4th of July Cookies

Happy 4th of July everyone!!! This is my first 4th of July actually living in the US! After all the immigration hoops we've had to jump through (just to move 1 hour across the border from BC to WA) I am especially excited to celebrate this wonderful country.

Made my favorite sugar cookie recipe for these, along with my favorite recipe for sugar cookie icing. This is the kind of icing that pipes beautifully and dries hard and shiny so you can stack the cookies. It is also delicious!



Wishing you all a safe and happy day! God Bless America!!!

Rolled Sugar Cookies
Makes 60

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

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Best Sugar Cookie Icing
Makes enough for 20 cookies

2 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp milk
4 tsp light corn syrup
dash of vanilla

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well until smooth.
2. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring as desired. (I prefer gel or paste food coloring. It is more intense and doesn't water down your icing).
3. Best used immediately as it will harden if left out. You can microwave it to soften it if it starts to harden while you are working.

Fresh Apple Cookies

After a wonderfully warm September on the west coast, the rainy season has finally set in. Last weekend standing out in the rain watching my son's soccer practice was a definite reminder that yes, fall is indeed here!

If I had to pick one flavor to represent this season, it would be cinnamon. I made these cookies a few weeks ago, using handpicked apples from Washington State! They were the cutest little apples I've ever seen. As you can see from the picture, compared to the stack of cookies, they are TINY! However, I must say, their size made them pretty nitpicky to peel and mince.

These cookies feature fresh apples paired with delicious, spicy cinnamon and nutmeg and covered in a light vanilla glaze. (They're also great without the glaze) My son and his whole daycare class loved them. I hope you do too!

Fresh Apple Cookies
adapted from food.com

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large eggs
1/4 cup apple juice or milk
1 cup minced apples, peeled

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour and baking soda together, set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer.

2. Blend in salt, spices, and egg. Add half the flour mixture and blend well. Blend in half the apple juice. Add the chopped apples to the remaining flour mixture and stir to coat. Add this and the remaining apple cider to the creamed mixture and stir by hand.

3. Drop by small spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake 8-9 minutes. While baking, make glaze by blending all glaze ingredients together until smooth.

4. Remove cookies from sheet while still warm (be very careful) and glaze while barely warm.

Pink Cake Mix Cookies

In keeping with my very busy schedule, I now present to you another super-quick and easy recipe:Cake Mix Cookies!

What could be cuter than pink cookies? These are made with a strawberry cake mix, but you can use any cake mix and add food coloring if you like. I also added white chocolate chips, which really made these cookies stand out. For the best taste, I usually go for butter flavored or yellow cake mix. This time I opted for strawberry to up the fun-factor. I have made this recipe countless times. I actually make more cookies from cake mixes than I do cakes! They may not be the prettiest looking baked good but they are really really tasty. Oh yeah, added bonus: they are the chewy type of cookie too!

Cake Mix Cookies
Makes 24 | Adapted from Food.com

1 (18.25 oz) cake mix (any flavor)
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk (evaporated milk if you have it)
1 cup chocolate/white chocolate chips (optional)
food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl mix cake mix, butter, egg and milk. Shape dough in a ball. Chill for 2 hours. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out with a floured cookie cutters. Place 2" apart on a cookie sheet that has been very lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 6-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Caramel Filled Shortbread Bars

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I feel incredibly loved today. I curled up under a comfy blanket on the couch and watched the Magic Schoolbus with my son this morning before sending him to preschool. Later tonight I am seeing my wonderful fiancé! A nice treat since he lives across the border and we only usually see each other on weekends. Wishing everyone a fantastic Valentine's Day! If nothing else it is a good excuse to induge in lots of sugar!



These bars combine a crumbly shortbread base with a soft, decadent caramel filling. Then they are topped off with a thin layer of chocolate. I love love love the filling. Made with sweetened condensed milk, it is very dulce de leche-ish. Firm enough to hold its shape when cut but soft enough to melt on your tongue.

I have heard of a variation of these called "Millionnaire's Shortbread" because they are so rich. They are also incredibly addictive.





Caramel Filled Shortbread Bars
9" Square Pan

Base:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold

Filling:
1 can (approx 1 cup) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9" square pan. Make base by combining flour and sugar. Cut in butter until pea-sized. Press the crumbly base mixture into the prepared pan to form an even layer. Bake this for 20-25 until golden brown.

2. Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk, sugar, butter and cornsyrup over medium-high heat. Stir constantly. When butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil then reduce and simmer, stirring often, until it carmellizes and turns golden brown. Stir in vanilla and pecans (if using. Pour the filling over the base and spread to cover base evenly. Let cool and set fully, at least 1 hour. [I left mine overnight].

3. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the filling. It will be a thin layer. Let stand to set fully (another hour or so) before cutting and serving.

Coconut Butter Bars

These look more difficult to make than they really are. The recipe was from Gourmet Magazine (December 1993). Oh, the 90's. They don't even seem that long ago but the recipe was printed almost 20 years ago! Wow, I sound old... reminiscing about days gone by and I'm only 27! They are a traditional recipe that was once known as "London Bars" although I'm not sure why.
Not only are they easy to make, they are different from other bars, don't require a lot of ingredients, and are delish. They are dense without being tough. They are also versatile. Try them with pecans and milk chocolate or macadamia nuts and dried pineapple.



If you let them sit for at least a day or two, the flavor improves greatly. They are a thinner bar, so if you like a thicker bar, consider using a 9" square baking pan instead of the 9x13" one.

Buttery Coconut Bars
9x13" pan | Gourmet, Dec. 1993

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. reheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup of the flour, and the butter until the mixture is combined well.

2. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the remaining 1 cup brown sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons flour, the coconut, the almonds, the eggs, the vanilla, and the salt and blend the mixture well. Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the crust and bake the mixture for 20 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. If time allows, let these stand a day or two before serving in order to let the flavors develop. ***May be made 1 month in advance and kept frozen airtight.

Salty Sweet Peanut Butter Cookies

Have you ever noticed that Reese's PB Cups have a saltiness to them that harmonizes beautifully with the sweetness of the chocolate coating? I tried to copy that salty-sweet flavor in these cookies by using crushed pretzels. The dough surrounds chunks of milk chocolate in a giant cookie. These turned out to be 4-5" in diameter!



To make them even more decadent and a little bit fancier I suggest dipping them in melted chocolate before serving!



Salty Sweet Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 12

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed
1 cup milk chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and peanut butter and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add flour and baking soda and mix until combined. Mix in crushed pretzels and chocolate chunks.

3. Using a large cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Don't over bake!

Brown Butter Cookies

This recipe is case in point for why I love old cookbooks and compilations from years gone by. I especially enjoyed this one, published after Conde Nast stopped publishing the magazine (so sad!) The Gourmet Cookie Book (The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009).

Other good compilations are:
The Essential NY Times Cookbook- Classic Recipes for a New Century
Baking Illustrated by Cooks Illustrated
Baking in America - Traditional and Contemporary Favorites from the Past 200 Years.

People sometimes tell me it's odd that I "read" cookbooks, but to me, they are like storybooks that I can incorporate into my own life and family memories.



Brown Butter Cookies
Makes 24 | adapted from Gourmet, June 1961

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Walnut halves, to decorate

1. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter on low heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in sugar and vanilla sugar and remove from heat. Let cool.

2. Combine flour and baking powder and beat in cooled butter mixture to form a smooth dough.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll small balls of dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place dough balls about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each ball of dough down using the tines of a fork. Top with half of a blanched almond or an almond slice.

4. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges just start to turn golden. Remove from baking sheet after 1 minutes and let cool on wire racks.

French Macarons - 1 recipe; 4 variations

Happy 2012!!! May this year bring you much happiness and good times in the kitchen challenging yourself to new recipes and techniques. I spent the day learning to snowboard. This is something I have wanted to do for over 5 years and today I finally did it! I think my arms, legs, butt, shoulders will be sore for the next few days. Judging by the way the year has started, it's going to be a good one.

As for new recipes in the kitchen, macarons intrigue me. Like cupcakes, their popularity seems to have skyrocketed in the past few years. I have always enjoyed Martha Stewart's Recipes and used to watch her home/cooking/gardening show on TV before the whole jail thing happened. After that, she lost a lot of fans but she didn't lose me! I was thrilled when I found out that we had to do a case study on Martha Stewart Omnimedia (MSO) as an assignment for my accounting designation.

