Domestic Bliss: Freshly Baked Cookies & A Clean Home

Happy Holidays! I hope you are all having a great time with friends and family, and that those who celebrated Christmas had a lovely day! I love to make a homemade host gift whenever I go over to other peoples’ houses, especially during the holidays. The problem is – and my heartmate will attest to this: I am such a messy cook! My excuse is that making cookies which will have the perfect shape means you have to get a little messy in the process. Ah, it’s worth it for that first bite of a fresh-from-the-oven cookie, though!

Today, I wanted to share a recipe for some easy, super cute and festive cookies. I partnered with Clorox® for this post as their Clorox® Scentiva™ Disinfecting Wipes help me out so much in the kitchen (and, to be honest, the rest of the house). The main reason I’ve been using them is because they smell so darn good. I’m a total clean freak but weirdly I hate the smell cleaning agents. I love that using the disinfecting wipes cleans the kitchen but also leaves it smelling fresh but also relaxing – setting the tone I want for my home.

The cookie recipes I’m sharing is for snowflake crackle red velvet cookies. What makes them look so nice is that you cover them in confectioners’ sugar just before baking them. And when I say cover them, I mean really cover them – that’s the secret to getting the crackle and frosty pattern on them.Here’s what you need and what to do:

4 oz of salted butter
1 ½ cups of light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 ½ cups of good quality all-purpose flour
¼ of Dutch Cocoa Powder
½ teaspoon of salt
4 oz (one bar) of good quality milk or semi-sweet chocolate
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons of natural vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of red food coloring
¾ cup of confectioners’ sugar

1. Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy – you can do this by hand or in a stand mixer.
2. Add the vanilla essence and eggs and mix until well combined.
3. Melt the chocolate (either in a wide shallow bowl in a microwave or using a water bath on the stovetop), then add the melted chocolate with the red food coloring to the mixture.
4. Finally, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and stir into the mixture until combined.
5. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for between 1 -2 hours (this will help the cookies keep their shape.
6. Take out the fridge and form small balls by rolling in your hands (take a look at the pictures below for sizing)
7. Cover the dough balls very well in confectioners’ sugar, by rolling them around a shallow bowl with the sugar in.
8. Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet and squash the a little with you hand to flatten them into a cookie shape.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 F and then enjoy!I love how the cookies turn out, I think they look like they are covered in snow with the confectioners’ sugar on top.

OK, so now you see how when making these cookies things can get a little bit messy. It’s OK though, it’s the sign of a happy home! However, I have to say that I love that feeling of sitting on the sofa in front of a fire knowing the kitchen is sparkling clean. Told ya I was a clean freak! The one thing that bugs me about cleaning products so often is the smell of them; especially the really effective ones which usually leave a super strong smell. That’s why I have been using Clorox® Scentiva™ products for a while because it has all the cleaning power (the wipes kill 99.9% of germs) and elevates my home, leaving a lovely scent. They have a Clorox® Scentiva™ Multi-Surface Cleaner which I love too, I use it with a microfiber cleaning cloth and it makes my counter tops so clean, but also smelling nice. I think the scent makes my home an inviting place to be and really sets the tone, by making the house feel friendly and relaxing with notes of lavender. My favorite is the Tuscan Lavender & Jasmine scent, which is the perfect I love the hint of lavender and also the sandalwood smell, be sure to pick some up at the grocery store on your next visit. And if you bake these cookies, save me one (or three!).// Photography by Will Taylor | Posted in partnership with Clorox; thank you for supporting the brands that make our content possible.