3 Holiday Cookie Recipes

Butter is where the heart is.

Put it in a sweet treat, and it’s that special ingredient that makes any place feel like home. 

For us, baking is our kind of love language. We find joy in filling our Inn with the comforting and mouth-watering smells of freshly baked cookies to share with you, spoil you, and add an extra special touch to your stay.

Our incredible Shawnie doubles as innkeeper and expert cookie baker. What a combo, right? 

This year, we’re spreading holiday cheer by sharing three of Shawnie’s delectable cookie recipes with you, along with some of her baking secrets. Grab an apron, and join us as we transport you into Shawnie’s kitchen to enjoy some of her best bed and breakfast recipes. 

 

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies

Chocolate lovers, you’ve found your match! These cookies give you that rich cocoa flavor to savor with a fun, zesty twist. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel (I zest a whole orange)
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I add more)

Orange Sugar

  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I zest a whole orange)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix one cup sugar with the butter, 1 tablespoon orange peel, orange extract and eggs together.
  • Stir in flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and pecans (if using.)
  • I use a portion scoop with black handle – 1.25 oz.
  • Mix ⅓ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon orange peel together in a separate bowl. Roll dough balls in mixture and place about three inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten partially. 
  • Bake 11-13 minutes until the edges are just starting to crisp, but the centers are still a little soft.
  • Let them cool completely before moving!

 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sink into ooey gooey bliss. These cookies will rock your tastebuds with their perfect balance of sweet and salty.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • Small squares of gourmet caramel
  • Flaked salt
  • Mini pretzels

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
  • Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
  • Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add the full bag of chocolate chips.
  • Drop by rounded scoop (see tips below) onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
  • Bake for 8 minutes.
  • While the cookies are in phase one of baking, I cut the caramel and salt, and get the pretzels together that will be needed. 
  • At 8 minutes — pull out of the oven and put the caramels in the middle (push down a little) and add the pretzels (I put three.) 
  • Bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

 

Pumpkin Spice Truffle Cookies

Okay, you can taste the holidays with these cookies. Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg make them the perfect spice blend, guaranteed to bring happiness straight to your nose and mouth.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup pure pumpkin (Libby’s)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 bag Nestle’s pumpkin spice flavored truffles
  • 1 bag Nestle’s mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. 
  • Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. 
  • Add pumpkin and then eggs.
  • Gradually beat in flour mixture.
  • Add the full bag of Nestle’s pumpkin spice truffles and mini chocolate chips (I buy the truffles on Amazon, grocery stores don’t always carry them.)
  • Drop by rounded scoop (see tips below) onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
  • Bake for 10-13 minutes.

High-Altitude Instructions (3,500-6,000 ft.)

  • Increase flour to 2 ¼ cups.
  • Add 2 teaspoons of water with flour and reduce sugar to 1 ⅓ cups.
  • Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes.

 

Shawnie’s Cookie Tips

  • Butter should be softened only, put in a mixer and blended for a couple minutes until creamy. 
  • Eggs should be room temperature. I warm up the eggs in a bowl of warm water to speed up the process. They mix better with all the ingredients.
  • Whenever possible, refrigerate your dough for a couple of hours (longer if possible) before scooping. The cookies will hold their shape better. 
  • For the Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies, use a scoop #24 (1.75 oz.) ice cream scoop with a red handle. Your cookies will all be uniformly done.
  • For the Pumpkin Spice Truffle Cookies, use a scoop #30 scoop (1.25 oz.) with a black handle.
  • Parchment paper rocks!

It’s no secret from these bed and breakfast recipes that Shawnie is a creative genius with cookies! She loves to rotate through her favorites to share with guests and add her personal touch to our inn. So whether you’re munching on these delicious cookies straight from Shawnie’s kitchen, or you want to bring the irresistible smells of the Inn on Montford to your own home, we hope you enjoy these holiday treats!

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