Friends Food Family

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 12 - Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti

I'm laughing as I finish this recipe. I have finally completed the 12 Cookies of Christmas. I had promised they would be completed before Christmas and then before the New Year. It is Friday the 13th and what better day to finish. There is a long holiday weekend upon us and a great time to bake some cookies. I have decided that next year it will be the 6 Cookies of Christmas because with my life that's all I'm capable of...I think.

For those who have missed my 12 cookie reicpes, I'm going to list them all so that you can have the completed list.

Day 1 - Aunty Anita's Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Day 2 - Jen's Shortbread Cookies 

Day 3 - Glitter Ball Cookies

Day 4 - Brownie Almond Biscotti

Day 5 - Lemon Drop Cookies

Day 6 - Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Kiss

Day 7 - White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Cookies

Day 8 - Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Day 9 - Orange Chocolate Cookies - Jeff's Favorite - Huge Party Favorite

Day 10 - Dipped Gingersnaps

Day 11 - Florentines

Day 12 - Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti 

To finish this list, I will tell you a little bit about the Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti recipe. I found the recipe in Maria Robbin's Biscotti and Other Low Fat Cookies. I have had this book for a long time and periodically make Maria's biscotti. I like them because they combine a great group of ingredients and the biscotti is always delicious.

When you look at the ingredients used in this recipe - brown sugar, toasted oatmeal, maple sugar, raisins and walnuts - you will understand why I like the biscotti. The combination when baked was delightful. I am a big maple syrup fan and when it was combined with the oatmeal and brown sugar it was sweet and crunchy, and the nuts and raisins gave it a chewy, nuttiness. If you dip them in coffee or tea, you have an amazing breakfast treat or afternoon snack.

These probably weren't the greatest to make as one of the 12 Cookies of Christmas but it is one I want to remember because it's simple yet delicious and it's a recipe you can make all the time.

I want to thank my Quincy friends, Stephanie Coose and Kim Palmer along with my social media divas, Jen Vondenbrink, Jen Osojnicki, Dotty Wyman, Diane Dias and Susan Finn. You shared some amazing stories and recipes and for that I am truly grateful. You helped to create the 12 Cookies of Christmas 2011.

Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled oats (not instant)

1-1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cup of light brown sugar

1 teaspoon of baking power

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 large eggs

1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla

2/3 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of walnuts, finely chopped

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Place oatmeal on a cookie sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, stirring occassionally until they are lightly golden and fragrant. (The house will smell amazing!)

2. Take 1/2 cup of the oats and grind to a powder in the food processor. (oat flour)

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, oats, oat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until blended.

3. Add the raisins and walnuts and combine into the mix.

4. Using two cookies sheets, make a strip of dough that is (approximately) 3 inches wide by 14 inches long, about 1-1/2 inches thick.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden and firm when touched.

6. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes on a baking rack.

7. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

8. Cutting on the diagonal with a serrated knife, cut bars into 1 inch biscotti.

9. Place biscotti on cookie sheets lying on their side.

10 Bake for 10-15 minutes to slightly toast the biscotti. Flip the cookies once through the baking process. (Turn from one side to the other.)

Allow to cool on cookie sheet.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 11 - Florentines

I guess this falls into the category of better late than never. After having a slightly stressful holiday season...can you say 6 kids, 1 live-in in-law, a few holiday parties, decorating, shopping, working...Oh, I'm exhausted thinking about it.

I wanted to re-vamp my website and all concentration went in one direction and it wasn't towards completing my cookie list. I feel better having accomplished one MAJOR thing that has been weighing me down for a while, it now opens opportunity for growth...and blogging. The next two posts are coming out back to back and the 12th Cookie of Christmas will give you the final list of all 12 cookies for 2011.

These florentines were from the cookie swap and were a second set of cookies from my girlfriend, Jen Vondenbrink. She made the amazing shortbread cookies from Day 2 - Jen's Shortbread Cookies. Jen is the owner of Life Simplified and she is an incredible baker (and cook). She told me, "This recipe is a home version of a favorite recipe from a bakery I ran back in the late 80's. Customers couldn't help but drool when these came out of the oven.  They can be served as is or half dipped in chocolate.  Even better they can be formed around a cone or dowel and then either dipped in chocolate or filled.  Yummm!" 

The florentine cookies were delicate, nutty and sweet. They had a lightness that melted in your mouth. My mother-in-law, Althea, dubbed them as her favorites from the party. She was intrigued with their appearance as well as their taste, sweet but not filling. A perfect dessert cookie that complements any hot beverage.If you are looking to WOW your friends and family at the next gathering, try these cookies. You'll come home with an empty plate.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup of packed brown sugar

1/4 cup of light corn syrup

1/3 cup of flour

1/2 cup of chopped nuts

1 teaspoon of vanilla

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.  

1. Melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup.  Boil about 3 minutes mixing constantly.  

2. Take off the heat.  Add flour, nuts and vanilla.

3. Drop by small spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving plenty of room between cookies (6-8 per tray).  

4. Bake until bubbly and brown about 5-7 minutes.

5. Let sit until firm enough to take off the sheet.  

Cool on rack.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 10 - Dipped Gingersnaps

It's been a long holiday season, with family commitments greater than anticipated, and I never seem to get the 12 Cookies of Christmas out before the 25th. I should rename them and just call them the Cookies during December.

My normal assortment of cookies was lacking this year because every time I had a spare moment I would make one specific kind of cookie. When giving out platters, if there isn't an assortment, you tend to use more of one or two kinds. This leaves that situation of no assortment and constantly running out of one or two varieties of cookies. At this point I am down to having two batches of cookies left, Nannie's Oatmeal Cookies and Angie's Ricotta Cookies.

This recipe is from my friend, Diane Dias. Diane owns a company called Our Good Dog Spot, the premiere online shopping destination for your classic, glamorous, preppy or trendy pup. Her daughter, Emily, and my son, Brian, have been friends since junior high school and are freshman at the University of Missouri. It's nice to have a familiar face at college when you are a 3-hour plane trip from home. When I was visiting Diane recently, she shared a favorite cookie recipe of Emily's called Dipped Gingersnaps. I was so excited about the recipe, I went home that night and made a batch. (See that gorgeous photo above!)

I was excited as well as disappointed when I made them. Excited because these cookies were delicious...chewy, yet crunchy and the spices were perfect. They are dipped in white chocolate but it tastes more like a rich vanilla icing which was perfect for me. My disappointment...I like them better than my favorite Ruby Warner's Ginger Snaps.

So, in my rush to get another batch done before the holidays, I half read the directions and ended up putting 4 teaspoons of baking powder verses baking soda in the recipe...what a disaster! They came out like chunky doughy balls...not good. My fault though, I rushing to get them finished before the holiday, but as soon as I am done posting this article, I'm heading back into the kitchen to make a batch. I need to be prepared for New Years!

Dipped Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups of vegetable oil

2 cups of white sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup of molasses

5 cups of flour

4 teaspoons of baking soda

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of salt

Additional sugar for rolling (I use demerara sugar)

12 ounces of white chocolate chips (or vanilla flavored chips)

1/4 cups of shortening

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine sugar and oil in a large bowl. Mix well. (I used my mixer)

2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.

3. Stir in molasses.

4. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

5. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well.

6. Shape into 3/4 to 1 inch balls, roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 8 minutes or until the cookie springs back when touched. (It will be crackled, too)

8. Melt chips and shortening in a double boiler over low heat. Dip cookies half way, shake off excess and place on lined wax paper until hardened.

Makes between 8-10 dozen.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 9 - Orange Chocolate Cookies

 

Before you start reading this article about my girlfriend Stephanie's Orange Chocolate Cookies, PRINT THIS RECIPE. This is (hands down) my FAVORITE cookie this year. Stephanie and I went to middle school together at Quincy Point Junior High School in Quincy, MA. It's funny that 25+ years later, we end up living in the same community and her husband coached by son's basketball team. 

To start, I love oranges, whether juice, rind or jelly. I also love bittersweet chocolate, so when you combine these two ingredients, it's an amazing flavor and taste. Add a shortbread base and you finish with the most delicious, thumbprint style cookie. 

I wanted to tell you a bit about what transpired during and after the cookie swap.

1. Jeff declared them his new favorite cookie. 

2. The girls thought Stephanie's cookies were amazing.

3. I decided to make a set of cookies (see below) and realized the recipe is versatile. I didn't have orange marmalade so I substituted raspberry jam and dipped the cookies in both bittersweet chocolate as well as white chocolate. BIG HIT!

4. After bringing these cookies to 3 parties, I have had 5 request for the recipe. People were excited to make these cookies for the holidays

The shortbread is buttery with a hint of orange. The marmalade brings sweetness and the bittersweet chocolate brings balance. Over the past year, I have been using bittersweet chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate in many of my cookie recipes. I find that cookies are sweet and the bittersweet chocolate complements the cookie.

I am so glad...

1. I had a cookie swap this year because it has given me some great new cookie recipes.

2. That Stephanie was able to come and share these buttery orange chocolate cookie with the girls as well as my foodie following.

Thanks, Stephanie, truly appreciated!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter, softened

1 cup of granulated white sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons of finely grated orange peel

2 cups of flour

1/4 cup of marmalade

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon of shortening

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

Add the sugar and beat until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Beat in egg and orange peel. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using 1-1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut into rounds. Press your thumb into the center and fill with 1/4 teaspoon of marmalade.

Bake on parchment lined baking sheets in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. In a small sauce pan, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. 

Dip half of each cookie in chocolate mixture. Place cookies on rack to set. 

Makes about 48 cookies.

Note: I used raspberry jam rather than marmalade and made the white chocolate dip by substituting white chocolate for bittersweet chocolate.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 8 - Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

 

These cookies were made after the cookie swap so none of the girls got to taste them. I made them after having a conversation with my mom about Aunty Anita's Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies. My mom was reminding me of a chocolate coconut meringue cookie which my grandmother used to make. She didn't have the recipe so I searched the internet and was able to find these Chocolate Coconut Macaroon which seemed pretty close. I found this recipe on the Joy of Baking site.

These macaroons were extremely easy to make and within 30 minutes they were mixed, cooked and cooling on the racks. The cookies are slightly dense, very sweet and extra fudgy. My kind of chocolate cookie. I brought them to work and they were thoroughly enjoyed by co-workers as well as clients. As I am writing this article, I am wishing I had a few.

A quick and easy macaroon recipe that will satisfy any chocolate craving. Whip up a batch, and hide a few because they will disappear. 

Ingredients:

4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 large egg whites

1/4 cup of cocoa powder 

3/4 cup of white sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2-1/2 cups of sweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in the coconut and melted chocolate, making sure the coconut is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place small mounds (heaping tablespoons) of the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing several inches apart.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the macaroons are shiny. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool.

Yields 20 - 24 macaroons.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 7 - White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Cookies

I can't believe it is Christmas this Sunday. Some family issues and my having to bake the entire weekend has put me a bit behind with some of my cookies. I am going to write up some quick information about the next few cookies and my girlfriends who brought them to the cookie swap.

These white chocolate cherry macadamia nut cookies came from my girlfriend, Jen Osojnicki and she got the recipe from Paula Deen. Jen is an amazing photographer who owns Jen Osojnicki Photography in North Attleborough, MA and works in a marketing strategy group with me. Not only does Jen take beautiful wedding photographs, but she has a rockin' Facebook "Like" Page which highlights all her wedding sneak peeks and family portraits.

Jen's cookies were absolutely delicious. I call them my "guy" cookies. I make a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie that always disappears at a gathering. Most times, it is the men who enjoy this cookie. There is something about white chocolate and macadamia nut that the male population enjoys. What I loved about this cookie was the chopped candied cherries. They added that little bit of tartness to this deliciously sweet cookie.

This is a great staple holiday cookie that will definitely disappear from the cookie tray and leave a few for Santa. Rumor has it Santa likes white chocolate cherry macadamia nut cookies. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of  butter, softened

1 cup of packed brown sugar

1 cup of white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of milk

1 cup of chopped macadamia nuts

1/2 cup of candied cherries

1-1/2 cups of white chocolate chips

 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375. 

1. Using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. 

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined.

3. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. 

4. Add the milk to the butter mixture and then the dry ingredients.

5. Mix until just combined. (The batter should be stiff.)

6. Add the nuts, cherries and white chocolate, stirring until just blended.

7. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. 

8. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 6 - Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Kisses

Have a chocolate kiss with these delicious Thumbprint Cookies - Day 6 from The 12 Cookies of Christmas.

My girlfriend, Kim, made these cookies for our cookie swap. Kim is a long time (really good) friend of mine, having gone to Archbishop Williams High School, then Stonehill College together. We always hung around in both groups. We also have daughter's who were born 6 weeks apart and have enjoyed each others company outside of our school connections. 

When Kim arrived, she brought this adorable snowman ornament. I thought this would be great when I showcase the cookies. I'm always looking for some creative ideas when I am doing food photography.

So far, I have highlighted a few shortbread style cookies but none have been made with brown sugar. They remind me of my thumbprint cookie recipe, a bit more dense with a hint of caramel. The chocolate kiss is always a wonderful addition; add chopped pecans to the thumbprint base and it could give you that "turtle style" cookie flavor.

Everyone loved the cookies and they were the first ones to disappear from my house the following day. They were buttery with a smooth chocolate finish. There is something festive and delicious about a cookie with a chocolate kiss. 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups of butter 

3 large eggs- separated

1-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

¾ cup of brown sugar      

3 cups of flour       

¾ teaspoon of salt       

Hershey’s Kisses (unwrapped)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375°

1. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg yolks, mix.  Add vanilla. 

2. Mix dry ingredients together and add to sugar mixture. 

3. Roll into 1 inch balls.  Dip in slightly beaten egg whites. Place on greased cookie sheet. 

4. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan and press thumb into each cookie. Return to oven and cook for 8 minutes.  

Immediately as cookies come out of the oven, press one kiss in the center of each.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 5 - Lemon Drop Cookies

A lemony sweet treat on Day 5 of The 12 Cookies of Christmas. 

As I mentioned in the Brownie Almond Biscotti recipe, I purchased a Taste of Home- Cookies and More booklet which I used to find some of my recipes for my cookie swap. This is another recipe from that book. 

As I was flipping through (a half dozen times), I kept coming back to these Lemon Drop Cookies. I make a few different lemon cookies, one being a Lemonade Drop and the other being the Lemon Ricotta Cookie and wasn't sure if I wanted a lemon cookie to the swap. The ingredient that kept pulling me back was the lemon drop candies. Jeff's dad, Joe, passed away in August and he was one of our biggest foodie fans. He had a sweet tooth (like mine) and enjoyed Lemon Drops. The cookie reminded me of Joe. So, I decided he would attend the swap in a different presence. 

This recipe has a sugar cookie flavor but has a delicate lemony crunch from the candy. Jeff's mom really enjoyed the cookies, this being her favorite one to date. I loved the sweet and tartness of the cookie and at one point thought of dipping them in confectioner's sugar, almost like a lemon cooler.

These are a delicate, delicious cookie which would pair well with a glass of Riesling, some hot tea or even a glass of limoncella. Flip it to summer and it would be fantastic with an ice cold lemonade. Either way, this is a great addition for this year's Christmas Cookie list.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter, softened

3/4 cup of sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of half-and-half cream

1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel

1-1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of finely crushed lemon drops

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the egg, cream and peel.

3. Combine the flour, lemon drops, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 3 in. apart onto greased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

6. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 3 - Glitter Ball Cookies

It's Day 3 of The 12 Cookies of Christmas.

My girlfriend, Dotty Wyman, is an interior designer and owns Dotty Wyman Designs. Everything with Dotty has great style, presentation and taste. Dotty has helped with some of the design in my house, helping with fabrics, color and curtains, which she makes herself. When Dotty arrived with her cookies, they were in a 24" clear glass vase. She had put the green cookies at the base, 3/4 of the vase was filled with red cookies and she topped it with a green cookie. I wish I had been taking pictures when people arrived. The presentation was extremely creative and festive.

The glitter ball cookies were perfectly shaped and looked like beautiful ornaments, hence the photography of the cookies in the (artificial) tree. These cookies have ingredients almost identical to Jen's Shortbread Cookies, but in different combinations. The frosting and decorative sugar bring more of an upfront sweetness verses the melt in your mouth flavor of Jen's. I'm always a fan of crunchy cookies, especially those rolled in sugar.

Dotty makes her cookies with a vanilla frosting. I'm interested in trying the ginger frosting which is part of this recipe. We have recently been using fresh ginger in some of our recipes (to be posted after the 12 Cookies of Christmas) and I think this dessert could complement some of the meals and appetizers we have been making. What is a good meal without a great dessert...especially a cookie!

Find some really festive sanding (or decorating) sugar and let's get rolling. We've got glitter balls to make.

Thanks, Dotty.

Dotty found this recipe on Martha Stewart; Glitter Ball Cookies.

Ingredients:

Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour

Sanding sugar, in assorted colors

Creamy Ginger Filling

4 tablespoons of butter, softened

2 teaspoons of finely grated, peeled fresh ginger

1 cup of confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon of honey

Preparation:

Cookies - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

1. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. 

2. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour, and mix just until combined. 

3. Shape into 3/4-inch balls (chill dough if too sticky). Place sanding sugar in shallow bowls. 

4. Roll each ball in sanding sugar, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

5. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. 

6. Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Spread 2 cookies with just enough filling to allow them to stick together.

Frosting

1. Beat all ingredients by hand or with an electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth.

2. Filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

3. This is the official filling for the cookies.  I used butter cream frosting with vanilla.

(For vanilla butter cream frosting, use ginger frosting recipe, omit the ginger and honey, replace with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1-3 teaspoons of milk to get to a frosting consistency.)

