Cookies

Buttery Jam Cookies

A good friend of mine makes jam every year and brings me a few jars when we see each other.  It is so much better than store bought!  The last time she was in Amarillo, she brought me 2 jars of blueberry jam.  I used one of those jars in these cookies.

These cookies are delicate, cake-like in texture, and are not overly sweet.  This recipe is from TWD, Tuesdays with Dorie.  Members cook their way through Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I am not a member of this baking group, but after trying this recipe I may decide to join when they start accepting new members!

I only made slight changes to this recipe.  I drizzled some glaze on the cooled cookies and added sliced almonds to half of the batter.  I would consider pecans next time.  When I mixed in the jam it just didn’t look like quite enough, so I added a little more.  I ended up mixing blueberry jam with a little strawberry rhubarb and the combination was nice.  You really can use any kind or combination of jam, so this is a truly versatile recipe that you can adapt to your personal taste.

These would be perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea, and I even think you could pull off eating them for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Buttery Jam Cookies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup jam (any flavor)
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)

Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place two racks in the oven, one in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar (on high speed) for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat on high speed for an additional minute. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the jam and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, with the mixer on low speed, just until they’re mixed in. Stir in almonds here if using.  The dough will be extremely thick and stiff.
  4. With a an ice cream scoop or a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough onto baking sheets, forming cookies that are about 1 inch to 1-1/2 inches in size.
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the trays from top rack to bottom rack halfway through.
  6. Once baked, let the cookies sit on the pan for a minute or two and then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.  Drizzle with glaze if desired.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Aren’t these yummy looking?  It doesn’t hurt that I put them on my cute new summery tray!

These shortbread-like cookies are rich, buttery, full of pecans and covered in a lovely layer of sweet powdered sugar.  They are a bit crumbly and I found them to be a bit dry as well.  But the flavor of these cookies is great and they are a fun little treat.

A few things I would do differently next time.

1) Make them smaller.  I used a large cookie scoop and rolled them into large balls…a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball.  I would go smaller and reduce the baking time.

2) Toss them in sugar twice.  I only tossed them once and only after a very slight cool from the oven.  I would toss them once warm, and then again after they had cooled completely.  The sugar got kinda sticky because of the heat from the warm cookie.

3) Add more cinnamon.  The recipe didn’t call for any, but I added 1/2 teaspoon.  I would double…or maybe even triple…that amount.

One good trick is tossing the cookies in a ziploc bag filled half way full with powdered sugar.  This keeps things from getting too messy in your kitchen.

This recipe came from a good friend, and it was given to her by a great aunt.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy.
  2. Add the vanilla and beat.
  3. Add the flour, cinnamon and pecans and mix well.
  4. Pat the dough into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour or until firm.
  5. Remove from the fridge and form the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake at 325 F for 15-20 minutes.  Do not let them get too brown or they will be dry.
  7. Roll the hot cookies in powdered sugar and let cool completely.
  8. Roll them once more in powdered sugar before serving.

Baked in Brooklyn

Sarah and I are in Brooklyn…finally.  I won’t go into too much detail because it will just get me worked up, but it was a bit of a nightmare.  Cancelled flights, 180 people on stand-by, an unplanned night in Dallas, a 6:40 am flight the next day, lost baggage, horribly unhelpful  AA baggage people, and now items are mysteriously missing out of my suitcase.  This was not the best travel experience.

Thankfully, we are here now and having a great time visiting my sister Lisa, my brother-in-law Randy and our 10 week old niece Maren.  Isn’t she amazingly cute?  She has the most rockin’ hair I have ever seen.  She is a whopping 9 pounds now, and quite fun to be around.

This morning while driving around Brooklyn we stopped in Baked, a bakery in Red Hook, to pick up some goodies.  Here is a link to their site.  Sarah had heard of their salted brownies; caramel and fleur-de-sel in a chocolate-y brownie.  I’d read that they also had incredible whoopie pies.

The bakery is a little funky and very cool.  The door is orange with an animal antler handle.  Inside the decor consists of white deer heads on the walls, orange details and warm wooden tables and wood grain walls and tables.  A crystal chandelier hangs above the counter to soften the manliness of the place.

Unfortunately the salted caramel brownie that we came here for was not on the menu today.  However, Sarah and I are not quitters, and we will not give up just because of a slight disappointment.  So we chose an assortment of treats to sample and share with each other.

