Ooey-Gooey-Chewy Cookies
Posted: February 19, 2014 Filed under: baked goods, cookies, eggs! | Tags: brownies, chocolate, cookies, desserts, eggs, flourless, food, recipes 11 Comments
score some brownie points
Life can be hard sometimes, amirite? It’s all about choices. And decisions. And compromises. What to wear. What to watch. What to eat. Like, do you go for a cookie or a brownie?
Well, why should you have to choose?
Why not get both?
Boom.
Yep. A cookie. A brownie. You can have it all. And actually, not to blow your mind again, but you can have it all — and less. That’s right. Because these ooey-gooey chocolatey cookies are flourless. Which is hard to believe, I know. But it’s true. Just check out the recipe. But what’s really great is that they’re so chock full of rich, chocolate flavor, you won’t miss the flour one bit.
See, life’s not so hard all the time.
Chocolate Brownie Cookies
3 cups of powdered sugar
3/4 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
5 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Heat your oven to 350º. Make sure your rack is in the upper third of your oven.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Next, whisk in the egg whites and egg until it resembles a thick fudgy mixture. Then fold in the bittersweet chocolate.
Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through, until cookies are puffed, cracked and set around the edges. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet. Then eat.
Christmas Cookie Roundup
Posted: December 23, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts | Tags: chocolate, Christmas, classic, cookie bars, cookies, cream cheese, food, Holidays, peanut butter, recipes, spritz 8 Comments
sugar & spice
Even though today is Christmas Eve Eve, it’s not too late to make some Christmas cookies. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve made over the past few years. (Click on the photo for the recipe.)
Hello Dollies (aka Magic Cookie Bars) – so many delicious layers
check out all those layers
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies – get your (cookie) gun
trim the tree
No-Bake Chocolate Clusters – there’s literally no baking involved; just melt, mix and set
no bake, no fuss
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Christmas Cookie Day: Toffee Bars
Posted: December 16, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, Christmas, cookie bars, cookies, eggs, food, Holidays, recipes, sea salt, toffee 7 Comments
toffee time
These aren’t your typical Christmas cookies. But who says you need to be typical? The holidays deserve something special, and there’s something very special about toffee and chocolate and a few well placed flakes of sea salt.
Toffee Bars
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups of brown sugar
1 egg
½ vanilla
1/4 cup toffee bits
1 ½ cups of Heath candy bar bits*
½ teaspoon of flaky sea salt
Heat your oven to 325º.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, and then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined. Stir in the toffee bits.
Lightly grease an 8×8 (or similar) baking dish. Line with parchment paper, leaving extra that hangs over the edge, and lightly grease the parchment. Spread the batter into the dish in an even layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Sprinkle the Heath bits over the top and bake a few minutes more until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the sea salt, and let cool completely in the dish. When cool, use the parchment paper to lift out the bars and then cut into squares. Then eat.
*I used 30 miniature Heath bars, which I unwrapped, placed into a large ziploc bag and then smashed with a rolling pin. It was very therapeutic.
Christmas Cookie Day: Spiced Sugar Cookies
Posted: December 11, 2013 Filed under: cookies, eggs! | Tags: Christmas, cinnamon, cookies, eggs, food, Holiday, recipes, spiced, sugar cookies 3 Comments
spiced sugar cookies danced in their heads
I’m a little behind with my Christmas baking this year. We can blame Thanksgiving for being so “late.” But let’s be honest, it’s never too late to start making Christmas cookies.
First up this year are classic sugar cookies with holiday spices. I cut them into festive shapes to get myself into the holiday spirit. But please, don’t judge my decorating skills. There’s a reason I don’t draw or paint for a living. I don’t have a lot of patience, and I think that has a lot to do with it. The only good thing about being a crummy cookie decorator is that you get to keep the rejects for yourself. And I maybe kinda sorta messed up a few on purpose. Oops. Hope that doesn’t put me on the naughty list. Maybe I can persuade Santa with a few of these tasty cookies.
Spiced Sugar Cookies
For the cookies:
2 1/3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Holiday cookie cutters
For the icing:
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of milk, plus more if necessary
Holiday sprinkles and green & red colored sugar
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 2 hours.
Heat your oven to 375º.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Carefully cut into shapes using the cookies cutters and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then place a rack to cool completely.