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 2 - Jen's Shortbread Cookies

Welcome to Day 2 of the 12 Cookies of Christmas.

These cookies are called Jen's Shortbread Cookies. They were made by my girlfriend, Jen Vondenbrink, who owns a coaching company called Life Simplified. She writes a great blog, Appetite for Life - A Blog About Life, Love, Laughter and the Lessons Along The Way, also. I have been fortunate to work with Jen in different capacities over the past 3 years and enjoy her business expertise as well as her passion for cooking and baking. I was excited when Jen said she would attend the cookie swap, I knew she would arrive with some delicious cookies.

When I asked Jen about her cookies she explained, "These shortbread cookies were a "by accident find."  I was looking for something different than a sugar cookie which our family always found too sweet.  These actually were supposed to be sandwiched with chocolate in between (which isn't a bad idea either).  Instead we use these as our basic decorated cookies for the season.  Now, I can't leave home without them."

The evening of the cookie swap, my daughter was heading to a friend's house, so we loaded her up with a sampling of all the cookies. When she arrived home the next day, she said, "Everyone loved those snowflakes!"

What I like about this recipe is the use of confectioner's sugar, my shortbread recipes are all made with granulated sugar. There is a buttery smoothness to this cookie that is different from my shortbread. These cookies melt in your mouth. I will admit, I'm looking forward to making a batch of shortbread cookies myself. I'm even thinking of adding some fresh lemon rind with a lemon icing...YUM!

We've given you some ideas...go forth and bake! Thanks, Jen.

Ingredients

3 sticks of butter (1-1/2 cups)

1 cup of confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon of vanilla

3 cups of flour

Preparation

1. Blend butter until smooth.  

2. Add sugar and blend.  

3. Add vanilla and blend. 

4. Add flour, half at a time.  Mix thoroughly.  

5. Refrigerate dough for about 30-60 minutes depending on how warm the kitchen is (I usual make another batch of cookies while these are firming up).  

6. Roll out dough to 1/2" thickness.  Cut with cookies cutters.  Bake until edges are just golden.  
Preheat oven to 325.  

You can decorate the with an icing made of confectioner's sugar and milk or lemon juice.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 1- Aunty Anita’s Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Last Friday, I hosted a cookie swap with some neighbors and friends from home, home being Quincy, MA. I wanted something quick and easy that allowed us to taste everyone's favorite cookie as well as help me create a recipe list for The 12 Cookies of Christmas. This is year three and I was looking for some cookie inspiration. 

I am a cookie fiend. I'll pass up any dessert for a good cookie...especially a chocolate chip cookie. Is it any surprise that I started with a Chocolate Chip Meringue cookie? This chocolate chip meringue cookie was created by Susan Finn, who is a neighbor of mine and owns a company called Buttonwood Originals. She makes the most beautiful memory quilts out of t-shirts or a loved one's clothing. These are custom quilts incorporating the fabrics of your life or someone special to you.

She brought these cookies in a big container, perfectly rounded and delicately placed. They looked amazing and tasted delicious! They were crunchy and a little chewy, yet melted in your mouth. The chocolate chips gave a great texture and finish to this sweet cookie. Truthfully...they were the best meringues I have ever tasted. I proceeded to eat them for breakfast (on Saturday and Sunday) and finally had to share them with others. They made it to my office on Monday and today there is nothing left. 

These cookies will take some time to make, but I'm sure you could get a batch in the oven and then let them set while you finish your holiday shopping.

Two thumbs up for a chocolate chip twist on my favorite type of cookie. Thanks, Sue!

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites

¾ cup of granulated sugar - place in food processor for 30 -60 seconds in order to make it finer

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

½- ¾ cup of chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 250 °

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until they reach stiff peaks. Be patient.

2. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, very slowly.  Add the vanilla extract. Gently fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.

3. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto foil or parchment lined baking sheets.

4. Bake in oven 250 ° for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven for 2 more hours.

5. Remove from the pan and store in an airtight container.

 

Giant Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips, Raisins and Almonds

I didn't think I would be making any more giant cookies before Thanksgiving.

BUT, Jeff's daughter, Kate, came over and found an old recipe of mine and decided to take on the challenge. I can't even imagine where I might have gotten this recipe because it's on my giant index cards and they are at least 20+ years old. I remember making them when I was selling cookies out of my house as Danielle B's Goodies. It was a cookie I made a few times but it never caught on because everyone loved Nannie's Oatmeal Cookies. It seemed like I was duplicating the process.

This cookie has a nice combination of butter and sugar along with the right mix of oatmeal, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut and spices. These cookies are crunchy with a hint of caramel and sugary sweetness. I love that there is a touch of cinnamon which gives the oatmeal cookie that traditional flavor and feel.

As I increase my giant cookie recipe numbers, I'm looking forward to creating a few of these larger treats as holiday gifts. I tend to go overboard when giving cookies and sometimes people don't want too many sweets lingering at their home. A few large cookies can be enjoyed in two ways

1. Oh, I can't eat this whole cookie, I'll just have half.

2. That was so good, I'll just eat the other half.

How do I know? It happened at a recent staff meeting, everyone had half and no one left the other half. Perfect sized gift for the holidays!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter
1-1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1-1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2-1/2 cups of oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup of almonds (sliced or chopped)
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of sweetened coconut

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until well incorporated. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix together by hand until blended. Stir in the oatmeal, chocolate chips, raisins, almonds and coconut.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, place four scoops of cookie dough per tray. Slightly flatten the dough to resemble a disk.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the trays once during the cooking time. Remove when slightly golden brown and the tops are no longer wet. Remove from trays and place on cookie racks to cool. Makes 18-24 cookies.

Enjoy!

Giant Chocolate Cookies with Symphony Bars and Pecans

What started out as another giant cookie recipe, took on an ingredient accident and ended with an amazing product!

I was making cookies for a function at work and needed giant cookies. Giant because that is my theme heading into the holidays, I've got about 5 giant cookie recipes on my list so far (go to Giant Cookies in the recipe section). I found this recipe at Epicurious and they were called Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies.

I started off, not reading the entire recipe and jumped the gun with some ingredients. Instead of a full storyline, I'll bullet what I did...

1. I chose to use bittersweet chocolate VS semi-sweet chocolate. I really love the bittersweet taste when a cookie has quite a bit of sugar.

2. I started out with too much butter, but I played around with the dry ingredients and adjusted the flour.

3. I used some dark brown sugar in place of all light brown sugar because you get a bit of chewiness with the crunchy edges of the cookie.

4. I use kosher salt when baking cookies, it gives that sweet-salty flavor which enhances the cookie.

5. I added Symphony Bars and Pecans - because they seemed like a perfect complement for the cookies. 

So, I give you Giant Chocolate Cookies with Symphony Bars and Pecans and they are AWESOME! I love to watch people as they break the cookie in half (because it's too big) and then dive back in for the second half because they were SO GOOD! These cookies are chewy and crunchy, rich and chocolaty yet not too sweet. People have been asking for this recipe...quicker than most.

Try this recipe before the holidays set in and start looking at great treats you can give as gifts. I always say, the best way to a person's heart is through their stomach. Enough said!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 (10 ounce) bags of Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips (16 ounces is about 1 2/3 bags)
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (4.25 ounce) milk chocolate Symphony Bar with Toffee Bits and Almonds, chopped
1 cup of chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking power) in a medium sized bowl and put aside.

Place Ghiradelli chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water and stir until melted. Allow to cool to luke warm.

In a large bowl, add eggs and sugars and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until slightly thick and gooey.

Add melted chocolate to the mixture and beat until uniform, add vanilla. Mix together until incorporated.

Stir in dry ingredients, once mixed thoroughly, add chopped milk chocolate and pecans.

Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment. Use an ice cream scoop to place dough on the tray. Flatten slightly. Press the cookie to a 1 inch disk. Bake 3 to a tray.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the center is slightly puffed and the cookie is crackly.

Move to cookie rack and allow to cool. Makes 14-16 cookies.

 

Giant Peanut Butter Cookies with Dark and Milk Chocolate Chips

I have been on a giant cookie kick. It started with the Giant Ginger Cookies I made last week.

It was fun making large cookies since they have a different texture which brings a bit of a different flavor. They are more crunchy and chewy together. Tough to describe, but eat individual cookies and then eat a giant cookie...more cookie...more flavor.

I took out my peanut butter cookie recipe from Peanut Butter Blossoms and didn't think it had the power for a giant cookie. I searched the web and came up with two recommendations for the Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Cookies. I decided to mix it up with dark brown and light brown sugar, as well as a few Reese's mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups and milk chocolate chips. Add an ice cream scoop and demerara sugar and you have Giant Peanut Butter Cookies with Dark and Milk Chocolate Chips.

These cookies were amazingly delicious. Loaded with peanut butter and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! The demerara sugar made them sweet and extra crunchy yet the cookie was thick enough to be chewy. As much as I froze a few for later this week, they are walking out of here much faster than I thought. They were in everyone's lunch today and I've seen them disappear into lunch bags for tomorrow.

Over the next few weeks I will be making a few more giant cookies because I'd like to offer something fun and different for the 12 Cookies of Christmas and I have a funny feeling they will be GIANT!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of butter, softened
2 cups of chunky style peanut butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 12 ounce package of Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips
15 mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups (chopped into sixths)
1 cup of milk chocolate chips

Bowl of demerara sugar (raw sugar) for dipping cookies (about 1 cup)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. See aside.

3. Cream butter and sugars, when completely blended add the chunky peanut butter.

4. Once the peanut butter is incorporated, add the eggs and vanilla.

5. Mix half the flour mixture into the batter. Add the milk, mix until well blended and then add the rest of the flour mixture.

6. Stir in the peanut butter cups with the dark and milk chocolate chips.

7. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and release scoop into a bowl of sugar. I use the demerara sugar because of the large granules.

8. Roll the ball until completely covered with sugar. Place on the cookie sheet and flatten to a 1/2 inch thickness.

9. Place up to three cookies on one cookie sheet.

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden with cracks on the top. bang cookie sheet on counter to allow the cookie to flatten. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from tray to cookie rack. Makes 24 giant peanut butter cookies.

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen and The Singleton in the Kitchen.

Giant Ginger Cookies

 

(Beware: Objects appear smaller than they are.)

It seems like I haven't made some new desserts in a while. The truth is I have, I just haven't posted my articles as often as I would like. It's time to start enjoying the desserts AND sharing the recipes with my wonderful friends and followers.

I have been looking at quite a few cookie recipes lately with the holidays creeping up on us. I will be having a new list of the 12 Cookies for Christmas and I know that they will never replace the original list from 2009 The 12 Cookies of Christmas. I like to offer new cookie recipes each season so that you can find your family's favorites. I'm also thinking of doing a cookie swap which could get me some great family favorites from my friends.

When I started, I was looking for a good hermit cookie recipe. The results weren't great so I think I need to go digging into some old recipe books. I was looking for a hermit recipe with coffee as one of the ingredients. I came across a few, but not exactly what I was looking for.

I did come across this ginger cookie recipe on Martha Stewart's website and thought this could be fun since these cookies were about 5 inches in diameter when they were finished baking. I don't normally make large cookies like these but truthfully, this is where you get a different flavor and texture. I also liked that there was pepper in the recipe. I love ginger, but the thought of additional heat to the cookie using pepper was interesting.

I adapted Martha's Giant Ginger Cookies by adding a bit more ginger and molasses and changed up the salt and sugar. I like the saltiness of kosher salt (vs. table salt) because when you bite into something sweet, you get that salty-sweet flavor. I love to use demerara sugar for rolling cookies. It is raw sugar which has larger, light brown crystals. It looks great and gives the cookies an extra crunchiness.

I mixed the batter and placed the dough in the freezer. It gave me enough time to make a batch of my favorite cookies, Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookie. I cut the dough into 16ths and they were rolled and in the oven with four cookies per cookie sheet.

Some friends and family tried them and absolutely loved them. They were chewy and crispy. The best was after they ate the cookie and said, "I can still taste the spiciness of the ginger", which was probably helped by the pepper. We enjoyed them as a mid-morning snack with pumpkin spiced coffee. What better way to enjoy a giant cookie that was just DELICIOUS!

Think warm, think GIANT ginger cookies!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 rounded tablespoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated white sugar, plus 1/3 cup of demerara sugar for coating
1/3 cup of molasses
1 large egg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice, and pepper.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Flatten into a round disk, wrap in plastic, and freeze for 20 minutes.
3. Cut disc to create quarters, cut quarters in half, cut eighths in half (you will have a perfectly cut pie shape with 16 pieces.). Roll into 16 balls.
4. Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Roll balls in sugar to coat; place at least 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten into 3-inch rounds. Sprinkle with sugar remaining in bowl.
5. Bake until brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes 16 large cookies.

Giada's Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts

 

This past weekend we held a wedding shower for Jeff's niece, Megan. We ordered a cake for dessert, but knew we needed a few finger desserts as extras. I was thinking I would make my favorite and easiest chocolate chip cookies, Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I took out my baking basket which holds all my bags of chips; butterscotch, milk chocolate, peanut butter and bittersweet chocolate. I found a chunk of hazelnut milk chocolate and decided to make Giada's Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. As I was combing through her cookbooks, looking for the recipe, I came across this recipe of chocolate chip cookies with hazelnuts. As I read through the story behind the cookies, I started to laugh. Giada DeLaurentiis talks about these cookies being her favorite and that she made them for her wedding. OK, I remember this story, maybe I made these before. (Losing my mind?) I looked on the blog and didn't find the recipe. I checked the cookbook, Giada's Family Dinnersand realized it was published in 2006, pre- Friends Food Family. It's amazing how we make so many recipes once and then move on to the next recipe.

I also looked at the ingredients and it called for oatmeal to be ground into a powder. Oatmeal being ground into flour reminds me of one recipe (and one recipe only)...Mrs' Field's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Now, you all remember the story about Mrs. Field's Cookies and how some woman asked for the recipe and was charged some strange amount of money. The story started at $250, then it was $2,500, and then it was $25,000 and I think at one point I read $250,000. Being slightly miffed that her credit card had been charged, she made it her mission to send the recipe to everyone for FREE, or so the internet legend is told.

As I started to put the recipe together and tasting the batter, I remembered how much I liked hazelnuts and how they can have a very different but delicious taste in a chocolate chip cookie. As they came out of the oven, I knew I had made them...they looked perfectly shaped and browned up beautifully. They were crispy, caramel-ly sweet and nutty, everything I like in a cookie! One cookie, two cookies...yes, they are addicting.

They were a big hit at the shower. People thought the combination of  chocolate and hazelnut was delicious and I got to freeze a few for later this week. Nothing better than entertaining and having extras for another occasion.

Reminder to self...start remembering to look back over older recipe books for one-time favorites. It's amazing what I can find.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats (not instant) 
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup (packed) of light brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 bag) of English toffee candy (recommended: Heath or Skor bar), finely chopped
1 cup 0f hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and chopped
1 (12-ounce) bag of semisweet chocolate chips (I use bittersweet chocolate chips)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

 

Sarabeth's Chocolate Chubbies...it's chocolate HEAVEN!

 
 

I'm not sure if it's been a stressful week or people are just having sugar cravings but I have had numerous requests for chocolate recipes this week. I have some cake recipes which I want to make but I just haven't had a free moment. I tend to lean towards cookie recipes, especially during the week, because I can make them and bake them in less than an hour...clean up included.

As I mentioned when I made the Chocolate Cloudsa few weeks ago, I ordered and received Sarabeth Levine's cookbook, Sarabeth's Bakery - From My Hands to Yours. I have been having a ball identifying my next baking projects from cakes to breads, cookies and pies. I'm eager to take on some yeast and pastry dough recipes. I really need some baking challenges.

When I started receiving requests for chocolate, I picked up Sarabeth's cookbook and found Chocolate Chubbies. They had three different types of chocolate (unsweetened, bittersweet and semi-sweet) and I thought...what better! The recipe worked up pretty quickly with melted chocolate, sugar and eggs colliding. The recipe had little flour which reminded me of a flour less chocolate cake. Lots of nuts and a bit of semi-sweet chocolate and you have Chocolate Chubbies.

The cookies looked amazing coming out of the oven. They were very fragile while they were hot, but as they cooled they became more solid and chewy. We all tasted them hot as well as cooled. They were very sweet, fudgy, nutty...heaven! My daughter, Danielle, kept saying, "Why did you make these? I can't stop eating them!" I got to try them as batter...which is always good, hot and cooled. Truthfully, they all tasted GREAT! Add a little vanilla ice cream, YUM!

So, I dedicate Chocolate Chubbies to all my friends craving chocolate this week. Everyone needs a little bit of chocolate heaven!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
9 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (no more than 62% cacao), finely chopped
3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups of superfine sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) of semisweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups (5 ½ ounces) of coarsely chopped pecans
1 ¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) of coarsely chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a wide, heatproof bowl, and melt the butter over the hot water in the saucepan. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, stirring often, until melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly but still warm, about 5 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Whip the eggs in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are foamy and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, then the vanilla. Whip until the eggs are very thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the tepid chocolate, making sure it is completely incorporated. Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts, making sure the chunky ingredients are evenly distributed at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be somewhat soft.

Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake the cookies immediately—if you wait, they won’t be shiny after baking. Bake, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are set around the edges (if you lift a cookie from the pan, the edges should release easily, even if the center of the cookie seems underdone), 17 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on the baking pans. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, with the layers separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 days.)

Sarabeth's Chocolate Clouds

 

Over the past year, both Jeff and I have had a wonderful time cooking and baking many delicious recipes from famed chefs and food magazines. At Christmas time, Jeff purchase Dorie Greenspan's "around my french table" which we have been religiously cooking from. See Scallops with Carmel-Orange Sauce and Spinach Bacon Quiche.

