On the first day of Christmas, Kristen gave to thee...

Okay, so the first post of my 12 days of Christmas Cookies series is actually the first three days.
I know, I know, I should do 12 different posts, but I have a few cookies that are my Christmas staples that were already on my blog and I defiantly won't have the time or the funds for 14 cookies. So I apologize.
So I have a question for all those who are reading my blog, (thank you for doing so), which picture do you like better, the mint chocolate chip cookies or the other two, based on quality that is? Comment on the bottom of this post!
Now for the cookies:
Day 1: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

               These cookies are possibly my favorite cookie for this season. I've been looking forward to making them for a while so that is why I made them first. They're easy to make and oh so delicious. I always eat one fresh out of the oven and then eat one a day in a very specific way: microwave them 8-10 seconds and then dip them in hot chocolate. Uh-may-zing!
Day 2: White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

               Everyone's favorite. I'm serious. If you want something that will impress everyone, make these. The more raspberry the better too. They're so soft and the combination of the raspberry and white chocolate are pretty addictive.
Day 3: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

               I made these last year and I was on the fence about them, however, after giving out my cookies everyone was telling me how much they loved them! There's a hint of chocolate and after a few bites you taste the spicy flavor of the chipotle chile in them. It's a great change of flavor from the usual Christmas cookie. I like the extra details that these cookies have with rolling them in extra sugar, cinnamon, and chipotle. I promise that this will be a cookie that everyone will remember and will ask you about.
I got the recipe from the Busty Baker.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
makes 3 dozen cookies


2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon, (divided)
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, (divided)
2 sticks unsalted butter, (softened)
1 3/4 cups sugar, (divided)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line two baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add vanilla and beat to combine.
Reduce speed and add the flour mixture, beat to combine.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle.
Form tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the mixture.
Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake about ten minutes, or until the cookies begin to crack.
Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to the wire racks to cool completely.

White Sox Cookies

My parents, all their friends, myself, and some of my friends went to the Chicago White Sox game last night. Unfortunately, there was a crazy rain storm that delayed the game by an hour and a half but of corse we waited in the rain! It was so worth it! I had so much fun. My friend Adriana and I took a picture with a cardboard cut out of Ozzie Gullian and they chose four pictures to put on the big screen (shown below) and we won a free shirt! I was so excited! The Sox even won! It was the perfect way to spend my last weekend living in Illinois.

Homerun

My friend Adriana and myself with the new Frank Thomas statue

Anyway, I was so excited about the game and I found the cutest baseball hat cookie cutter, so you know I made cookies for tailgating, check these out: 

They turned out so cute! I found little sprinkles to put on the top for the white buttons. I had so much fun making these. I'm defiantly leaning toward going back to school to be a pastry chef. I wasn't sure, but after these I realized that this might be for me, (as a career). Everyone loved these cookies, much to my relief. They're supposed to be a lot darker, but you have to mix in the back gel in by hand, and I had a lot of trouble with that. Next time I'll figure it out. I got the baseball cookie cutter for a dollar at Sur La Table, and the frosting i used was actually leftover frosting from my Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches.

The recipe for the cookies is from Amandeleine.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa, (natural is ok)

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

black gel food coloring 

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. 

In three additions, add the flour mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. 

Work in food coloring with your hands to desired darkness.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minuets. 

Roll the dough on a lightly floured and cocoa-ed surface. 

Cut the cookies with your cookie cutter. 

Freeze cut cookies for five minutes.

Bake 8 minutes, let cool completely.