cookies

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Apply nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the molasses, mixing until no streaks remain. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl on occasion.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in the candied ginger.
• Measure out 2 cups of the dough and set it aside.
• Press the remainder of the dough into the pan, forming an even layer.
• Time to make the cheesecake layer. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and flour. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. The mixture should be fairly consistent in color and texture, but it’s okay if there are some small lumps.
• Use an uneven spatula to spread the cheesecake into an even layer. Crumble the reserved topping over it.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the middle should not look jiggly and should pass the toothpick test. If the top is browning too much, cover with foil.
• Cool at room temperature for about an hour, then place in fridge to completely chill for a few hours. Use foil to lift onto cutting board to slice into small pieces. Store in fridge in a sealed container.

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• In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add both sugars and honey; beat until creamy and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl, then mix in the egg and both extracts.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: bread flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Sift together.
• Slowly stir together the wet ingredients and flour mix until just combined. Fold in the peppermint bark. Encase dough in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge for several hours or days; dough can also be frozen at this stage.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Use a teaspoon or tablespoon to space out cookies on the pan. Press additional peppermint bark pieces into the tops of the dough balls.
• Small cookies bake 9 to 12 minutes; larger cookies bake in 11 to 13 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let set on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• Stored cookies will keep in a sealed container for weeks. They are excellent for travel or shipping.

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• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in short increments, 20-25 seconds, and stop to stir between passes until the chips blend smoothly; take care, as it can burn fast! Set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs until they are creamy. Mix in the melted chips. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Fold in the remaining chips and 1 cup of peppermint bark.
• Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to place dough in rounded lumps on cookie sheet. Using the reserved stash of peppermint bark, press a few pieces onto the top of each dough ball. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops just begin to turn light golden brown. Immediately add a few more pieces of peppermint bark onto the top of each cookie. Cool on the sheet for several minutes, then move to a rack to set for about 3 hours; this process can be speeded up by briefly placing cookies in the fridge.
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature. Best eaten within 5 days.

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• In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• In another bowl, combined the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, beating until just combined. Measure out 1 cup of the peppermint bark and add that to the dough, folding it in. Add the chocolate chips and fold in.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Use cookie scoop to dole out dough, spaced out, on cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are set and turning golden brown. Immediately press a piece or two of the reserved peppermint bark onto each round. Add a small pinch of flaked sea salt to each, if desired. Let set until bark pieces solidify, then transfer to a cooling rack.
• Store cookies in a sealed container up to 4 days.

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• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the molasses and egg.
• Gradually mix in the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Make sure everything is combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for anywhere from an hour to a few days.
• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to dole out dough onto pan. Flatten each ball slightly; they won’t spread much.
• Bake for 10-11 minutes, until set with a crackling top. Let cool a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool.
• Once the cookies are cool, combined the icing ingredients. Glaze should be thick but spreadable. Coat the back of a spoon and transfer that to the top of a cookie, spreading to evenly coat. Cover cookies until icing is used up; the amounts should be a close match. Let them set for an hour for the icing to solidify, then pack into a sealed container.

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• In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet. This will be a lot of dough; if an electric mixer was being used, it may be necessary to switch to stirring by hand.
• Use a food scale to divide the dough in half. Place one half back in the bowl. Remove a small handful, transferring that to the other portion. Add the mini chocolate chips to the bowl and stir to combine.
• Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Freeze if it needs to be baked beyond that time frame.
• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the dough. The chocolate chip kind will need to be compressed slightly to make it cohesive.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cookies are set and tinted golden. Set on a rack to cool, and then place in sealed containers at room temperature.

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