Chocolate Surprise Cookies

Remember Mallomars? These cookies remind me a little of them, Chocolate Surprise Cookiesexcept instead of a graham cracker base, they have a chocolate cookie base which is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The marshmallow in the middle is a nice gooey surprise, and the chocolate frosting adds to their richness.

Just some notes: The dough is very thick and fudge-like. I used non-fat milk because that’s what I had in the house and it worked just fine. I originally used a 1 3/4″ cookie scoop but decided on a smaller scoop midway through because my cookies didn’t spread much, they just puffed up. Also, I had a ton of frosting leftover!

Photos of the process here.

Cookie Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
About 15 large marshmallows, halved crosswise (cut in half horizontally)

Frosting Ingredients
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make cookies: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
  3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  5. Make frosting: Put confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Melt butter with the cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add butter mixture to the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the milk and vanilla.
  6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes, Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Recipe from The Cookbook Junkie.

May 30, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 16 Comments 

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

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Quick note: Tuesdays With Dorie will resume in a couple weeks, once Passover has ended!

It used to be that if I were to show up to a Passover seder without chocolate chips meringues, I would be forced to sing the Four Questions, in Hebrew, by myself. OK not really, but trust me, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. Then a few years ago I brought matzo brittle (in addition to the meringues and other Passover desserts), and that too, became a holiday must-have. Well, this year I do believe I have found a third recipe that will now be included in every Passover seder, thanks to Deb!

Flourless Chocolate Walnut CookiesHmm, I suppose I should have begun this post by explaining that many Passover desserts elicit the following response: It’s good (for a Passover cookie/brownie/cake). Well, I’m happy to report that with these cookies, I heard, These are sooo good! Everyone who tasted them went back for seconds, and said they were oh so yummy! Then again, I guess that’s what happens when you take a regular, flourless recipe and just make it for Passover, go figure. (Yes, I am aware the picture is horrid, but we were in a huge rush–you try to bake dessert for 35 people AND take pictures.)

This cookie is thick, chewy, and slightly crunchy, thanks to the nuts. We made three batches–two with pecans and one with walnuts, and they were all a huge hit. I should note I used regular cocoa powder, not Dutch-process.

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups confectioners’ sugar*
1/2  cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

*Passover Confectioner’s Sugar
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon potato starch

Pulse in a food processor or blender. Makes 1 cup Passover confectioners’ sugar.

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread the walnut halves on a large-rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant.
  2. Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and coarsely chop them. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower temperature to 320. Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk (or combine in an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chopped walnuts. While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat or it will stiffen).
  4. Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from New York Magazine via Deb.

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars, Jewish/Jewish Holiday, Passover | 5 Comments 

Hamantaschen II

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I almost didn’t write this post because my Hamantaschen are so ugly. Hamantaschen (Anyone know the singular?) In fact, they’re even uglier than last year’s which I didn’t think was possible. And you wouldn’t know it from looking at my photos, but Hamantaschen are triangular shaped cookies, representative of Purim’s villain Haman’s triangular ears/pocket/hat depending on whom you ask. I think in Hebrew school we learned it was either Haman’s hat (remember the song?) or ears, but really–triangular ears?

Anyway, Hamantaschen are soft cookies, traditionally with a poppy seed filling, but we grew up eating apricot ones, hence my apricot filling. I used the same apricot filling recipe (yum!) from last year but decided to give this new dough recipe a shot, and it’s good! However, I ran into one weird problem–I baked some on parchment and some on Silpats. The ones on parchment tended to open more and the ones on Silpats stayed sealed. Weird, huh?

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar + a pinch for the egg wash
3 eggs + 1 for the egg wash
1/4 cup orange juice or milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Fruit preserves. (Not jam.) You can also use Nutella.

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too hard to blend or seems curdled, add about 1 tbs of flour to bind it.

Stir in the orange juice or milk and the vanilla. Fold in 4 cups of flour, salt and baking powder. Mix to make a firm but soft dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes to give the flour time to absorb all the moisture. If the dough is too sticky to handle after ten minutes have passed, add extra flour up to 1/2 cup. The dough will be sticky when it’s ready, but you should be able to handle it without it getting stuck to your fingers.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 flattened discs and work with one portion at a time. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Use a 3-inch cookie or biscuit cutter and cut as many rounds as you can.