Here is a tray of most of the goodies. Clockwise from top left are the s’more nut bar, rosemary apricot bar, oatmeal cookie, chocolate cookie, chocolate whoopie pie with vanilla cream filling, and mini Red Velvet cupcake.  Not pictured but very delicious are the banana whoopie pie, lemon pistachio vegan cookie and the Brewer’s brownie made with brewers malt.

S’more Nut Bar:  A slightly sweet graham cracker base with a chocolate and marshmallow center and peanut top.  The chocolate is thick, ganache-like and incredibly rich.  I would have enjoyed more marshmallow pieces in this bar, but it was still very good.

Rosemary Apricot Bar:  This was one of my favorites.  I usually do not like apricot, but with the rich buttery bottom layer and the nutty streusal topping I was a total fan.  The rosemary adds such a great savory flavor to the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.  It reminds me of these rosemary pecan cookies which I LOVE with a passion and cannot stop eating when I make them.

Oatmeal Cookie:  Another favorite packed full of oatmeal, coconut, dried cherries, pecans and white chocolate.  I might try to recreate these at home.

Chocolate Cloud Cookie:  Dense, chocolate goodness.

Whoopie Pie:  A softer version of an Oreo and so much tastier.  Rich and yummy chocolate cookie encasing light fluffy vanilla cream filling.  Tasty.

Mini Red Velvet:  An adorable treat with a perfect dollop of cream cheese frosting.  This a perfect single serving cupcake.

Circus Cookie Taste Test

Mother’s Circus Cookies are one of the most fun and delicious packaged cookies you can buy at the store.  How can you resist these sweet animal-shaped cookies covered in white and hot pink icing and rainbow sprinkles?  Well, you probably can’t resist them…unless for some crazy reason you have never tried them, or, even more shocking, tried them but did not find them irresistible!

A few years ago, these delicious cookies were on the verge of extinction when Mother’s Bakery closed.  Thankfully, Kellogg came along in 2008 and started making the cookies with the original recipe!  I love these cookies.

I saw a bag of them the other day, and broke down and bought them.  A little later while in the store, I saw a bag of Animals Frosted Cookies made my Keebler.  I was interested to find out which was better, so I bought those cookies also.

Here are my findings and analysis of the two cookies.

In this photo, the top 2 cookies are Mother’s and the bottom 2 are Keebler.

Appearance:  Mother’s have brighter colors, while the Keebler cookies are more pastel in hue.  Both have sprinkles, but Mother’s has more sprinkles per cookie.  Mather’s are smaller in size than Keebler.

Texture:  The cookie textures Are similar but Mother’s are a bit crunchier.  The frosting texture is softer on the Keebler but also waxier.  Mother’s has a firmer exterior of frosting that lacks the waxy aftertaste.

Flavor: Mother’s cookies ware a tiny bit sweeter, but the cookies were pretty similar aside from the waxy frosting.

The Verdict:  Mother’s wins, no question.  They are definitely the better cookie in every category and are just tastier…in my opinion, anyway.  When given the choice, choose Mother’s.

Triple Peanut Oatmeal Cookies

An undeniable craving for oatmeal cookies struck me last week.  I rummaged through the baking cabinet…yes, I have a cabinet filled almost exclusively with baking goods and gadgets…and found a bag of peanut butter chips.  Mmm.  Then I went to the pantry and was drawn toward the jar of creamy peanut butter and the container of roasted peanuts.  Peanut butter oatmeal cookies were calling to me.  I toyed with the idea of adding some dark chocolate chips, or maybe some crushed pretzels, but in the end all peanut was the way to go.

I looked at a few regular oatmeal cookie recipes for some basic ratios and then changed and added as I thought necessary.  My final recipe is below.  There are a few things I might tinker with in the future, but these cookies were very good.  They have a nice full peanut flavor, a good contrast of salty and sweet, they are crunchy yet chewy, and delicious.

Triple Peanut Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups oats
  • 1 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

  1. Beat together butter, shortening and peanut butter until smooth.
  2. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, powder and salt.
  5. Mix in flour mixture  until just combined.
  6. Add in oats, peanut butter chips and peanuts and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  7. Spoon dough onto baking sheets using a large scoop (2-3 tablespoons) about 1 inch apart.
  8. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
  9. Let cool on pan for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cherry, Almond & Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

When Ben ate one of these he practically fell over, overtaken by deliciousness.  The tart cherries, sweet coconut, crunchy almonds and oats make this an incredible cookie.  I have nothing else to say.  Enjoy.