As I began to do more investigating into Dorie Greenspan, I realized she was connected with David Lebovitz, an American pastry chef living in Paris, who I follow on Facebook and Twitter. I featured his Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies that are (hands down) the best chocolate chip cookies.

Somehow, in the midst of this, I came across Sarabeth Levine, The Goddess of Bakedom. (Don't you just love her title!). She is a pastry chef and founder of Sarabeth's Restaurants. I have been eagerly following her as I love some of the recipes she has showcased. I also asked Jeff to buy me her new cookbook, Sarabeth's Bakery, From My Hands to Yours. I'm looking forward to making a few more of her recipes as she has quite a few hands-on pictures which many of the early reviews have praised. The recipe I came across was the Chocolate Cloud Cookies. They were golden brown and crackly. (They also had a cute little story about Little Miss Muffet.)

The cookies started with toasting some sliced almonds which made the house smell delightful. Almonds have become my "new" favorite food, especially the sea salt almonds. The rest of the recipe blended quickly with the help of our new mixer (Kitchen Aid). Amazing how easy it is to add ingredients and let the machine do the rest. I know that the pictures I have posted don't do the cookies justice, but these are BIG cookies. When you make them, you use an ice cream scoop to place the dough on the cookie sheet. They expand to about 5-6 inches across. They look like bakery cookies.

The chocolate clouds tasted ABSOLUTELY delicious! Crunchy, chewy, buttery, chocolate...did I miss anything? As my tasters- family and friends -were licking their fingers, they asked if there was any toffee in the cookie. I suppose I could say yes as there is butter, brown sugar and almonds in the mix.

If you live in New England, it is down-pouring on the last Friday of February vacation. This is a great afternoon project that will surely put a smile on those receiving these yummy treats. They have two options: 1.they can share this cookie with someone else or 2. enjoy it on their own because no matter how big the cookie...it's only one!

CHOCOLATE CLOUDS
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

BAKERS NOTE: Place the dough about 3 inches apart on the half-sheet pans—they spread.

1 1/3 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups (8 ounces) toasted sliced almonds
2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips
 
1. Position the racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 3 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Rub the sugar and brown sugar together through a coarse wire-mesh wire sieve into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar mixture, then the vanilla. Beat, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until the mixture is pale yellow and light textured, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer speed on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until each addition is incorporated. Add the almonds and chocolate chips and mix just until combined. Empty the dough onto the work surface, and use your hands to thoroughly distribute the almonds and chocolate chips in the dough.
3. Using a 2-inch-diameter ice-cream scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared pans. Using the heel of your palm, slightly flatten each ball of dough. Bake two of the pans with the cookies, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are evenly golden brown,15 to 18 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, rap each pan on the rack. The cookies will deflate and their signature cracks will appear on the tops. Repeat with the third pan. Cool on the pans. (Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

 

Epicurious' Chocolate Toffee Cookies

 

Valentine's Day is Monday. We will spend this weekend looking for candy, flowers and other little trinkets to give our loved one. Before you start spending lots of money, what about something homemade? How about homemade cookies? I attended a Women's Business Network meeting yesterday and basically asked the same question. Then proceeded to pass the container of cookies around for everyone to taste a sample.

Is homemade that hard or have we just gotten out of the habit of reading a recipe? Slice and bake, along with defrost and serve have become an easy past-time for "homemade". But really, how long does it take to make a batch of cookies? Start to finish? Probably 30 to 40 minutes. I know when I bake, I have happy people. Whether it's a snack in someone's lunch or an after dinner dessert, everyone likes something homemade. (I'm going to guilt you into making cookies.)

Back a few weeks ago I came across this recipe, Chocolate Toffee Cookies on the Epicurious website. I wanted to make something chocolaty to showcase for a Valentine's Day recipe. (I'll warn you up front...I have two more recipes.) The cookies looked delicious and I liked the dark rum component. As I was making them, the smell was incredible. The chocolate and rum together gave the impression I was making rich brownies. As it turned out, they did taste like chewy fudgy brownies. I also made them as mini cookies, using a cookie scoop that held about two teaspoons of dough. By doubling the recipe, I ended up with about 80 mini cookies.

My family tasted them and like most cookies I bake, they were a big hit. So good, they went out and purchased vanilla ice cream to enjoy them as mini ice cream sandwiches. The women at the Women's Business Network enjoyed them, too. The best compliment was when one women came up to me at the end of the meeting, as I was getting my empty container, and asked if there were any more left. (Great segue into guilt.)

Now, I will leave everyone with the recipe to these deliciously chewy and chocolaty cookies. I expect to hear about happy faces in every household as people decide not to purchase a gift and make something HOMEMADE!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of dark rum
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate-covered English toffee (such as Heath bar; about 7 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg, rum and vanilla and beat until well blended. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into small bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix in toffee and chopped almonds.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto heavy large un-greased baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies puff slightly and crack on top but are still soft to touch, about 11 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet 1 minute. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely (cookies will become crisp). Repeat shaping and baking with remaining batter. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

 

Bon Appetit's Hazelnut-Cinnamon Biscotti

 

Tuesday, I had to drive across town in the middle of our most recent snow storm. The only good thing about it was stopping at Hilliard's on the way home. Hilliard's is a local chocolate (and incredible candy) store in Easton, MA. They have the best hot chocolate mix and homemade marshmallows. Nothing better when you are in the midst of the 5th snowstorm of the season and more snow to add to the four feet we have already! UGH.

Now that I had the hot chocolate, I needed something to dunk in it. Looking at recipes for chocolate toffee cookies, I realized I didn't need anymore chocolate, I needed something to compliment chocolate. Thumbing through another one of my Christmas gifts, Bon Appetit Desserts: All Things Sweet and Wonderful, I came across quite a few biscotti recipes. I wanted something nutty, but not too sweet. Hazelnut-Cinnamon Biscotti seemed the best choice.

I know I always speak about ease of a recipe and this one was easy! I mixed the entire recipe in my food processor. Outside of having to toast the hazelnuts, I had these blended and in the oven in five minutes. One thing I did was to add some cinnamon sugar to the top of the biscotti. If you saw the picture Bon Appetit displayed it looked like there was a sugary topping.

The biscotti were a perfect match for the hot chocolate. Buttery and nutty with wonderful hints of orange rind and cinnamon. We enjoyed hot chocolate and biscotti at 8:30 PM that night with Jeff's parents. As they are house bound it was nice to hold the warmed mug and dip biscotti as the snow was falling and changing to frozen ice.

As Valentine's day is nearing, why not make some delicious hot chocolate and add a few biscotti. A great gift that will warm any heart! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of hazelnuts, toasted, husked (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 large eggs

(Topping: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to 3 teaspoons of sugar)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside.
Coarsely chop hazelnuts in processor. Transfer to small bowl.
Combine sugar and butter in processor; blend until fluffy.
Add orange peel and vanilla extract and blend well.
Add eggs 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated after each addition.
Add flour mixture; mix using on/off turns until just blended.
Mix in hazelnuts using on/off turns until just blended.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 9-inch-long, 2-inch-wide log.
Space logs 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each to 12-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. (Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.)
Bake until very light golden and firm to touch, about 25 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using metal spatula, transfer logs to work surface.
Using serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 3/4-inch-wide slices.
Place slices, cut side down, on large baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes.
Turn biscotti over; bake until light golden and firm, about 15 minutes longer.
Transfer biscotti to racks and cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

The 12 Cookie of Christmas - Day 12 - Chocolate and Vanilla Sandwich Cookies

 

Finally, the 12th Cookies of Christmas. As I had mentioned earlier, life has been a bit of a whirlwind since the Wednesday before Christmas.

Jeff's parents moved in with us this past August and have an in-law apartment in the back of our house. On Wednesday the 22nd, Jeff's mom fell and broke her hip. After spending two days at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and six days at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Althea is resting comfortably at the Harrington House (Rehabilitation Center). We expect her home next week.

This put much of my cooking as well as blogging into a tailspin. Between hospital visits and caring for Jeff's dad, dinners (and desserts) were scarce at best. We are finally moving into a more normal pace and blogging will resume at two days a week.

As I tried to figure which would be the twelveth (12th) cookie, I went back and forth between chocolate and fruit. Chocolate won out but in a fun way. (Did you think it wouldn't?) I found one of my favorite recipes and decided to mix it up with vanilla and chocolate. These sandwich cookies are very easy to make with simple ingredients and delicious results. They look like little whoopie pies, but taste better...a little sweeter.

I found this recipe on the side of a Pillsbury's Dark Chocolate Cake box. This is a semi-home made recipe which allows you to make them quickly. It starts with the cake mix and ends with you deciding whether you would like to make your own filling or use purchased frosting.

Ingredients:

1 box of Pillsbury Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (for the vanilla cookies, use yellow cake mix)

1/2 cup of butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all three ingredients until they are well combined, forming a ball. Using a tablespoon of dough, roll each ball into a 1-1/2 inch ball. Place on a cookies sheet 2 inches apart. This will yield about 30 balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed and slightly cracked.

