Description
Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Cookies: Soft, chewy, and packed with gooey chocolate chips – a crowd-pleasing holiday treat!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, plus extra for drizzling
- Optional: 2-3 tablespoons blue and silver sprinkles or sanding sugar
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined. This pre-mixing ensures the spices and leavening agents distribute evenly throughout your **Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Cookies**, preventing bitter pockets of baking soda or overwhelming bursts of spice.
- Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Add both granulated and brown sugars, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes noticeably lighter in both color and texture—this incorporates air that helps create that perfect cookie structure.
- Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients Reduce the mixer speed to low and add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl’s sides with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla extract and optional almond extract, mixing just until combined—overbeating at this stage can make your cookies tough rather than tender.
- Step 4: Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three portions, mixing on low speed just until no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix—stop as soon as the flour disappears to maintain tenderness in your winter cookies.
- Step 5: Fold in Chocolate Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough. If the dough seems too soft, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before proceeding.
- Step 6: Chill the Dough Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). This crucial step solidifies the butter, preventing excessive spreading and allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. If you’re short on time, shape the dough into balls first, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 7: Bake to Perfection Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into 1½-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until edges are golden but centers still look slightly underdone—they’ll continue cooking from residual heat after removal.
- Step 8: Add Winter Wonder After cookies have completely cooled, melt additional white chocolate and drizzle it across the cookies in thin lines to resemble snow. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with optional blue and silver sprinkles for a glistening winter effect. Allow the chocolate to set completely before storing your **Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Cookies**.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 125mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg