I’ve claimed the seat next to the fireplace at my in-law’s house. There’s comfort with each crackle; that soothing hiss and rumble of the flames is something I look forward to all year long. With this seat comes the responsibility of keeping the flame roaring and I take that role very seriously. In fact, it’s time for another log.

I’m warm, full of pie, feeling incredibly thankful, and getting very excited about December. How is it already December?

Not only is this the month that I finally get to share my book to all of you and but it’s also time for me to tell you all about our new holiday cookie mix flavor;  White Chocolate Peppermint with Vanilla Salt! So yeah, it’s a great month.

I’m generally not much of a white chocolate fan, in fact I’ve often mocked it for calling itself chocolate when really it’s only cocoa butter (if it’s high quality white chocolate) and sugar but I take it back with these cookies. Yes, they are quite sweet (which is also why I’ve chastised white chocolate in the past) but with cooling peppermint and fragrant vanilla salt there’s balance and a whole lot of holiday festiveness. Enough to make me apologize for all the bad things I’ve said about white chocolate.

I’ve gone ahead and shared the recipe with you all below so you can bake batch after batch during the month, as I plan to do. But if you’d like to give the cookies as a gift or save yourself a step you can order the mix (both Salted Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Peppermint) here.

While you’re there you may notice a few changes. For one we have a pretty great gift pack; cookie mix and Mae James coffee beans! These beans are roasted for these cookies. My sweet friend, Jessie has paired her delicately roasted beans with my cookies and they really do make a perfect set.

Also, our packaging has increased in size a bit to accommodate our new packages on the inside. They are super airtight keeping all the amazing ingredients very fresh. After packaging all the ingredients ourselves we are finally letting someone else have some fun. We are still using all the same great ingredients (Shepherd’s Grain flour, three types of sugar including raw turbinado sugar, ground whole Heilala vanilla bean, Guittard chocolate, Maldon flaky sea salt, and Jacobsen Vanilla Salt) but now I’ll have more time to think about new flavors and/ or maybe start thinking about another book (!!).

Because of this change we did have to increase our price just a touch. This whole process has been humbling and very exciting. We’ve had to adjust many things here and there but all in all we’re just so excited to see and hear about our little cookies being enjoyed in kitchens all over the world. I love checking in on our hashtag (#nwscookiemix) and seeing trays and trays of cookies. I love seeing parents hand their kids the tube and then they take it from there. It is so incredibly satisfying. Thank you all for the support and for loving the cookies!

Also, for those of you who are local (Seattle) we’re opening up our office on Sunday, December 7 from 12-4 to sell cookie mix, coffee, and homemade baked goods. Save the shipping and come say hello!

And finally, for everyone, if you are buying in bulk (6 or more) we’ll take 10% off of your order! Use the discount code CHOCOLATERAIN when you are checking out.

In the meantime, preheat your oven and go and bake some cookies because it’s December and it’s going to be a great month!

(PS Check out the cookies on Food52)

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Salt

MAKES 18 TO 24 COOKIES

1⁄2 cup / 115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 170 g packed dark brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

13⁄4 cups / 250 g all-purpose flour

3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup / 140 g white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons /30 g crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes)

Vanilla salt (such as Jacobsen), for finishing

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light in color and texture, 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well to combine. Again, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt to combine.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until streaks of flour still run throughout. Add the chocolate and peppermint candies then mix until everything just comes together. Finish the dough by hand, taking care to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

At this point, it is best to refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. Resting the dough intensifies the deep toffee flavors, and the texture of the baked cookie improves.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 360°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets. Top the cookies with a pinch of vanilla salt just before baking.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate the sheets halfway through if they appear to be baking unevenly. The cookies should be lightly golden on the outside but still look quite gooey on the inside. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

These are best eaten the day of baking but will keep, if well sealed, for up to 2 days.