Cool on cookie racks.

Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup of shortening (crisco)

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 egg white

(if you would like to make chocolate frosting, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to one cup of vanilla frosting)

Preparation:

Place egg white, vanilla and shortening in a bowl and beat until slightly lumpy and frothy. Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, getting a blended consistency. The frosting is sweet so you may want to add the second cup in intervals, tasting in between.

Once the cookies have cooled, add a tablespoon of frosting to each cookie or more if you like filling. This recipe yields about 15 cookies. If you don't want to make the frosting a prepared frosting will do.

Making both flavors was fun, along with mixing up the chocolate and vanilla frostings. This recipe pleased every taste. Make some for your next celebrating!

 

 

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 11 - Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

 

About three weeks ago, I was wandering around Macy's looking for some stocking stuffers for Jeff. We tend to give each other kitchen gadgets as we do "love" to cook. I was roaming through a section of Martha Stewart kitchenware when I came across a few gadgets as well as a Martha Stewart pamphlet with cookie recipes. Inside was a recipe for Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. The picture of the cookies looked delicious so I thought I would try them and see how they tasted.

I had every intention of finding a molasses style ginger snap (for the 12 Cookies of Christmas) and thought I had the perfect recipe. Jeff's mother had made these incredible ginger snaps which I thought were better than my Ruby Warner's Ginger Snaps. They were a little more crispy and had a great spicy flavor. I looked up the recipe and they were IDENTICAL. The only difference is that I used butter and she used shortening (like Crisco). Since I couldn't use the ginger snap recipe, this seemed like a best bet.

As I was making the cookies, I did notice that there were no eggs. Thinking there could be an error, I looked the recipe up on-line and discovered that there were a few recommendations about the cookies. One was to refrigerate the cookies in a log fashion and then slice them like a sugar cookie and dip them in sugar. This was a great idea because it meant less work and the cookies were pretty much guaranteed to look like photo.

These cookies are gingery with a nice finish of chocolate. I liked thembecause the chocolate was not overbearing, keeping this more gingery than chocolatey. This is a great cookie to use as a light dessert after dinner or a quick sweet pick-me-up in the afternoon with a cup of tea. Sweet, yet not overpowering. They have been a two thumbs up at our house this week.

Try them for New Year's and enjoy!

Ingredients

7 ounces of best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup of dark-brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 cup of granulated sugar for dipping cookies

Preparation

Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes.
Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.
Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap.

Roll into a log approximately 12 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, seal with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice dough in 1/2 inch slices and dip in granulated sugar.

Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 10 - Bread & Chocolate's Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti

 

Last year, the Boston Globe highlighted 10 cookies from area bakeries called Holiday Cookie Extravaganza. I have highlighted a few recipes from this article and decided to try the Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti as my festive holiday cookie.

I love biscotti!

A few years ago, my Christmas Cookie list was filled with biscotti. As we get past the holiday season, I will begin to pull out some of those favorites...maybe as a withdrawal to all of this sugar...ho! ho! ho!

Eunice Feller, owner of Bread & Chocolate Bakery Cafe, had this to say about the cookies, " she likes to have these cookies on the holiday dessert table for her husband’s large Italian family. The biscotti are packed with dried cranberries and pistachios, and a drizzle of melted chocolate sweetens each bite."

She describes very well the deliciousness of these cookies. They are buttery and sweet, but the cranberries, orange and pistachios give it a wonderful fruit and nut flavor. The chocolate compliments the cookie but never overpowers the other ingredients.

Enjoy this biscotti after you have celebrated your holiday meal or maybe you can enjoy it as a wonderful breakfast treat as you unwind from a crazy holiday season.

Ingredients:

5 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and still warm

4 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 2 medium oranges

1½ cups dried cranberries

1½ cups shelled, unsalted pistachios

Icing

8 ounces good-quality white (or dark) chocolate

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until the dough comes together. Mix in the cranberries and pistachios. Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into a 13-inch-by-3½-inch rectangular loaf (about 1 inch thick). Place the loaves on the prepared sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Bake in the middle position for 30 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through baking. The loaves should be lightly golden and give slightly in the middle when gently pressed. Remove the loaves from the oven and cool on the pan for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and move oven racks to top and lower-middle positions. Carefully transfer the loaves to a large cutting board. Using a long serrated knife in a long sawing motion, cut the loaves into slices ½ to ¾ inch thick. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and place the biscotti cut-side down on them.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, or until the biscotti are firm and lightly golden. (When you rotate the sheets, check the bottom sides of the biscotti; if they are browning, turn over to the other cut side.) Remove the biscotti from the oven and cool completely on the pan.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Drizzle or spread it over the tops of the biscotti. Place the biscotti on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper, to let the chocolate dry. Store the biscotti in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This makes about 40 biscotti.

 

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 9 - Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars

 

I'm not sure where to start with this bar. My mother gave me the recipe after she had attended a holiday party. She never had the written instructions, she just described it. " I think they call them something similar to a Baby Ruth bar", was her response to what these treats were.

I searched the internet and the closest I found to a Baby Ruth Bar recipe was the Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Graham Bar. They are similar to the making of a 7 layer bar with fewer ingredients. Butter, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter...that's it...done.

I like these bars because they are sweet and chewy. I get mixed reactions as to whether they taste like coconut or not. The chocolate and peanut butter coat the bar to finish the taste. When you think about the combination of ingredients, it's a bit of a hard sell. I find myself trying to convince people that peanut butter, chocolate and coconut tastes great together.

If you want to have some fun, make a pan of these peanut butter chocolate coconut graham cracker bars and place them at your next function. Don't tell people what is in it until they taste them. 9 times out of 10, they won't care after the first bite, they'll just want to know if they can have another one.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

1-1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs

3 cups of flaked coconut

 1 (14 ounce) can of condensed (sweetened) milk

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 13 x 9 inch pan, pour melted butter.

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the melted butter and press into a crust covering the bottom of the pan. Place the coconut, in an even layer, over the graham cracker crumbs. Drizzle the condensed milk over the coconut.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and crunchy peanut butter in the microwave or over a double boiler. If you choose the microwave, microwave in increments of 30 seconds as not to burn the chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Pour chocolate mixture over cooled bars. Allow the chocolate to harden before cutting.

I cut them into long thin bars and yielded 30 bars.

 

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 7 - Real Simple's Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars

 

This past week, while working with a client, we were looking at blogs and identifying certain websites that had blogs. She asked to view the website Real Simple because she liked the site and wanted to see if they had a blog. As we searched, we came upon their food blog. There was a recipe being highlighted called Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars. They looked really good and I hadn't listed a fruit cookie as part of The 12 Cookies of Christmas. (In my "baking" head, raspberry jam constitutes a fruit.)

I went back to the site yesterday and found the recipe to make these delicious looking bars. The ingredients are simple and I had the pan in the oven within 15 minutes. I love recipes like this because it allows me to be baking something while I am preparing other cookie recipes.

The house smelled incredible as the buttery mix and walnuts began to bake. They looked perfect coming out of the oven. My one comment will be that I changed the instructions around a bit. It calls for you to line the pan with parchment paper. I did not. I greased the pan and realized the mixture had plenty of butter and would do fine coming out of the pan. With a little bit of loosening around the pan, it came out in one piece which made it easy to cut into 24 bars.

The taste was "melt in your mouth" delicious. The dough is a bit like shortbread with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. I love the injection of raspberry which just adds to the flavor of the bar. I would actually use this as a substitute for a thumbprint cookie. Not as much filling but just as good.

If you want to make something quick and delicious, try these bars. And if you are adventurous, I'm sure strawberry, apricot or blackberry jam would taste equally as good!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup of raspberry jam
1 cup of chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with the cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined (do not overmix).

Transfer two-thirds of the dough to the prepared pan and press in evenly; spread the jam on top.

Crumble the remaining dough over the jam and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Bake until golden, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

When cool, cut into 24 rectangles (6 rows by 4 rows). Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas- Day 6 -The Revamping of Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookie

 

This past year, I have learned quite a bit about making good chocolate chip cookies. I've learned that when you add dark brown sugar to a recipe it helps give the cookie a crispy, yet chewy consistency. I've also learned that kosher salt helps to give that sweet and salty taste to the already incredible cookie. The large grains of salt balance the sweetness of the cookie. Lastly, chocolate chip cookies taste the best when you use good chocolate, like a 60% cacao bittersweet.

Using what I have learned, I have slightly revamped an already great cookie recipe called Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookie. These are by far the easiest and most delicious chocolate chip cookies you will ever make. My favorite part is that they disappear very quickly, which tells me they are worth making...over and over and over again. These are (by far) our most favorite cookies to make and eat.

Make this a year round favorite!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups of butter

1 cup of white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 package of Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 package of Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter with sugars until well blended. (You can do this by hand or with an electric beater)

3. Add eggs and beat until smooth.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.

6. Place well rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden and the cookie is no longer wet. For crispier cookies, bake to golden (about 10-12).

