All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are certain recipes I need each year to make it feel like the holidays.  The most delicious fudge that takes hours of stirring; my aunt Betsy’s mint chocolate brownies with their layers of chocolate, mint, and perhaps heaven.  Each year I know that I need the traditional favorites, but I also love to add in new treats to the mix.

These Holiday Thumbprint Cookies are going to be your new favorite cookie!

You may have had the peanut butter blossom cookies before.  The yummy peanut butter cookie is rolled in sugar.  Once baked, a Hershey Kiss is added to the top.  The peanut butter/chocolate combo is to die for.  Let’s mix it up this holiday season by combining these traditional blossom cookies with some hints of red velvet goodness.

One of the things I love most about these cookies is that there’s something for everyone.  My peanut butter lovers are happy; my chocolate lovers are happy.  Plus, having a job for each of my three daughters is a huge win too.  You would be surprised that they are all actively looking for jobs, but when it comes to baking they all want to get their hands dirty (literally and figuratively).

Unwrapping the Hershey Kisses is  great job for my preschooler.  She also is very good at “poison testing” to make sure the kisses are suitable.  The peppermint bark flavor is like a chocolatey cane cane.  The red and white striping of the kisses is perfectly matched to the red cookies and white sprinkles.  If you can’t find them in your local store, feel free to swap in any flavor of kiss that you adore. 

Cookie Exchange Recipes

Looking for more recipes to bring to a cookie exchange this holiday season?  Remember that it doesn’t have to be a cookie.  Any sweet treats are popular for swapping with friends and family.

Cotton Candy Fudge

Looking for a way to treat your little ballet dancer?  Make Sugar Plum Fairy-inspired fudge that’s filled with cotton candy flavored sweetness.

Maple Butterbeer Cookies

Accio cookie!  These maple butterbeer flavored cookies are downright magical!

The holidays are here, and it’s time to start baking.  What treats will you be making this holiday season? 

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Did I only children so I could share my love of all things Harry Potter with others? No, but it is such an amazing part of being a mom!  I tell my girls about waiting at midnight for books to be released and then calling in sick the next day because I had to stay home and read.  Thankfully, my girls have all fallen in love with the series so now it’s a full family affair.

For her birthday last year, we headed to Universal Studios Hollywood so that she could experience all of the magic of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It totally lived up to the hype for us!  Every detail is so perfect.  And, they had butterbeer ice cream!

 

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A post shared by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Jul 5, 2018 at 2:12pm PDT

It was so dreamy, especially on a hot SoCal day.  If you’re looking for more SoCal family fun, make sure to follow me on Instagram.

Maple Butterscotch Cookies

With completion of each book for my 9-year-old muggle, we try to make something special.  Like being a Potterhead is a secret club and after each book she’s further indoctrinated.  These Maple Butterbeer Cookies are a sweet way to celebrate any occasion.

Play a great game of Quidditch? Have a cookie!

Found your lost invisibility cloak? Have a cookie!

Harry Potter fans know that butterbeer is the beverage of choice for many-a wizard.  We have made a DIY version of the beverage using cream soda and vanilla ice cream, with butterscotch mixed in for good measure.  These cookies are a serious upgrade to that flavor with a few butter-rific flavors mixed in.

If you have used vanilla extract in your baking, the two extracts for this recipe are similar.  You’ll use butterscotch extract (similar to this) and butter extract (similar to this).  With maple syrup mixed into the batter and drizzled on top, it’s a seriously yummy way to transport your taste buds to Hogsmeade.

If you’re more subtle in your love for HP, these cookies would also make a great fall-themed treat.  Now all you have to do is say, “Accio Cookie!” and follow the recipe below.