Oatmeal Crispies with Chocolate Chips

I found this recipe in the The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook and it looked simple enough. Plus I love cookies made with shortening vs butter. Yes, I said it. Shoot me later. The fact is cookies like these made with shortening have an amazing texture and flavor that you just can't get with butter. So crispy and nutty. Trust me.

The original recipe added nuts to the cookie dough. As I wanted a school-friendly anti-nut snack, I opted for chocolate chips instead.

This recipe makes 2 large rolls of cookie dough which you roll up into wax paper and refrigerate. 2 things with this recipe to be aware of if following the book: 1. It didn't state how long to let dough sit in the fridge. If you take it out too early and try to slice it you will be left with a crumbly mess. I recommend sticking it in your freezer for a good 1/2 hr before attempting slicing. Truth be told, I would skip the rolling into a log step altogether because it isn't worth it unless you are freezing the dough for a later date. Instead I recommend just shaping a tablespoon of dough into a ball, placing it on a cookie sheet and then pressing it down to about 1/2 inch thickness. Trying to cut the roll, cold or not, is a mess - period.

2nd: The recipe says to take the cookies off the cookie sheet right away after baking. If I had tried that I would have ended up with cookie shards. They would have completely fallen apart. So I let them sit for 5 minutes on the sheet then transferred them to a cooling rack.

These cookies are excellent. They are crispy, crunchy, sweet with brown sugar and pure golden heaven.

LET'S GET STARTED



As mentioned, this makes a lot of cookie dough. The recipe states 24 cookies


Ready to be baked


Baked - all golden brown and beautiful!
These do spread out a bit when baking
so leave 2 inch spaced between cookies

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup shortening
1 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats (slow cooking, old-fashioned - NOT quick or instant)
1 cups chocolate chips

MAKE IT

LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
IN LARGE BOWL, combine shortening and sugars. BEAT slow speed with electric mixer to combine then MED speed 2-3 minutes
IN MEDIUM BOWL, slightly whisk eggs and vanilla
ADD EGG mixture to sugar/shortening mixture and beat to combine
ADD FLOUR, salt, baking soda to wet ingredients and stir with wooden spoon til combined
STIR in oats and chocolate chips
DIVIDE DOUGH IN HALF and place each 1/2 on a sheet of waxed paper
FORM a roll 1 1/2 inches in diameter and wrap tightly with waxed paper
REPEAT with remaining dough
ALLOW dough to sit in freezer for at least 1/2 hr
WHEN READY TO BAKE, preheat oven to 350F
SLICE dough into 1/2 inch thick cookie and place on cookie sheets leaving 2 inch gap between cookies
BAKE 10-12 minutes until light golden brown
LET COOKIES REST on cookie sheets 5 minutes before moving them with a spatula to cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely.

SCRUMPTIOUS WITH A GLASS OF MILK and GREAT AS ICE CREAM SANDWICHES!

Rocky Road Triple Threat Chocolate Chip Cookies

My second baking experience with a recipe found in The Pastry Queen's cookbook and it was a fantastic experience indeed.

These cookies are filled with nuts, 3 kinds of chocolate and mini-marshmallows. They almost have a meringue texture on the outside and are filled with richness and crunch on the inside.

They have minimum flour and use 3 eggs as the glue to keep all these lovely goodies together to form one gorgeous cookie.

LET'S GET STARTED !

The recipe can also be found in this amazing cookbook; page 128

To begin, you need to toast two kinds of chopped nuts in your oven:
walnuts and pecans for 7-9 minutes. Don't bypass this step.
Toasting the nuts adds such incredible flavor!

Now onto the chocolate! You need to have 3 types of chocolate on hand - chocolate chips, bittersweet and unsweetened. The chips are added at the last prep stage. The other 2 chocolates are melted together with butter before adding to the egg/sugar mixture.

While chopping your chocolate, go ahead and cut your mini marshmallows in half too.
The recipe calls for them to be quartered but I found they were too small.

This recipe makes quite a bit of cookies - I counted 24 large cookies
measured out with my cookie scoop.

The result: plump cookies with crackled tops.

