Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

It seems like every family has something that they are "known" for.  Well, growing up, my family was "known" for our chocolate chip cookies.  Some of my first memories are of making cookies.  This is how we learned fractions, how we learned the basics of cooking, how we celebrated and how we mourned.  We always used the same recipe, it was one of the first things I knew by heart.  So you could imagine my utter sadness when I moved out of state and our tried and true cookie recipe did NOT work!  I have spent the last 17 years looking for another recipe that would replace my lost recipe.  Now, I have come across and shared some great cookie recipes on here but this recipe takes the cake,  at least when it comes to a good old simple, straight up chocolate chip cookie! These remind me of my family's recipe that stopped working the minute I left California behind.  They are chewy, slightly crunchy around the edges, wonderfully flavored, and perfect straight out of the oven!  I found the recipe here.  I adapted it slightly.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
(2 1/2 - 3 dozen)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 cup butter, softened to room-temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 T vanilla extract (yes 1 Tablespoon!)
2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar and white sugar and cream until fluffy. Next add the eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate each. Then add the vanilla and beat until smooth.

Add the flour in 3 intervals, mixing slowly and well.  Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips.

Place the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24.  If longer than 1 hour, make sure it is in an airtight container so it won't dry out.

Scoop the dough into Tablespoon sized balls and place on a cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  They are done when the edges are golden. Cookies may seem slightly undone but remove from oven, they will continue to cook for a minute.

Lemon Drop Cookies

I LOVE lemon!  Anything lemon! So when my dear friend made these for a luncheon and I ate half the plate, I knew I was in trouble!  {Thanks Ashley ;) }They are soft and chewy and tart and sweet!  I know, perfect, right?! Just wait until you make them, I dare you to not eat half the plate! The original recipe is found here.

Lemon Drop Cookies
about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 t lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
zest of 1 lemon
6 oz. lemon drops, crushed (NOT lemon heads)

1  1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and flavorings and blend well. Sift the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Add the lemon zest and crushed lemon drops and mix until combined.  Drop tablespoonfuls onto a cookies sheet covered in parchment paper** and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand or a fork.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  While they are baking whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze. Let the cookies cool for 1 to 2 minutes and then brush the glaze over them with a pastry brush. Let them cool completely.  After they were cooled, I drizzled a little more glaze over the top to make them look striped.

*Lemon drops can be hard to find, I found them at my speciality grocery store and I also saw them at Michaels Craft store

**Make sure you don't skip this step!  The little candy bits will totally stick to the cookie sheet and make it hard to get your cookies off! Plus, when you are brushing the glaze on, it tends to drip and this makes cleaning the pans or starting another batch a snap!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

I needed these today! Just a moment of weakness or a burst of inspiration, either way, they were YUM!  Sometimes I just like to go in the kitchen and start throwing ingredients together to see what I come up with.  There is nothing special in these, just a different combination of measurements but I am digging how they turned out! Maybe they are just better because they are bigger

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
about 15 BIG cookies
(cookies are about 4 inches across)

3/4 cup butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Cream together butter and coconut oil.  Add both sugars and mix well.  Add vanilla, mix again.  Next add egg and egg yolk and mix until incorporated.  Add baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix.  Add the flour and mix until there is no more white.  Add the chocolate chips last.  Once it is all combined, make ice cream scoop size balls and put 6 on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Make sure to leave lots of room for spreading. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

*When you are making cookies this size, baking for longer time on lower temp allows for the cookie to cook at the way through.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies

I wanted something new, yummy and chocolate for this rather warm Sunday. As I was browsing, I came across these cookies and was intrigued that they used buttermilk, especially since I had some in my fridge I needed to use.  I found them on this website.  I modified mine and used Andes Mint pieces in half of the dough.  The chocolate mint were the favorite in our house, but both are fantastic!
They got rave reviews by all and my 7 year old said they were definitely "blog worthy"!  They are soft, gooey and totally chocolatey! YUM!

