Nothing quite says Merry Christmas like a lovingly delivered warm plate of cookies. Show your love to your neighbors this holiday season with these delicious cookie recipes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Puddle Cookies

From Delicious Gatherings by Tara Teaspoon
Makes: 10 large cookies | Hands-on Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Peanut Butter Puddle Chips

5 ounces white chocolate
6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

Cookies

1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutched)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¹⁄³ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¹⁄³ cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips or chunks

DIRECTIONS

1. For the peanut butter puddle chips: Line a small baking sheet with parchment. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate, stirring every 30 or 45 seconds. Stir in peanut butter until smooth and combined.

2. On prepared baking sheet, spread mixture into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle (about ⅜-inch thick). Freeze until solid, about 20 minutes, then score and chop into 1-inch pieces. Freeze pieces until you’re ready to use them.

3. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment. For the cookies: In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars until creamy, about 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed and lightened in color, another minute. Add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, then remove bowl from the mixer.

5. By hand, stir in all but 1 cup peanut butter puddle chips. Return the reserved peanut butter chips to the freezer.

6. Scoop dough into ¼-cup-sized balls (or use a #16 cookie scoop). Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Place reserved peanut butter chips on top of each ball, pressing them gently into the dough.

7. Bake cookies until edges are cooked and center has settled and is cooked through but not overdone, 10 to 12 minutes. If you would like, give the baking sheet a little bang or two on the countertop to flatten the cookies (optional). Let cookies cool on the baking sheet about 2 minutes, then slide the parchment off the baking sheet and let the cookies cool completely. Cookies will keep airtight up to 3 days.

Pecan Double-Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

From Delicious Gatherings by Tara Teaspoon
Makes: 12 large cookies | Hands-on time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1¾ cups (224 g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (²⁄³ cup) large chunks semisweet chocolate, divided
6 ounces (²⁄³ cup) large chunks milk chocolate, divided
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
Flaky sea salt, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until smooth and well mixed, about 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla and mix well on medium speed, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside ¼ cup each of the chocolate chunks (for the cookie topping), then stir remaining chocolate chunks and pecans into dough.
5. Scoop dough into ¼-cup-sized balls (or use a #16 cookie scoop). Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Nestle reserved pieces of chocolate on the top of each cookie. If you like salted cookies, sprinkle each ball with some sea salt flakes.
6. Bake until edges are golden and centers are just set, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets 1 or 2 minutes, then slide the parchment off the baking sheet and let cookies cool completely.

Delicious Gatherings

Here is your invitation to step into the kitchen and create a meal worth remembering! Tara Teaspoon helps you impress guests and gather friends around your table with recipes for elevated everyday meals and special holidays, plus helpful tips and how-tos. This cookbook aims to bring joy, flair, and amazing taste to all your get-togethers.

Lemon Drop Cookies

From Raised in the Kitchen by Carrian Cheney

Prep: 15 min Cook: 12 min Total: 27 min Yield: 4 to 5 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups shortening
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 (9-ounce) bag Brach’s Lemon Drops, crushed in blender (about ¾ cup when crushed)
3 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 2 lemons, about ¼ cup

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar, shortening, and eggs. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon extract.
4. Add flour mixture, followed by lemon zest and crushed lemon drops, mixing well to combine.
5. Scoop out golf ball–sized amounts of dough and roll into balls.
6. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet and slightly flatten each ball with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in flour. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until light and fluffy and the tops are beginning to look a little dry, but not browned at all.
7. Let cookies cool 2 minutes on pan, then transfer to wire racks.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Brush generously over cookie tops and let cookies cool completely before serving.

Raised in the Kitchen

From food prep to clean-up, this unique cookbook guides the way through every step, including meal lists and easy-to-follow recipes, and features dollops of heartwarming family stories, insights, and kid-friendly food activities to keep young chefs focused on fun in the kitchen. Raised in the Kitchen is a cookbook for parents and kids about much more than learning to love to cook. It's about bringing families together with cooking memories that will last a lifetime.

Brownie Cookies

From Scrumptious by Christy Denney

Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 15 minutes • Makes 12 cookies

INGREDIENTS

⅔ cup flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
flaked salt for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3. Place chopped baking chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Let mixture cool slightly.
4. With a stand or hand mixer, beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl for 5 minutes on medium speed.
5. Slowly pour in melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be wet like brownie batter.
6. Using a cookie scoop, place heaping tablespoons of dough 3 inches apart on prepared pans. Cookies will spread.
7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until tops are set. Immediately sprinkle with flaked salt. Let cookies cool on pan. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Cookie Butter Lava Cookies

From Scrumptious by Christy Denney

Prep: 20 minutes • Cook: 15 minutes • Makes 24 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 ¼ cups cake flour
1 cup Biscoff cookie butter
crumbled Biscoff cookies for topping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour and mix until just blended.

3. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough into 2-inch balls. Flatten balls into discs. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cookie butter onto the center of each disc. Fold discs in half, wrapping around cookie butter. Roll each cookie into a ball. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 4 inches apart.

4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

5. After cookies have cooled, melt about ¼ cup Biscoff in a small microwave-safe bowl. Using a fork, drizzle melted cookie butter on top of cooled cookies. Sprinkle with crumbled Biscoff cookies if desired.

Scrumptious

From unforgettable Sunday brunches with Banana Muffins, to easy weeknight one-pan dinners like One-Pan Chicken Enchilada Skillet, to low-carb meals like Egg Roll in a Bowl, to rolling out the works for a game-day crowd, including the author's NFL-husband's favorites like Jalapeno Popper Bread and Garlic Parmesan Wings, this is the family-friendly cookbook for anyone looking to plan quick-and-easy meals and wants a way to bring people together, feasting on food which can only be described as scrumptious.