While cookies are cooling, make the icing. Combine the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl. Add more sugar or milk depending on how thick you want it. Hold the cookies by their edges and use a spoon to pour the icing over them. Let any access icing run off, and then place on a sheet of parchment paper. Add sprinkles, colored sugar or other decorations, and let dry. Then eat. Or, leave them for Santa on Christmas Eve (wink, wink).
Fudgy Center of Attention
Posted: November 18, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, cookies, desserts, eggs, food, fudge, nuts, oatmeal, recipes, walnuts 9 Comments
just go nuts
If you’re a fan of oatmeal cookies, you’ll probably go cuckoo for these. If you’re a fan of walnuts (here, lightly toasted, pulverized and mixed into the dough), you’ll probably go nuts. And if you’re a fan of chocolate fudge, well, these cookies will probably make you flip out from happiness.
Because seriously, what’s not to like about a dollop of gooey fudge on top of a chewy, nutty cookie?
Nothing, that’s what.
Oatmeal Walnut Fudge Cookies
12 oz of shelled walnuts
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
3 cup of rolled oats
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips
Heat your oven to 350º.
Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until toasted. Grind them in a food processor until they’re about the size of mini chocolate chips. Remove all but 1/4 cup from the food processor and process until fine.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla and maple syrup. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined. Stir in the oats and larger walnut pieces.
In a small sauce pan, heat the condensed milk and chocolate chips over medium-low heat until chips are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Keep on a low heat.
Drop small rounds of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten the center to form a nest, and then spoon a teaspoonful of the chocolate mixture in the middle. Sprinkle each with the fine ground walnuts. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then place a cooling rack. Then eat.
What The Fluff?! Cookies
Posted: October 1, 2013 Filed under: baked goods, cookies, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, cookies, cornflakes, dessert, eggs, Fluff, food, peanut butter, recipes 11 Comments
holy $#%&
What the F#@$ is in these?!
Yep. That’s pretty much the response from everyone who’s tried these cookies. I think that’s pretty accurate considering they have some unusual ingredients. Originally based on a Momofuku Milk Bar recipe (that famous bakery in NYC known for putting weird things like breakfast cereal into their cookies), I changed it up by replacing mini marshmallows with Fluff.
What’s Fluff, you ask?
It’s that gooey, marshmallow-y concoction that got it’s start in Union Square, Somerville (just a stone’s throw from where I now live) almost 100 years ago. In fact, the annual Fluff Festival was this past weekend. Nowadays, most people use it to make fudge or frosting or a Fluffernutter sandwich. Unlike regular marshmallows, Fluff is vegetarian friendly. And when mixed into cookie dough, it bakes up all ooey-gooey-wonderful, resulting in cookies that are both crispy and chewy. And 100% irresistible.
WTF Cookies (aka Cornflake & Fluff Cookies)
1 ½ cups of flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (2 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon of vanilla
3 cups of cornflakes
½ cup of milk chocolate chips
½ cup of peanut butter chips
3/4 of a 7.5 oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat for about 4 minutes, scraping down the side as needed. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined. Beat in the cornflakes a little at a time, and then stir in the chips and the Fluff. Cover and chill the dough for at least 3 hours, or overnight. It’s very important you do not skip this step. The dough needs to firm up before baking.
stirring in the magic ingredient
Heat your oven to 375º.
Roll golf ball-sized balls of dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet a few inches apart. Pay attention to this too, as these cookies spread a lot. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies have flattened and the edges are browned. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, and then enjoy.
Refresh Your Taste Buds
Posted: May 8, 2013 Filed under: baked goods, cookies | Tags: basil, cookies, dessert, easy, food, lemon, lime, recipes, shortbread 10 Comments
(almost) summer stack
Now that the weather is warming up and summer is little more than a hop, skip and a jump away, I’m craving something citrus. And these little crumbly shortbread cookies are definitely cirtus-y — and savory thanks to the addition of fresh basil. That might sound weird but the combo makes for one really refreshing cookie. If you’ve got a food processor, you can make a batch of these in no time at all. Then you can nibble on these while you wait for summer to officially get here.
Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies
1 cup of flour
½ cup of powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
½ teaspoon of lime zest
2 tablespoons of fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, chilled & diced
Heat your oven to 325º.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until large, moist clumps form. Measure tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup lightly dusted with powdered sugar, flatten the balls into 2 inch rounds. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
oh! who did that?
Pecan Turtle Power
Posted: April 9, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, eggs!, sauces & gravy | Tags: caramel, cookies, eggs, food, peanut butter, pecans, recipes, salted, toffee, turtles 8 Comments
cowabunga!
Everybody knows what turtles are, right? No, I’m not talking about those shelled reptiles, regular and/or the mutant ninja variety, although those are all pretty awesome. I mean those incredible chocolate-covered clusters with caramel and nuts. It’s the type of treat usually found at quaint candy shoppes alongside homemade fudge and peanut brittle. But if you don’t live near one of these shoppes, they can be hard to find. So in a totally radical move, I decided to reinterpret those candies into cookie form. And add peanut butter, toffee and – since it’s National Pecan Month! – some pecans. Dude, I know. I have a slight obsession with making cookies that include every flavor under the sun. I also made my very own salted caramel sauce because, well, why not? It’s way easier than you could imagine, and makes for a bodacious treat all its own.
Pecan Turtle Cookies
For the cookies:
½ cup of unsalted butter, softened
½ cup of sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
2/3 cup of chunky peanut butter
1 large egg
2 cups of all-purpose baking mix
1 cup of milk chocolate toffee bits
1 cup of salted caramel sauce (see below)
1 cup of pecan halves
2/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, melted
For the salted caramel sauce:
1 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened and cut in pieces
½ cup of whipping cream
2 teaspoons of Maldon flaky sea salt
Heat your oven to 350º.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fully. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Add the baking mix a little a time until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Stir in the milk chocolate toffee bits.
Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls, place on an ungreased cookie sheet and then flatten with the bottom of a glass (or your fingertips). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, make the salted caramel sauce. Place the sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. When the sugar starts to melt (keep an eye on it – it could burn quickly), whisk to remove any clumps. When the sugar turns a deep amber color, carefully whisk in the softened butter. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream until smooth. Then whisk in the sea salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature, and then place in the fridge to cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools, but should still remain sticky and liquidity. (Any unused sauce can be kept covered in the fridge.)
Once the cookies are cool, pour a spoonful of salted caramel sauce over each one and top with one or two pecan halves. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips and let set.
Peanut Butter Somebody Up Today
Posted: February 14, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, cookies, eggs, food, peanut butter, recipes, toffee, Valentines 6 Comments
love is peanut butter cookies & milk
It can’t be St. Whatever-tine’s Day without showcasing something everybody loves: peanut butter. Ohhh .. I bet you thought I was going to say chocolate. Gotcha! (There’s some of that in these cookies too, so don’t worry.) Throw in some milk chocolate toffee bits and they’ll really know how much you care.
Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
¾ cup of flour
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
⅛ teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup of sugar
½ cup of smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1 8oz bag of Heath milk chocolate toffee bits
Heat your oven to 350º.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fully. Add the peanut butter and egg and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture a little a time until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Stir in the milk chocolate toffee bits – as little or as much as you like, but save some to sprinkle on top.
Roll the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the bottom of a glass (or your fingertips) and then sprinkle each with a few chocolate toffee pieces. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Then share with someone you love.
Chocolate Chunk Off the Old Block
Posted: January 29, 2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, cookies, dark chocolate, desserts, eggs, food, recipes, salted, sea salt 9 Comments
it’s chunk! (chocolate chunk)
I’m back to my old tricks this week. Sugar. Eggs. Chocolate. You know, the good stuff. I’m adding flaky sea salt to that list, as you should too.
Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
– 1 ½ cups of flour
– 1 teaspoon of baking powder
– ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt (or regular salt)
– ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
– ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
– ¾ cup of brown sugar
– ½ cup of sugar
– ¼ cup of powdered sugar
– 2 large egg yolks
– 1 large egg
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla
– 6 oz of dark chocolate (72% cacao), roughly chopped
– Maldon (or other) flaky sea salt
Heat your oven to 375º.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, fine sea salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, egg and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle a little Maldon sea salt on top of each one. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let them cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Then eat.
these cookies have been a ‘salted
In the mood for another sweet & salty treat? Check out these blondies.
egg me on 