7. Allow to cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack.

8. Enjoy a warm cookie with milk...bet you can't eat just one!

9. Cool completely before storing. Makes about 50-60 cookies and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 5 - Lemonade Drops

 

No Christmas cookie list is complete without a lemon or jelly filled cookie. Being a chocolate lover, I always feel there needs to be balance in any desserts, especially on a cookie platter. The other day, I made Oatmeal Scotchies which were a "blast from the past" as I had forgotten about when I used to make them. Like the Scotchies, these cookies were a favorite of many of the customers who purchased cookies from me under Danielle B's Goodies.

I had one woman, Jean Donnelly, who would purchase large orders of cookies whether in separate dozens or in a cookie platter. She always wanted to make sure the Lemonade Drops were there. Sometimes she would just call and order the entire batch, which was about 5 dozen. She would freeze them and enjoy them when she wanted. They were definitely her favorite.

Since I have highlighted my favorite lemon flavored cookies, Angie's Ricotta Cookies and Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies, I figured I was share this one also. As much as there is concentrated lemonade in this cookie, it has a mild lemon taste. I love the crunchy sugar on the top, helping to finish the taste of the cookie.

I served them yesterday at my parent's 50th wedding anniversary party and the lemonade drops were the first to go. Nothing better than a lemony cake-like cookie with coffee and tea. They were a hit with a glass of Reisling, too!

As much as I chose to highlight this recipe in the middle of the Christmas season, this is a great summer cookie to enjoy with a big glass of iced tea or raspberry lemonade. If you are looking to switch it up a bit consider this...concentrated limeade, concentrated raspberry lemonade or what about orange juice concentrate. Any of these could work and offer a variety of results.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of shortening
2 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1 can (6 ounce) of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Save 3 tablespoons for brushing the baked cookies
Additional coarse sugar for sprinkling on top of cookies (sanding sugar), I used raw sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, shortening and eggs.
Beat well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Alternately add dry ingredients and lemonade concentrate to sugar mixture blending well after each addition.
Drop by teaspoons on prepped cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden and the tops are no longer wet.
Remove from cookie sheets and cool.
Brush with reserved lemonade concentrate and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Store in airtight container.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 4 - Oatmeal Scotchies

 

Blast from the past. Last week, I was cleaning out my food pantry trying to get a handle on what baking supplies I needed to finish my Christmas baking. I came across some butterscotch chips and thought I needed an additional bag to complete my 7 Layer Bars. I flipped the bag over and there it was Oatmeal Scotchies. Years ago when I was baking and selling cookies, this was one of my cookie offerings. As much as I wasn't a big fan of the cookie, my customers were. When I moved away from selling my cookies, I took oatmeal scotchies out of the mix of Christmas cookies.

Since I have been highlighting older recipe favorites this season, I figured why not bring back a past favorite. The prep work was easy and before long I had 60+ Oatmeal Scotchies. I love the reaction of people eating them, " I forgot how good they were!" or "My grandmother used to make these." I love making homemade cookies that remind people of loved ones who use to make them. It makes enjoying the cookie that much better.

These cookies are crunchy and sweet. The butterscotch really is a nice change from chocolate, it gives it a buttery, carmel taste. I kept telling my family I was going to dip the bottoms of the cookies in chocolate. My chocolate lovers were backing me 100%, the rest thought it would ruin the cookie. I left them as is since there are plenty of cookies loaded with chocolate in our line up this year. So, file this as an idea for the next time.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups Old-Fashioned Quaker oats
1 (11 ounce) package of butterscotch-flavored morsels (about 2 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies, 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 2 - Sally Ann Cookies

 

For the past year, I have been in search of a molasses cookie with a sweet icing. While I was flipping through the Good Housekeeping's The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook, I came across what I was looking for...molasses spice cookies called Sally Ann Cookies. These are an easy refrigerator cookie that is a cross between gingerbread and a crunchy molasses cookie. The frosting brings a bit of sweetness that makes the cookie delicious. The frosting was very interesting to make with unflavored gelatin and two types of sugar.

As much as I am a chocolate fan, I revert to molasses and spice if my favorite isn't available. This is again, another wonderful cookie to enjoy with your favorite hot beverage. Heaven for me would be a big mug of hot chocolate with Sally Ann molasses cookies to dip!

This year I will consider replacing Ruby Warner's Ginger Snaps with these Sally Anns. Or then again, gingersnaps and Sally Ann Cookies could complement each other very nicely on any cookie platter!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cups (2 sticks) margarine or butter
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light molasses
1/2 cups cold strong coffee
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Holiday decors (optional)

Sally Ann Frosting:

1 cups sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cups cold water
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar with margarine or butter until blended.Increase speed to high; beat until creamy. At low speed, beat in flour and remaining ingredients except frosting and decors until well blended.

2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Divide dough into thirds. On lightly floured surface, shape each third into a 12-inch-long log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight, until firm enough to slice.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease large cookie sheet. Slice 1 log into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Place slices, 1 1/2 inches apart, on cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until set and lightly browned around the edges. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute then, with pancake turner, remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. When cookies are cool, prepare Sally Ann frosting.

Sally Ann Frosting:

In 2-quart saucepan, stir 1 cup sugar and the unflavored gelatin until well mixed. Stir in 1 cup cold water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Into small bowl, measure 2 cups confectioners' sugar. With mixer at low speed, gradually add gelatin mixture to confectioners' sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until smooth and fluffy with an easy spreading consistency, about 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Keep bowl covered with plastic wrap to prevent frosting from drying out.

5. With small metal spatula or knife, spread frosting on cookies. If you like, sprinkle cookies with decors. Set cookies aside to allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 1 - Cocoa Wedding Cake Cookies

 
 

Welcome to the 2010 12 Cookies of Christmas. Last year, when we began the Friends Food Family Blog, I listed the 12 favorite cookies I have been making and giving to friends for many years. The list was created after years of trying different recipes and realizing that sometimes the pretty cookies (that took hours to make) weren't necessarily the cookies people wanted to eat. What I learned was the more simple and homemade feeling the cookies were, the better the chance of them being eaten. ( Follow the link to see last year's 12 Cookies of Christmas )

This year's list will be a combination of some new cookies which I will be making this month and a few that have become my favorites this year. 

I started this morning making two types of cookies. The first being the Cocoa Wedding Cake Cookies and the second were called Sally Anns. Both recipes are from Good Housekeeping's The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook. I love this cookbook because it doubles all the batches so that you can make plenty for the holidays or a cookie swap. My day started a little bit crazy and my head wasn't into cooking. While I was making the Sally Ann Cookies, I thought the recipe was wrong because there were no eggs in the recipe. But it was right, no eggs. Then as I was making the cocoa wedding cake cookies, I forgot the confectioner's sugar. I tasted the batter as I was putting my second cookie sheet into the oven and almost gagged. YUCK! The dough was horrible and with no sugar it should be.

I was able to salvage the remaining mix and am proud to report, I still had 36 cookies which came out great. The cookies are very delicate and melted in your mouth. They are definitely much better when they are cooled and dipped in confectioner's sugar...twice. The warm ones are delicious, just dry. As they cool they become more firm and your can taste the buttery richness which enhances the chocolate and pecans.

These are a delicious cookie to enjoy with coffee or tea...great for dipping. I could see them as a much enjoyed after Christmas cookie, when you are recuperating from the holidays and aren't as stressed. Actually finding time to sit back and enjoy that delightful warm drink with a perfectly delicious butter cookie.

I served them to my family and so far they are a two thumbs up cookie. My friends will get to try them on Thursday night at the Tri-Town Chamber Holiday Gala. It will be interesting to see what the masses think!

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 cups (4 sticks) butter, cold, cut up (no substitutions)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa

2/3 cups semisweet chocolate mini-chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse pecans with 1 cup confectioners' sugar until pecans are finely ground.

Add butter and vanilla and process until smooth, occasionally stopping processor to scrape side with rubber spatula. Add flour and cocoa and pulse until evenly mixed. Add chocolate chips; pulse just until combined.

With floured hands, shape dough by rounded measuring teaspoons into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 16 to 18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool slightly. Sift remaining 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar onto waxed paper. While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar to coat; return to wire rack to cool completely. When cool, gently roll cookies in sugar again. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.

 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe List

 

I'm going to make things really easy for you. Here is a list of great chocolate chip cookie recipes.

If you like what you see, share it with friends and family. The holidays are coming and these make for great gifts as well as cookie swaps.

As many of you already know, I am a chocolate chip cookie fanatic. I am always in search of the best chocolate chip cookie. This past year, I found and tried numerous versions of this ultimate favorite.

And...I've learned two things that can make a chocolate chip cookie taste even better:

1. Adding some portion of dark brown sugar (for chewiness)

2. Using kosher salt rather than iodized salt (for that salty-sweet taste)

I did this to my cousin Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Instead of 1 cup light brown sugar, I now use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar. I also use kosher salt for the regular salt. It allows you to taste the salt with each cookie bite.

