounding YES! These soft, tender cookies combined with a silky, smooth filling are a new peanut butter experience that I had to share.

The key to getting the soft texture in the cookie, without being dry, is cake flour. So don’t substitute it, because it’s vital to achieve the correct texture. Make sure to weigh your flour for the most accurate results. The second important ingredient is heavy whipping cream. Just a little added to the filling gives it a luxurious, silky texture.

This recipe makes sixteen medium size peanut butter cookies, which will give you eight sandwiches. If you want more, you can double the recipe or make the cookies smaller. Smaller cookies will have a shorter baking time.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Soft peanut butter cookies sandwiched with silky peanut butter filling

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 8 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (57g) cake flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup (190g) creamy peanut butter
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (47g) vegetable shortening
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Filling

½ cup (127g) creamy peanut butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 ½ tablespoons (37ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and shortening, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, on medium speed, until well combined.
Set aside 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining granulate sugar and the brown sugar to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch (3.8cm) diameter balls (about 1 1/4 oz or 35g each). Roll the dough balls in the reserved granulated sugar.
Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, making a criss cross pattern. Bake until the cookies are puffy and start to crack around the edges, about 9-11 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be fragile, but they will firm up as they cool.
Place a spoonful of filling on the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with remaining the remaining cookies.

Peanut Butter Filling

In medium-sized bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Notes

To find my favorite cookie sheet, click here.

Keyword cookies, peanut butter