Holly White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps

I made these cookies the other day for our work Christmas party and they were all devoured!  The original recipe just had red frosting for the holly berries, but I used Red Hots instead for some extra cinnamon flavor.  They were a bit time consuming to make, but I’m really happy with how they turned out.  Merry Christmas everybody!

Holly White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps (adapted from Cooking Classy)

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t ground ginger
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t allspice
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup + 3 T granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 t vanilla extract
• Red Hots
• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup powdered sugar (or enough until icing gets to desired consistency)
• 5-6 drops green food coloring

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg for 20 seconds, set aside.

2.  In electric stand mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Mix in egg, then blend in molasses and vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.

3.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 10 minutes of chilling.

3. Scoop dough out about 1-1/2 T at a time, shape into balls then roll in remaining 3 Tbsp granulated sugar. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart and flattening them slightly.  Press in red hots off center to resemble holly berries. 

4. Bake in preheated oven 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.  Boil water in a small saucepan.  Fit a glass bowl on top and melt the white chocolate chips in the bowl.  The double boiler method ensures that your chips don’t burn. 

6.  Dip half of the cookies into the white chocolate and let completely dry on parchment paper. 

7.  Once the white chocolate is completely dried, mix together the egg whites, powdered sugar, and green food coloring.  Use a toothpick to draw out leaves on the cookies to complete the holly decorations.