Every Christmas, my father-in-law, Charlie Wells, donned his festive red wool cardigan with black leather buttons for the annual company cookie swap. The conference tables were set with a punch bowl and napkins, a few poinsettias, and a vinyl tablecloth ready to display coworkers’ treats. His wife, Nancy, always packed peanut butter cup cookies in a decorative tin for him to share.
After graduating from NC State, Charlie spent more than 40 years in electrical engineering, including at Western Electric in Burlington. Charlie was intense and precise. On a typical workday, he wore a short-sleeved white collared shirt and a conservatively patterned tie with black slacks.
Watch as Lynn Wells prepares her Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
In the high-security world of engineering, work areas were rigid, and socializing was scarce. This suited most engineers just fine, but despite this preferred solitude, my husband, Chip, knew the cookie swap was important for his father: “The cookie swap was a time for a bunch of socially awkward professional nerds to get together for the usual small talk with each other and to meet everyone’s family over hot chocolate, punch, dozens of homemade cookies, and fruitcake,” he recalls.
Charlie always survived this once-a-year social event. He might not have admitted it, but we all knew that, deep down, he had a good time. Even after he came home from the festivities, Charlie would keep his red sweater on well into the cold December night.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 48 cookies.
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs, beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups chopped pecans
3 tablespoons brandy
1 cup candied pineapple, diced
½ cup candied orange rind, diced
½ cup candied lemon rind, diced
1 cup candied cherries, halved
Preheat oven to 275°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2½ cups flour and mix on low speed.
In another large bowl, whisk together ½ cup flour, baking soda, cardamom, and cinnamon. Add pecans, brandy, and fruits, and toss well; stir into butter mixture.
Drop 2 tablespoons of dough onto lined sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers until ready to serve.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 40 cookies.
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whole milk
40 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
In another large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream together butter, granulated sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and milk; mix on low until incorporated. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Shape dough into 40 balls, about 2 tablespoons each, and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup into each ball. Once cookies have cooled, use a butter knife to lift cookies out of pan. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 30 to 35 cookies.
2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
¼ cup molasses
Icing:
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of ground ginger, if desired
For the cookies: In a food processor, pulse oats 10 to 12 times.
In a medium bowl, whisk pulsed oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, about 2 minutes. Add egg and molasses, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. Dough will be thick and somewhat sticky. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 to 45 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake, let dough soften on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Scoop about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place 3 inches apart on sheets. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until edges are lightly browned but centers remain soft.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the icing: In a medium bowl, use a fork or whisk to combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Whisk in a small pinch of ground ginger, if desired. Lightly dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and place on wire rack. Icing will set after a few hours.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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