In a small bowl mix 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of sugar to make an egg glaze. Brush the rounds with the wash, then fill each with a generous 1/2 teaspoonful of your desired filling. Fold 3 sides of each circle together, creating triangles. I like to leave a little space in the center so you can see what the filling is (plus it looks pretty), but you can also seal your hamantaschen completely.

Brush the cookies with additional egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with regular or coarse sugar, and bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets.

Tips
Bake your hamantaschen in the upper third of the oven - usually the bottom part of the oven is too hot and may also cause premature bottom-browning. If you want to use leftover scraps to make more cookies, only roll them out once more because a lean dough like this one can only be rolled a couple times before becoming really tough.

This dough can be frozen for about 2 months or refrigerated (wrapped well in plastic) for one to three days. Just give it time to warm up before rolling it out. You can also freeze or refrigerate the filled triangles before baking. If you do this, just bake them without defrosting.

More photos here.

My notes

  • I used orange juice rather than milk.
  • I skipped the egg wash.
  • Mine baked in about 15 minutes.
  • I used a regular old glass rather than a cookie cutter and got about four dozen cookies.

Recipe from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman via Baking and Books.
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In other news, what do you think of the site redesign? The amazingly talented Maria designed the header image and I think it’s just adorable!

Please bear with me as I work out the kinks of the new template and let me know if you notice anything funky. I’m currently trying to figure out why the live comment preview works in IE but not Firefox, so if you’re familiar with Wordpress, now would be a great time to show off your expertise!

March 22, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars, Jewish/Jewish Holiday | 5 Comments 

Happy Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day Sugar CookiesI know, I’m a little early with the valentine cookies. But since I have no valentine this year (waah), I made cookies to share with my coworkers. And trust me when I say they’re not complaining they get to start stuffing their bellies a day early.

I used my favorite sugar cookie and powdered sugar glaze recipes. Also, notice the cute X and O cookie cutters? I was cleaning out my cupboards and came across them–they were a gift from my mom last year which I almost forgot about! Unfortunately, I couldn’t do too many Xs and Os because they are huge and I would have ended up with only about a dozen cookies.
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And finally, totally unrelated, but if you got here via an article in your local newspaper (hi Judi, I tried to email you but it was returned), would you please send me a link or tell me the name of the paper?

February 13, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 6 Comments 

Snickery Squares

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I suppose I should preface this by saying that this recipe reminded me that while I love caramel, I’m just not a fan of dulce de leche. I know, I know, the pictures look amazing (well, not my photography, but the actual end product). Delicious shortbread, gooey goodness, caramelized nuts, and chocolate all together, the perfect combination! Alas, I’m just not into it. I can’t help but to think dulce de leche is just missing something. Or maybe I’m just used to Snickers bars and their thick, almost too sweet, caramel. Sigh.

Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares
Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares
Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares
Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares
Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares Snickery Squares
(Yes, this was a long process.)

But instead of talking about what I didn’t like, let me tell you about what I did like. The shortbread is a perfect base, and a recipe I know I will use again. The peanuts were my first foray into caramelizing nuts, and while it was stressful (flashbacks of my disastrous peanut brittle/hot sugar blister incident came to mind), it was well worth it. I’ve worked with enough hot sugar now to know a) wear long sleeves, b) use a long spoon/silicone spatula, and c) not dip my finger in a tiny glob of yummy looking caramel that hasn’t yet cooled completely. Come on, like you’ve never done that. Or uh, thought about it.

Anyway, back to the squares. While they’re not my all time favorite, they’re good–thick, oozing of dulce de leche, and not sickeningly sweet. The true test of course, is how long these remain on the counter at my office tomorrow. I’m guessing they’ll be gone well before lunch.

Ingredients
For the Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the topping
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

For the filling
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups salted peanuts
about 1 ½ cups store-bought dulce de leche

Preparation
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To make the crust: Toss the flour, sugar, confectioners’ sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Toss in the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds - stop before the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and slide the sheet into the oven.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it takes on just a little color around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.

To make the filling: Have a parchment - or, better yet, a silicone mat-lined baking sheet at the ready, as well as a long-handled wooden spoon (you’ll be cooking sugar that will climb to over 300 degrees F, so you’ll want to keep as far away from it as possible) and a medium (about 2-quart) heavy-bottomed sauce pan.

Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color. (If sugar splatters onto the sides of the saucepan, wash down the splatters with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.) Toss in the peanuts and immediately start stirring. Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with the sugar. Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white - keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel. When the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto the baking sheet, using the wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can. Cool the nuts to room temperature.

