Cookies

Lemon Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

, , , , 1 Comment

More zucchini calls for more zucchini recipes. This time I thought something sweet was in order. I got this recipe in my daily cookie email from Martha Stewart. She sends them to me personally…ok, not personally. I had everything on the ingredient list, so not having to go to the grocery store was an appealing thing to me about this cookie.

zuccookie1

I liked the crunch that the cornmeal provides, the clean flavor of the lemon and the moistness that the zucchini adds.  You can’t really taste the zucchini, so don’t let that deter you.  The cookie isn’t too sweet.  It would be nice with a cup of coffee or tea.  A nice afternoon treat!  Enjoy!

(more…)

Print This

Nutty Cookies

, 0 Comments

If you are anything like me, you collect recipes and put sticky notes in cookbooks as “Recipes to Try” but somehow, in the business of life, they just do not get the attention they deserve.  This is one of those recipes.  Neglected for over a year…a sad tale.

nutcookie2

I have mentioned Rebecca Rather on my site more than once.  I’ve been to the bakery in Fredericksburg a few times, and have her cookbook.  I’ve made quite a few of the recipes in the book, and this one has always sounded delicious, but I’ve just never gotten around to making these  cookies.  Why, you ask?  How could someone resist this lovely combination of four, yes four, kinds of nuts in one cookie?  Well, believe it or not, some people do not like nuts.  I know, this is the epitome of crazy.  But it is true.  So, I haven’t made this cookie before because I worry that someone in the group of cookie recipients may not be a nut fan and therefore shun this cookie.  I just wasn’t sure if I could handle the disappointment of someone rejecting something I have put love, sweat and tears into!  OK, so no sweat and tears in this cookie…but there is love.

nutcookie5I have overcome this fear of rejection and today decided to bake half a batch of these cookies and bring them to some friends we are visiting this weekend in Fort Worth.  Are they nut lovers?  I don’t know for sure…but if they are then that just means more for me.

This cookie dough is easy and simple.  Toasting the nuts before mixing the dough is the biggest effort you have to make, and it’s worth it.  Toasted nuts provide a more complex flavor than their un-toasted counterparts.  The end product is soft, nutty and delicious.  A must make for a nut lover.

nutcookie1

Chock-Full-o-Nuts Cookies

Courtesy of Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen

  • 1 1/2 cups pecans
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
  • 3/4 cup blanched almonds
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Toast the nuts on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes, then coarsely chop the nuts.  Set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy and well combined.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.  Add vanilla and almond extracts.
  5. Stir in flour and salt until combined.
  6. Mix in nuts.
  7. Scoop by heaping tablespoons (or a 1 3/4 inch cookie scoop) onto a baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F until golden on the edges.
Print This

Palmiers

, , , 0 Comments

Have you found yourself with some leftover puff pastry and asked yourself, “What am I to do with left over puff pastry?”  The answer is…make palmiers!  I love getting the huge ones at bakeries that I always knew as elephant ears.  My sister thinks they are a waste of calories, but my mom and I love them.  Crunchy, sweet, rich, and buttery.  Perfection.

palmier2

I made a sweet and a savory palmier.  These are so easy.  Roll out your puff pastry to 1/8 inch thickness.  Sprinkle your goodies on the dough and roll both ends evenly to marry in the middle.  Chill the rolled dough for 30 minutes.  Err on the side of longer chilling time to make the slicing easier.  After the dough is chilled, slice 1/4 inch pieces and place flat on a baking sheet covered in parchment or a silpat.  Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Cool for 5 minutes or so…then enjoy.

palmier1I think that maybe I didn’t use enough pastry, or maybe I did not roll it out thin enough.  I was hoping for more layers, and that just didn’t happen.  They still tasted divine, but not as filled with goodness as I was hoping.  I will definitely try them again, especially the savory ones.  I loved the flavor of the parmesan with the pastry and tomatoes.  They are such an impressive appetizer, and with store bought puff pastry, would be incredibly easy.  Check out this how-to if you need more detailed instructions.  I actually wish I’d watched this before I made mine!  It seems easier than rolling the dough and produces a nice crunchy cookie.  Mine were sweet and lovely, but more flaky than crunchy and caramelized like these.  Oh well.  There’s always next time!

