Baking sweets at home this holiday season can bring all kinds of fun and joy plus time spent with family. Whether you are still learning the basics of baking or cookie-making or are all about using those pro baking tips you have mastered over the years, there is no better time to bake from scratch this holiday. Whether you are whipping up an assortment of holiday bars to pack up and ship to someone special, you’ll find that cookies will always spread cheer during the holiday season. 

The best Christmas goodie of all, at least to Santa that is, is these giant saucer-sized treats. These delicious homemade cookies are packed with all your festive favorites such as red and green M&M’s, peppermint chunks, salty pretzels, and white chocolate chips. If you leave these delicious and festive cookies out for Santa, don’t forget to add a glass of milk to wash them down. 

Ingredients are as follows:

2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2 cups mixed red and green candy-coated chocolates, such as M and M’s

For directions on how to bake these wonderful treats position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Next, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy for about three minutes. Then beat in the vanilla, add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate candies, oats, pretzels, peppermint puffs, and white chocolate chips and stir with a large spoon until evenly mixed. Scoop eight 1/3-cup portions of dough, roll into balls, and divide between two baking sheets, spacing the cookies evenly apart. Press the dough balls into thick disks with the palm of your hand. Bake, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through until the cookies are golden brown at the edges and barely brown in the very middle, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cookies on the

baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Finally, don’t forget to enjoy!