Chocolate Mint Cookies

I found a new, great recipe for St. Patrick's Day - but I'll be making them throughout the year. These cookies are fantastic - rich and brownie-like, with a melted Andes mint in the middle. I brought some in to Ben's school, and the teachers seemed to really like them.

I also tried some with Rolos which were delicious. I think a mini Reese's peanut butter cup would also be good.

I adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 36 chocolate mint wafer candies (Andes)

Directions:

1.	In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2.	At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 4 hours or overnight.
3.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4.	Roll dough into one-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking, unwrap mints. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put one mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

I've had a few requests for this recipe and want to get it on the blog. These cookies are wonderful because they are chewy inside/crunchy outside with layers of flavor, from chocolate to honey to cinnamon to toasted pecans. And the secret ingredient is chipotle powder - just enough to add a little heat. They are great for Christmas - all warm and sparkly. You can store the dough in the refrigerator for several days and bake as needed.

Mexican Chocolate Cookies (from www.cookiemadness.net)

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp chipotle powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 12-oz. pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

Cinnamon sugar for coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl.

In a separate large bowl, cream butter with sugars, honey and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time. Slowly incorporate dry mixture into batter. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Chill batter in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls (1 ½ inches, +/-) and coat with cinnamon sugar coating, then place on cookie sheets that are greased or lined with parchment. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until outer surface begins to crack. Place unused raw batter back in refrigerator between batches. Cool cookies on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies

I'll have to post a picture later, because each time I made a batch of these, I forgot to take one (they didn't last very long, either). I left the dough in the refrigerator and made one sheet at a time - better than making them all at once and having them go stale! You'll get about five dozen from this recipe.

If you like peanut butter cookies, these are fantastic - they have peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and peanut butter chips. A triple play of peanut butter! If you need some chocolate with your peanut butter, add a some mini chocolate chips or replace some of the peanut butter chips with chocolate ones. Personally, I prefer them with just peanut butter - if I want chocolate, I'll make these.

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies from King Arthur Flour

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups chopped dry-roasted salted peanuts
1 1/3 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with Pam.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Add the flour mixture, nuts and chips - stir until combined.


Bake right away or chill for later.

Scoop the mixture using a tablespoon cookie scoop on to prepared baking sheets and slightly flatten them. Bake until the centers are set and the edges are golden, about 12-13 minutes. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Valentine Ice Cream Sandwiches

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of these! I brought heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches to Ben's preschool Valentine's Party. This picture shows the ice cream sandwich, deconstructed. I made strawberry and vanilla ones, but the strawberry ones were particularly good.

The idea and recipe is from Martha Stewart. You can find a better picture here.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I made these for Valentine's Day, so they were heart-shaped, but you could use any shaped cookie cutter - dinosaurs, flowers, etc. - for any occasion.

Makes 24.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk
2 cartons strawberry ice cream, slightly softened (I had some left over)

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Danish Sugar Cookies

Okay, these pictures are mostly of the boys, but those are Christmas cookies they're decorating! We got together with some friends and made and decorated cookies last week. I've been using this recipe for a long time, but I haven't posted it, so here it is.

The cookies are soft with slightly crisp edges, which is the way I like them. If you like a crunchier cookie, roll out the dough thinner and bake them a bit longer. This recipe works well with cookie cutters, but they do spread a little bit. They taste great, though! The addition of sour cream and nutmeg makes them just a little different. They come from a Scandanavian cookbook that someone gave our family (our grandmother was Norwegian). The original recipe uses all shortening, but the Danes probably used lard.

Oh, and my friend's husband declared these sugar cookies "freakin' awesome!" which makes me happy. :-)

Danish Sugar Cookies

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. butter

2 egg yolks

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 cups of flour, plus more to roll out

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs together lightly and add to butter mixture; mix together. Add sour cream and mix. Sift dry ingredients and add gradually. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters adn bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes, or until golden and lightly browned on edges.

Christmas Cookies 2009

Peppermint Meltaways
Yummy No-Bake Bars
To-Die-For Cranberry Coconut Bars
Mocha Truffles
Meyer Lemon Cookies

More recipes coming soon!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

Here's a great recipe for a bar cookie that is super easy to make and totally crowd-pleasing. I always have the ingredients on hand, so they are perfect for when I want to make something last minute, like treats for the police officers who came to Ben's school this week. By the way, if you have a Costco membership, there's a coupon for $2.00 off their huge chocoloate chip bags right now - great to have on hand for all kinds of recipes.

I found this recipe on Recipezaar, my favorite place to find recipes that will appeal to the greatest number of people. When I want to find gourmet recipes, I use Epicurious. In both cases I search for the recipe I want, sort by "most popular" and read the reviews. It's not perfect, but I have found lots of great recipes this way.

These bars are from one of the most prolific posters on Recipezaar named Kittencal. As she says, don't overbake these - the middle will not be completely set when you take them out of the oven.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, well packed
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old-fashioned)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.Set oven to 350 degrees.
2.Set oven rack to second lowest position.
3.Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
4.In a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed cream the butter with both sugars and vanilla until no sugar granules remain (about 4 minutes).
5.Add in the peanut butter and beat until combined.
6.Add in eggs and beat until combined.
7.In a bowl combine the flour with baking soda and oats; add to the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
8.Mix in chocolate chips.
9.Transfer and spread into prepared baking dish.
10.Bake for 22-25 minutes or until JUST set (do not overbake).
11.Cool then cut into squares.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Update: I made these for Treat the Troops and subbed a large 19-oz. package of M&Ms since chocolate chips melt in transit.