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies
(about 2 1/2 dozen)

2 cups flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups chocolate chips (Andes Mint pieces, white chocolate chip or semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.   Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.  In a large bowl, combine melted butter (still warm) with the cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth.  Whisk in the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and the sugar.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain.  Add the chips you are using or divide the dough in half and do 2 different kinds! Drop by the spoonful onto prepared pan about 2 inches apart (these spread).  Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are set on the edges.  The middle will be doughy but firm up as they cool.  Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

If I had to pick just one dessert to eat for the rest of my life I would pick cookies.  I crave them daily, I dream about them at night, and I can honestly say they complete me...ok, that is really dramatic and a little over done, but I do LOVE them!  I have seen this recipe floating around a lot lately and I kind of always brushed it off, I am not sure why, especially not that I have made them!  They are completely worthy of my love!  I don't really know where this recipe originally came from but I found it here... mine is slightly altered.

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

(about 2 dozen)

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet and milk)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together butter and sugars until creamy.  Add the pudding, eggs and vanilla and mix again.  Add the baking soda and salt and mix one more time.  Add the flour (this is where I use my hand mixer).  I start with 2 cups and add the last 1/4 cup if it needs it. Lastly add the chocolate chips and mix.  Drop by the tablespoonful full and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Fried Ice Cream

Let me just start by saying, this recipe is NOT for those looking for a light, fit treat! The name pretty much sums it up.  BUT if you are willing or able to spare the calories, this is to die for!  We found this recipe on Food Network quite a few years ago and LOVED it! We pulled it back out for a special Mother's Day treat and liked it even more than we remembered!

Fried Ice Cream
(4-8 servings, depending how big you make the ice cream balls)

1 quart vanilla ice cream (we used Haagen Daz)
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 cup sweetened coconut, or 1 cup chopped nuts, or 1 cup cookie crumbs, or any combination (we used equal parts of pecans and vanilla wafers)
2 eggs
2 T sugar
vegetable oil, for frying

toppings:
hot fudge or caramel (we used this recipe) It is really Buttermilk Syrup, but if you cook it a little longer is makes delicious caramel sauce for ice cream!
whipped cream
fresh berries (optional)

With an ice cream scoop, form 4 to 8 ice cream balls and place on a wax paper lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze for at least 2 hours.

In a bowl, combine cornflake crumbs with either cookies crumbs, nuts or coconut (or whatever combo you are using).  Spread the mixture in a shallow dish.  Roll the ice cream balls in the mixture until they are coated and freeze for 30 more minutes.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar.  Dip the coated ice cream balls in to the egg mixture and then roll them, one more time, in the cornflake mixture until completely coated.  Freeze for one more hour.

When the ice cream balls are super hard, heat enough oil to cover a ball in a large pot or in a fryer to 400 degrees. When the oil is up to temperature, lower the balls, one at a time into the oil and fry until golden brown (about 30 seconds to one minute). Remove from the oil and serve immediately.  Top with Hot fudge or caramel and whipped cream and fresh berries.

Graham Cracker Cookies

I found these on the back of a box of graham crackers and thought I would give them a try.  Not only are they fantastic, but they are also egg free! So, if you just want to eat the dough, there is no guilt (well, almost!)  I also thought the dough would be great to use in cookie dough ice cream or in cookie dough truffles.  The cookies reminded me of Magic Cookie Bars, most of the same ingredients, just put together differently!

Graham Cracker Cookies

(4-5 dozen)

1 1/2 cups honey graham crackers, finely crushed

1/2 cup flour

2 t baking powder

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 t vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.  In another bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Add the crumb mixture and stir until smooth.  Add in the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and stir until combined.  Drop by the teaspoonful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.   Let them cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Dark Chocolate Cookies

When I first saw these on Pinterest, they had me at one glance!  But, I truly knew it was meant to be when I went to get out the ingredients and I had EXACTLY enough powdered sugar and just enough chocolate chips to make these!  We were meant for each other!  These are unlike any other cookie I have made.  I don't even have the words to express how I feel about these... they are divine, decadent, rich and heavenly!  They will satisfy a chocolate craving like this Double Chocolate Torte but with much less effort!  They have a little crunch on the outside but are soft and gooey on the inside! So there you have it, these just might be what you need for the love in your life for Valentine's day!