Cherry, Almond & Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup blanched, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats, almonds, coconut and cherries until just blended.
  5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets, about 6 to a sheet.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes rotating half-way through. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Simple Oatmeal Cookies

This past weekend Ben and I went to Angel Fire, New Mexico and spent all day Saturday skiing.  That’s right.  I skied for the first time in 10 years.  And get this, I did not fall, even once.  Maybe that is because I played it safe and stayed on greens and easy blues.  I was pretty proud of myself, regardless.  Even Ben, the man who owns his own skis, said I did a “very good job”.  This means quite a bit to me.

Here we are before the day began.  The weather was great, and the snow was the best Ben has ever seen by New Mexico standards.  I had such a great time!  Who knew that I would ever get a renewed love for skiing?   This statement will come back to bite me sometime soon, but I must say this…I like to snow ski.  If Ben hadn’t encouraged me to try it again, I don’t know if I would have.  Thanks, Ben! 

Speaking of Ben…his favorite cookie is the classic oatmeal raisin.  I have become enamored of this cookie as well during our 7-year relationship.  The hearty oats in the butterery dough with tart, sweet raisins is delicious and utter perfection.  I made a few hundred of these cookies as favors for our wedding in 2006.  My lovely and incredibly helpful aunts and cousins from California came in about a week before the wedding and helped prepare the 250 packages of cookies in cute cellophane bags and tie them with blue and brown ribbon and a “Carrie & Ben” hang tag.  I found them to be adorable, but I don’t know if people even noticed them.  Oh well.  I guess there are things you make for your wedding that you put incredible blood, sweat and tears (or butter, eggs and flour) into that no one really notices…

Back to the real subject here, cookies!  Sometimes you want a plain and simple oatmeal cookie.  No extras, nothing to take away from the pure goodness of the oats, butter and warm brown sugar.  These cookies fit perfectly in that simple, no frills category.  I used a recipe from allrecipes.com with one change; I used half butter and half shortening.  I think it yields a more sturdy cookie while maintaining the lovely butter flavor.  These cookies are incredibly easy and crazy good.  The amount of salt in this recipe surprised me a bit, but it was wonderful against the sweet sugar.  A little salty-sweet is great in a cookie.

Soft and Simple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups quick cooking oats
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
  3. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
  5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut, Walnuts & Chocolate Chips

Bethenny Frankel was on the Today Show yesterday talking about her cookbook, The Skinny Girl Dish, and I was inspired to search for a healthy dessert recipe to try out.  I found a recipe for banana oatmeal cookies that sounded very tasty.  To my dismay, I did not have all the ingredients.  So I searched a bit more, and saw some other tasty sounding banana cookie recipes, but none were exactly what I wanted, so I made my own.

These are definitely not the original healthy banana oat cookie that inspired me, but they are yummy and at least a bit healthy thanks to the bananas, oats and protein packed walnuts!

I love the coconut and the dark chocolate chips.  You could easily omit the coconut if you’re not a fan, or substitute the walnuts for pecans, or go nut free if you must.  Milk chocolate chips would be good, and peanut butter chips would also be terrific.

My only complaint with these cookies is that the banana makes them very moist and they become soft when stored in an airtight container, and they will stick together.  Make sure to cook them so that there isn’t a gooey center, and don’t store them on top of each other.  Another way to avoid stickiness is to eat them all, but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you have some help.  Here is the original healthy recipe, and here is my version.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut, Walnuts & Chocolate Chips

Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 ripe bananas, smooshed up good
  • 2 cups oats
  • ¾ cup coconut
  • ¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips, dark or milk
Directions
  1. Cream together butter, shortening and sugars.  Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.
  2. Stir in bananas, then stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. Mix in oats, coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.
  4. Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and baker for 10-11 minutes until browned lightly on top.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bites

These little, unassuming bite-size goodies made quite an impression last weekend.  I brought them to a Christmas party where they were completely devoured and raved about.  I saw one of the party guests 2 days later and she asked me for the recipe.  I hadn’t had such a great response to a dessert in, well…ever!  I wish I could say they were my own creation, but alas, they were not.  I got the recipe in my 12 Days of Cookies email from the Food Network.  This was Day 10: Sunny’s Crunchy Peanut Butter S’more Bites.

pb1

If you go to the Food Network site and read the review on these cookies, you will wonder why I made them.  Bad reviews on taste and preparation.  What was I thinking?  Well, I wasn’t.  However, with a few modifications to the recipe, they taste yummy (still very sweet of course) but still make quite a mess of your kitchen.  Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good!

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