A Good Appetite: cookies

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

Pecan & Cherry Shortbread

Spicy Double Chocolate Biscotti

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, December 18, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Spicy Double Chocolate Biscotti

I was originally going to make a salted chocolate & cherry cookie this week, similar to one Matt had at Common Roots last week. But it seemed a little to much like the salted chocolate covered caramel cookies so, those will wait for another time. Then, Matt came up with the idea for this biscotti.

I think you could call this cookie a fusion of cuisines. Biscotti is Italian but the addition of chipotle & cinnamon is definitely Mexican influenced. Then to top it off I added some southern pecans. Though these maybe a mix of cultures, they certainly all went together well for a tasty cookie. This is a very crunchy biscotti, perfect for dipping in coffee or hot chocolate. The heat from the chipotle is a surprising back of the throat heat that just warms you up a little.

Spicy Double Chocolate Biscotti

3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 T instant espresso
1 t baking soda
3/4 t chipotle powder
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c nuts, chopped (I used half almonds & half pecans because that's what I had on hand)
1/4 c mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a small bowl beat the eggs & vanilla together.

In a large bowl stir the flour sugar, cocoa, espresso, baking soda, chipotle & cinnamon together. Add the egg mixture in & stir until well mixed. (I found using my hands was the best way to do this.) Mix in the nuts & chocolate chips. The dough will be very dense & sticky.

Split the dough in two and form into logs about 12" long by 1 1/2" wide on a prepared baking sheet (either greased & floured or covered with parchment or a silicon pad). Bake for 50 minutes. Carefully remove the logs to a rack & let cool for 5 minutes. Turn oven heat down to 275 F. Using a serrated knife cut the logs into 1/2" slices on a 45 degree angle. Put the slices back on the baking sheet with one cut side down. Bake for 10 minutes then flip to the other cut side & bake for 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.

Makes about 30 cookies
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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

Pecan & Cherry Shortbread

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, December 11, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Pecan and Cherry Shortbread

Last week Lori over at Fake Food Free made Pecan Shortbread & it sounded so good I knew I wanted to make some right away. I had an idea to add dried cherries to them which Lori thought would work great.

Now, these are not the fanciest cookies on the holiday cookies tray. Actually, they really look like plain janes up against the cookies covered in icing or filled with dark chocolate but these are the cookies I will reach for every time I walk by. They are buttery & flaky with little bits of extra sweetness from the cherries. I also added a little clove, allspice & cinnamon to them to give them a bit of holiday spice.

Lori's shortbread was much healthier than mine as she uses demerara sugar and whole wheat pastry flour. I don't have either of those items in my pantry & the snow storm kept me from going to the store so I adapted the Scottish shortbread recipe from Joy of Cooking for these.

Pecan & Cherry Shortbread

10 oz (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground clove
1/4 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground cinnamon
3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 c chopped tart dry cherries

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, beat the butter powdered sugar, sugar, salt, clove , allspice and cinnamon on medium speed until light an fluffy. Stir in the flour. Knead in the pecans & cherries until the dough comes together & they are mixed through.

Line baking sheets with silicon pads or parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon (about 1/2 oz) balls. Place on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Press done with your hand to flatten. Bake for 18 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Makes about 48 cookies

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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, December 4, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

I don't know about you but I love browned butter in baked goods, it gives them such a nutty, rich flavor. So, when I saw this cookies in Cooking Light I knew they had to go on the Christmas baking list.

I'm kind of torn about this recipe. I like the fact the dough can be used right away & I don't need to wait for it to chill. The dough is quite crumbly & hard to roll out. It's very hard to keep the cookies together while moving them to the cookie sheet, impossible without a spatula. They smell amazing while cooking. The end result is good & you can really taste the browned butter though this is a very sweet cookie. I really like the idea of them but this may be a recipe that needs a little tweaking.

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies
(from Cooking Light Dec. '09)

4 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 t vanilla
3 large egg yolks
8 oz all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat until dark brown, mine took about 10 minutes. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl & let cool for about 5 minutes.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the butter & beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks & beat for 1 more minute. Mix the flour, salt & baking powder together then add to the batter. Mix until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper & gently knead about 7 times. Roll out until 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes, re-rolling scrapes as needed. Put the cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silicon pad or parchment paper. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let cook a few minutes on the pan before removing to a rack to completely cool.

The recipe says it makes 32 2 1/2-inch cookies. I got 17 3 - 4 inch cookies.