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper then sprayed thoroughly with cooking spray
1 cookie sheet set aside for toasting nuts

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows, halved

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
SPREAD chopped nuts in a single layer onto an ungreased cookie sheet
TOAST 7-9 minutes until golden brown
SET aside and allow to cool completely

IN SMALL saucepan, combine chopped chocolate and butter
MELT over low heat , stirring constantly until fully melted.
SET ASIDE and allow to cool completely

IN A LARGE BOWL, combine eggs and sugar
WITH ELECTRIC MIXER, beat 3 minutes, MED speed
ADD vanilla and melted chocolate.
BEAT MED SPEED for 2 minutes
ADD flour, baking soda and salt.
MIX just until combined
STIR in chocolate chips and marshmallows
ALLOW dough to sit 20 minutes

PREHEAT oven to 350F
WITH cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop rounded mounds onto greased parchment-lined sheets
PRESS down tops of cookies slightly so they are not as peaked
COOK 11-12 minutes until cookies are no longer shiny and are starting to crack
LEAVE cookies on cookie sheet for 10 minutes then transfer with a spatula to cooling rack

Cookies are at their best if eaten within 3 days or they can be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap then in foil, for up to 3 weeks.

ENJOY !

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Moist and chewy gingerbread cookies spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I love these cookies anytime of the year. These are a very nice change from the children's standard chocolate chip cookies and are a cinch to make.

They are especially nice with a lemon frosting. Or feel free to add butterscotch chips to the batter for added depth of flavor!

For dessert these are wonderful as ice cream sandwiches. Just dollop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on bottom of one cookie and sandwich together with another. Roll ice cream sides in chopped nuts for an added crunch!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE two cookie sheets with parchment paper
IN LARGE BOWL, CREAM butter, sugar, molasses and egg yolk with electric hand mixer on medium speed 2 minutes
SIFT in remaining dry ingredients
BLEND until combined and starting to clump together
SHAPE into 2 inch balls
PLACE ball on cookie sheet and press down with bottom of a glass to 1/2 " thickness
BAKE 11 minutes
TRANSFER cookies to cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before eating.

ENJOY !


Featured Here: FOODIE FRIDAY !

St. Paddy's Day Mint Thins

Drizzled in green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day but you could enjoy these any time of year and after you taste these I am quite confident you will !

I found this recipe online after looking for ideas on how to mimic those yummy Girl Guide cookies we buy boxes of each year. Now instead of waiting for my daughter to bring some home, we can enjoy them whenever we want.

These little numbers are simple chocolate wafers coated in a peppermint oil infused chocolate candy coating. A drizzle of green icing tops them off nicely.

I found the recipe here on Food Buzz as posted by In Katrina's Kitchen

I adapted it somewhat:

• rolled the dough out between 2 sheets of waxed paper
  
• reduced baking time to 8 minutes
• used Wilton Candy Flavoring oils to add that peppermint taste - 3 drops to a bag of Dark Chocolate Candy Melts is all you need. Do NOT use artificial extracts as it will affect the candy coating consistency and you don't want that! Use oil based flavors only*.
  
• For the green drizzle, I simply melted some green candy melts and put the melted chocolate into a Wilton Candy Bottle used for drizzling. You can add the drizzle right after you dunk the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Then let them cool in the freezer for 15 minutes before indulging.

* For the oils, LorAnn Oils are also fantastic and top-notch quality. I found some in Bulk Barn but you can also buy them online here at the Vanilla Food Company.

This is my all-time favorite tool for dunking cookies into melted chocolate.
You can buy it where they sell candy making ingredients.
If you don't have one, simply use a fork.

And when making these, have some fun and try different cookie cutter shapes. Given the upcoming St. Patty's Day festivities, why not opt for a shamrock cutter?
Or think easter eggs shapes for April !

I didn't get a chance to take a pic of a decorated shamrock cookie but here they are fresh out of the oven. As you can see, they don't rise up as the recipe has no leavening agents. They also hold their shapes incredibly well. Basically after you cut them and prep them for the oven
they truly are "what you see is what you get" once baked.

These are great cookies that have definitely won my vote for being a staple treat around here.

ENJOY !!!

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

A batch of "cinnful" gluten-free snickerdoodles. These cookies are one of my children's favorites and always beat out the normal flour-based variety time and time again.

Sweet, soft and chewy surrounded by a heavenly coating of sugar and cinnamon.

The recipe is an adaptation of one I have used repeatedly, with rave reviews, from
The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook.

This is a wonderful cookbook for those who have gluten allergies or sensitivities.
Many recipes are dairy, egg, soy, nut and sesame free as well.

The true Snickerdoodle recipe in her book is both vegan and gluten-free.
I, on the other hand, used eggs, butter and milk
instead of her alternative ingredients.

Basic Gluten-Free Baking Mix
used throughout the book:

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour (preferably from Authentic Foods)
• 1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch

LET'S GET STARTED

I keep my gluten-free baking mix in a ziploc bag and store it in the fridge.
Give it a good shake before using to ensure all ingredients are mixed together.

My daughter Charley preparing the sugar and cinnamon
that the cookies are rolled in prior to baking.


Here are the cookies rolled in sugar/cinnamon mix and ready for baking.
They only take 10 minutes in the oven!