I can't say how many different versions of chocolate chip cookies I've made, but I'd guess it's probably 20 or so. I don't think I've ever had a truly bad CCC, but I have an ideal: crispy outside, chewy inside, balance of salt and sweet. This recipe is the best yet. When you bite into the cookie, it has a shatteringly crisp crust, but the cookie stays chewy and doesn't deflate or turn hard. The light sprinkle of sea salt on top balances the sweetness of the cookie.

I've been storing the dough in the refrigerator and making a sheet of cookies as needed, so I haven't seen one older than a day, but it was still soft and fresh tasting. Don't skip chilling, because the butter in the dough stays cold longer in the oven and your cookies won't spread and flatten. Four hours is probably the minimum chilling time.

I've adapted the recipe (mainly in size of cookies) from Jacques Torres in the NYT. Unfortunately, it's one of those fussy recipes that calls for two specialty flours: cake and bread. Cake has a low protein count and bread has a higher one, so I'm not sure why all-purpose wouldn't be a good halfway point. I'm almost afraid to try the substitution because they were so good as written. Don't miss the five minute butter/sugar creaming; that incorporates air into the dough.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Jacques Torres)

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 pound chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate bar cut into chunks (note: I've reduced the amount of chocolate from the earlier version for a chewier cookie.)
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 4 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just use an ungreased sheet. Set aside.

4. Scoop 1 1/2 inch balls of dough and place on sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Pecan Squares

These squares from Martha Stewart fill the need for a pecan treat on a cookie tray. She says they are like pecan pie, but I think they would be more like pie if you substituted corn syrup for the honey.

Pecan Squares

Makes about 32 cookies.

18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
Press dough about 1/4-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees. To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.

Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Cranberry Coconut Shortbread Cookies

I love these cookies, but I know that chocolate is a bigger draw to most people. I think cranberries belong on a cookie tray, though, for color, tartness, and tradition.

I have no idea where I found this recipe, but I've had it for years.

Cranberry Coconut Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked dried coconut

1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 1/2 cups butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low speed until dough comes together, about five minutes.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on buttered or parchment-covered baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cookie edges just begin to brown, 8-11 minutes (shorter baking time will yield a chewier cookie, which I prefer). Let cookies cool on sheets for five minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Yummy No-Bake Bars

No-bake bars are not very ususual, but these are a little bit special. They have a thin vanilla layer in between the peanut butter/chocolate layers. The recipe makes a huge amount, too.

A 15X10X1 pan is a jelly roll pan or a rimmed cookie sheet. You could half the recipe and make it in a 9-inch square pan, but really, why would you want to?

Yummy No-Bake Bars (source: BH &G)

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. light color corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups cornflakes
¾ c. butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 4-serving size packages vanilla instant pudding (not sugar-free)
¼ c. milk
1 12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup butter

Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup; heat and stir just until mixture boils around the edges. Heat and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Stir in rice cereal and cornflakes until coated. Press mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.

For pudding layer, in a medium saucepan, melt the ¾ c. butter. Stir in powdered sugar, dry vanilla pudding mixes, and milk. Spread pudding mixture over cereal layers; set aside.

For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and the ½ cup butter; heat and stir over low heat until melted. Spread frosting over pudding layer. Cover and chill about one hour or until set. To serve, remove set mixture from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil. Place set mixture on cutting board; cut into bars. Makes 64 bars.

To store: Layer bars in single layer between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Here's another recipe I found on Cooking Light, but the original recipe is from the Wisconsin Dairy Board. I decorate them with sparkling sugar. They are a soft, cakey, very lemon-y cookies. I never can find Meyer lemons, but regular ones work fine. I read once that every Christmas cookie tray should have peppermint, lemon, spice, and nuts represented, and these fit the bill for me.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 1 teaspoon lemon and/or tangerine baking oil
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, freshly grated*
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Decorating sugar, silver dragees (small silver balls), optional

*Meyer lemons are available mid-November through early spring in specialty food stores. You will need 2 to 3 medium-sized lemons. Regular lemons can be substituted.

Cooking Directions:Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine butter and sugar in bowl; cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, ricotta, lemon extract (or baking oil), zest and juice; blend well.

Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; blend to combine. Add remaining flour in two parts, blending to combine between each, until a dough forms.

Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake until cookie edges are very light golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for a few minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.

While cookies cool, prepare glaze by creaming together butter and sugar. Continue to mix, gradually adding juice until desired consistency. Decorate cooled cookies adding dragees or decorating sugar, if desired, before icing sets.

Giant Cookie!!!

The boys around here prefer a chewy, oatmeal type of cookie uber alles, so much so that there's a mutiny if I branch out to say, a spicy gingersnap. This cookie is delicious and very, very large, and I've been asked for the recipe many times. I bake it in 8 inch round cake pans. At Thanksgiving time, I use Reese's Pieces and have Jack decorate it like a turkey for his teachers. The feathers say "I'm thankful you're my teacher." I think you could do a lot of cute things - use pastel colored M&M's and attach construction paper flower petals for a teacher thank you or Mother's Day gift, for example. It's really good, though - you don't need to have a reason to make it.

Giant Cookie
Yield: 3 8-in. cookies

1 c. butter
3/4 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 c. old fashioned oats
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 c. M&M's or 3/4 c. Reese's Pieces, divided

Cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter. Blend in eggs. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and 1/4 cup M&M's. Divide dough in thirds.

Line 3 8-inch cake pans with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Spread dough to within 1 inch of pan's edge. Sprinkle each giant cookie with remaining M&M's and press them gently into the dough. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Gently remove each cookie with foil liner onto wire rack. Cool thoroughly.