5 Stunningly Simple Cookies, No Mixer Needed
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Photography by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco
I’ve developed hundreds of cookie recipes. In fact, I’ve written an entire cookbook on the subject. And the ones that people bookmark and bake every year are most often the easiest. This holiday season I’m sharing five new cookies that put ease front and center—without compromising on looks or flavor. None of them require a mixer, specialty equipment, or advanced decorating skills. Instead, they steal the show in other ways: with heavy-hitting ingredients like pistachio butter and five-spice powder, clever flourishes (sparkling citrus sugar!) to up the drama, and smart techniques that deliver every time. Each recipe is doable enough to make more than one for this year’s cookie box. Better yet, bake all five.
Peppermint Bark Cookies
I love soft and chewy cookies and I love peppermint bark. These plush, brownie-like beauties capture the best of both worlds. Once they come out of the oven, a shard of white chocolate gets plunged right into the top of each warm cookie, followed by a shower of crushed candy canes. They are as festive and easy as can be.
Pomegranate-Glazed Shortbread Wedges
Making shortbread without a mixer is possible—and these tender, pleasantly crumbly cookies are proof positive. And to top it all off, they’re coated in a sweet-tart pink glaze and one of my favorite party tricks: homemade citrus sprinkles. A simple blend of coarse sugar and orange zest (friendly reminder, it might be time to replace your Microplane), the golden sprinkles give the cookies an extra pop of flavor that’s as sparkly as it is delicious.
Pistacharoos
Growing up in the Midwest, scotcheroos were a staple at sleepovers, school events, and countless other functions. They are typically made with peanut butter, but my new version—which I’ve cheekily dubbed pistacharoos—swaps it out for pistachio butter (sometimes called cream), lending them a forest green hue and intensely nutty flavor. If you’ve never tried pistachio butter before, now is the time. My favorite is Peppertux Original Pistachio Butter for its silky texture and saturated color, but a variety of brands are now on the shelves in most well-stocked grocery stores.
Chocolate-Tahini Slice-And-Bake Cookies
These cookies are for the baker set out to win the annual cookie swap. They are undeniably impressive with their two-toned secchi-disk pattern, demanding the spotlight at any party. But their impressive presentation is not the result of a long, laborious process. They come together quickly and don’t require any artistic skills beyond even slicing. I promise!
Five-Spice Crackle Cookies
These molasses-rich crackle cookies are comfortingly familiar with just a whiff of excitement. You can’t go wrong with classic spice mixes: cinnamon and clove or pumpkin spice blends. Those seasonal combinations evoke the holidays at first sniff. But for something a bit more exciting, I turn to five-spice. It delivers the same warming flavor profile as the go-to’s, with just a touch more fun from gently spicy peppercorns and licorice-like star anise.
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