Here is the ranking of how I enjoyed the different chocolate chip recipes I made this year.

David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bittersweet Chocolate and Heath Bar Bits

Alice's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hillary Clinton's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hershey's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have a chocolate chip cookie favorite and would like to share your story, please send it to me so that I can add you to our chocolate chip cookie recipe list!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bittersweet Chocolate and Heath Bar Bits

 

As you can probably tell, I love cookies. They are my favorite dessert. I can pass up cakes, pastries and pies for one good cookie...preferably chocolate chip. The reasons I like cookies...

1. They take little to no time to produce a single or double batch.

2. They are quick treats you can be eat with your hands.

3. There are never any leftovers (people love cookies and eat them all).

4. It puts a smile on your face. Watch people's face's light up when you say "homemade cookies".

I was heading to an event on Thursday and wanted to make a batch of cookies. I only had an hour so I was looking for an easy drop cookie recipe. I really loved David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, so I went to his site looking for a chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe. I couldn't find what I was looking for so I went to the Food Network and found Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies created by Cathy Lowe.

I took the recipe and changed it a bit. I used 1/2 dark brown sugar and 1/2 light brown sugar to get that wonderful caramel chewiness. I used kosher salt to get that sweet and salty balance and finished with bittersweet chocolate and heath bar bits instead of semi-sweet chocolate and nuts. I really like the bittersweet chocolate versus the semi-sweet chocolate in chocolate chip cookies. I think the bittersweet balances the sweetness of the cookie, giving it a better flavor. You taste the cookie as well as the chocolate.

I brought the cookies to the event and came home with an empty bag. Everyone loved the cookies and sometimes it is for one good reason...they are homemade. Whenever I offer someone a cookie their first response is , "Are they homemade?" When I say yes, they get a big smile on their face, grab two (because you need one for each hand) and enjoy the moment. A really good homemade cookie!

My two cents...they were easy and delicious. I got two thumbs up from my family. I am seriously thinking of putting them in my 12 Cookies of Christmas, possibly replacing the Mocha Walnuts. If I still need that coffee flavored treat, I can add a tablespoon of instant coffee to this recipe.

Make some cookies, put a smile on someone's face!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 sticks of butter, softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of packed brown sugar (1/2 cup light brown, 1/2 dark brown)

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa

2 cups  of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips 

1 cup of Heath Bar Bits

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together butter and both sugars, then add the eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and Heath Bar bits and stir to distribute evenly.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and bake about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven when the tops of the cookies are dry and the edges are slightly golden. Cool on a baking rack.

I made mini cookies (about a rounded teaspoon of dough) which took 8-10 minutes to cook and regular sized cookies (about a rounded tablespoon of dough) which took 10-12 minutes. 

Chocolate Covered Football Oreos (and chocolate dipped pretzels!)

 

In honor of National Chocolate Week in the UK, I decided I would start this week with a quick chocolate dessert. While at the market, picking up some last minute items for dinner, I came across Football Oreos. With football season in full swing, why not add some chocolate to these limited edition cookies and use them for my next football party.

They were very easy to make:

1. I melted one 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (over a double boiler).

2. I also melted 2- 8 ounce bars of Hershey Symphony Bars with Toffee Bits and Almonds (over another double boiler).

3. 1 package of Football Oreos

I dipped 1/2 the cookies in the milk chocolate mixture and half in the semi-sweet chocolate.

Then I drizzled addition dark chocolate over all the cookies.

When I was finished, I had some milk chocolate and dark chocolate left over. I mixed a handful of pretzel nuggets into the dark chocolate, coated them well and turned them onto a tray covered in parchment paper. I took the last of the milk chocolate and added that along with a few sprinkles of HEATH English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits. As the chocolate hardened, I broke them into three nuggets apiece.

The responses so far:

1. My nephew Matthew ate the milk chocolate covered oreo and text, "The cookie was amazing!"

2. My daughter, Danielle, "Mom, I ate one for breakfast, they were delicious!"

3. My son, Stephen, "I shared them with some friends, they thought they were great!"

4. I love Symphony Bars so the milk chocolate ones worked for me. My own response...why didn't I make more of the milk chocolate ones?

My suggestion...buy as many packages of football oreos as possible, start dipping them and bring them to the next football party. They are guaranteed to score a touchdown!

 

David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

By this time you all must know that I am constantly in search of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have tried many types and not only does it have to pass my approval, it has to win the hearts of the tasters. Because I am known in many of my circles for making cookies, I love trying new versions of old favorites, such as oatmeal, shortbread and chocolate chip cookies and then trying them out on friends and family.

Since writing this blog, I have highlighted quite a few cookies from many different recipe books and blog postings. I have learned quite a bit about dark brown and light brown sugar as well as using kosher salt instead of table salt. Very rarely do I concede to cookies that are much better than Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I may have to say David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the BEST I have ever made!"  Or should I say TASTED!

I found this chocolate chip recipe through David's Blog, David Lebovitz - Living the Sweet Life in Paris. I follow him on Facebook and love his stories and recipes. He is a renowned American pastry chef living, baking and writing from Paris. I had bookmarked a few of his recipes in my favorites file and decided to make the chocolate chip cookies. 

These cookies weren't just delicious, they were addictive. My son, Stephen, was eating them more than I was, which is probably hard to believe. They were the perfect combination of buttery sweet, chocolate saltiness. (Did I really write that?) The best way to describe them was "all the flavors complimented each other perfectly".

I brought the cookies to a family reunion and proceeded to pass them out to aunts, uncles and cousins. "These are amazing!" - "These are delicious." - "These are incredible." - "Are there anymore left?" The best was my Aunt Nancy, who I love dearly. She is always so enthusiastic about my baking. To watch her enjoy these cookies was a highlight for me. When she enjoys them, I know they are really good.

Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes two dozen cookies

4 ounces (115g) salted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed (110g) dark or light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup (180g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt ( I used kosher salt)
1 1/3 cups (200g) coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used bittersweet)
1 cup toasted nuts, coarsely chopped (I used a combination of walnuts and pecans)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar just until smooth and creamy.

2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the beaten butter until combined, then mix in the chopped chocolate (including any chocolate dust) and the chopped nuts.

5. Cover and chill the batter until firm. (It’s preferable to let it rest overnight.)

6. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

7. Form the cookie dough into rounds about the size of a large unshelled walnut. Place the mounds evenly spaced apart on the baking sheets, and press down the tops to flatten them so they are no longer domed and the dough is even.

8. Bake the cookies for ten minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies look about set, but are not browned.

9. Remove from the oven and quickly tap the top of each with a spatula, then return to the oven for two to five more minutes, until the tops of the cookies are light golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool.

Storage: The cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to five days in an airtight container. The dough can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for one or two months.

Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
I am constantly looking for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie and I think I found it.

Jeff recently purchased a cookbook called Ad Hoc At Home from Thomas Keller. Not only is this a cookbook with great recipes, it is also instructional, explaining different types of cooking tips and techniques. Jeff and I have both sat down at numerous times and have actually started reading the cookbook.

As always, I begin the cookbook in the dessert section, "Hm-mm, could there be a chocolate chip cookie recipe? Ah, yes, and it looks very interesting, dark brown sugar, two types of dark chocolate, this looks good!" On went the oven and out came the mixing bowls. As I read the ingredients I found that this recipe used the same 7 basic ingredient as in Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies. The only true difference was dark brown sugar and brown sugar. I liked chopping up the two different types of chocolate and they brought really nice flavor to the cookies. I love a chocolate chip cookie that has a lot of dark chocolate with a little less cookie.

If the dough had any indication of what the cookies would taste like, I could have eaten the whole bowl! These are definitely a favorite of mine (and our family). They melt in your mouth, crunchy edges with soft middles and the two types of chocolate are wonderful. A little bit of bittersweet chocolate with sweet cookie. Oh, delicious!

We ate a bunch and the remainder landed in the freezer. I always like to have cookies in the freezer for two reasons 1. a ready dessert to serve at home or bring with you, 2. after writing about these great cookies, I can enjoy one from the freezer. Yes, they do taste good frozen!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes about thirty 3-inch cookies)

2 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

5 ounces 55 percent chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces

5 ounces 70 to 72 percent chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup packed dark brown sugar, preferably molasses sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

Position racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. (I used my seasoned cookie sheets and the cookies came off easily.)

Sift flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt.

Put chips in a fine-mesh basket strainer and shake to remove any chocolate “dust” (small fragments).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until mixture is light and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the next and scraping the bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in chocolate.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold dough with a spatula to be sure the chocolate is evenly incorporated. The dough or shaped cookies can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to five days or frozen for two weeks. Freeze shaped cookies on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer containers. (Defrost frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator before baking.)

Using about two level tablespoons per cookie, shape dough into balls. Arrange eight cookies on each pan, leaving about two inches between them, because the dough will spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny, switching the position and rotating pans halfway through baking.

Cool cookies on the pans on cooling racks for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to the racks to cool completely. Repeat with second batch of cookies. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days for best freshness.