Make your holiday recipes merrier with help from Nestle.

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Make your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthThe thick of Midwestern sweater weather is upon us, and now that Christmas is only 25 days away (!), we’re decking the halls, baking all the holiday recipes, playing Christmas music on a perma-loop, and generally seeing how far we can pull up our socks to prolong the ever-fleeting warm and cozy.

It starts with the tree – a faux pine draped in ropes and ropes of twinkly lights and studded with a decades-old collection of ornaments, each one with its own story. Decorating it takes hours, what with all the storytelling and singing and yelling because the kids hang everything on one branch and trip over nothing onto anything and everything that is breakable.

And since making our home smell like the holidays is my thing, whipping up something festive for everyone to snack is always fine with me (escape to the kitchen!) as long it’s quick.

Nestle asked us to make our family’s holiday moments even more flavorful by heading to Walmart to pick up Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels. Because sweet inspiration.

Make your home taste like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of Earth

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies taste like Christmas and take less than 30 minutes to prep and bake (8-second time lapse video set to catchy French pop as preemptive proof of the easy-to-make deliciousness), making them one of my favorite holiday recipes.

Mmm… pepperminty chocolate goodness that stores well when tightly wrapped.

Make your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of Earth

Make your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthMake your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthTurns out the chocolate morsels are so beautifully melty and decadent, they add a touch of richness to my cookies and other holiday treats, and now that they’re (finally) nut- and gluten-free, everyone in the house is gleefully eating them straight from the bag.

(This is not a complaint as long as there’s enough for me.)

Then there’s dinner.

Inevitably, I get carried away by all the decorating and baking, and by the time I realize suppertime has come and gone, the idea of cooking or going out is nope and meh all mixed together.

Good thing Nestle makes it easy to get dinner on the table so you can go back to what really matters – your chocolate-and-peppermint-smeared family.

Make your home smell like the holidays with help from Nestle. | Dearest Geeks of EarthStouffer’s Lasagna with meat and sauce is preservative, peanut- and tree-nut free, made with fresh mozzarella, topped with aged Parmesan, and comes out looking (and tasting) pretty close to homemade in about an hour and a half. It bakes in its own recyclable tray, which makes for super easy clean up, and you should know that it’s even better the next day.

ALL THE HI-FIVES.

Now go make these cookies already:

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 1 pouch nut-free sugar cookie mix (1 lb. 1.5 oz. size)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ tsp. pure peppermint extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup nut-free creme de menthe baking chips
  • 1 cup Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (They're finally nut free!)
  • nut-free green food coloring
  • ungreased cookie sheet (1-2 depending on size)
  • wire rack
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix sugar cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
  3. Add peppermint extract and stir.
  4. Add food coloring drop by drop until desired hue is achieved (we use around 10-12 drops).
  5. Mix thoroughly to incorporate food coloring throughout.
  6. Fold in creme de menthe baking chips and Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
  7. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges brown lightly and the cookies set.
  9. Cool at least 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
We have a life-threatening allergy in the house, and only used nut-free ingredients. If this isn't a concern at your home, feel free to use regular ingredients where we used nut-free alternatives.

If your oven runs hot (as ours does), you're going to want to start checking your cookies at the 5-minute mark. If necessary, rotate your cookie sheets to ensure even baking and more importantly, to avoid the scourge that is burnt cookie bottoms.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.
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We all know there’s not always time scratch baking, so consider keeping these super quick, semi-homemade dessert options on hand: Nestle Tollhouse Dark Chocolate Peppermint Refrigerated Cookie Dough and Nestle Tollhouse Rolled & Ready Sugar Cookie Dough Sheets. They go from fridge to oven in minutes, and taste pretty close to homemade. Because shortcuts with minimal prep work required are parent lifesavers sometimes.

To further celebrate the spirit of the season, we’re helping Nestle give away $1,600 in branded gift baskets that will look beautiful tucked under your tree. Eight winners will receive baskets valued at $100 and two winners will receive baskets valued at $400. There’s four easy ways to enter, which you’re going to want to do immediately:

Nestlé Holiday Sweepstakes

  26 comments for “Make your holiday recipes merrier with help from Nestle.

