At Fertility Solutions, we want to help ease the sometimes difficult holiday season our patients can experience. Facing an infertility diagnosis or undergoing fertility treatment during the holidays can be tough, as you are often expected to attend parties and gatherings where you may be asked questions about family planning.

We understand that this can be trying, and we’ve written educational blog posts on topics such as how to talk to someone struggling with infertility and how fertility support groups can be incredibly helpful as you build your family.

In order to spread a little holiday cheer to all of our patients, we’ve asked our staff to round up their best holiday cookie recipes in honor of National Cookie Day on December 4th. We hope you’ll check out our favorites and please let us know your best cookie recipes in the comment section!

From the Fertility Solutions’ nurses, “Sunken kisses”:
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter at room temp
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
½ cup peanut butter (Smooth or preferably super crunch)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Large egg, room temp
48 Large Hershey Chocolate Kisses

Preheat oven to 375, line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl.
Using an electric mixer, on medium speed, cream butter, brown sugar, ¼ sugar, peanut butter and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg on medium speed for 10 seconds.
Measure 48 rounded teaspoon full of dough and hand roll them into balls.
Dip one side of the ball into the remaining sugar and place on cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Immediately after removing from the oven, top each cookie with a Hershey kiss. Place firmly in the middle of each cooled.

From the PACU nurses, “Bourbon balls”:
1 box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons of Hershey’s Cocoa
1 Cup finely chopped Walnuts
3 Tablespoon white corn syrup
¼ cup bourbon

Mix Vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, cocoa and walnuts well. Add syrup and bourbon and mix well. Roll into 1” balls and roll in the powdered sugar.

From the Fertility Solutions’ laboratory staff, “Oatmeal lace cookies”
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 Tablespoons cut into 8 pieces
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Large Egg, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside large bowl of ice water.
Combine flour, oats and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
Place butter, brown sugar and water in a medium size sauce pan, heat over low heat until the butter is melted (about 2 minutes) Increase heat to medium-high and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Boil 1 minute.
Place sauce pan, slightly, into a bowl of ice water and whisk for 3 minutes to cool the mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, stir in egg and vanilla rapidly with a whisk. Stir in flour mixture and nuts with a wooden spoon.
Drop the dough by level teaspoon about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes and cool on the sheets for 30 minutes.

From Maryanne Gaffney, Fertility Solutions’ Marketing Coordinator, “Crispy Orange – Oatmeal Wafers”:
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temp
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 egg at room temp
1 ½ cup of rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together, set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, both sugars, vanilla and orange zest until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and mix on medium about 20 seconds.
Add dry ingredients and mix on medium for 10 seconds, scrape and repeat.
Add oats and mix until blended.
Drop dough in rounded teaspoons on the sheet and cook about 8 minutes, until golden.

From Dr. Huang, “Coral’s Coffee Mug Cupcake recipe”:
¼ cup chocolate chips
3 Tbs milk
3Tbs flour
¼ tsp baking powder

Put chocolate chips and milk in a mug, microwave on high for 30 seconds and stir. Add flour and baking powder and stir.
Optional: add more chocolate chips.
Microwave for 1 minute.