Icing

1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 + T half & half (I needed at least a tablespoon more)
1/4 t vanilla

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Add more half & half as needed to get a spreadable consistency. Ice cookies once completely cooled.
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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, November 27, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Hazelnut Cinnamon Crescents

This is another cookie from the latest issue of Bon Appetit. I'm attracted to this type of cookie, very buttery and not overly sweet.

This dough comes together quickly in a food processor and the cookies are easy to shape so they aren't too time consuming. I realized after I tried one that it is basically a Mexican wedding cookie or Russian tea cake just made with hazelnuts instead of almonds or walnuts. Next time I make them I will add more cinnamon (maybe even double the amount) since I don't feel like you can taste the flavor of it at all which seems strange for a cookie with cinnamon in its name. Not to say I don't like them this way, I did eat 5 before they got packaged up for the freezer!

Hazelnut Cinnamon Crescents
(from Bon Appetit Dec '09)

4 oz hazelnuts
1 1/2 c powdered sugar, divided
1/4 t salt
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1 t almond extract
1/4 t cinnamon
2 c all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Place hazelnuts into a clean dish towel & rub to remove any loose skin, don't worry about removing all of it. (If your hazelnuts are already toasted skip this whole step.)

Place the nuts, 1/2 c powdered sugar & salt into a food processor. Pulse on & off until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter a little at a time, processing to blend with each addition. Add the almond extract & blend. Add the cinnamon & about 1/4 of the flour & blend. Continuing adding the flour a little at a time. Blend until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the food processor. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon pads.

Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls. Roll the balls out to logs about 2 1/2-inches long, slightly tapering them at each end. Shape into crescents. Place on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed & beginning to brown. Sift remaining powdered sugar over hot cookies (you may not need the whole remaining cup.) Let cookies cool completely in the baking sheets then roll in the excess powder on the sheets.

Makes about 40 cookies
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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, November 20, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Chocolate and Peppermint Covered Shortbread

I love shortbread! I think it could be tied with snickerdoodles for my favorite cookie. So, when I saw this cookie in the December issue of Bon Appetit, it went on my list for this year's holiday cookies.

Chocolate & Peppermint Covered Shortbread

This is a super easy cookie to prepare & the results will make a pretty addition to the holiday cookie tray. Matt & I both really liked the flavor & he commented that he liked the fact they weren't overly sweet (I think the bittersweet chocolate helps with that).

I made a few tweeks to the original recipe. First of all I increased it by 50% because my baking pans are bigger than what they called for. Next, I melted my chocolate before putting it on the hot shortbread, they say the heat from the cookies will melt the chocolate but I didn't really trust that. I asked Matt to crush the peppermint candies for me. He put them in a food processor & ended up making more of a peppermint powder instead of chunks, I actually think it looks really pretty & sparkly. Finally, they swirled white chocolate all over everything & I didn't think it needed that.

Chocolate and Peppermint Covered Shortbread
(adapted from Bon Appetit Dec. '09)

12 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 large egg
1/4 heaping t salt
3 c all-purpose flour
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray a 12" x 16" baking sheet with sides with cooking spray. Line with a piece of parchment paper that hangs over the edges.

In a mixer beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Slow add the sugar and beat until light & fluffy about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg.

Mix the flour & salt together. Gradually add to the batter, mixing on low until just incorporated.

Spread the batter out evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

While the cookies are baking melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Put the peppermint candies in a food processor & process until they reach a sugar like consistency.

When the cookies are done. Spread the chocolate over the top in a thin even coat. Immediately sprinkle with peppermint (a sifter worked well for this). Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled cookie from the pan to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into pieces. (It's really hard to get all perfect pieces but think of it like a bark which is all different shapes. I found rocking the knife was the best way to get a clean cut.)

To freeze these cookies, layer them in a plastic container with wax paper between the layers.

Makes about 72 1" x 1" squares

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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, November 13, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Salted Chocolate Covered Caramel Cookies

It's hard to find a candy I like more than chocolate covered salted caramels. (If you live in MN you have to try the Byerley/Lund's brand, they are to die for.) It's probably because I am such a fan of salty & sweet together (remember I'm the girl who put bacon on cupcakes & ice cream twice.) Then Ino at Kitchen 22 started talking about making cookies with this flavor on Twitter so I had to try it.

And the results are pretty darn close to the candies. The cookies themselves are very chocolaty, almost fudge-like, since they have very little flour in them. The caramel bits stay nice & chewy, especially where they melt out of the cookies. Be generous with the salt on the top of the cookies as it makes for a good counterpoint to the sweetness. Really these cookies are quite decadent.

