It’s December! How did December get there?!

If you are like me you are getting into the full swing of the holiday season and all of its little perks. There are cookies to bake, gifts to hand-craft, and parties to attend and host. Those three things are some of my very favorite parts of the holidays.

When I think about cookies, parties, and handmade gifts I often think of the delightful smells that go with those things. The spicy sweet ginger, the rustic cedar tree we always cut from the mountain, the warm cider from our own apples we pressed, popcorn to be eaten and strung for the tree, or the soft wood smells from homemade ornaments.

The holidays are full of wonderful smells aren’t they?!

If you are looking for something to make your house smell perfectly warm and inviting I have two things for you today. The first is an absolutely stunning cookie recipe and the second is something a bit easier…a new scrumptious holiday candle scent from Glade®!

First let’s chat about these cookies. I dare say I invented them. I was laying in bed one night thinking about this post and the idea of dipping the bottom of a ginger cookie in white chocolate came to mind. I’ve been making these white chocolate gingerbread blondies for a few years now. They are always a huge hit on my goodie plate and people are always asking me for the recipe. These cookies are the equivalent of the bars and just as tasty.

Crystallized or candied ginger is my secret ingredient for this recipe. If it’s new to you, fear not. It adds the most delicious and perfectly pronounced ginger flavor and is worth finding. I order mine in bulk online but you can generally find the crystallized ginger at the health or whole foods store in the bulk bins. You can get it in a bottle in the spice aisle of most grocery stores but it is a lot more expensive purchased like that.

The cookies are chewy without being too crisp, the ginger is just right without being hot (my kids love these cookies), and the chocolate on the bottom adds just the right amount of sweet and smooth. They are really excellent cookies that look gorgeous too. Cookie plate candidate indeed!

White Chocolate Bottomed Ginger Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Additional granulated sugar for rolling, about 1/2 cup
2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and allspice. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and egg and stir well to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the crystallized ginger. Let the dough chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
After the dough has chilled, form it into large 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll each ball in additional granulated sugar and then place on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to lightly flatten each cookie dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the centers are set.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before dipping them in chocolate.
In a medium bowl melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is melted completely but isn’t too hot to touch, dip the bottom of each cookie in the chocolate and then place it on waxed paper until the chocolate sets. Store extra cookies in an air-tight container.

Now these cookies will make your house smell fabulous, so if you are having company over you can plan on making these for dessert and your home will smell like the holidays the entire evening.

But what if unexpected guests stop by or you don’t have time to make fresh cookies to get that deliciously sweet holiday scent milling around your home? Well, I have a second option for you!

That’s where the new holiday scents from Glade® come in. The good people over at Glade® sent me a candle called Sweet Holiday Treat Sweet Holiday Treat™ and it smells just like what the name says… a sweet holiday treat. It’s the perfect thing to light while decorating the tree, filling out Christmas cards, or having a holiday dance party with the kids. It just smells so warm and pleasant. Lucky for you, it’s available at Target. Who doesn’t need another excuse to head over to Target?

And isn’t the candle itself pretty?

So there you have it. Two awesome ways to make your house smell like the holidays. One is tasty and the other is easy… I recommend them both.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to you!

Get festive this holiday season with the Glade® Limited Edition Winter Collection available exclusively at Target. Inspired by the best feelings of the season, the Glade® Sweet Holiday Treat™ scent lets you indulge in the irresistible scent of rich cocoa, toasted nuts, and creamy caramel. The 2013 Glade® Limited Edition Winter Collection was inspired by the nostalgic, spontaneous, snowy, moments that build up to the holidays. Creating memories with loved ones defines the season and the holiday lineup from Glade® is just as memorable.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glade®. The opinions and text are all mine.