This macaron recipe has flavor variations - both for the cookie itself and for the filling. With one batch you can get a variety of cookies that makes it look like you put in so much more work than you actually did!



French Macarons with Flavor Variations
Makes 16 filled macarons | Martha Stewart

1 1/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon confectioners sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Macarons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8" #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macarons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.

3. Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macarons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macarons from the parchment. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

4. To fill the macarons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macarons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Variations:
*Coffee-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops brown food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, blend 1/2 cup macaron filling with 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon warm water for the filling.
*Cassis-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops purple food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, use 1/3 cup good-quality cassis jam for the filling.
*Pistachio-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops green food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, combine 1/2 cup macaron filling with 1 tablespoon pistachio paste for the filling.

Macaron Filling
Makes filling for 16 macarons

3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and sugar. Set mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat mixture, whisking often, until it feels warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Transfer bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until butter is thoroughly incorporated. The filling can be kept, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before stirring.

Variation:
*Hazelnut-honey filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of macaron filling with 1/3 cup finely ground hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons good-quality honey.

New York Black and White Cookies

This is my last blog post of 2011! It's amazing how quickly time goes by. I remember starting this blog in 2009, not knowing that it would bring me such joy and friendships. One of the best parts about blogging is the sense of community: Women (and some men) connecting over a love of food and creating in the kitchen. 2011 held some important life events. I bought a condo, turned over a new leaf in my outlook on food/nutrition and best of all, I fell in love.

I'm happy that these cookies are my last post of the year as they symbolize one of my best memories of 2011: My trip to New York. When I think back on that vacation in September, I remember feeling happy, carefree and loved. These cookies are New York Deli classics and have been featured on episodes of Sex and the City and Seinfeld. They are larger than most cookies but they are light rather than dense. They are sometimes called "Halfmoons" or "Amerikaner Cookies" and were said to once have been made out of leftover cake batter.




Makes 12 | Gourmet, February 2002

Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

For icings
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

2. Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

3. Make icings while cookies chill: Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as white icing.

4. Ice cookies: Turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each and chocolate over other half.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I hope everyone had a great Christmas filled with sugar and delicious baking. I am pretty sure everyone has either made these or eaten these cookies at some point in their lives. Easy, pretty and always welcome at any gathering. If you happen to be someone who has not tried one, NOW IS THE TIME! Especially since holiday chocolates are now 50% off everywhere. Buy yourself a bag of Reese's mini PB cups and get to baking! I have a hard time resisting post-holiday chocolate sales, so while my boyfriend was at work I spent the day at the mall.

Depending on how peanut-buttery I want them, I use either peanut butter cookie dough, shortbread cookie dough or sugar cookie dough. The recipe below is for PB dough. Now I'm going to decide what to make us for dinner. Yum!!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Makes 40

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 mini chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, salt and baking soda.

2.Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

3.Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

BEST EVER Gingerbread Cookies

This is really and truly the best gingerbread cookie recipe you will find. You simply MUST try it. Go. Now. Bake gingerbread! I have used it for over 10 years and it is a no-fail every time. It gets rave reviews and my best friend asks me to make her a batch every year. If you are making a house with the dough, I recommend tripling the recipe so you have enough.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, which is a huge time saver over the holidays. It rolls out with ease and with minimal flouring of surfaces needed. The cookies are sturdy enough to use for a gingerbread house but delicious enough that you want to eat them. Unlike those cardboard-tasting gingerbread house kits - these cookies fill your home with the spicy aroma of Christmas. What I like best about these cookies is that they are on the soft side. With cloves, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, they are bursting with flavor.

Gingerbread houses are such a fun family activity for all ages. We usually do our house on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Morning itself. I let Zach decorate the whole back wall of the house without any assistance and I must say, it turned out great!!! He says that the chocolate balls on the top of the house are supposed to be "reindeer poop". Merry Christmas everyone and have a great holiday season with your loved ones.



Best Ever Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

Butterscotch Blondies with Peanut Pretzel Caramel

There are two camps of people: vanilla people and chocolate people. I am most definitely a vanilla person. I prefer white chocolate over dark, angel food over devil's food cake, vanilla bean ice cream over double fudge and of course BLONDIES over brownies.

