Cookies

Monday, January 29, 2007

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

I can’t remember where I found this recipe, but after my regular food tasting monkeys Grocery Ranch™ co-workers gave them their seal of approval, I took them to a christmas party where everyone was asked to bring in desserts and vote on their favorite.  The winner was Gavyn’s peppermint cheesecake, but quite alot of people asked for the recipe for these incredibly rich chocolate calorie bombs. 

Tips:
1) Melting chocolate in a microwave sucks balls. you cant constantly stir it, and if you’re not careful, you wind up with a dried out, burned crust on the edges.  If you’re like me and don’t have a double boiler you can make your own half-assed one using a glass bowl that fits over and into your pot-o-water.

2) A friend turned me onto a technique that makes recipes with chocolate taste about a hundred times richer and more chocolatey.  Add a bit of ground cayenne pepper to your recipe. You don’t need much--just a pinch in your hot cocoa or, in this recipe, I wouldn’t add more than 1/8 tsp to the dry ingredients.

3) No music tips on this one. 

Ingredients:
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (1 ounce each)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine (use the butter… this is such a calorie bomb that it doesn’t really matter, does it?)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract (I use a splash more since vanilla and chocolate are just too good together)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Melt usnweetend chocolate, 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter in double boiler or microwave. Cool for ten minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for two minutes. add vanilla and chocolate mixture and beat till well-mixed.

Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. beat into chocolate mixture.

Stir in remaining chocolate chips, cover, and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Remove dough about a cup at a time. After flouring your hands to minimize sticking, roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed up and set. Don’t worry if they develop crinkles or cracks. It adds to their charm.  Allow to cool on pan for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

load a small wire strainer with powdered sugar and sprinkle with just enough to give a snow-like effect before serving.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Snickerdoodles

2 sticks butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl cream at medium speed butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Scraping sides of bowl occasionally. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon. form dough into balls (walnut sized) and roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on rack. Snickerdoodles will puff up at first and then flatten out during baking.

If you put them in the fridge in a baggy, they'll stay soft instead of crunchy.

*Click image to enlarge.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Chocolate Crumb Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional (I like pecans instead)
-----------------
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until crumbly. With floured fingers, press 2 cups crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan; reserve remaining mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Combine 1 cup chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small, heavy-duty saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread over hot crust.

Stir nuts (if used) and remaining chocolate chips into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Monday, November 08, 2004

White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

(I don't particularly care for cooked fruit, but these cookies aren't half bad.)

? cup butter or margarine
? cup granulated sugar
? cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2? cups rolled oats
1⅔ cups (one 10-oz. package) white chocolate chips
? cup chopped dried apricots

Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Addegg and beat well. Add flour and baking soda; beat until well-blended. Stir in oats, white chips, and apricots with a spatula. Loosely form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes at 375?, until lightly browned. Be careful not to overcook.

Makes about 3? dozen cookies.

Irresistable Cookies

(My mom got this recipe from a cozy little Bed&Breakfast in Monterey. They're the best cookies I've ever had.)

1? cups chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet)
1? cups chopped walnuts
1? cups white chocolate chips
1 cup almond granola (plain granola works, too)

Mix together in a small bowl; set aside.

1 cup butter*
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
? cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
? tsp. salt

Combine dry ingredients; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar mixture until fluffy, then add eggs, vanilla and water. Mix until smooth. Add flour mix a little at a time, mixing carefully. Add chocolate mixture with a spatula and mix well.

Spoon by large tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes at 375? F, turn pan and bake another 4-5 minutes (to ensure even cooking.)

Let the cookies cool on the pan for about five minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool for another five minutes or so. This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies. It's important that you don't make the cookies too big. Otherwise, you'll end up with crispy edges and raw middles. *Most cookie recipes call for softened butter, but the butter/sugar mixture is much fluffier if you use cold butter.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Devil’s Food Cookies With White Chocolate Chips

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) white chocolate morsels (I used ghirardelli)

Preheat oven to 325? F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture in three batches. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Top with remaining morsels.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Thursday, March 18, 2004

Toffee Chunk Brownie Cookies

1 cup butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate-covered toffee bars

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter and chocolate in large saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir sugar into chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in vanilla until smooth. Add flour and salt just until mixed and fold in toffee pieces.

Drop by heaping spoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 minutes or until just set. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet five minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in airtight containers.

Molded Scotch Shortbread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to temperature recommended by shortbread mold manufacturer. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended.

Spray 10-inch ceramic shortbread mold with nonstick cooking spray. Press dough firmly into mold. Bake, cool and remove from mold according to manufacturer's directions.

If mold is not available, preheat oven to 350F. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet; press with a fork to flatten. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets two minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze for up to three months.

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Coconut Macaroons

1 1/3 cups shredded coconut
1/3 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in egg whites and almond/vanilla extract. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly brown. Remove from cookie sheet immediately.

Makes 18 cookies.

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