Parmesan and Sun-dried Tomato Palmiers

  • puff pastry
  • grated parmesan cheese
  • finely chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers

  • puff pastry
  • cinnamon sugar

Follow the instructions above for forming and baking.

Print This

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

, , , , , 0 Comments

The success of the peanut butter M&M cookie last week inspired me to try the cookie again, but this time with chocolate chips.  I changed the amount of sugars in this cookie.  I wish I could claim that I was being purposefully experimental and had some great reason for changing the ratio of white to brown sugar.  The truth is that I didn’t have enough brown sugar left.

chocchip2

So I used 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar.  All the rest of the ingredients remained the same.  I used 1 cup of milk chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped 60% cacao Callebaut from a block that I had left over from another recipe.

I think this cookie may be my new favorite.  I love the texture and flavor.  Even with the change in the sugar ratio they were delicious.  I did find them a bit less moist than the cookie with more brown sugar, but not enough to make them less tasty.

(more…)

Print This

Sweet Saturday: Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

, 1 Comment

Crispy M&M’s are no longer being sold anywhere, and this is a bit heartbreaking for me.  I loved those little chocolaty, crispy bits.  My friend Kim and I used to share the big bags of them when we were roommates in college.  For a while after they stopped selling them at grocery stores I could find them at Target, but I haven’t seen them in over a year now.  My second favorite M&M is peanut butter.

pbcookie1

I was at the store picking up some laundry soap and toothpaste when I saw a big bag of the Peanut Butter M&M’s on special, so I decided to buy one and make some cookies!  I thought about doing an oatmeal cookie as the base, or maybe a peanut butter dough, but after much deliberation I settled on a chocolate chip cookie dough.  I used Alton Brown’s recipe for The Chewy for a few reasons.

(more…)

Print This

Lazy Sunday: Coconut, Oatmeal, Toffee Chocolate No Bake Cookies

, , , , , 0 Comments

These little “cookies” are pretty tasty and incredibly easy to make.  Since these cookies are ball shaped they reminded me more of a truffle and less of a cookie.  From start to finish, including the 30 minutes chilling time, these were ready in less than an hour.  Pretty close to instant gratification.  I used a 2 1/2 quart saucepan and it was big enough to do all the melting and mixing so clean up was a breeze.  Well, we are dealing with melted marshmallow, butter and chocolate so clean up isn’t really a “breeze” but it’s just one sticky pan, not half a dozen, like some recipes require.  So it isn’t too bad.  Great for a lazy day when I want to do a little cleaning as possible.

The cookies on the left were just scooped, the center cookies were scooped, then rolled between my palms, and the far right were rolled in my palms then in coconut.

nobakes

The combination of flavors and textures is terrific.  The sweetener in these candies/cookies is marshmallow instead of the usual white sugar typical in no-bake cookies like this.  The oats make the cookies hearty, the coconut gives them a nice chew, and the toffee pieces add a nice crunch.  So, if you need a sweet fix and you’re not in the mood to bake a batch of cookies, try these.

Coconut, Oatmeal, Toffee Chocolate No Bake Cookies

  • 6 ounces chopped milk or semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 16 large marshmallows
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup toffee pieces
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  1. Melt butter, chocolate and marshmallows over low heat in a saucepan (or you can use a double boiler).  Stir until mixture is smooth, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
  2. Mix in in peanut butter, vanilla.  Stir in coconut, oats and toffee pieces until well combined.
  3. Scoop by tablespoons onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Optional: You can roll the mixture into smooth balls and then roll the balls in coconut or toffee pieces for a fancier looking cookie.
  4. Chill the cookies for 30 minutes, then serve.
Print This

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

, , 0 Comments

pbcookie2

This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so its great when you need cookies for a crowd.  This is also a good cookie dough to make when you want to freeze some dough balls and bake them later.  It holds up well in the freezer for a few weeks.  Here are some tips for freezing cookie dough.  If you want to freeze individual balls of dough, scoop the dough into the size desired, then place them on a cookie sheet.  They can be close together since you won’t be baking them right now.  Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to harden the dough.  Then, you can remove the dough balls from the sheet and place them into a freezer bag.  This will allow you to bake just a few cookies at a time instead of defrosting all the dough, which after one defrost should not be frozen again or the texture of the cookie will change.

