Candy Cane Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

A year ago, this week, I was about to have my first child and I made a version of these cookies.  Literally, the post date on that post is December 13, 2010. WHAAAT? Fast forward 365 days, sleepless night, first steps, tears, kisses, and a million other things, and here I am again, making and eating these cookies.  I am pretty sentimental, but I didn’t plan this.  Promise.

This year I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  In theory you were to make three dozen cookies that is either your own original recipe, or a twist on an original or other recipe, and then send them to three different food bloggers that you were paired up with.  In theory, you were to then get three different dozen cookies in the mail.  I received two batches of cookies, one from  Lisa from the Splattered Apron, and the other was from Joelen from What’s Cookin, Chicago?  They were delicious! I felt like I was back in college getting care packages form my mom.  I still have tons left, and we’ve been eating them every day!  Thank you so much ladies!  However, I only received two, and am bummed that I did not receive all three!

I sent cookies to these wonderful bloggers:  Natalie from Oven Love, Sarah from Daily Nibbles, and Phyl from Of Cabbages and Kings.  I hope you guys enjoyed your cookies!!

But anyway, those were the precepts for the cookie swap, so I whipped these babies up because they are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, and they have a little bit of holiday cheer.

And I’m not talking booze.  I wish I was talking booze.  Not really.  Because then I’d be at home eating 5 of these and then suddenly I am not longer a fun mom who is on a sugar high, I am an irresponsible adult.  But seriously, y’all.  I’m talking candy canes!

I put these into a food processor and in ten seconds they were done.  Ok. Let’s be real.  I first put them in a double zip lock baggy, and then I used a small hammer to crush them.  I then rolled them with a rolling pin. And broke a sweat.

And I made hearts and Instagrammed them and acted very domestic like rolling candy canes was something I always do this time of year.

Yeah. Right.

And then my dear sweet husbands says to me, “Why didn’t you just use the food processor?”

And so we find ourselves staring blankly at one another waiting to see who will laugh at me first.

Welcome to our home.

And a Merry Christmas to you!

Candy Cane Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

A delicious twist on the classic cookie. Recipe adapted from the Nestle Toll House bag.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature or slightly melted)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chocolate Chips

1-2 boxes crushed candy canes (depending on how much candy cane you want present in your cookie)

sea salt for sprinkling when cookies are out of the oven

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap candy canes and place them in food processor until they are crushed, but not powder. Set aside. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment, combine sugars, butter, and eggs. Add in baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Add flour in small doses, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so it's well-combined. Turn mixer off and stir in milk chocolate chips with wooden spoon. Add candy cane sprinkles and fold into dough, just as you did with the chocolate chips. Use two spoons or a small cookie dough scoop to place on a cookie sheet, leaving enough room between each cookie so that they made spread out. You may want to use parchment paper on the cookies sheet, but you don't have to. It's just easier to scrape off with the spatula, and a bit neater. Bakes for 9-11 minutes. As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, sprinkle them with sea salt, just enough to have a light dusting. The sea salt should only be a light dusting, not a coating or sprinkles like a decoration, otherwise they will be too salty. Cool the cookies on cooling racks, and the salt will stick as it cools. Eat slightly warm with milk, or the next day, any time and any way that you would like.