Ten minutes later - these are FANTASTIC !
They will settle somewhat as they cool.

RECIPE (adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, Cybele Pascal)

WHAT YOU NEED

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour mix (ingredients listed above)
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xantham gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Crisco brand)
3/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I use Madagascar vanilla)
1 egg at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk ( I used 2% but whole would be fine too)
2 tablespoons fine granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

WHISK together first 5 dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
COMBINE butter and shortening with an electric hand-mixer on MED speed for 1 minute
ADD white and brown sugars. Blend until combined.
ADD egg and vanilla extract. Mix , scraping down sides of bowl with spatula when needed.
SLOWLY add 1/2 dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Blend until combined
ADD milk. Blend.
ADD remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.

IN SEPARATE SMALL BOWL, combine sugar and cinnamon
TAKE A HEAPING TEASPOON of dough per cookie, roll into a ball then roll thoroughly in sugar/cinnamon mix. Continue until all dough is used up - should give you 22-24 cookies.
PLACE cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 minutes
LET COOL on cookie sheets for 10 minutes
REMOVE from cookie sheets and allow to cool another 10 minutes on cooling rack.

DIG IN !!!

Chewy Mocha Dream Cookies

Thank-you Clean Eating magazine for this great recipe! It is gluten free, only 56 calories per cookie and really knocks it outta the ballpark in terms of its chocolate impact! I love them and the kids are loving them too. If your kids attend an allergy-conscious school (or any of you have nut allergies) , just omit the walnuts and voila - a healthy AND nut-free treat. But for everyone else, I highly recommend you stick to the recipe and load them up with chopped walnuts. The added crunch is divine !

This recipe is in the Feb 2011 issue of Clean Eating.
Try these out ! You will be pleasantly surprised !

LET'S GET STARTED !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

6 egg whites at room temperature
pinch sea salt
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice ( I used Sucanat)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Fry's brand)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 oz dark chocolate (70% or greater), chopped
1/2 cup chopped unsalted walnuts

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. * Though the recipe didn't call for it, I highly recommend you spray your parchment paper with cooking spray to avoid any sticky messes!*
IN LARGE BOWL, beat egg whites with salt using an electric beater until soft peaks form.
GRADUALLY add cane juice and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
FOLD in cocoa powder, espresso, vanilla, chocolate and walnuts and mix until combined (the recipe said no need to fold but trust me on this !)
DROP batter by rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheets, dividing evenly. This recipe should make about 24 cookies.
BAKE 1 cookie sheet at a time on oven's middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes per sheet, until cookies are no longer shiny.
ALLOW to cool 5 minutes before removing from sheet. PLACE on cooling rack until they cool entirely. If these tend to stick somewhat to parchment just use a hard spatula to quickly lift them off the parchment.

These are chewy, sticky and just plain GOOD !

STORAGE TIPS: I recommend storing these in the fridge.
I also recommend you keep them in a simple plastic container with a lid.
Line the bottom with wax paper, then layer with one single layer of cookies,
top with another piece of wax paper and continue.
If the cookies come in contact with one another they will stick together.
I learned this the hard way after I took the photo at the top of this recipe entry !

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies - an old favorite among many. This was a recipe my mom used to make when I just a little lass.

For the peanut butter, I had great ideas to inject some kind of "healthy" version of it into these lovelies and go with pure and natural peanut butter. My advice: DON'T DO IT ! Stick to your typical Skippy or Kraft brands for best results.

I had also initially intended to jazz these up a bit - dipped in chocolate or even just drizzled. But honestly, why mess with a good thing? I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

LET'S GET STARTED !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1/2 cup fine white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg at room temperature
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
IN LARGE BOWL, combine first 7 ingredients. Hand-mixer works well on medium speed
SIFT in flour, baking soda and salt
STIR until combined
ROLL dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets
DIP a fork in sugar and flatten dough in crisscross pattern
BAKE for 10-12 minutes (mine needed the full 12)
REMOVE from cookie sheet and let cool completely on wire rack

This recipe can also be used to make PEANUT BUTTER KISS cookies.

Simply do not flatten dough, roll in sugar and bake for same amount of time.
When done, remove from oven and press Hershey chocolate kisses down into center of cookies until they crack around the edges.

ENJOY !!!!

Foodie Friday (Feb 25, 2011)

Sweet Tooth Friday ( Feb25, 2011)

Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies

Reading my blog roll today I was pleasantly surprised to see a gorgeous photo of a stack of Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies. I was instantly intrigued. I could almost smell the citrus. Spring was in the air.

So I put down the cup of coffee and dove in. Before long you could smell lemon throughout the house.

The result is one incredible cookie!