Dark Chocolate Cookies
(makes about 16-18 cookies)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 T corn starch
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two cookie sheets with cooking spray and set aside.  Melt one cup chocolate chips in the microwave or on your stove over low heat, until melted.  Cool slightly.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gradually beat in one cup powdered sugar until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.  In another bowl whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt to blend.  On low speed, beat dry ingredients into egg whites mixture.  Stir in lukewarm melted chocolate and the last 1/2 cup chocolate chips. The dough will get very stiff.

Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a bowl.  Roll rounded Tablespoons of dough in powdered sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies puff up and cracks form on the tops, about 8-10 minutes.  Cool on sheets for 10 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool.

Peppermint Oreos

Over Thanksgiving we had some great friends stay with us.  On one desperate trip to Wal-mart we came across Candy Cane Oreos.  They were amazing and gone within minutes (desperate times call for desperate measures!) So, the next time we were at a store, we searched them out only to come up empty handed.  That got me thinking, why not just make our own.  Homemade is ALWAYS better.  Well, the days went fast and the nights went faster and we never got back to those Candy Cane Oreos.  But I have been thinking about them ever since and have FINALLY gotten to them.  I wanted to take my homemade Oreos to another level. So I found this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen.  I, of course, had to alter it to make it Peppermint (and a couple of other adjustments) but I made a few the original way too.  Let me just say, these are the real deal! A true homemade Oreo. So go ahead and skip Wal-mart (I know we all have a secret love/hate relationship with it anyway) and just go for the REAL thing!

Peppermint Oreos (and original too)
(25-30 sandwich cookies)

For the chocolate cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T butter, at room-temperature
1 large egg

For the filling: (peppermint)
1/4 cup butter, at room-temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract*
1 t peppermint extract
1 crushed candy cane (or 5 small candy canes)

*For original Oreos increase the vanilla to 2 teaspoons and omit the peppermint extract and candy canes.

Preheat oven to 375.

In a food processor, or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.  While on low speed, add the butter and then the egg. Continue mixing until  the dough comes together in a mass.

Place rounded teaspoons of dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Flatten the dough balls slightly.  Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops look cracked. Cool completely.

To make the filling, place butter and shortening in a bowl and on low speed gradually add the sugar and extracts.  Once these are all incorporated, turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until the filling his light and fluffy.  Stir in the crushed candy canes, if using.

To assemble the cookies, place teaspoon sized blobs of filling in the middle of one cookie and top with another.  (I used a baggie with one corner snipped off to pipe the filling on.) Press down gently until the filling comes to the edges of the cookie.  Continue with the remaining cookies.  Now, go grab yourself a huge glass of cold milk and dip away!

Fudgy Chocolate Chip-Toffee Bars

I actually have a few other recipes ready to put on here but I just couldn't wait to put these on!  Maybe I was just really craving chocolate or cookies or fudge or all of the above but  I made these last night and I literally moaned out loud when I took my first bite!  And today, well, I pretty much skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner just to justify eating more of these!  So I thought if they are that good they deserve a BIG picture.  Anyway, I think I first saw them on interest but they are from the Pillsbury website.  I don't usually buy into the whole "store bought" cookie dough thing, but in this recipe I don't think it really matters.  Besides, I LOVE how easy it made this recipe.  Ok, now go make these!  Try them warm (my favorite way) or cold (my husbands favorite).  Either way, I don't think you will be disappointed!

Fudgy Chocolate Chip-Toffee Bars

(about 32 bars)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided

1 (8 oz) bag Heath toffee bits (found in the baking isle by the chocolate chips)

1 roll (12 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (I used Nestle Toll House)

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 T butter

1 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Spray bottom only of a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the graham cracker crumbs, and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits until crumbly.  Press mixture evenly into the greased pan.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. 

Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature until it softens slightly.  In a 2-quart sauce pan, heat chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 1 T butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust.

In a medium bowl, break up cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cu of graham cracker crumbs.  Crumble this mixture evenly over the fudge layer.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool as long as you can.  The longer they cool the firmer the bars will be.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is such a great cookie! It has a rich flavor, chewy center and a hint of toffee flavor from the browned butter. These really are to die for! I found this recipe on Cook's Illustrated. So, when you are wanting a twist to the regular old chocolate chip cookie, this just might be your answer.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
(about 16 cookies)

1 3/4 cups flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 t baking soda
14 T butter (1 and 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I like to do 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate)
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk together flour and baking soda and set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat until melted.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the butter is a dark golden brown and smells nutty (about 1-3 minutes). Transfer the browned butter to a large heat proof bowl and stir in the remaining 4 T butter until completely melted.

Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to the butter and whisk until completely combined.  Add the egg and the extra yolk and whisk again until smooth and no sugar lumps remain (about 30 seconds).  Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk again for 30 seconds.  Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times until the mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.  Using a wooden spoon stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).  Make sure no flour pockets remain.

Divide the dough into 16 pieces, about 3 Tablespoons each.  Place 8 balls on each cookies sheet and cook them one at a time until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and still a little gooey in the middle, about 10-14 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack

Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been meaning to blog about these for weeks now! I am a sucker for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies! I just can't seem to get enough of them! I grabbed this recipe off of My Kitchen Cafe and got straight to work. Heaven! Pure heaven!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes 4-5 dozen)

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups peanut butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 T milk

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I used 1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 peanut butter chips)

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl combine butter and peanut butter and beat until it is light and fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and white sugar and mix until combined.  Add the eggs and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and light in color.  Add the milk and vanilla and mix again.  Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly.  While there are still large spots of flour, add the chocolate chips and then continue mixing until the flour is all mixed in. Let the cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping onto cookie sheets.  It will firm up as it sits.

When ready to bake, scoop the dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  Leave 1-2 inches between cookies to allow spreading.  Bake for 10-11 minutes, making sure to not over bake in the slightest.  Leave the cookies on the sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.  The cookies will look lightly undercooked but they will firm up as they cool.  (My cookies didn't flatten out very much so I had to flatten them with the back of a spoon as soon as they came out). Cool completely.

These are Super good frozen too!

Day 111 - Nutella Sour Cream Cookies

It's almost June.  This year is FLYING!
Only four more days until our two younger children are out of school. 
Then SUMMER begins!!!!
Who knows what we'll be doing.  We don't really have any major travel plans...although I DO have my 25th high school reunion coming up toward the latter part of the summer.
If I go, I'll have to borrow somebody's kitchen, so I can continue my 365.
We'll see what happens.  I'll keep you posted (haha - no pun intended.).

This recipe is adapted from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition.

Nutella Sour Cream Cookies - makes about 60 cookies

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
¼ + 2 tablespoons Nutella
5 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat the eggs well, then add the sugar, sour cream, Nutella, butter, and vanilla, beating well until well incorporated.

Mix the flour, baking soda, and nutmeg together and add to the first mixture, beating well.
Arrange by teaspoonfuls, 1 inch apart, on the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Ok, yeah. Don't make these.  I really wanted to use Nutella in a recipe, so I changed this recipe around and it didn't work out. 
I don't even think they look that appetizing.
On my rating scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best, these cookies earned a 1 - definitely not worth the effort or money spent on ingredients.  I couldn't taste the Nutella.  The only flavor I detected was the nutmeg.  They just tasted blah.
Not the kind of cookie I enjoy.
We'll go for a better recipe tomorrow.
Happy Baking!

Day 110 - Cornflake "Macaroons"

A great evening spent with friends.  Everyone needs to remember to do that once in a while.  It's good to socialize and forget about "things" even if it is only for a few hours.
It helps to keep me grounded.
And everytime I come home after being with friends, I'm thinking, "darn!  Why don't I do that more often?".

I found this cookie recipe in my Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition, p. 621; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

Cornflake "Macaroons"  - about 18 cookies

1 egg white
½ cup sugar
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup cornflakes
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place parchment paper on top of two cookie sheets.
Beat the egg white until stiff, then stir in the remaining ingredients.

Place by teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and I thought these cookies earned 2½ rolling pins.  They were different.  They weren't bad, they just weren't something that I feel I absolutely have to make again.  I really liked the texture: the egg white was similar to a meringue, and the chewiness of the coconut mixed with the crunch of the cornflake was a good combination.  I like that there wasn't too much coconut, like a genuine macaroon, and I think a little less sugar would have been better - they were very sweet.  But that was probably because I used sweetened coconut, too.  Use unsweetened or cut the sugar amount in half.
I have to say that the smell of these brought me back to childhood.  I used to eat these sugar cookies from Nabisco that came in a pink wrapper and of course, they don't make them anymore.  The faintly smelled of coconut and were absolutely delicious.  I really miss those cookies... They were big, their shape reminded me of a flower and they had a hole in the middle that I used to stick my finger through and eat from the outside in.

