If you want to be on the “nice list,” it’s a good idea to leave Santa his favorite snack of milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. If you’d rather join the cool kids on the naughty side— where they serve booze—try these delectable pairings of adult holiday beverages and delicious cookies.
Photo by Karl Kuchs
Candy Cane Crush and Chocolate
Snowball cookies
Candy Cane Crush
1 tbsp crushed candy canes
1 1/2 oz mint-flavored vodka
1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz half-and-half
Ice
1 mini candy cane
Mint sprig, for garnish
Crush candy cane bits in a plastic bowl until they’re thoroughly broken up, but not powdered. Combine cane bits, mint vodka, brandy, half-and-half and ice in a shaker and shake slightly until mixed. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and garnish with candy cane and mint sprig.
Snowball cookies
1 8-oz brick cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room
temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 18-oz box moist chocolate cake mix
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together softened cream cheese and butter on the low setting of an electric mixer. Then mix in egg, followed by vanilla extract. Beat cake mix in until just combined, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up batter. Roll chilled batter into tablespoon-sized balls, then roll in confectioners’ sugar. Place balls on ungreased
baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Cookies should be soft and gooey; let cool and dust with more confectioners’ sugar to taste.
Pear Bear and Snickerdoodles
Pear Bear
1 1/2 oz spiced rum
3 1/2 oz pear nectar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg
Lemon curls, for garnish
Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and pour into a lowball glass. Garnish with a lemon curl and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.
Snickerdoodles
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tbsp
2 large eggs
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat shortening and butter together with an electric mixer, then beat in sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, allowing to mix after each addition. Add flour mix and beat until smooth. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon in a bowl. Roll dough into golf ball-sized balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Press into discs on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until very light golden brown.
The Yeti and Minty Munch cookies
The Yeti
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup spiced rum
Whipped topping, for garnish
Sprinkle of brown sugar, for garnish
Heat white chocolate with heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in milk and vanilla and heat until warm. Pour 2-ounce shots of rum into mugs and fill with white chocolate mixture. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Minty Munch cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then slowly mix into bowl of wet ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips, then drop tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake 12–15 minutes.
Cinnamon Snowflake and Bacon Maple cookies
Cinnamon Snowflake
2 shots Irish cream liqueur
1 shot brandy
1/2 shot cinnamon schnapps
1 tsp maple syrup
Ice
Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Bacon Maple cookies
6 thick-cut slices bacon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon, turning frequently, in a large pan over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, syrup and vanilla and blend until combined. Combine baking soda, salt and flour and then slowly beat into creamed mixture. Roll into small balls and roll in granulated sugar, then press into small discs on baking sheet. Bake 4 minutes, and then press 1-inch squared pieces of bacon into the top of each cookie and bake an additional 4–6 minutes. Total bake time should be 8–10 minutes.