  1. Tamara @ We3Travel
    12/02/2014 at 10:03 AM

    These look super delicious!! I’ve only ever done mint cookies with mint chips — versus putting the mint flavoring in the cookie. I’ll have to try it! Thanks for sharing.

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/02/2014 at 3:48 PM

      They are obscenely yum, Tamara! And it’s all about good peppermint extract to get that whole icy mouthfeel happening every time you bite into one. The mint baking chips are just creamy good enhancers.

  2. Jenn @TheRebelChick
    12/02/2014 at 4:09 PM

    Your cookies look so good! I am a big fan of Nestle Toll House cookies! I just bought their commemorative tin for 2014, it is a great storage container and it had chocolate chips in it too!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:12 AM

      Thanks, Jenn! This was our first time using Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels since they used to carry peanut- and tree nut-trace warnings. SO. GOOD.

  3. Divina
    12/02/2014 at 5:08 PM

    These look delicious and with the upcoming holiday season I will try out the recipe.

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:12 AM

      You’re going to gobble them up immediately, Divina. Make extra!

  4. Elena
    12/02/2014 at 7:36 PM

    I love that you spent the day baking and then ended up with a frozen dinner! And although I am not sure the recipe would be great for my nutritional plan, it does look DELISH!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:13 AM

      LOL… irony, Elena. You could always bake these up to share with neighbors and just save one or two for yourself. Less self-sabotage that way :-)

  5. Lori Popkewitz Alper
    12/02/2014 at 8:54 PM

    Wow. Green chocolate chip cookies! My kids would go crazy for them. Your photos are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:14 AM

      Thanks, Lori! The kids could barely wait for them to cool. Us adults of course don’t wait for such things and eat hot cookies right off the sheet.

  6. Jane - Mom Generations
    12/02/2014 at 9:17 PM

    Yeah, I’m going to need to make those cookies. Mint chocolate chip… my FAVE.

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:15 AM

      Just don’t eat the raw batter. It smells like fresh snow and peppermint magic.

  7. Annie {Stowed Stuff}
    12/02/2014 at 10:04 PM

    Oh my, Pilar. I feel like I’m in your kitchen! Such amazing photographs and I love those mint chocolate chip cookies! They look so good! Sounds like a recipe I could totally master! Have fun with those wooly socks! Stay warm!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:16 AM

      Thanks so much, Annie! Let us know what you think if you whip these up for your littles!

  8. Melanie
    12/02/2014 at 10:15 PM

    I am loving those cookies. And your pictures are awesome! I feel like I’m in your kitchen with you!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:16 AM

      Aww, thanks, Melanie! Pull up a chair!

  9. Leticia Barr
    12/03/2014 at 12:05 PM

    My family isn’t a huge fan of mint but I suppose in a way, I’m a tiny bit grateful because I love the combination of mint and chocolate! This means a whole batch of cookies just for me! :)

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:16 AM

      YAAAAAS. Like how you think, Leticia!

  10. Jessica @ KeepingMommySane
    12/03/2014 at 12:29 PM

    You had me at mint chocolate chip. My favorite combo. Can’t wait to start baking my holiday cookies!!!!

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:17 AM

      Holiday baking wins at life.

  11. Liza @ Views From the 'Ville
    12/04/2014 at 10:04 AM

    These look so yummy! They’re exactly the kind of cookie my BFF Em and I would add to our holiday baking days.

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/04/2014 at 10:17 AM

      Let us know what you think if you end up making them, Liza!

  12. Danielle
    12/10/2014 at 11:41 AM

    These sound absolutely delicious! And I love the festive green coloring. Really makes these cookies pop. #client

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/10/2014 at 1:55 PM

      Each bite is like a little bit of Christmas, Danielle. We had to stop making more batches because of the obscene yummy.

  13. Jenne Kopalek
    12/11/2014 at 9:48 AM

    My daughter is the biggest mint chocolate chip fan. I am going to have to pass this recipe on.

    • Dearest Geeks of Earth
      12/11/2014 at 10:29 AM

      Let us know what she thinks, Jenne :-)

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