Okay, maybe I’m jumping the gun, but Pier 1 has had Christmas decorations in their windows since October 23 so I think its perfectly fine to officially declare November the beginning of the holiday season. I love the fall/winter holidays more than anytime of the year. While most people favor Christmas, Thanksgiving definitely holds its own. Christmas can be such a busy time of year, between decorating, shopping and celebrations galore its easy to get overwhelmed. Thanksgiving is all about the day.

I love that its one holiday where there are no gifts, treats or mascots involved. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and Easter, but Thanksgiving is especially sentimental. When I was young my brothers and sisters would all lay down in our family room and watch the Macy’s Day parade. We’d play in the leaves while my mom cooked and visit with my extended family who were at my Grandmothers next door. Then at dinner we’d push together two huge dining tables and have one of the best meals of the year. That night we’d watch some more TV, Christmas specials from It’s a Wonderful Life to The Year Without a Santa Clause. I can’t wait for Thanksgiving this year!

Obviously the star of the dinner is the Turkey, but dessert is equally as important. In the past I’ve made everything, from Pumpkin and apple pies, to the standard chocolate chip cookie. Since Thanksgiving will be the last time I see my family before the move out West, this season I want to go all out. So I’ve already begun to test some recipes. My first test was a special fall-inspired cookie – Spiced White Chocolate Chip cookies.

The flavor is reminiscent of ginger cookies with an extra touch of sweetness. The perfect balance.

Spiced White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% white whole wheat)
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Apple Pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened (I used Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the flour, ginger, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the butter mixture. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
3. Shape dough into walnut sized balls and place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tags: holidays, Recipes, Spiced White Chocolate Chip cookies

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 6:45 am and is filed under Baking, Cookies, Family, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.