Welcome to GMA 25 Days of Cookies. For 25 days, we are featuring cookie recipes that are perfect to make for the holiday season. Our celeb BFFs are sharing their cookie recipes with us and we've gathered some seasonal standouts that are sure to dazzle on your Instagram feed and Pinterest board.
Head to our full guide here all month long for the most beautiful, fun, seasonal, delicious holiday cookies worthy of your new Christmas traditions.
This one is hard to beat. Whether enjoyed as a gift, for afternoon tea, or even lightly warmed and served with ice cream for dessert, it's all good, and a wonderful twist on a simple classic. Shortbread, caramel, chocolate: What's not to love?
Check out the step-by-step guide below!
Ingredients:
For the shortbread:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup superfine sugar
For the Caramel:
1 and 1/2 cups soft light brown sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 tablespoons Guinness
1 and 1/4 cups crème fraîche
For the chocolate:
10 oz quality dark chocolate (70 percent)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12- x 8-inch baking pan with butter. For the shortbread, mix the flour and superfine sugar together in a mixing bowl, then rub in the butter with your thumb and forefingers until you have fine crumbs.
Add a little water to bring the mixture together into a dough, then push it into your prepared pan in an even layer. Prick all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden. Leave to cool in the pan.
To make the caramel, place the soft light brown sugar, butter, Guinness, and 2/3 cup of water in a pan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the crème fraîche, then reduce the heat to low and leave to gently bubble for 20 minutes, whisking often.
When it's thick and fudgy, pour over the shortbread -- don't try it, it'll be super-hot! Tilt the pan to help the caramel find its natural level, then chill in the fridge for two hours.
Snap your chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, add the butter, then leave to melt, stirring occasionally. Let it cool for a few minutes, then pour over the caramel -- you don't want the caramel to melt.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt and leave aside until set, then transfer to a board and slice smoothly into bite-sized chunks using a warm knife (dip it in a cup of hot water, for ease). They're good for a few days in an airtight container.
Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle over chopped dried fruit and nuts, go mad with a scattering of toffee popcorn (I love how dramatic this looks), swirl through milk or white chocolate, add a pinch of dried red chili flakes, a scattering of seeds, smashed-up pretzels, or any Christmas chocolates. Use your imagination and have fun -- this isn't for every day, so seize the opportunity to go all out!
Excerpted JAMIE OLIVER'S CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK: For the Best Christmas Ever by Jamie Oliver. Copyright © 2017 by Jamie Oliver. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by David Loftus.
Head to our full guide here all month long for the most beautiful, fun and delicious holiday cookies that are sure to become a new tradition.
Tell us which cookies you're baking! Tweet @GMA using #25daysofcookies with your #25daysofcookies pictures and we may feature you on our "GMA" Facebook page or in our morning "GMA" newsletter! Deck the halls with lots of cookies, fa la la la la, la la la la!
Editor's note: This was originally published on Dec. 7, 2018.