Cookies and Milk (for Grown Ups)

You better watch out—Santa’s over the low-fat milk and boxed chocolate chip cookies you’ve been serving him all these years. This Christmas, up the ante with gourmet treats paired with spiked beverages. They’re equal parts naughty and nice.

—Alexis Korman

Chocolate Blondie Bars

Recipe courtesy Bourbon House, New Orleans

Pair Bourbon-spiked milk punch, a classic brunch cocktail from New Orleans, with these pecan-studded blondie bars to satisfy any Southern Santa.

2 cups flour
½ tablespoon salt
¼ tablespoon baking powder
¾ pounds butter, melted
1¼ boxes light brown sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ cups pecans
2 cups dark chocolate
1½ cups white chocolate

Preheat oven to 285°F. In a bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder together. In another bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and mix with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in flour, salt and baking powder mixture until well combined.

Stir in pecans and white and dark chocolate. Grease and flour a brownie pan, and bake for 1½ hours. Let cool, then cut into squares. Yields approximately 24 bars.

Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch

Recipe courtesy Barry Himel, beverage manager, Dickie Brennan & Co., New Orleans

Adding twice-barreled Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon adds serious complexity to this otherwise simple and sweet drink.

4 cups milk
1 cup Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon
¼ cup vanilla extract
¼ cup simple syrup
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Grated nutmeg, for garnish

Combine milk, Bourbon, vanilla extract, syrup and ice cream in a blender, and mix for 8 seconds. Pour into cups, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 8

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon Cream

Recipe courtesy Mirko Paderno, chef at Oliverio, Beverly Hills, California

Chocolate chip cookies get a tasty upgrade with a serving of Bourbon-spiked cream—and a shot of Bourbon on the side.

2 ounces butter, softened
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat butter, sugars, salt and vanilla extract until well combined, then beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, mixing until absorbed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Shape dough into 1½-inch balls and place them about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool before serving. Yields approximately 24 cookies.

For the Bourbon Cream

4½ ounces sugar
2 ounces Bulleit Bourbon
3 cups heavy cream
½ cup dark chocolate chips

In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in Bourbon. Combine with cream and whip by hand or in a food processor until stiff peaks form, then fold in chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookies.

Pair it: Serve the Bourbon-cream-topped cookies with a pour of Bulleit Bourbon, either neat or on the rocks. “This smooth, creamy Bourbon complements the rich flavor of the cookie,” says Paderno.

Oatmeal Rum Raisin cookie

Recipe courtesy Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas

Soaking raisins in your favorite dark rum overnight before baking gives these oatmeal cookies extra oomph.

“The cookie is soft, chewy and familiar, with just a hint of naughtiness, and it pairs well with the subtle hints of vanilla and chocolate in the cocktail,” says Philippe Angibeau, executive pastry chef at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. “But do beware, as this duo definitely has a holiday kick to it.”

1 cup raisins
1 cup dark rum, like Myers’s Original Dark
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2–3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1½ cups pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1⅓ cups rolled oats

Pour raisins in a small bowl and cover with rum. Seal with plastic wrap and soak overnight. Drain before making cookies.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and oats until well mixed. Stir rum-soaked raisins in last. Use a teaspoon to form mounds. Bake on a greased baking sheet for 10–12 minutes. Yields 12 cookies.

White Rayne Cocktail

Recipe courtesy Jonathan Rosek, bartender, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas

This drink looks like fresh, foamy milk, thanks to the egg white, but tastes like a blissful combination of vanilla and chocolate.

2 ounces SVEDKA Vanilla Vodka
¾ ounce Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
¾ ounce Giffard Crème de Cacao White
1 egg white

Combine vodka, liqueur, crème de cacao and egg white in a shaker. Shake, and then add ice. Shake briefly again and strain into a rocks glass.

Pecan-Bacon Cookies

Recipe courtesy Derek Simcik, chef, Outpost Restaurant, Goleta, California

Cook up some extra bacon in the morning. It gives these pecan cookies a savory, salty touch.

⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
½ cup bacon, finely chopped
⅔ cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)

In a medium saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, approximately 7 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in orange zest, pecans, bacon and flour. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, approximately 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Using a teaspoon, place dough onto sheets about 2 inches apart (6 per sheet) and roll into balls.

Bake until cookies are golden-brown, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer cookies from parchment to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool completely. Yields 50 cookies.

St. Nick’s Fix

Recipe courtesy Derek Simcik, chef, and Chris Burmeister, bartender, Outpost Restaurant, Goleta, California

Homemade buttered pecan syrup and baking spices create a liquid dessert effect, but Simcik and Burmeister still suggest topping each glass with a cookie.

1½ ounces Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1 ounce buttered pecan syrup (see recipe below)
½ ounce heavy cream
1 barspoon St. Elizabeth’s All Spice Dram
1 egg white
Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Shake Bourbon, syrup, cream, dram and egg white until all ingredients have emulsified. Add ice and shake again until cold and properly diluted. Double-strain into a glass, and garnish with ground cinnamon (and a cookie “float,” if desired).

For the Buttered Pecan Syrup

2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of cinnamon
1 liter simple syrup

In a large skillet set over low heat, melt butter and add pecans, maple syrup and cinnamon, and simmer for 5 minutes. Once mixture is very aromatic, add the simple syrup and increase to medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate in large jar or plastic container.

When ready to bottle, use a spoon to scrape off top layer of butter and pecans. Strain syrup through cheesecloth and a fine strainer to remove all solids, and bottle. Yields 1 liter of syrup, and will last for 2 refrigerated.

Sesame Shortbread Petit Fours with Saké

Recipe courtesy Saint Martha Restaurant, Los Angeles

Mix up your cookies and milk routine with these rich shortbread cookies that pair perfectly with a glass of unfiltered Nigori saké.

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds or poppy seeds
2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons flaxseeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
¼ cup course raw sugar
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons Knob Creek Bourbon

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven, and preheat to 325°F. Mix the sesame seeds, flaxseeds, fennel seeds and raw sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

With a large spoon in a medium bowl or using a mixer, mix the butter with the granulated sugar until smooth and well blended, but not fluffy. Add the egg and Bourbon, and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture, and mix until completely incorporated.

To make square cookies: On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into an 8-inch square patty about ½-inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with half of the seed mixture, and use a rolling pin to press them into the dough. Turn the dough over and repeat. Cut dough into 8 equal strips horizontally and vertically, creating 64 squares.

Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined or greased pans. Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned, rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through to ensure even baking.

For lined pans, set the pans, or just the liners, on racks to cool. For greased pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. Cookies may be kept in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Yields 64 cookies.

Pair it: “My favorite, widely available Nigori saké to pair with these cookies is Sho Chiku Bai,” says Mary Thompson, general manager and sommelier of Saint Martha Restaurant. “It is bold and sweet, with a rich and robust flavor, and it has a beautifully soft texture and really speaks to the balance of the cookies. The bottle should be shaken each time before pouring, due to the high rice content that settles in the bottom of the bottle.”

White Chocolate Cognac

Recipe courtesy Maribel Lieberman, chocolatier and founder, MarieBelle, New York City

Leave it to a chocolatier to create this decadent Brandy Alexander variation (and serve it with cocoa-dusted truffles.

1 shot espresso (or ¼ cup strong coffee)
⅓ cup MarieBelle White Chocolate and Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix
1½ ounces Louis Royer Cognac

In a small bowl, mix hot espresso or coffee with the hot chocolate mix. Continue stirring until mix has melted evenly. Stir in Cognac. Allow mixture to cool, then pour into an ice-filled shaker. Shake well. Pour into a martini glass, and serve cold.

Truffle Cookie

Recipe courtesy Maribel Lieberman, chocolatier and founder, MarieBelle, New York City

Hot chocolate steals the show in this superrich truffle cookie recipe.