Salted Chocolate Covered Caramel Cookies
(adapted from Culinary Muse)

2 c chocolate chips or chunks (I used bittersweet)
1/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking powder
1 c caramel bits

fleur de sel

Melt 1 1/3 cup of the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler. Stir in the butter until melted.

Whisk the eggs & vanilla together. Quickly whisk in a little of the melted chocolate to temper the eggs. Add remaining melted chocolate & brown sugar then stir until completely mixed. Stir in the flour & baking powder, mix well. Fold in the caramel bits & remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Scoop batter by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet that has either been greased or covered with a silicon pad. Flatten the cookies slightly. Sprinkle each with salt & press to make the salt stick. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (you want the caramel to have a chance to set before moving the cookies) then cool on a rack.

Makes 36 cookies

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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Friday, November 6, 2009

8 Weeks of Cookies - Chocolate Chunk and Hazelnut Biscotti

It's that time of year again...time to start the holiday baking! Last year I baked a batch of cookies for each of the eight weeks leading up to Christmas. It was a really good way for me to have a nice varied cookie tray yet not feel overwhelmed with making a lot of cookies at one time.

My first batch, on Matt's request, are these chocolate & hazelnut biscotti. Now, biscotti aren't something I normally associate with Christmas but when I think of how good these will taste with a hot cocoa or even some hot spiced wine it makes total sense.

Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Biscotti
(adapted from Biscotti)

3/4 c hazelnuts
1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temp.
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 T rum or rum extract
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 c all-purpose flour
4 oz bittersweet chocolate or mix of bitter & semi-sweet, roughly chopped (don't chop the chocolate too small or you'll just end up with chocolate biscotti)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the nuts in a roasting pan & roast in the oven for 9 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven & let cool a little. Rub off the skins the best you can with your fingers or in a towel. Chop finely in a food processor.

Turn oven down to 325 F.

In a large bowl beat the butter & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs & rum then beat until well blended. Mix in the salt, baking powder & flour. Fold in the nuts & chocolate.

Divide the dough into two piece. Form it into two logs, about 14-inch long and 1/2-in thick on a greased & floured cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the logs. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until starting to brown. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cut side down on the cookie sheet & bake for 10 - 15 minutes more. Cool on a rack.

I got about 40 cookies

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8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Daring Bakers - Tuile

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I chose to make my tuile into little cups to serve my homemade gelato (We were supposed to serve it with something light & I figured since my gelato has no egg in it, its lighter than normal). Since the gelato is vanilla I flavored the whole tuile dough with dark chocolate cocoa. I didn't really have anything to use as a stencil to shape the tuile circles before baking so I winged it & cut a 6" circle out of the piece of card stock.

I wasn't exactly sure how thick to spread out the dough but from what I've seen it should be pretty thin. I don't have an offset spatula so this was a little tricky with a kitchen knife. The second question was how long to cook them, the recipe says until the edges are golden brown but I couldn't really tell that with the chocolate dough. I guessed they were cooked when the dough looked set. I had a little bit of a tricky time with the shaping & they did crack in a few spots but not badly at all. Everything crisped up nicely except the bottoms of the cups. I think the center of my circles may have been a little thicker than the rest.

I also made some curls around a pen which we ate right away. The chocolate flavor was so good.

My only disappointment with these was how quickly they went soft. I made them after lunch, let them cool & put them in an airtight container. By dessert they were all ready chewy instead of crisp though they did retain their shape & the flavor was still great.

Chocolate Tuile Cup with Homemade Gelato

Following is the recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck, I have adapted it but cutting the recipe in half & making the whole thing chocolate flavored.

Tuile

Yields: I got 2 6" circles & 3 curls with my half batch

Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

2 T softened butter (not melted but soft)
1/4 c sifted confectioner’s sugar
a dash of vanilla extract
1 large egg white (slightly whisked with a fork)
1/4 c sifted all purpose flour
1/2 table spoon cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
Few drops of water

Preheat oven to 350 F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix. Mix in the cocoa & a few drops of water.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes.

Bake shapes in preheated oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown (mine took about 7 minutes). Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones….

Thursday, December 18, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

This cookies was not originally on my list to make for Christmas but I ended up with half a can of leftover sweetened condensed milk. What else to do but make dulce de leche. I like to just stir a little in my coffee but since I'm on a cookie making kick these days I thought I'd create a cookie with it instead.

I know dulce de leche pairs really well with cinnamon so I decided to make sandwich cookies using my favorite cutout cookie recipe which has a really strong cinnamon flavor. These cinnamon cookies are super tasty & I like them on their own but adding the dulce de leche just makes them that much better. I thought it would be good to change things up a little so I made half of the dough chocolate cinnamon by adding some cocoa powder.

