If you're not much of a baker or occasionally choose to channel the wise words of Ina Garten that "store bought is fine," holiday baking season could be a bit simpler this Christmas, and there are easy ways to elevate your cookie game like a pro.
The New York Times recently released its annual treat-filled tradition of seven new holiday cookie recipes.
This year's collection follows a familiar formula, harnessing all of the season's flavors and colors to achieve the perfect balance of textures and taste in one harmonious holiday cookie tin. The lineup includes iced peppermint cookies, bûche de Noël, lemon-turmeric crinkle cookies, holiday rocky road, ginger cheesecake cookies, matcha black sesame shortbreads and rum-buttered almond cookies.
If you're not able to make all these delicious recipes, however, don't worry.
NYT Cooking's Vaughn Vreeland -- who created the latter boozy beverage-inspired cookie mentioned above -- joined "Good Morning America" on Friday to share some fresh ideas to elevate any store-bought cookie.
Vaughn got things rolling with a classic and suggested that even if you don't buy pre-made dough or turn on the oven, you can add some melted chocolate on top and affix tiny candies or sprinkles and sea salt for a better-than-store-bought version.
If you are using dough that's ready to bake, Vaugh suggests adding even more freshly chopped chocolate to help create pools of melty chocolate after it bakes. Or, make a thumbprint and use a chocolate kiss in the middle before baking.
Make "stained glass" windows to elevate the look of a pre-baked gingerbread house.
To do so, take Jolly Rancher candies and crush them into small pieces. Put the candy crumbs into the space for window holes and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for five minutes. This will gently melt the candy, without overdoing the cookie, to create a stain glass look.
Do this first before decorating the rest of the gingerbread walls or house.
Vaughn also suggested using shredded coconut for the exterior of the house and the ground to make a snow-covered look.
If you want even more curb appeal, pop in a few sprigs of rosemary and dust the herbs with powdered sugar to resemble a snowy shrub.
Adding a dash of smoked sea salt and some edible glitter to the top of a classic frosted sugar cookie will help cut through the sweetness.
You can also dip half of the store-bought sugar cookie in white or dark chocolate and then sprinkle with freeze-dried fruit, dried flowers or nuts.
If you're using pre-made raw cookie dough, once you've created your rounds, simply roll the side edges in sanding sugar of any color for an extra pop.
