I have been baking Christmas Cookies for the holidays since I had my children. I used to do a huge production of cookie baking for the holidays, often starting back in September and then freezing everything ahead of time ready to crack open for the holidays.
My house is pretty much empty of children now, and I am watching my sugar, so not as much holiday baking goes on these days. When I do have kids about, it is usually the grandchildren and it is only for a few days, so not a lot of baking is require.
I do like to try something new every Christmas however and this recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from one I found on A Bountiful Kitchen. They looked so pretty and festive. Like the perfect cookie to leave out on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus!
Chocolate chip cookies are a real favorite with most people and adding green and red colored Christmas M&M candies into the mix really makes for a very Christmassy cookie! I did cut the recipe in half. The original recipe made 18 cookies. This small batch recipe makes only 9 cookies.
I also used a hand mixer for these. It didn't seem worth the hassle of dragging out the stand mixer. A hand mixer worked perfectly well.
They are big BIG cookies, just so you know. But in order to hug both the chocolate chips and regular sized M&M's they kind of need to be, and nobody is complaining about the size of these. They have been gobbled up.
If you are looking for something to leave out for Santa, or something nice and colorful for your Christmas Cookie trays, you cannot really go wrong with these Christmas M&M Cookies! I promise!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHRISTMAS M & M COOKIES (SMALL BATCH)
These use a few simple ingredients. The only think you may need to pop to the shops for are the M&M's, but everything else is probably already in your larder! This recipe makes 9 (approximately) large cookies.
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter at room temperature
- 6 1/2 TBS (75g) granulated sugar
- 6 1/2 TBS (75g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 large free range egg
- scant 1 1/2 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 ounces (142g) Christmas M&M candies (red and green) (Reserve a few for poking in top of the hot cookies when they come out of the oven.)
I just used regular salted butter. I only keep salted butter in the house and use that unless a recipe specifically designates unsalted butter, and I know it will make an appreciable difference. It is just as easy to cut back on any salt used in the recipe to make up for it.
You don't need to use free-range eggs. That is just a personal choice on my part. The only difference between the use of regular eggs and free-range is conscience. You have to pick your battles and that is one of mine. No judgement here.
You can use any kind of chocolate chip you want. I like the semi-sweet ones and would use even darker ones if I could get them. I felt using white or milk would add too much sweetness to an already pretty sweet cookie.
Sy recommends using only M&M brand candies for these cookies. Do try to get the Christmas ones if you can for the holidays (red and green), but if you are making these at another time of year you can use the multi-colored ones by all means.
HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS M&M COOKIES (SMALL BATCH)
These are not hard to make if you are a seasoned baker. They go together like most cookies do. Just follow the instructions and you cannot go wrong.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
Cream the butter and both sugars together thoroughly until light and fluffy. There should be no visible chunks of butter.
Beat in the egg and vanilla until well amalgamated.
Sift the flour and soda together and then stir into the creamed mixture, until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and most of the candies, reserving a few for the end.
Mix together well. If you think your dough is too sticky, you can add an additional TBS of flour.
Divide the dough into 9 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Place onto the baking sheet, well-spaced apart. Flatten slightly with your fingertips.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes at which time they should be nicely puffed and golden brown around the edges and on the bottoms
Push a few candies into the top of each warm cookie and leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR THE BEST COOKIES
- Use a 2 1/4 inch cookie scoop for perfectly round cookies. You can also juju them with a round pastry cutter when you first take them out of the oven to give them a perfectly round shape. I find that rolling them into balls before baking makes for a very uniform shaped cookie.
- I do not recommend freezing these cookies prior to baking. The M&M's will bleed and they won't be as brightly colored.
- Do save a few M&M's out to push into the finished cookies while they are still warm. This adds to their prettiness. The ones baked in the cookies tend to crack.
- Use only M&M candies. Other candies will not work as well. You can use any kind of chocolate chip as you wish, but I do recommend the dark ones as they will keep these cookies from being too sweet.
These cookies are huge, but also really delicious. I loved the combination of both chocolate chips and M&M's in them. Do use a darker chocolate chip which will help cut down on the sweetness!
These would be the perfect cookie to leave out for Santa Claus on the night and would be stellar on a neighbor-gift cookie tray!
North Americans are well known for their Christmas cookies. I have always loved baking sweet cookies to enjoy over the holidays. Here are a few other favorite Christmas cookies that we enjoy baking and eating in my kitchen!
ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES- These are not Biscotti in the sense of the crunchy dunking Italian Biscotti, but rather they are soft buttery vanilla pillows of scrumptiousness. Similar to a sugar cookie, they are twisted before baking, then glazed and sprinkled with non-pareil sprinkles when done.
DUTCH ALMOND COOKIES - These delicious cookies won a Christmas Cookie contest at Canadian Living Magazine. I clipped the recipe from the magazine years ago and have been making them every year since. Crisp, buttery, almondy with a sweet almond filling. These are fabulous. They are truly an old family favorite.
Yield: makes 9 large cookies
Christmas M & M Cookies (small batch)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min
These are beautiful, soft and delicious cookies, loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and Christmas M & M's. Perfect for cookie trays or for leaving out on Christmas Eve for Santa! Betcha can't eat just one!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter at room temperature
- 6 1/2 TBS (75g) granulated sugar
- 6 1/2 TBS (75g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 large free range egg
- scant 1 1/2 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 ounces (142g) Christmas M&M candies (red and green) (Reserve a few for poking in top of the hot cookies when they come out of the oven.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and both sugars together thoroughly until light and fluffy. There should be no visible chunks of butter.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until well amalgamated.
- Sift the flour and soda together and then stir into the creamed mixture, until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and most of the candies, reserving a few for the end.
- Mix together well. If you think your dough is too sticky, you can add an additional TBS of flour.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Place onto the baking sheet, well-spaced apart. Flatten slightly with your fingertips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes at which time they should be nicely puffed and golden brown around the edges and on the bottoms
- Push a few candies into the top of each warm cookie and leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated! Thank you so much! It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!
When I lived in the U.K. I always made my own Eggnog. It was not something which was commercially available over there, and it was not a popular Christmas drink over there either! Most people didn't even know what it was.
And if you mentioned it to them, they would wince in disgust at the thought of drinking something so close to custard in texture and flavor. (DO note that they neverminded brandishing their puddings with copious amounts of custard!)
Anyways, I made my own and my very British husband quite enjoyed it. In fact, he wanted me to make it every year, it is that good.
This is an eggnog recipe which I have been making for many, many years now. It is foolproof so long as you follow the directions and was adapted many moons ago from a recipe I found on Eating on a Dime. I could not believe that I didn't already have it on here.
Mom used to make us eggnog at Christmas when we were growing up. She never cooked the eggs, and she had no recipe. It was simply eggs beaten together with milk, cream, sugar and nutmeg. None of us ever got sick. I am surprised at that fact. Raw eggs are well known for carrying Salmonella, and can be dangerous to the elderly and the very young.
Never killed us however.
Nowadays I would never dream of using raw eggs in anything, and that is not just because I am elderly now myself, lol. I just believe in being safe and careful about what I put into my body. Much better to use pasteurized eggs or a cooked mixture.
This is quite simply a fabulous recipe. Delicious. Rich and very easily made. I promise.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE EGGNOG
There is nothing extremely out of the ordinary here. You may need to go out and buy cream but that is something I usually have in the house anyways. (You never know when you are going to need some cream!)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (480ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- more grated nutmeg to garnish
- alcohol optional, see note
I always use full fat milk. You already have cream in there so full fat milk is not going to make a lot of difference calorie or fat wise! And it gives it a lovely rich flavor.
It is worth it to buy whole nutmegs and grate your own. I never buy ready ground nutmeg. Nutmeg is one of those spices that quickly deteriorates after grating so bottled ground nutmeg will not have the same punch as the stuff you grate yourself! Who really knows how long it has been grated.
Fresh grated packs much more flavor!
HOW TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE EGGNOG
This really is very simple to make and eons better tasting than anything commercially available.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until very light in color, and creamy, using an electric whisk.
Combine the milk, cream, nutmeg and salt in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat just barely to a simmer. It should be hot to the touch but not boiling.
Remove from the heat. Add one cup of the warm mixture to the egg mixture, whisking it in continuously. (This is called tempering the eggs.) Continue to whisk in the warm mixture until it has been thoroughly amalgamated.
Pour back into the saucepan and return to the stove top. Continue to whisk and cook until the mixture reaches 160*F/71*C. The mixture should be coating the back of a metal spoon.
Remove from the heat. Whisk in any alcohol (if using) and the vanilla.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass container, cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly. If you think it is too thick (once chilled) you can whisk in a few more tablespoons of milk or cream to get it to the consistency you desire.