Ah, the good 'ol days...(sigh)

Happy baking!

Day 103 - Molasses Cookies

*Pictures are up, but were delayed.  This sometimes happens because this computer I mostly use to do my posts no longer has the capability to load pictures.  So I apologize for the inconvenience.  It really is a big pain in the neck.  I'm hoping that if I'm a really good girl, Mr. 365 will get me an iPad for my birthday.  I think I'll keep dreaming...*

There are two children needing their momma's attention late this evening, so this will be short.  One is sick and the poor guy can't stop coughing and the other is needing some TLC because of school. 
I will gladly do whatever it is I can to ease both of their burdens because that's what mom is here to do.
I am certain I will miss this luxury when they are out of the house.
And I know I will miss this the same way I miss how they used to fall asleep in my arms...
This one came from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition, p. 614; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788.

Molasses Cookies

¼ cup molasses
½ cup shortening
¾ cup dark-brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Mix the molasses, shortening, brown sugar, and egg in a bowl, combining well.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together, add to the first mixture and blend thoroughly.

Arrange by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets, about 1-inch apart.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

Spiced Molasses Cookies:  Add ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to the flour mixture.

I made the plain molasses cookies, but included the spiced recipe as well if anyone would like to try that.  I didn't because I think they would have been too similar to the Applesauce Cookies on Day 98.
These were interesting. 
They were a thin-crisp-on-the-edge-chewy-in-the-middle-stick-to-the-ungreased-cookie-sheet-even-though-they-weren't-supposed-to kind of cookie.
My advice, use parchment.
They were tasty though and I liked that they were chewy, but at times a little too chewy. 
They were sticking to my teeth on occasion.
I rate everything that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and I think these earn...I'm really torn...ahhhhh, between a 2½ and a 3, but I'm going to have to give them 3 rolling pins because I like the way they tasted, and because I like things that are chewy.
Especially salt water taffy!  But I can't bake salt water taffy.  Hmpf.
Happy baking everyone!

Day 98 -Cinnamon Applesauce Cookies

Here I sit, typing my post, enjoying my Mike's Classic Margarita.  It is Cinco De Mayo after all even though I didn't bake anything Mexican.  Just pretend the Chicken Enchiladas were baked today and today's applesauce cookies were done the other day.  And I'll have another Margarita!

I adapted this recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition, p.616; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

Cinnamon Applesauce Cookies

¼ pound butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Grease the cookie sheets or cover with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and add the two sugars, beating until light.
Stir in the egg and the applesauce.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and add to the first mixture, beating until smooth.
Add the raisins.

Arrange by spoonfuls on the cookie sheets.

Bake for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Ok, don't do what I did and not grease or put parchment on the cookie sheets or the cookies will stick.  Trust me.



These cookies were good!  On a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best, these applesauce cookies earn 3 rolling pins.  They were nicely spiced and soft and chewy.  I like chewy.

I used a large soup spoon to put them onto the cookie sheets - my recommendation would be to use a tablespoon as they will spread, but big cookies are good, too.  Just make sure you leave enough space in between them.

The 100th post is just a few days away!!  This is very exciting.  There will be a giveaway on that day, so read, read, READ!!

Happy baking!

Day 93 - Butterscotch Cookies

Last night while I was working on the blog, I was also on Facebook. 
I love to multitask.
It's so much more productive.
Especially when you're also on social media!
One of my young friends on FB (and I say young because I am truly old enough to be her mother), Ashley, posted that she was baking.  Of course, I was curious as to what she might be baking and am now always on the lookout for new recipes, so I just had to ask.  I also told her that if they were yummy I wanted her to share and I would think about putting it on the blog. 
I really didn't think about it for very long because all day all I could think about was butterscotch cookies and how yummy she said they were.  Ashley even said that her brother, Jared, liked LOVED them and he doesn't like cookies with nuts.
So, it really was a no-brainer.
Ashley is a sweetheart and I miss her.  We used to work in retail together, and she is an extremely intelligent and beautiful woman.  She also has the most beautiful brown eyes.
I love that she loves to bake - something I didn't know about her until recently.
Thanks for sharing these with us, Ashley!  I look forward to making these again in the future.

