Biscoff Christmas Cookies

Dear baking world,

Let it snow! It's even snowing all day, and for some people, that might mean curling up in a ball and slowly losing their sanity as the snowflakes fall around them, but for me, it means wearing my favorite winter boots that I've had since 8th grade. Always trust Sorel to make durable, timeless boots. They were one fashion choice I made in middle school that I still approve of.

These cookies are Biscoff (spread) Cookies with cinnamon chips. I needed to make cookies for class on Monday, and rather than go with the ho-hum classics, I wanted to spice (literally) things up a bit. This is a peanut butter cookie recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. She claimed they were excellent as peanut butter cookies, so I'm going to claim these are also excellent as Biscoff cookies. I thought cinnamon chips would add a little pizzazz and pair well with the Biscoff.

How did these lovelies turn out? Well, everything is better with Biscoff. However, unlike Sally's "thick and chewy" cookies, these were flat with crispy edges and soft insides. I am thinking it's because the Biscoff spread probably spreads differently than peanut butter, even though they're a super similar consistency. I honestly have no idea what it was, but they were delicious. 

My roommate, expert cookie taster, described these as her "new favorite cookie." What an honor!

Update: I took these cookies to class and two of my classmates said they may be the best cookies they've eaten. One said if the cookie was dragged behind a vehicle, she would still eat it. So try these!

Enjoy the snow and stay safe on those roads.

Brita

P.S. I apologize for the repetitive pictures. I took a bunch and every one made me happier than the last. Indecisive problems.

Biscoff Cinnamon Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup Biscoff spread (smooth or chunky, but I used smooth)

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean extract)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (not too much or they're overpowering)

Cream butter and sugars together on medium speed. Mix in the Biscoff spread, egg and vanilla. Slowly mix in baking soda and flour. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

After the dough is satisfactorily chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. They will appear underdone, but do not underbake! I repeat, do not underbake.

Best Week Ever + Celebratory White Chocolate Bark

Dear baking world,

They say good things come in threes but this week things came in pairs. Apparently, there's a Chinese proverb that good things come in pairs so I'm not so far off. Two wonderful things happened to me in the past week. 

First, I got the tour guide job where I get to take prospective Badgers all over campus and rave about how great my University is. I've wanted this job since I was a freshman and here I am, with this job. I couldn't be more excited.

Then, this morning, about one week after I got the tour guide job, I got a call from Explo, a 6 week summer camp in Boston. They said they wanted to offer me a job on their staff. I am going to teach a course about the science of cooking and baking and then a workshop called Just Desserts (insert screams here.) And I can thank my trusty blog for that job, because without it, I wouldn't have stood out as a baking fanatic (which clearly I am.)

And now, either good things just come in pairs, or good things come in threes and I'm waiting for the third and final thing (which would be an A on my physics exam, but I don't think I have a say in this process.)

That being said, I have been really busy and haven't done a lot of baking, but fortunately my roommate did and she let me snap some pretty pictures near our (small) Christmas tree.

The bark was delicioso. I love anything crunchy and white chocolatey. So here it is!

Black and white = classy

Lauren's Delicious White Chocolate Christmas Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips

1 cup Fruit Loops or Cap'n Crunch (Lauren used Cap'n crunch, but she recommends Fruit Loops)

1 cup Rice Krispies

1 cup chopped salted peanuts

1 cup broken up pretzels

Melt chips in the microwave. It's easiest in a big glass bowl. Microwave for about 15-20 seconds at a time and take it out and stir after every time. 

Prepare large cookie sheet by spraying with non-stick spray.

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour melted chips over dry ingredients and gently mix with a rubber scraper/wooden spoon until everything is coated. Spread mixture out on the cookie sheet and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours. (Lauren was smart and threw it in the freezer, so it was ready within a half hour or so.) The mixture will harden and then you break it into bite size (or titanic size) pieces.