Serve in chilled glasses with a fresh grating of nutmeg on top. This will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.
TO ADD THE OPTIONAL ALCOHOL
Add 1/4 cup (60ml) brandy, bourbon or rum at the same time as you add your vanilla.
Taste and adjust as necessary.
This is the eggnog that I used to make every Christmas when I lived in the U.K. Commercial Eggnog was not available there and to be honest, once you make your own from scratch you will never be happy with any other kind.
This will keep up to a week chilling in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but I doubt if you have it that long. You may have to make more. YES, it is that good!
I enjoyed a lovely cup of this yesterday with my lunch. As a flight of fancy I made myself two open-faced cucumber sandwiches on bread I had cut into the shapes of Christmas trees. I sprinkled them with some salt, pepper and a bit of dill. Of course I had to have something sweet as well. So I had a gingerbread man shortbread, a Scottie dog shortbread and a cheeky cake. It was like a little min-tea party for one!
PS - I never add any alcohol to mine. I like it just as is.
This is really delicious. When I was in the U.K. I did use it to cook with in a variety of recipes. If you are fond of the flavor of eggnog, you might also enjoy the following eggnog flavored recipes!
EGGNOG SCONES - Eight, springy, nubbly-edged breakfast treats made with eggnog and then topped with eggnog glaze. Incredibly delicious, these always go down a real treat with a hot drink, or yes, more eggnog. (What can I say? I love LOVE eggnog!)
EGGNOG THUMBPRINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES - A delicious adaptation of another recipe which I incorporated eggnog flavors into. Vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and rum. Short and buttery cookies with a thumb sized dimple in the middle. Just perfect to fill with a lush and rich eggnog buttercream frosting!
Yield: 4 cups
Easy Homemade Egg Nog
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min
This is the best eggnog, so much more delicious than any commercial brand. Once you start making your own from scratch you will not be happy with anything you buy ready made.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (480ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- more grated nutmeg to garnish
- alcohol optional, see note
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until very light in color, and creamy, using an electric whisk.
- Combine the milk, cream, nutmeg and salt in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat just barely to a simmer. It should be hot to the touch, but not boiling.
- Remove from the heat. Add one cup of the warm mixture to the egg mixture, whisking it in continuously. (This is called tempering the eggs.) Continue to whisk in the warm mixture until it has been thoroughly amalgamated.
- Pour back into the saucepan and return to the stove top. Continue to whisk and cook until the mixture reaches 160*F/71*C. The mixture should be coating the back of a metal spoon.
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in any alcohol (if using) and the vanilla.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass container, cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly. If you think it is too thick (once chilled) you can whisk in a few more tablespoons of milk or cream to get it to the consistency you desire.
- Serve in chilled glasses with a fresh grating of nutmeg on top. This will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Notes
TO ADD THE OPTIONAL ALCOHOL
Add 1/4 cup (60ml) brandy, bourbon or rum at the same time as you add your vanilla.
Taste and adjust as necessary.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated! Thank you so much! It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!
Every once in a while, I will see a recipe that intrigues me. So it was with this recipe I am sharing today for Tomato Soup & Bacon, Grilled Cheese Casserole. I first encountered it on a blog called This is Not Diet Food.
Trust me when I say nothing on that page is diet food, lol. Its all rich and delicious looking. The kind of food you would only want to eat once in a blue moon.
This intrigued me because it was like a combo of everyone's favorite grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. I just had to try it! How could I resist!
I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe in half to make only three servings. I also changed a few bits, in that I didn't use ready prepped bacon bits, I made my own. Also, I used sour dough bread, and a combination of cheeses.
The end result was rich and delicious. I don't think it was quite a replacement for the old favorite combo of soup and sandwich, but it was pretty tasty.
It was simple and quick to make and so I can see where it would be a great mid-week meal for a family, be it lunch or supper. Children would certainly love it.
I would balance it out with a tasty salad on the side, however. Something crisp and vegetable-like. It was very easy to make however and very tasty!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TOMATO SOUP & BACON, GRILLED CHEESE CASSEROLE
Some pretty simple ingredients. This is rich and cheesy. Amounts are for a small batch recipe, feeding three people.
- 6 slices of bread (I used sour dough)
- 1/4 cup (75g) softened butter for spreading
- 2 cups (470g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup (80ml) condensed tomato soup, undiluted (in the UK use Batchelor's)
- 4 slices of streaky bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
- pinch of salt and black pepper as desired
I used sour dough bread as I felt it would fit into the baking dish better and wasn't too thick. I used regular softened butter. The original poster used margarine.
