How long do you generally leave your Christmas decorations up? Me, I usually take them down the first weekend of January. That means my house is now comparatively drab without the sparkly silver garland, the glow of Christmas lights around every window, my little decked-out artificial tree, and the pretty ceramic angel figurine my mom gave me that she’s had literally for decades.

This is usually my least favorite time of year because it means it’s almost another whole year until next Christmas. 348 days, to be exact. What are we to do? Well, we can make a big batch of these buttery, sweet milk chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, pour ourselves a big glass of milk, and try not to be too sad. Oh, and if you wanna quietly put on some Christmas music, I won’t tell a soul.

salted milk chocolate chip cookies

makes 32 cookies; recipe from Martha Stewart

2 1/4 c (319 g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp (3 g) baking soda
2 sticks (8 oz / 226 g) softened unsalted butter
1/2 c (112 g) granulated sugar
1 c (210 g) packed brown sugar
1 tsp (7 g) salt
2 tsp (9 g) vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 – 11.5 oz bag (340 g) milk chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place parchment paper on two sheet pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugars on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs, and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well, and beat for one more minute on medium speed. The mixture should be very fluffy and light in color.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and the baking soda. Add to the butter and egg mixture and mix for 20 seconds, gradually increasing the speed from 1 to 2, until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix on speed 2 for 10 seconds.

Drop dough on sheet pans in ping pong ball-sized mounds (1 oz or so each, using a #30 scoop if you have one), leaving at least 1-2 inches between cookies, as they will spread quite a bit. Sprinkle each mound with a hefty pinch of sea salt. Bake 2 pans at a time for about 8 minutes, then swap their shelves and bake for 7 additional minutes. When done, the cookies should be light golden on the edges and still somewhat soft in the centers.

Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Let the sheet pans cool to almost room temperature before scooping and baking the remaining dough.

The cookies will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. To refresh them before eating, pop in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Dunk in a glass of milk while you reminisce about all the fun of holidays’ past, gathering with family and getting all that your heart desires… here’s to the joys of next Christmas!