I made these blondies for an office cookie exchange. I can't say enough how wonderful cookie exchanges are. You get a whole array of cookies for the effort of making only one. Plus, you get to sample your friends' favorites and find new favorites of your own. Thanks to all the ladies I exchanged cookies with this year!

This recipe came from the December 2011 issue of Bon Appétit. It has a nice salty-sweet flavor from the pretzels contrasted against the homemade caramel. The blondie beneath the topping is chewy and filled with brown sugary goodness. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a jelly roll pan below to make 72 - 1" x 2" bars.



Butterscotch Blondies with Peanut Pretzel Caramel
9 x 13 pan | Bon Appétit, Dec/11

Blondie
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teapsoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut-pretzel caramel
4 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups thin twisted pretzels, coarsely crushed

1. Blondie: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on long sides of pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned bits form at bottom of pan, 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, 2–3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Using an offset or regular spatula, evenly spread batter in prepared pan.

2. Bake blondie until golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pan, and a tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20–25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

3. Peanut-pretzel caramel: Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel is deep amber, 12–15 minutes. Add honey; return to a boil, stirring often, about 1 minute longer. Add butter; stir until blended. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Stir in peanuts and pretzels. Pour over cooled blondie. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Chill for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Oreo Truffle Bites

We have just over 2 weeks to go until Christmas! This weekend coming up is the last shopping weekend. I am starting to panic about all the stuff I still have to do. I have not baked a single Christmas cookie this year, nor have we done a gingerbread house. I feel guilty about slacking - never before have I left it to this late - but somehow this year feels busier than before.

It's a good thing these adorable Oreo bites are so simple and non-time-consuming. I love how cute they are too. I made them with my 4-year old. He had a blast crushing the cookies with a rolling pin in a Zip-lock bag. You can create a million different varieties by using different cookies instead of Oreos. I also like Nutter Butters! For a more festive touch of color you could use colored melting wafers for dipping instead of chocolate.

Oreo Truffle Bites
Makes approximately 42

1 (16 ounce) pkg Oreo Cookies
1 (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
8 oz white chocolate or white almond bark, melted
Sprinkles, Nuts, Etc. (for decorating)

1. Remove 9 of the cookies from the package. You will not need these. Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs (in food processor or in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin). Place crumbs in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1" in diameter.

2. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Do some in white and some in the dark chocolate. Decorate as you wish, with sprinkles or roll in chopped nuts or drizzled with the opposite chocolate color. Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.

3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store covered in refrigerator.

Best Ever Rugelach

I shopped for 24 hours straight this Black Friday. From 10PM Thursday on! My feet are killing me and I slept in til noon today, but it was without a doubt worth it. An LED TV, camera, Soda Stream soda-maker and much much more. I am glad we brought these cookies to munch on through the day, because ya know, there just isn't time to sit down and eat. You might miss the deals!

These classic little crescent shaped cookies are so versatile and fun to make. You can fill them with whatever you like, so feel free to make up your own fillings and find your own favorite. My 4 year old helped me sprinkle on fillings and roll them up. His favorites were the jam-filled ones - no nuts.

Of all the rugelach I've tried, this one is definitely one of the best. It produces a tender, flaky pastry that is incredibly easy to work with and freezes well. The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Marcy Goldman of betterbaking.com. I have both of her books, A Passion for Baking and The New Best of Betterbaking.com and have bookmarked many of the pages with my favorite recipes. I believe she is Canadian!



Baked rugelach are best kept between layers of wax paper and loosely covered with aluminum foil (the object is to keep the pastries dry; do not store under a cake dome or closed container). The rich dough freezes well for up to 4 months. Freeze unbaked rugelach on a baking sheet until they are firm, then transfer to heavy-duty resealable plastic food storage freezer bags. There is no need to defrost before baking.



Best Ever Rugelach
Makes 48 | "A Passion for Baking"

Dough:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sour cream
4 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface

Filling:
1 1/3 cups raspberry jam
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups finely chopped nuts (optional)

1. For the dough: Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll in a bit of additional flour, as necessary, to make a soft but manageable dough. Divide into 4 portions, press each into a flattened disk and wrap in wax paper. Place them in a large resealable plastic food storage bag; seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Filling: Roll out each portion of dough into a 12" circle on a well-floured work surface. Smear on the jam, covering the surface of the dough, and then evenly sprinkle on the brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, if using. Use a pastry or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge snugly and place on the lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastries are nicely browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies

This is an easy and fast recipe for peanut butter cookies. They start with a yellow cake mix (but if you are feeling adventurous, you might want to try devil's food cake mix!). They are chewy, especially if you take care to underbake them. My favorite parts were the caramellized, slightly crisp edges that surrounded the chewy centres of the cookies.