Butterscotch Cookies

¾ cup salted butter, softened (1½ sticks)
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1¼ cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and sugars and beat until light and fluffy.



Mix in the vanilla and baking soda.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.

At this point, I just wanted to jump into this batter, it was so smooth, and delicious!

Add the flour, one cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each.
Fold in the butterscotch, white chocolate chips, and nuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

These cookies were SO rich and delicious!  The cream cheese with the two different flavored chips was magical.  I made the first batch without the nuts because I have a family member who doesn't like nuts.  I tasted one of those and one from the second batch and decided I really liked the ones with the nuts the best.  I haven't finished baking all of the batter, but I'm thinking that it will probably make a total of about 48 cookies.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  My son and daughter thought they should be given 3 rolling pins, but because I'm the boss and I REALLY liked them, I'm going to overrule the youngin's and give them a 3½!  They really are very good.

Happy baking!

Day 90 - Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

I saw these GORGEOUS cookies on Amanda's website, i am baker.  She does absolutely beautiful work and inspired me to decorate some today. My intention was to bake some cookies and decorate them in baseballs and with my son's school logo for today's playoff baseball game.  It could be their last or they could advance, who knows?  So, regardless of the outcome, my plan was to bring cookies.
Who doesn't like a good cookie, especially a nicely decorated one?
"Boys don't like cookies."
Was what I heard when my husband came home from work and asked what I was doing.
Really?
Hm.
What the heck does THAT mean?!  Boys don't like cookies?
Time was passing pretty quickly this afternoon and between some errands and going to the baseball game, I wasn't going to have time to decorate the cookies anyway - scratch the cookies for the game.  I come home from one errand and who's sitting in his recliner eating a cookie?
"What are you doing?"
In the best little boy voice he can muster, "I'm havin' a cookie," replies Mr. 365.
"How many have you had?"
Still using that voice, "I wasn't sure if they were gonna be good or not, so I picked a number and that's how many I got."
I'm over at the counter, "1, 2, 3...you had 5 cookies???!!" These are not small cookies.
"Yup, they're good!"
I'm sure.  For a "boy" who doesn't like cookies. Hmpf.
He later explained that, "guys don't want to eat cookies after a game.  What do you think Big Papi feels like having after he hits a walk-off home run, a cookie?  NAAHHHH!"  Ok, I get it.
But you could have expanded your answer the first time!
I finished frosting after we came home from the game. 

But can I tell you because I really do need to boast - just a little bit?
The team won their game and my son played the game of his life.  He's first in the line-up and for his first at bat, he hit an in the park home run.  I don't know if I've ever seen him run so fast around third base!  It was SO cool!  He's running, and I'm screaming, "Run. Run!!!"  Not that my yelling made him go any faster.
He made a great defensive play later and then was able to knock in the winning run. 
It was wonderful because he's struggled this year and has decided after many years of baseball that this season will be his last.  He's decided to play volleyball in high school and both sports are in the spring here.  So, this is kind of his last hurrah.  I was really very excited for him, and even Mr. Cookie told him he'd done a great job playing a perfect game and gave him a hug.  I love my life!
At dinner, even my son agreed that his teammates wouldn't have wanted cookies after the game.  Oh, well.

I adapted this from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, p. 612; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies - made 26 cookies

¼ pound butter (1 stick)
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cups flour, approximately (Note: only enough so that it can be rolled without being sticky. I used an additional 3 tablespoons after the 1 ½ cups)
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar, beating until light.
Add the egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk and beat thoroughly.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together, add to the first mixture, and blend well.

Roll ¼ inch thick and cut into 3-inch circles.

                                    

Bake on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Here's the link for the frosting recipe from i am baker.  I really enjoyed using it and it was a good consistency to work with.  I should have made it thicker though and used a different tip for writing the letters on the black cookies.  They didn't come out so hot. 
Next time.
To frost the tops, I used about 2 teaspoons of frosting for each cookie base and then finished the decoration.

