J is all about the holidays this year, and I’m pretty sure he’s on  a mission to make all the cookies possible between now and Christmas. He wants to help with every single step of baking, which can be a bit challenging, but also terrific. So our first cookie of the season he named “Santa hat cookies” because the cookies have red & white m&ms, and peppermint chocolate chips (just like Santa’s hat, J said).

So here is J’s step by step process. Start with a stick of butter…While it’s softening mix together your dry ingredients…  Play hide and seek while the butter is creaming in the mixer… Check to make sure your butter and sugars have mixed completely… Ask repeatedly if you can try one of the candies (and then another, and then another)… Put the cookies in rounded teaspoonfuls on a pan and count them… Wait patiently ten minutes for them to cook and another three for them to cool and then wince at your Mom in annoyance as she tries to take your picture while your eating your cookie… And that’s it! The complete recipe is below!

Santa Hat Cookies

Ingredients

 1 1/2 + 2 tbs of all purpose flour

3/4 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of kosher salt

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of butter at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tbs of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of peppermint chocolate chips

1/2 cup of red m&ms

1/3 cup of white m&ms

Directions:

1. Cut butter into tablespoon slices and place in the bottom of the mixer. Set your egg out on the counter. Do this first then prep the rest of your ingredients.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside.

4. Crack egg into a small cup and whisk with vanilla.

5. On medium speed cream butter for about three minutes.

6. Add sugars to butter and mix until light and fluffy about 3-4 minutes.

7. Scrape down the sides and then add in the egg mixture. Mix until it resembles cottage cheese (so slightly lumpy, but well mixed).

8. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix just a little by hand (so it doesn’t puff out when you start the mixer), and then mix on low speed only until barely blended.

9. Stir in mix ins.

10. Bake for seven minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for two additional minutes. Let cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

11. Will keep in an air tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. In our house they rarely last that long.