candied nuts

Is it entirely cliche to talk about how fast time flies in the month of December? All year long we wait and wait (and wait) for the Christmas season to roll around and then poof- you carve a turkey and suddenly it’s December. I’m not sure how that much joy and celebrating is supposed to get squeezed into a one month time frame, but you can bet that I’m going to do my very best to try.

Now that I’m a mom, my M.O. during the month of December is to drum up as much holiday cheer and merriment for my children as possible. For George, my 7 month old, that’s a bit of a stretch, but for my 2 year old Aimee, the wonder of Christmas is alive and well. She counts the ornaments on our tree and drinks her milk out of a Santa mug. She’s captivated by all of the twinkling lights everywhere and you can bet she rocks her red and green pjs like it’s her 9-5. She talks to the angels on her advent calendar, says “May-we Cwiss-muss” to strangers at the grocery store, and reminds me just about every chance she gets that she was the one who got to put the star on top of our tree. This is the first year it’s magical for her, so I’m determined to make it count. Now is the time to start traditions that she will grow up on, and who knows, maybe even pass on to her kiddos someday. AM I HORMONAL OR IS THAT JUST, LIKE, THE MOST PRECIOUS MOM JOB EVER?

Near the top of my list of traditions to pass on to the babies is cookies. Cookie decorating, cookies for Santa, cookies with milk before bedtime, and all the other cookie-related Christmassy things you can think of. In case you haven’t heard, cookies reign supreme over 95% of all other foods throughout the Christmas season, and this time of year just wouldn’t be what it is without a cookie or two. For that reason and about a million more, I am thrilled to be a part of the #calmandbrightcookienight virtual cookie party being hosted by Natalie and Holly of The Modern Proper. If you haven’t heard of these fabulous ladies, their blog, or their vision for reinventing food and the way we share it with others, then cancel your plans for the evening and plan on spending an hour or two skimming their blog. It’s filled with beautiful words, stunning images, and food that makes your belly growl. Today, the ladies behind The Modern Proper are hosting a virtual cookie exchange with over 30 other food bloggers who will also be sharing cookie recipes! I know, it’s like Christmas come early, right?

Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These candied walnut chocolate chip cookies are chewy, buttery, and rich, lightly spiced with crunchy candied nuts and flecked with chopped bits of dark chocolate.

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 30
• Category: Cookies

Ingredients

For the candied walnuts

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup brown sugar sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon all-spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

For the cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chopped into tablespoon sized pieces
• 1–1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3–1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1–1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1–1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Fleur de sel or flaked salt, as desired

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Instructions

To prepare the candied walnuts

1. Combine the butter, vanilla, sugar, and spices in a medium, non-stick over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the nuts and stir regularly using a rubber spatula until the nuts have toasted and the sugar has begun to melt, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out the nuts to cool on a sheet of parchment paper.

To prepare the cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat (I use the same skillet used to prepare the nuts). Once barely melted, remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars to the melted butter and stir until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, stirring each until combined. In a separate, medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and coriander. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until almost combined, and then fold in the chocolate.
3. If your dough is shiny and still somewhat warm, allow to sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up slightly.
4. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoons (I use a medium cookie scoop) rounds of dough approximately 2 inches apart onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies have just barely begun to crack. Allow to cool slightly on a cooling rack prior to enjoying. Cookies will keep in an air tight container up to 3-4 days but are best eaten on day of baking.

Recipe Adapted From: Tara O’Brady