I used a mix of strong orange grated cheddar and a combo of grated mild and medium cheddars white and orange mix. It is okay to use ready grated cheeses for this.
Condensed soup is soup which you need to add either water or milk to in order to make it edible. You cannot just dump it into a saucepan, heat it up and eat it that way. In the U.K. the condensed soup that you would want to use is the Bachelor's brand. I think they are the only ones who make condensed soups.
The original poster used ready-made bacon bits. I preferred to use my own home-fried bacon. I keep fried bacon in my freezer for just this purpose. It is very easy to just take out and chop up to use for recipes.
HOW TO MAKE TOMATO SOUP & BACON, GRILLED CHEESE CASSEROLE
This was probably one of the easiest casseroles I have ever made.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Have ready a casserole dish large enough to hold 3 slices of the bread in a single layer.
Measure the soup, crumbled bacon and grated cheese into in a bowl and combine well together.
Butter all of your bread slices on one side. Cut them all in half through the middle.
Place 3 of the halved slices of bread in the casserole dish, buttered side down. Divide the cheese mixture between them. Top with the remaining halves of buttered bread, butter side up, pressing them down gently over the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is all melty and gooey and the bread has toasted.
Serve hot, two sandwich halves per person. Enjoy!
MY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW YOU COULD AMP THIS ONE UP AND ELEVATE IT
This is a great bare bones recipe, but if you wanted to change it up, here are my suggestions for doing so.
1. You could spread the bread with garlic butter rather than regular butter.
2. You could add chopped spring onions to the cheese mixture or even grated regular onions.
3. You could use a different flavor of soup, such as broccoli cheese, or even cream of celery.
4. You could leave out the bacon and use flaked tuna in its place. In which case I would definitely add some onion and perhaps even some minced celery, or even pickle relish. Leave off the tomato soup and add mayonnaise in its place, and okay, I am making a tuna melt casserole here. lol
This was quite different when it comes to a grilled cheese sandwich. I was thinking that it might be a bit too soupy to eat out of hand, but actually I was quite able to eat it using my hands rather than a knife and a fork. I thought it was deliciously different.
I am not sure that it would totally replace my regular grilled cheese sandwich however, but it was nice to try something a bit unusual in comparison to the regular. I enjoyed one serving with some carrot and celery sticks!
Are you also a fan of the hot sandwich? We love hot sandwiches in this house almost as much as we love cold sandwiches. Let's face it, we just love sandwiches full stop! Here are a few other favorites that we enjoy!
HOT HAM & CHEESE SANDWICH WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS - These hot sandwiches are one very delicious mouthful. Sweet caramelized onion, crispy bacon, smoky ham and Swiss cheese, on a toasty poppyseed Kaiser roll. They make for a fabulous lunch or dinner, depending on what you choose to serve with them.
ITALIAN BAKED SANDWICHES - A delicious buttery flat bread, split and spread with mayo and spicy mustard. Filled with layers of Italian deli meats, melty cheese, hot peppers and torn olives. Toasted in the oven until everything is heated through. You can't beat hot, cheesy, meaty goodness that you can hold in your hand and enjoy.
Yield: 3 servings
Tomato Soup & Bacon, Grilled Cheese Casserole
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This is a simple and easy lunch or dinner that you are sure to fall in love with. Loaded with grated cheddar cheese, real crispy bacon and condensed tomato soup, all sandwiched between toasty layers of buttery bread. Great with a salad on the side.
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bread (I used sour dough)
- 1/4 cup (75g) softened butter for spreading
- 2 cups (470g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup (80ml) condensed tomato soup, undiluted (in the UK use Batchelor's)
- 4 slices of streaky bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
- pinch of salt and black pepper as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Have ready a casserole dish large enough to hold 3 slices of the bread in a single layer.
- Measure the soup, crumbled bacon and grated cheese into in a bowl and combine well together.
- Butter all of your bread slices on one side. Cut them all in half through the middle.
- Place 3 of the halved slices of bread in the casserole dish, buttered side down. Divide the cheese mixture between them. Top with the remaining halves of buttered bread, butter side up, pressing them down gently over the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is all melty and gooey and the bread has toasted.
- Serve hot, two sandwich halves per person. Enjoy!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated! Thank you so much! It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!
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