When they are cool enough to handle, separate the nuts or break them into small pieces. Divide the nuts in half. Keep half of the nuts whole or in biggish pieces for the filling, and finely chop the other half for the topping.

Spread the dulce de leche over the shortbread base and sprinkle over the whole candied nuts or the big pieces.

To make the topping: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water or in a microwave oven, using a low power setting. Remove the chocolate from the heat and gently stir in the butter, stirring until it is fully blended into the chocolate.

Pour the chocolate over the dulce de leche, smoothing it with a long metal icing spatula, then sprinkle over the finely chopped candied peanuts. Slide the pan into the refrigerator to set the topping, about 20 minutes; if you’d like to serve the squares cold, keep them refrigerated for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Cut into 16 bars, each roughly 2 ½ inches on a side.

My notes:

  • I used semi-sweet chocolate.
  • I had a really hard time cutting these after refrigerating for only 20 minutes, so I stuck them in the freezer for a few which made them much easier to cut.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

February 10, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 6 Comments 

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

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I admit it, the first time I tried this recipe, it failed. And I mean failed. The crust didn’t work, the entire thing was completely stuck to the tin foil, and it was a big gooey mess. Not one to admit defeat so quickly–especially when it comes to a recipe with a mere five ingredients–I gave it another go, this time using a glass dish and no foil. And it worked!

Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars

Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars Double Delicious Cookie Bars

These bars are gooey and sweet and were a hit at the office. Make sure you cut them into tiny squares because a little goes a long way!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter-flavored chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF (325ºF for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan.

Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

My Notes
I used chocolate graham crackers as Jennifer did over here. And chip wise, I used caramel swirl and chocolate chip, but you can use whatever you have in your pantry.

Recipe from Eagle Brand via Bake or Break.

February 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 7 Comments 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Apparently January is the month of peanut butter and chocolate over here at Nosh With Me. And why not, since that is one of the best flavor combinations around, right? These cookies are chewy in the center and crisp on the outside which in my opinion, makes for the perfect texture. And the extra sugar on the outside adds a nice touch.

I didn’t have any peanut butter chips in the house, so I replaced them with chocolate chips. While the cookie was good, I think the peanut butter chips would have definitely enhanced the flavor and I recommend using them. Fear not, even sans peanut butter chips, these are being gobbled up by coworkers as I write this.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies It should also be noted that I just now discovered my camera has a macro setting (duh?) and now I can take somewhat close up pictures that won’t end up blurry. Speaking of photos, I’m kind of digging the one large photo with a link to the process photos. What do you think? Do you like it or do you prefer the old format? (Photos of the baking process here.)

Ingredients
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup peanut butter chips
½ cup chocolate chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern (I used the back of a palette knife to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
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In other food news, I’ve adopted a food blogger! Kristin at Dine and Dish thought up the brilliant idea and I decided I’d give it a whirl. So, without further ado, let me introduce Paula at Half Baked. Not only does everything on her blog look delicious, her photographs are beautiful as well. Stop by her blog and say hello!

January 15, 2008 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 9 Comments 

Snickerdoodles (Mrs. Sigg’s)

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I don’t know who Mrs. Sigg is, but she sure has a good snickerdoodle recipe. Slightly crunchy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside, these are the perfect kind of cookie! This recipe is pretty damn similar to the other snickerdoodle recipe I tried, but this one calls for cream of tartar (which I apparently mistakenly thought would make them puff up more. They didn’t.)

Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles

These were so easy to make that as soon as I put the first cookie sheet in the oven, I wished I had doubled the recipe. I know my coworkers and my eyebrow girl are going to inhale these tomorrow! And my family will get to enjoy them on Friday (yep, I’m bringing them down to San Diego).

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
  3. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
  4. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Recipe from Allrecipes.

December 19, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 2 Comments 

Halloween Finger Cookies

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I’ve been seeing these scary finger cookies all over the Internet and knew I had to bring them into the office. The cookie itself tastes like a cross between a sugar and a butter cookies. Not too sweet, yet not bland either.

Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies

Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies Halloween Finger Cookies

By the second cookie sheet, I realized I needed to make the fingers a little skinnier, otherwise I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out. I’ll probably be making these again next year.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract)
Almond slices
Red decorating gel

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine dry ingredients. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla, beat in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press an almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze in center to create a knuckle shape and use a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for three minutes. If desired, lift up almond and squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath. (I skipped this part.)

Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Yields 3-4 dozen.

Notes

  • You can paint the nails by using some red food coloring that’s been diluted with water and brushing it on with a clean artist’s brush. Or, you can do what I did and color frosting red and dilute it with water, then dip the bottom of the finger in it.
  • Awesome step by step instructions for creating finger shapes here.

Recipe from Fabulous Foods.

October 28, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars, Halloween | 6 Comments 

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

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When I came across this recipe, I was hoping they would be like the Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. Sadly, they’re not. And they’re just OK, definitely nothing special. The cookie is sort of blah and the icing is way too sweet–and I’m someone who loves all things sweet.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

I’m going to bring them into the office tomorrow so I’ll you know what my guinea pigs say. Update: Huge hit with the coworkers. Maybe I’m just picky.

Ingredients
Cookies
3/4 cup butter flavor Crisco, plus additional for greasing
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups quick oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup butter flavor Crisco
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease baking sheets.
  2. For cookies, combine shortening, brown sugar, milk, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
  3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended.
  4. Drop rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake one sheet at a time at 350 for 0 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
  6. For frosting, combine confectioner’s sugar, shortening, and vanilla in medium bowl. Beat at low speed, adding enough milk for good spreading consistency. Spread on bottoms of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Makes about 16 sandwich cookies.

My notes:

  • I ended up with more than 16 sandwiches since I used a smaller cookie scoop.
  • I flattened the tops of the cookies after scooping them, in an attempt to get a flatter cookie.

Recipe from The Baking Bible.

October 7, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 6 Comments 

Peanut Butter Cookies

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I was in the mood to bake, but wanted to make something easy so I decided to give this recipe a whirl. I followed other reviewers’ advice and added vanilla as well as more peanut butter, but I just don’t get all the rave reviews. To me, these were good, but nothing special. Then again, I’m not a huge peanut butter cookie fan and the real test will be when I bring the cookies into the office tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies

Also, I noticed the tops of most of the cookies look cracked, and the nice criss-cross pattern didn’t show. I’m thinking it may be because I made the cookies smaller (and therefore flatter), but really, I have no clue. Any ideas?

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preparation

  1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  3. Roll into 1 inch balls, (optional–roll in sugar), and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

Makes about four dozen cookies.

My notes:

  • I didn’t have any crunchy peanut butter at home so I used creamy.
  • I rolled some of the cookies in sugar after shaping them into balls.
  • I used a small cookie scoop so I got way more than four dozen cookies.

Original recipe from All Recipes.

August 15, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 9 Comments 

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

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I’m sad to report that this is the first Dorie recipe that wasn’t a huge hit. Don’t get me wrong, these cookies are good. They’re just not great. I brought them into the office and they lasted three days which is usually unheard of with my coworkers.

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

I think part of the reason they weren’t gobbled up is that they’re crispy. People seem to enjoy the chewy, soft cookies more. And, these had a lot going on–peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips!

Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I omitted this)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Preparation
Adjust the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, Silpat baking mats, or foil. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, spices, baking soda, and salt just to blend.

With an electric mixer (preferably a stand mixer fitted with a paddle), beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients slowly, beating only until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. (At this point, the dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

If the dough is at room temperature, drop rounded tablespoonsful two inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. If the dough has been refrigerated, scoop it out by rounded teaspoonfuls and roll the balls between your palms. Place them 2″ apart on the sheets. Press the balls gently with the heal of your hand until they are about 1/2″ thick. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are golden and just firm around the edges.

Lift the cookies onto wire racks with a wide metal spatula - they will firm as they cool. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Makes about 60 cookies.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

May 23, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 8 Comments 

Sablés

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These cookies are buttery and shortbread-ish. And delicious. Have I mentioned how much I love Dorie recipes? Unfortunately, it appears I am not a talented log roller, as these cookies came out a little angled and squared rather than round. Fortunately the funky shape does not affect their amazing taste!

Sablés Sablés Sablés Sablés Sablés

Sablés Sablés Sablés Sablés Sablés

Ingredients
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature (plus 1 large egg yolk, for brushing the logs)
2 cups all-purpose flour
Decorating (coarse) sugar

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in two of the egg yolks, again beating until the mixture is homogeneous.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and the counter from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough and the dough looks uniformly moist. (If most of the flour is incorporated but you’ve still got some in the bottom of the bowl, use a rubber spatula to work the rest of the flour into the dough.) The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl, nor will it come together in a ball — and it shouldn’t. You want to work the dough as little as possible. What you’re aiming for is a soft, moist, clumpy (rather than smooth) dough. Pinch it, and it will feel a little like Play-Doh.