These are crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle
and big enough to hold with two hands!
Cheers to after-school snacks - here's hoping I didn't set the bar too high !

This recipe was featured today on One Perfect Bite.
With Mary's permission, I am reposting the recipe here and sharing the love !

HERE WE GO !!!

This recipe calls for the zest of two lemons.
I love how Mary adds the zest to the rolling sugar for that extra kick !


The dough came together in a snap; a rich heavenly dough laden with butter and fresh lemon juice and zest. I will admit that yes, I ate raw cookie dough today.
Trust me, you would have too !

Balls of chilled dough rolled in lemon infused sugar


Now to figure out what to use to press them down into 1/2 inch deep circles. I tried a glass and that didn't work. It left strange indentations. A saucer was too large. And then I saw it. This little plastic gadget the kids use to make egg sandwiches.


It worked !!! Perfectly pressed and ready for the oven !

These are truly beautiful and won't last long !

RECIPE as posted on One Perfect Bite

Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar, divided use
Zest of 2 large lemons, divided use
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1) To make lemon sugar: Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon lemon zest in the bowl of a mini-food processor. Pulse until lemon zest is incorporated into sugar. Pour into a small bowl and stir to break up any clumps. Set aside.
2) To make cookie dough: Combine flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with reserved 1-1/2 cups sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon extract, lemon juice and reserved lemon zest. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition, until all flour is incorporated.
Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
3) To bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into balls using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll in reserved lemon sugar. Bake in batches of six cookies per 18 x 13-inch baking sheets. Place balls of sugar coated dough on cookie sheets. Press down with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup until cookie is about 1/2-inch thick. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Remove tray from oven. Let cookie sit on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Yield: 24 saucer-sized cookies.

ENJOY !!!!!!

Valentine Softies with Kisses Just for You !

These are great little cookies that you can whip up in a snap. The cookie itself is a simple thumbprint recipe. Use any thumbprint cookie base you like. Then add 1 1/2 tbsp of liquid red food coloring.

Some like Hershey Kisses, others like frosting. I did both !

LET'S GO !!

Little wrapped jewels

Just follow the recipe below and you will see how easily the dough comes together.
These little guys are ready for the oven

Eagerly awaiting their spot on top of a glorious pink cookie

With a Kiss

Or with sweet and rich cream cheese icing

RECIPE:

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

WHAT YOU NEED

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup fine white sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp red food coloring
1 cup all purpose flour (sifted)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Sugar

MAKE IT

WITH hand mixer, mix butter until light and fluffy, slowly add sugar
ADD egg yolk, vanilla and food coloring, scraping down sides when needed, and blend well
SLOWLY add flour and salt, blend until combined

COVER dough with cling wrap and leave in fridge for 15 minutes
ROLL dough into 2 inches balls
ROLL balls in sugar
PLACE on parchment lining cookie sheets 1 inch apart
FLATTEN cookies slightly with palm of hand
BAKE for 10-12 minutes

ALLOW to cool completely before adding icing. For the icing, please see the Red Velvet Cupcake recipe in the blog entry below. If adding Hershey Kisses instead, let cookies sit for 5 minutes then press kiss down slightly into center of cookie. If you don't allow the cookies to cool somewhat first your kiss will melt.

The kids will love these and insist their friends come over to indulge so be prepared !

Featured Here: FOODIE FRIDAY !

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy warm goodness fresh from the oven. Forget the chocolate chips. Crank it up a notch and use chocolate chunks instead!

The kids LOVE these and they are nut-free so a safe school snack.

READY, SET, GO !!!

A few key ingredients and 2 ESSENTIAL ones:
Cinnamon and Corn Syrup

A gorgeous cookie batter!


Ready for the oven

PERFECTION!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup golden brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup fine white sugar
1 tablespoon golden corn syrup
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup of chocolate chunks (dark or milk are both good choices)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
SIFT together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in medium bowl
BLEND butter and sugars with hand-mixer until well combined ( 1 minute on medium speed should suffice)
ADD corn syrup, egg and vanilla to butter/sugar mixture. BLEND until smooth
SLOWLY add flour mixture to butter mixture, scraping down sides when needed
STIR in chocolate chunks

ROLL cookies into 2 inch balls, place on parchment-lined baking sheets and press down slightly with palm of hand. Leave 1 1/2 inch space between cookies
BAKE for 12 minutes

PLACE baking sheet on cooling rack and let sit for 5 minutes
REMOVE cookies from sheet with spatula and allow to cool completely (ok, go ahead and have one!) on a baking rack

BREW A POT OF COFFEE, STEEP A TEA OR POUR A GLASS OF MILK. NOW EAT, EAT, EAT !!