I made my own dulce de leche but you can also buy it in a can in the hispanic section of the grocery store. If you do make it from scratch let it cook until its nice & thick.

Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

1 c unsalted butter
2/3 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 T cinnamon
1 can dulce de leche

In a mixing bowl cream the butter & sugar together until light & fluffy. Beat in the egg & vanilla. Add the flour, salt & cinnamon & mix until well combined. Wrap in plastic wrap & chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

On a floured board roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles. Place on a greased baking sheet or use a silicone pad. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown. Allow to cool completely on a rack.

Spread some dulce de leche on one cookie & top with another. Chill to set if desired.

Makes 3 dozen sandwiches.

To make chocolate cinnamon cookies add 2 T cocoa powder with the flour to the dough.
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8 Weeks of Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse

The baking for the Christmas cookie tray continued in earnest today with these little bite-sized treats.

I had never had pfeffernusse before (ok, I've had the Swedish peppernut but it's quite different from these) but they are traditional for Matt's family. Apparently, they are originally Dutch but many other countries have versions of this crunchy, spiced cookie but all include a small bit of pepper in the recipe. To me, they tasted a a lot like gingerbread cookies without the ginger. Matt's mom said she usually adds more pepper or even cayenne than called for but Matt asked me not to for this batch. Then after he tasted them he decided a little cayenne would have actually added a tasty extra kick.

Pfeffernusse & chocolate covered pfeffernusse

I thought they were a little plain looking & decided to dip half of them in chocolate. Matt said if I was going to do that I might as well add some cayenne to the chocolate too. So, we ended up with three different versions of pfeffernusse; plain, chocolate covered & cayenne chocolate covered. They are all good but I think the cayenne chocolate covered are the best.

Pfeffernusse (three ways)

1/3 c molasses
1/4 c unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 c packed brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cardamon
1/4 t allspice
1/8 t pepper
2 c flour
6 - 7 oz chocolate, melted (optional)(we used leftover Hershey's Special Dark candy bars from Halloween)
1/2 t cayenne pepper or more to taste (optional)

Put the molasses & butter into a saucepan & heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Pour into a large bowl & let cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg into the cooled molasses & butter. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamon, allspice & pepper. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, incorporating each addition completely before adding the next. Cover the bowl & chill the dough for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll the piece each out into 10-inch lengths. Cut each length into twenty 1/2-inch pieces. Place the pieces 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until the sides of the cookies are firm & the bottoms lightly brown.

Chocolate covered pfeffernusse:
Dipped the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate coating about 1/2 of the cookie. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.

Cayenne chocolate covered pfeffernusse:
Do the same as above but mix the cayenne pepper into the melted chocolate.

Makes 240 cookies
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8 Weeks of Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Saturday, December 13, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Chocolate Truffle Cookies

This is another cookie recipe from Matt's mom & a request from Matt for our Christmas cookie tray.

These cookies are all about the chocolate. The original recipe called for semisweet chocolate chips but I decided to us bittersweet instead since we like the flavor better. Another change I made was to use 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate & 2 of bittersweet chocolate instead of all unsweetened because I made a mistake while shopping. I figured that since I was using bittersweet chocolate it would be ok & the cookies wouldn't turn out too sweet.

These cookies are so rich & chocolaty, they do taste a lot like a truffle. They stay soft & moist even once cooled & remind me a lot of a brownie. I can see adding flavors to them like espresso or chile though they are pretty perfect just the way they are.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares (or mix it up like I did half bittersweet & half unsweetened)

2 cups chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

1/3 c butter

3 eggs

1 c sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/2 c flour

2 T baking cocoa (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate, 1 cup chocolate chips & butter together. Set aside & let cool for about 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs & sugar together until light about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla & melted chocolate mixture, beat until blended. Beat in the flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt until well combined. Stir in the remaining cup of chocolate chips. (The dough will seem very runny) Cover the mixing bowl & chill the dough for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Working with a small amount of the dough at a time, roll it into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until puffed up & set. Allow to cool for a couple minutes on the cookies sheet before moving to a rack to completely cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

Makes about 4 dozen (we got 51)

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8 Weeks of Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Saturday, December 6, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Now that I've done 4 cookies that are traditional for my family to have at Christmas, it's time to move on the the cookies from Matt's family.

These Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies are a favorite of Matt's (I've noticed he has a thing for chocolate cookies). His Mom sent us the recipe for these a couple years ago & I'm not sure where it comes from originally. To me these cookies are taste like rich little brownie bites topped with cherry & frosting, nothing wrong with that at all!