These come from a really cute little book called "101 things to do with a cake mix". Amazon users rate this as 4 1/2 stars! With recipes for brownies, cookies, bundt cakes, etc. you will never use the recipe on the back of the box again.



Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
adapted from 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix

1 package (18.5 oz) yellow cake mix
1 cup peanut butter (either creamy or chunky)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add peanut butter, oil, eggs, and water. Mix until well blended.

2. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly using a fork dipped in water if desired.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies set on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before carefully removing from the cookie sheet to cool on wire racks.

TWD: Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread

Today it is my turn to host TWD! As we near the end of the book I was lucky enough to be chosen to pick a SECOND time. I am a huge fan of salt and pepper (and all condiments, come to think of it!). I usually sprinkle so much pepper on my bagel and cream cheese that you can't even see the cream cheese. No exaggerating.

These cookies really intrigued me and I'm happy to report that they were well received. Most people could not even distinguish the presence of the pepper, so it was really more like cocoa shortbread with a little "je ne sais quoi". I also dunked mine in a bowl of sugar before baking to give them a sugar-coated finish. To all the other Tuesdays with Dorie Bakers, thank you for taking the pepper challenge and baking along with me this week. This week is a bit of blur for me as my boyfriend and I count down to our long-awaited New York trip (leaving in 4 days!!!)

Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread
"Baking" by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the flour and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer beat the butter until smooth and add in the sugar, continue to beat until they incorporate. Add the yolk, salt, pepper and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add the flour and cocoa mixture in a few separate additions. Mix until combined.

Turn the dough out onto your workspace and divide the dough in half. You want to roll 2 six inch logs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Once the dough has chilled cut the logs into 1/2 inch rounds (you will end up with 24 cookies) bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350 degree until firm. Let them cool a minute on the hot trays before moving to cooling racks.

Pudding Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

The secret ingredient that makes (and keeps) these cookies chewy is the instant pudding mix. I recommend using butterscotch for the caramel undertones and deepened flavor. I used mini m & m's in these cookies and made them bitesized for my son to bring for snack in his lunchbox.



Pudding Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 24

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cups butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant butterscotch (or vanilla) pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract (yes, tablespoon)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Edges should be golden brown.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies will make your kitchen smell like the most amazing place on earth. Toasted walnuts and generous chunks of chocolate held together with a soft, banana flavored batter. This is like chocolate chip banana bread in cookie form. So far I have yet to be let down by a recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies. The banana in these cookies keeps them soft for longer than the average cookie. Since they have fruit, nuts, rolled oats and whole wheat flour, they are probably slightly healthier than your average cookie too!



Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies
3 dozen | Martha Stewart's Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together both flours, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugars with an electric mixer till light and fluffy, then add egg and vanilla and combine. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate and walnuts.

3. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.

TWD: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Cookies

This week's recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) was chosen by Spike of Spike Bakes.

Dorie calls these more handmade then handsome and she is right. There's nothing overly attractive about them and truthfully they do look pretty plain compared to iced sugar cookies or statuesque chocolate-dipped biscotti. But people keep reaching for another once they've tried one. I think part of their appeal is in their simplicity.

Truth be told I have never been totally sold on the cake cookie. Straddling both worlds, they are trying too hard to please and never quite excelling in either. But these ones, these sour cream chocolate cake cookies are good!

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

When I mixed up this dough, it looked really sticky and I was concerned that it would not firm up enough to roll out. Well, fight the urge to add more flour!!! A couple of hours in the fridge and it was perfect for rolling out and cutting into shapes. For quicker cookies you could easily refrigerate in logs then do a slice 'n bake cookie.



Cake Mix Sugar Cookies
Makes 24 | Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 (18.25 oz) cake mix (yellow or butter is my fave)
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dump all ingredients into a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Drop by tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden around edges.