Deck the halls, hang the mistletoe, and preheat the oven. ‘Tis the season for Christmas baking, which means it’s time to inundate your kitchen counter and colleagues’ desktops with an array of cookies, bars, and other sweet treats. Most supermarkets cater to holiday baking enthusiasts by offering huge discounts on staples like flour, sugar, and the requisite bag of chocolate chips, so stock up the pantry and try adding a few new recipes to your baking repertoire. Besides, it’s easy to make an office gift out of any culinary “mishaps.”

Need a little inspiration? Check out a few of our favorites after the jump to get the creative juices flowing (and of course you can always consult the Washington Post's annual cookie roundup).

Photo by afagen

Double-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) butter or margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats
¾ cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips recommended)
¾ cup white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli Classic White Chips recommended)
¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use an electric mixer to beat butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Stir in oats, both types of chips, and cranberries.

Drop batter by tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet and place into oven. Bake cookies until edges are light brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies
Adapted from The Ginger People

½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup dark molasses
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour recommended)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup crystallized ginger, chopped coarsely

Additional sugar, granulated or coarse, to coat

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg. Add flours, baking soda, salt, and additional spices and mix until just combined. Stir in crystallized ginger. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least an hour to stiffen.

Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Form dough into one-inch balls and roll in additional sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Peppermint Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup flour
2 pinches of salt
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup mint chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from burning. Add butter and allow it to melt completely. Transfer chocolate and butter mixture to a large bowl and stir in both sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and espresso powder. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in both kinds of chips.

Pour batter into a greased 9x9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center. Allow brownies to cool in pan before cutting squares. Makes 16 brownies.