Scrape the dough out onto a smooth work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long: it’s easiest to work on a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to help form the log. Wrap the logs well and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. (The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)

Getting Ready to Bake
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Remove a log of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Whisk the remaining egg yolk until it is smooth, and brush some of the yolk all over the sides of the dough — this is the glue — then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with decorating sugar.

Trim the ends of the roll if they’re ragged, and slice the log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies. (You can make these as thick as 1/2 inch or as thin as — but no thinner than — 1/4 inch.) Place the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving an inch of space between them.

Bake one sheet at a time for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the midway point. When properly baked, the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top; they may feel tender when you touch the top gently, and that’s fine. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest a minute or two before carefully lifting them onto a rack with a wide metal spatula to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining log of dough, making sure the baking sheets are cool before you bake the second batch.

Makes about 50 cookies.

Serving
Serve these with anything from lemonade to espresso.

Storing
The cookies will keep in a tin at room temperature for about 5 days. If you do not sprinkle the sables with sugar, they can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. Because the sugar will melt in the freezer, the decorated cookies are not suitable for freezing.

My Notes

  • I used Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw) sugar.
  • I put the first batch in for 17 minutes as the recipe says and the cookies came out really dark. The rest of them I baked for about 14 minutes.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

April 29, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 10 Comments 

World Peace Cookies

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I know, I know. Everyone else made these months and months ago. I’m late to the party as usual. But better late than never, right? In this case, most definitely!

I knew these cookies would be good before I even took the first batch out of the oven. The sliced dough tasted awesome, my kitchen smelled amazing delicious, and the finished product is out of this world–chocolatey with a bit of salt. Mmmm. If you’re looking for a really easy-to-make yet outstanding chocolate cookie recipe, I highly recommend this one.

And in case you were wondering why they are called World Peace Cookies, according to the cookbook, Dorie’s neighbor said that a daily dose of these cookies “is all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness.” And I concur.

World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies
World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies World Peace Cookies

(It’s difficult to photograph a chocolate log of dough. Cut me some slack.)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Preparation

  1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
  2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
  3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

Getting Ready to Bake

  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  2. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
  3. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Storage
Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

My note: I was too lazy to cut up chocolate so I used mini chips instead.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

April 20, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 6 Comments 

Hamantaschen

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Hamantaschen are cookies, traditionally filled with poppy seeds, eaten for Purim. I hate poppy seeds, and since I was the one making them, I made an apricot (also a popular flavor) filling. If you don’t want to make a filling, just use store-bought preserves. Anyway, they’re in the shape of a triangle, which symbolizes (the Purim bad guy) Haman’s triangular hat or his triangular ears. Hey, I’m just passing along the info…I didn’t make it up.

Anyway, this was a near disaster, and two recipes in the making. The first one I tried was a pareve (non-dairy/non-meat) recipe. Looking at the recipe, I thought it was missing some wet ingredients (orange juice or oil perhaps), but then again, who am I to second guess? I made the dough in the morning, stuck it in the fridge as the recipe says, went out for the day, then came home late afternoon to shape and bake the hamantaschen. The dough was so dry it just crumbled. Thinking I did something wrong, I tried the recipe again and ended up with the same result. So frustrating.

Back to the Internet, and I found this recipe. It’s just okay, not wow! or anything, probably because it reminds me too much of sugar cookie dough. And it’s heavy. The apricot filling is delicious though.

Hamantaschen Filling Hamantaschen Filling Hamantaschen Filling Hamantaschen Filling Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen Hamantaschen Hamantaschen Hamantaschen Hamantaschen

Filling Ingredients
1/4 lb. dried apricots
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water

Filling Preparation
Cover apricots with 1/2 cup water. Cook over low heat in covered pan for 15 minutes. Mash and add sugar while hot, then add 2 tablespoons water.

Dough Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Dough Preparation
Cream sugar, oil and margarine. Add eggs and juice and mix well. Blend with dry ingredients and roll into a ball. Refrigerate dough one hour.