I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa to make the cookie portion of these. This wonderful cocoa is 100% cacao giving my baked goods a intense dark color & chocolate flavor. I think I'd find it hard to go back to using regular cocoa after using this.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t vanilla
24 maraschino cherries (I had a 10-oz jar & had one cherry left)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (I actually used a mix of semisweet & bittersweet)
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk (use the leftovers to make dulce de leche)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder & salt together, set aside.

In a mixer beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar to the butter & beat until light & fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture & beat until well mixed.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls & place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheets. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Drain the cherries reserving the juice. Remove the stems & cut the cherries in half. Place 1/2 of a cherry into the indentation in each cookie.

Put the chocolate chips & condensed milk in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the cherry juice. Spoon 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of chocolate over the top of each cherry covering it completely. If the chocolate is too thick add a little more cherry juice.

Bake for 10 minutes & cool on a rack.

Makes 48 cookies

These cookies will freeze well. Individually freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once frozen place them in a box with wax paper between layers then back into the freezer.
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8 Weeks of Cookies

Friday, November 28, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Swedish Peppernut Cookies

This is another cookie that is traditionally on my family's cookie tray at Christmas time. It's funny I was talking to my Mom this morning & she had just made them too.

These spice cookies are just the perfect little bite. The mix of cinnamon, clove, ginger & cardamon is a great match with the flavor of the filbert plus they make your house smell like the holidays. They do tend to be a little dry so they are best served with a cup of coffee or a big glass of milk. One thing I like about these cookies is how easy they are to make, of the 4 cookies I've made so far these come together the fastest with the least amount of work.

Swedish Peppernut Cookies
adapted from Woman's Day Dec. 1971

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 T corn syrup (light or dark will work)
1 egg
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground clove
1 t ground ginger
3/4 t ground cardamon
1/8 t pepper
2 t baking soda
3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
filberts, halved

Preheat oven to 325 F.

With an electric mixer cream the butter. Add in the sugar & corn syrup & cream until fluffy. Add the egg & spices & mixed until combined. Mix the flour & baking soda together then gradually add to the mixer until well blended.

Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time roll out to a 1-inch diameter log. Cut the logs into 3/4-inch slices. Roll each slice into a ball & place on a cookie sheet that has either been lightly greased or covered with a silicone pad. (These cookies don't spread much so you can place them pretty close together.) Press a filbert half into the center of each ball.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Makes 72 (I made half a recipe & got 53)
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8 Weeks of Cookies

Apricot Foldover Cookies

Friday, November 21, 2008

8 Weeks of Cookies - Apricot Foldovers

I think these flaky butter cookies filled with apricot preserves were my favorite of all the Christmas cookies my Mom made every year. They always seemed a little fancier, a little more grown up to me than some most other cookies.

When I told my Mom I was going to make them this year she gave a little groan about what a pain they were to make. My sister did the same thing when I mentioned them to her. Nevertheless, I really wanted to have these on my cookie tray over the holidays so I decided to try my hand at them. Well, I think they may have been exaggerating a little because I really didn't find this cookies fussy at all. There are a few steps but they weren't really difficult. The original recipe (from Woman's Day December 1971) had you make the dough by hand. I decided to make mine in my Kitchen Aid to save time & the dough still baked up light & flaky.

These cookies turned out as good as I remembered, buttery, delicate & fruity. I'm so glad I wasn't dissuaded from making them.

Apricot Foldovers

3/4 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks
2 T sugar
pinch of salt
2 c all-purpose flour
2 T very cold water
apricot preserves
1 egg beaten with 1 T water
finely chopped nuts

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter, egg yolks, sugar & salt. Add the flour 1/2 c at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Sprinkle the cold water on the dough & form it into 2 balls. Flatten the balls into discs, wrap them in plastic wrap & chill for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Prepare cookie sheets either by greasing them or using silicone mats.

On a lightly floured surface roll out one of the discs of dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out 2 1/2-inch circles, rerolling the dough until its all used. Place 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves in the center of each circle (go light in the preserves or they'll just leak out). Carefully fold the dough in half over the preserves & pinch the edge to seal. Brush each cookie with the egg/water mixture & sprinkle with nuts. Repeat with the second disc of dough.

Bake for 22 - 25 minutes until light brown. Cool on a rack.

Makes 3 dozen (the recipe actually said it made 5 dozen but I got 33 cookies & my Mom says she's never gotten more than 36.)
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8 Weeks of Cookies