I started with the ones on the top and finished with the two on the bottom.
They're supposed to be the initials D C.



Mr. Cookie said he preferred to eat them without the frosting.  With it, he thought they were just too sweet.  I liked them both ways.  The rating system I use everyday is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these cookies earned 3 rolling pins.

Channel your inner baker!



Day 85 - Easter Egg Hunt Cookies (Surprise!)

     Want some Easter goodies?

     I found these INCREDIBLE looking bundles of deliciousness on the blog In Katrina's Kitchen.  What a great blog!  OH. MY. GOODNESS!  I left her a comment saying that I just HAD to use these for one of my baking days and share them with you.  Yes, you and just you.  Because I know you'll like them!  And, I have a history with Cadbury Creme Eggs.  A LONG history.  I remember seeing those brightly colored wrappers in my grandmother's kitchen back in 19..., ok, the early 80's.  So I was what, a preteen?  I loved them then and I still absolutely love them now.  AND, I have loved them in between then and now.  So much so (and I wrote this in that comment to Katrina, too), that when they started selling them again (because they only sell them for a few months of the year) in late January of 1992 up until my delivery/due date on April 3rd, 1992, I ate one. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  And I'm not talking the baby ones, neither.  NOPE, I ate a single large Cadbury Creme Egg every day for about 2½ months while I was pregnant with our first child, our daughter.  It's no wonder I gained 52 lbs. during that pregnancy, but it is amazing I wasn't diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  Every day.  They were and still are a tiny piece of heaven.
     These cookies were also great to make because I was able to bring out my mini muffin tin from hibernation and give that baby a good scrubbing.  In the 20 years we've been married, I've used that thing only once.
     Here are some tidbits from the Cadbury egg website (Hershey's owns the rights to manufacture, advertise and distribute these delectable morsels in the U.S.):

Quick Facts
So, how do people eat their Creme Egg?

53% of people bite off the top, lick out the 'creme' then eat the chocolate

Nope, not me.  Too diificult when I'm driving 'cause I'm usually eating these in the car immediately after purchasing it in the store.

20% just bite straight through - YUP!  That's ME!!!

16% use their finger to scoop out the 'creme' - WHY would I waste some of that precious creme on my FINGER??!!

How people unwrap their eggs can also reflect their Creme Egg eating style, we have...

Delicate Peelers - To achieve a considered, methodical & subtle eat
Stage Peelers - Who unwrap just enough to keep the 'creme' off their fingers
Quick Discarders - Who rip off the foil as they just can't wait to eat their Creme Egg

     Easter Egg Hunt Cookies

     2½ cups flour
     1 teaspoon baking soda
     1 teaspoon salt
     ½ cup shortening
     ½ cup butter, softened
     ¾ cup granulated sugar
     ¾ cup packed brown sugar
     1 teaspoon vanilla
     2 large eggs
     36 mini Cadbury Eggs

     Optional:
     green frosting ( I used the buttercream frosting that I used from Wilton on my son's birthday cake) (Note, today I made only ½ the recipe for the Wilton frosting, and didn't even use all of it.)
     jelly beans    

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     Cream butter, shortening, both granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in thoroughly.

     In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  The dough will start to pull away from the mixing bowl.

     Using just under a tablespoon of dough, wrap a mini Cadbury egg so that it is completely covered.  After wrapping, I rolled it around in my hands and made sure it was spread evenly around the egg.  Place the cookie inside a well greased mini muffin tin.  Do not use much more than a tablespoon of dough or the cookie will spread over the top of the pan as muffins will tend to do.

     Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden brown.
     Allow cookies to cool in pan for 15-20 minutes until you can twist them out.  Using your fingertips, gently try to twist the cookie to remove it.  If the cookie seems to soft or like it will break apart, wait 2 minutes and try again. (I waited only about 12 minutes with the first batch and the tops were coming off.  But they were easy to put back together.  The second batch I left in the pan until they were almost completely cooled and they twisted right out without any problems.  I was so psyched!) Katrina suggested not having the cookies cool in the pan completely, but I found that it worked best for me.  It may also have been that instead of using a whole cup of shortening, I decided to use ½ shortening, ½ butter.  You can decide which would be best for you.

     Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.  Top with jelly beans.

     I don't need anyone else's help in rating these puppies.  I'm giving them 4 rolling pins!  Haha, even without the cookie dough I'd give them a 4!  I have a rating system for my baked goods which is based on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being an Oh. My. Goodness!
     I just hope I've posted this with enough time for you to find some mini Cadbury eggs.  If you make them, I want to see, so please post a picture here on our 365 Facebook page and while you're there, "Like" us!
     Thank's for reading and happy baking!  I'd say have a great weekend, but I'll be back every day.  :-)

Day 81 - Gluten - Free Margarita Cookies

       I'm aggravated.  Plain and simple.  I'm aggravated to the point of tears.  I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm all happy and joyful right now because I'm not.  I made these gluten - free, but you can substitute regular all-purpose flour so others can enjoy them, too!  No, you can't.  Unless you know of a way to substitute the gluten-free flour and have a way that these cookies will not disintegrate at the moment you touch them, DO NOT use Gluten-Free flour.  I found this recipe from Meg & Josh at The Red Spoon.  It's a very interesting cookie.  While I'm not much of a drinker, I do enjoy an occasional Margarita, and thought these cookies were so cool that I just had to try them.  Her recipe used regular all-purpose flour, but I used the King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour and some Xanthan gum.  I'm giving you the recipe with the regular flour.  Remember, I didn't make them this way, so I can't tell you how they are. 

     Margarita Cookies   Makes about 50 cookies

     2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
     2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
     1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
     Pinch of salt
     2 teaspoons tequila
     Grated zest of 4 limes*
     Grate zest of one orange
     2 cups all-purpose flour

     Coating:     Approximately 1/2 cup clear sanding or other coarse sugar
     2 – 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
     1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

     Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth.

     Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky.

     Beat in 1 egg yolk, followed by the salt, tequila, grated lime and orange zest.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. Underbeat rather than overbeat; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather it into a ball, and divide it in half. The dough will be sticky and will probably stick some to the counter. Working quickly, separately wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

     Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 cm) thick. At this point, the dough was extremely sticky, so I put a small amount of flour on the counter.  Meg advised not kneading extra flour into the dough, just using enough to roll into a log.  Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

     Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

     Prepare the sugar coating: Whisk the remaining egg yolk plus a teaspoon of water in a small bowl until it is smooth and liquid enough to use as a glaze.

     Mix the coarse sugar and salt well and spread the mixture out on a piece of parchment paper.

     Remove the logs of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap them, brushing any excess flour off. Brush them lightly with a little egg yolk.

     Roll the logs in the sugar, pressing the sugar/salt mixture gently to get it to stick if necessary, then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/4 inch thick. I did as Meg suggested here and to get the sugar/salt mixture to stick better, took the parchment and rolled it over the cookie dough pressing the sugar/salt into the dough. 

     Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch space between them.

     Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned.  Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.

     Keeping: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, if they last that long. Because the sugar coating will melt, these cookies are not suitable for freezing.

    


As I said, I substituted the 2 cups of all-purpose flour for 2 cups of the Gluten-Free flour and added ½ teaspoon Xanthan gum.  They fell apart, completely crumbled as I went to pick them up.

 Well, a few didn't and those I was able to get a picture of, but the others are inedible.  And what makes me aggravated is that I'm doing this project and since my daughter's on this gluten-free diet, I really just want to be able to make her something that she finds absolutely delicious and wonderful.  I know these cookies would be wonderful made the way Meg made them at The Red Spoon.  So, I highly recommend that you do that.  I think I might try them again made that way, too.  The flavor really was wonderful and they did taste like a margarita, especially with the bits and pieces of salt and sugar that I was able to retrieve.  And that aggravated me all the more because they were so tasty. 

     I have a rating system on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and I need to rate them as I made them.  Unfortunately, because I made a mistake somewhere along the way, I have to give these 1 rolling pin.  My daughter thought they should be given 3 rolling pins, but in all seriousness, I can't do that.  I don't think it's fair and wouldn't want to mislead you.  Maybe instead of just an egg yolk, it needs a whole egg because of the switch in flours.  Ugh!  I don't know.  Now I need a real margarita. 

     Happy baking!