Divide dough into four parts. Roll out each piece very thin (approximately 1/8 inch) on a floured board. With the rim of a cup or glass (depending on desired size) cut into the dough to make circles. Place 1/2 to 2/3 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each circle. With your finger, put water around rim of circle.

To shape into triangle, lift up right and left sides, leaving the bottom side down, and bring both sides to meet at center, above the filling. Lift bottom side up to center to meet other two sides.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Yields 4 dozen Hamantaschen.

Original hamantaschen recipe from Jewish Recipes. I altered it slightly.

Apricot filling recipe from jewishfood-list.com.

March 3, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars, Jewish/Jewish Holiday | 7 Comments 

Oatmeal Scotchies

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I don’t know how to explain my feelings about these cookies without sounding like a crazy person, but here goes.

Oatmeal Scotchies Oatmeal Scotchies Oatmeal Scotchies Oatmeal Scotchies Oatmeal Scotchies

The scotchies are chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and actually look like the picture in the cookbook. The problem? The smell. If I don’t like the smell of something, I can’t eat it. Take for example, gingerbread cookies. If they smell anything like molasses, I can’t go near them–the smell of molasses makes me totally nauseous. And while making these cookies, I learned the same goes for butterscotch. As soon as I opened the bag, I knew I was in trouble, and I was counting the minutes until the last batch would be done. My kitchen smelled so bad!

However, I know I’m weird, and most likely no one else feels the same way about the smell of butterscotch. So, I will bring these into work and let my coworker guinea pigs tell me what they think about the taste, then will report back.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange (I used vanilla)
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) butterscotch flavored morsels

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crspy cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Recipe from The Baking Bible.

February 25, 2007 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 11 Comments 

Oatmeal Toffee Bars

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I’m back! The tonsillectomy went well, recovery is going well, and I’m heading back to LA tomorrow to get back to my normal life (sans Strep!). Thanks for the kind comments, and now back to regular yummy blogging…

While recovering from my tonsillectomy, my sister and I visited Barnes and Noble where I found this cookbook, The Baking Bible, on the clearance rack. The recipes are all very simple, and look oh-so-good.

Oatmeal Toffee Bars Oatmeal Toffee Bars Oatmeal Toffee Bars Oatmeal Toffee Bars

While these are very good and were a huge hit with the girls at my dad’s office, they look nothing like the picture. I think they added toffee bits to the top after the pan came out of the oven instead of before. I may try it that way next time.

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups (8-ounce package) Heath Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits, divided
3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 13X9X2-inch baking pan.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits. Stir remaining toffee bits and oats into batter (batter will be stiff). Spread batter into prepared pan, sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup toffee bits over surface.
  3. Bake 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes about 36 bars.

Recipe from The Baking Bible.

December 31, 2006 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 7 Comments 

Snickerdoodles

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Because my tonsillectomy is Tuesday and I’m not allowed to get sick before the surgery, I’m stuck home most of the weekend, not allowed to attend any of the parties I was invited to. Yeah, it sucks. Since I already did four loads of laundry and scrubbed my shower, and still had much of the day left, I decided to try yet another new recipe.

Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles

These are good. Really, really good. And also, really, really big. You could easily make them half the size and get a few dozen cookies out of the recipe.

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup shortening
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Yields 20 cookies.

Recipe from the Food Network.

Notes: I used regular salt. And I had a ton of the cinnamon-sugar mixture leftover.

December 16, 2006 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 7 Comments 

Molasses Cookies

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I’ve been seeing molasses cookies all over the Internet lately, so when I came across this Cooking Light version, I knew I had to give it a try.

Molasses Cookies Molasses Cookies Molasses Cookies Molasses Cookies Molasses Cookies

They’re good, but not amazing. As a side note, I can’t stand the smell of molasses, and my whole apartment smelled like it while the cookies were in the oven. Anyway, these are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Cooking spray

Preparation
Combine brown sugar and shortening in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Cover and freeze 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place water in a small bowl. Place granulated sugar in another small bowl. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip one side of each ball in water; dip wet side in sugar. Place balls, sugar side up, 1 inch apart, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yields 4 dozen.

Recipe from Cooking Light.

December 16, 2006 | Filed Under Cookies and Bars | 2 Comments 

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

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I was in the mood to bake, but not to scoop dozens of cookies. Fortunately, I remembered this random Very Best Baking brochure thing I got in the mail. It has very simple recipes, including this Toll House original which I haven’t made in years.