I like these cookies because of all the goodies in them.  I like a simple sugar cookie from time to time, but I much prefer something with lots of different flavors and textures.  I used milk chocolate chips and salted peanuts this time, but I think peanut butter chips, semi-sweet or even white chocolate could be good.  Maybe a combination of a few kinds even!  I’m getting carried away now.  I have not tried them with honey roasted peanuts, but will probably leave out the chocolate chips when I do.  So many different variations…so little time.  This is an easy cookie recipe.  The only “trick” I use it to chill the dough for a few hours before scooping it.  They taste just as good if you don’t chill the dough, but the cookies seem to bake more evenly, spread a little less and I think letting the ingredients have more time to sit together before baking creates a better flavor and texture.  So, do as you please…chill or don’t chill.  But make these.  They are yummy.

(more…)

Print This

Daring Bakers: Cookies

, , , , , 8 Comments

I must admit this, I was not thrilled about this months challenge at first.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love cookies.  Almost all kinds of cookies.  I even like when they take all day to make.   My issue with this challenge was that I made one of the cookie recipes a few years ago with less than stellar results, so I was kinda bummed.  The other cookie also seemed a little boring.  I went into this challenge with a rotten attitude…but I came out a very happy girl.

mallow6

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole     at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I made the Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies first.

Day 1: I made the cookies a day before I planned to make the marshmallow and cover them.  The cookie dough was easy to deal with and the cookies made my house smell so wonderful while they baked.  I tried the cookies alone, and I found them to be a bit dry, but they had good flavor.

Day 2: I’ve made these cookies before, so I have made marshmallow before.  I really enjoy making food that starts out with a very ordinary and unassuming list of ingredients and miraculously becomes something completely different!  That’s why marshmallow is so fun to make.  It creates quite a sticky mess, but is worth it.  mallow1

Be sure to use good vanilla as this is the only flavoring in the marshmallow besides sugar. I recommend Nielson-Massey Vanilla Bean paste or Madagascar Vanilla.

The marshmallow was beautiful and piped out quite nicely onto the cookies.  I let them set at this point for a few hours at room temperature.

The process of covering things in chocolate and I do not get along very well.  Unless I am using that chocolate bark, my chocolate doesn’t ever harden completely without putting it in the fridge or freezer.  And yet again, I had that problem with these cookies.  They looked beautiful coming out of their chocolate bath, but even after 3 hours the chocolate was still wet.  So, in the fridge they went!  The chocolate hardened and then we were able to taste them!  The chocolate formed a nice hard shell around the soft gooey marshmallow and crumbly cookie.  I liked these cookies, but think they might require more work than they’re worth in the taste department.  They are beautiful and impressive, though.

(more…)

Print This

S’mores Cookies

0 Comments

Oh goodness gracious.  These cookies were so tasty.  I decided to make them at the last minute while doing a little pantry cleaning.  I had a bag af mini marshmallows, 2 half bags of chocolate chips, and some leftover cookies I’d made over the weekend that taste like graham crackers.  I couldn’t help but think of a s’more.  I haven’t had a true campfire s’more in a while, and while this doesn’t quite duplicate the experience of extinguishing a flaming, gooey marshmallow before pressing it on to a few squares of Hershey’s chocolate and a graham cracker, it is a good substitute.

smorecookie2

I found this recipe on Cookie Madness.  I had to change a few things in the recipe as it was a last minute decision and I did not feel like going to the store.  I will try them the way they should be next time, but the ones I made were great anyway.  I’m curious to see if they could be any better!

(more…)

Print This

4th of July Feast

, , 1 Comment

It was a lovely 4th for us here in Amarillo!  It was cool enough last night to be outside for dinner and not be sweating like a pig.  After dinner we went to a park a few blocks from the house and played bocce ball.  My glowing friend Jackie (9 months pregnant, due any day now) beat everyone.  I miss a lot of things about central Texas, but I love the weather up here.

Originally my thought was to have burgers, potato salad, etc., your typical American 4th of July meal.  We weren’t sure how many people were going to show up to our little shindig, and I didn’t want to have a bunch of leftover hamburgers.  So, I decided to make pulled pork sandwiches.  We also had potato salad, cole slaw, fruit salad and patriotic sugar cookies.

feast

(more…)

Print This
«< 4 5 6 7 8 >