1 pound butter, softened
5 cups flour
1½ cup powdered sugar
2 cup MarieBelle hot chocolate mix
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix butter, flour, sugar and hot chocolate mix in a bowl, stirring to incorporate fully. Form ½-inch balls, and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until crisp on the bottom. While warm (but not hot), coat the cookies with cocoa powder. Yields approximately 300 truffles.

Wreath Crispies

Recipe courtesy Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

A few drops of food coloring give this Rice Krispies treat variation a festive look.

30 large marshmallows
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
3 drops green food coloring
4½ cups cornflakes
36 red candies, like M&Ms
2 ounces marzipan (available at Whole Foods or specialty stores)

Slowly melt the marshmallows and butter in a pan over low heat. Add the vanilla essence and food coloring. Incorporate the cornflakes into the marshmallow mixture. Wearing latex gloves, form 12 individual wreaths, approximately the size of a peach, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place 3 red candies on the bottom of each wreath. Use a small, leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 2 leaf shapes in marzipan per wreath and place on them. Let cool before serving. Yields 12 crispies.

Peppermint Mocha White Russian

Recipe courtesy Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

Since candy canes tend to break easily, use them to rim Santa’s glass for this white Russian.

Crushed candy canes and chocolate sauce, optional, for rimming glass
1 ounce Peppermint Mocha Kahlúa
2 ounces SVEDKA Vodka
1 ounce heavy cream

On a saucer, combine crushed candy canes and chocolate sauce. Rim edge of a glass. Fill the glass with ice, and add the Kahlúa, vodka and cream. Using a barspoon, stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Recipe courtesy Richard Papier, executive chef, Araña Taqueria y Cantina, New Orleans

Polvo is Spanish for “powder,” and polvorones are wonderful crumbly, powdered-sugar-covered confections sure to delight your holiday crowds.

½ cup pecans, ground or finely chopped
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
2 cups all purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 egg yolk
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a large cookie sheet.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse the pecans until finely chopped.  Add the confectioners’ sugar, flour, salt, egg yolk, orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier. Pulse again, scraping the bowl with a spatula, if necessary. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse a couple of times. Add the egg and pulse again, just until the mixture starts to come together.

Using your hands, roll the dough into 1- to 1½-inch balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet 1 inch apart, giving them a light pat on the top. Bake in batches, if necessary, until the cookies are golden-brown, approximately 15 minutes. Generously dust the cookies with extra confectioners’ sugar. Yields about 20 cookies.

Drunken Horchata

Recipe courtesy Araña Taqueria y Cantina, New Orleans

Popular in Spain and Latin America, horchata is a milky drink made from ground almonds and rice. Adding a hit of coffee and chili-flavored Incendio liqueur provides the sweet and spicy flavor profile so beloved in Mexican cuisine.

Crushed graham crackers, for rimming glass, (optional)
2 ounces horchata (available at Mexican grocery stores)
1½ ounces Patrón XO Cafe Incendio
Cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)

Crush graham crackers on a saucer. Wet rim of glass with a few drops of Incendio and twist onto saucer so crackers adhere. Combine horchata and Patrón Incendio in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and pour into glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick, if desired.

Cookies, Coffee and Cream Cocktail

Recipe courtesy The Thoroughbred Club, Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston, South Carolina

Sweet, buttery benne wafers have been a hit in the Lowcountry since Colonial times. Use them to rim a martini glass, and you won’t need to bake any cookie accompaniment.

Crushed benne wafers
Simple syrup, for rimming martini glass
1½ ounces Wild Turkey American Honey liqueur, infused for 24 hours with 1 cinnamon stick and 1 vanilla bean
1½ ounces Kahlúa
2 ounces half-and-half, chilled

Crush benne wafers in a shallow dish. Use a light simple syrup to coat the rim of a martini glass. Gently press the glass into the crushed wafers and set aside.

Add the honey liqueur into an ice-filled shaker. Add Kahlúa and half-and-half, shake well, then strain into the martini glass carefully to not upset the wafer-coated rim.