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Filtering by Tag: cookies

black forest chocolate cookies + an old favorite

Andrea

Happy holidays, friends! Wow, they sure snuck up quickly this year. Brian and I are staying home in Charlottesville after having traveled to see family in Florida for Thanksgiving, and I truly thought that there would be all kinds of time for baking and hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows in the last few weeks. But here we are, days away, and I've baked exactly two kinds of cookies and drunk exactly zero cups of cocoa. To be clear, I use the term 'baked' loosely...one of them requires no heat whatsoever. I may feel that I've failed as a holiday baking goddess this year, but the presents are wrapped and shipped, the tree is up and trimmed, and Christmas music plays from my computer the majority of the time. And, as of tomorrow evening, I'll be unplugging for 4 full days to hang out with my honey.  I. Can't. Wait.  That right there is what the holidays are about; cherishing those you love and taking time just to be.  But, having a few cookies laying around never hurts either.  :)

All things merry to you and yours!!!  xoxo.

Brian is originally from Michigan, making the chocolate + cherry combination dear to his heart and stomach. I am always looking for recipes that combine the two, and this one from Baked in New York is quite perfect.  The dough is very sticky and fudge-like, and the resulting cookies are super-moist and chewy.  The dried cherries provide the perfect burst of tartness to counter the rich chocolate.  I realized as I typed up the recipe that I completely left out the brown sugar, but the cookies were still delicious.  In fact I think I like them better than what they should have been, as I really can't imagine them being any sweeter than the version I made.  

Black Forest Chocolate Cookies
makes 24 large cookies, or 48 small (1 tbsp scoop)

accidentally modified from Baked

Ingredients
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 16oz dark chocolate (60 to 72% cocoa), coarsely chopped
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1-¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried cherries (we used tart cherries straight from Michigan)
Method
  1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter.  Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Set aside to cool.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars on high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until just combined.  Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
  5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 10 seconds.  Do not over mix.
  6. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries.  The dough will look very loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator.  Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
  7. Preheat oven to 375℉.
  8. Spread two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1 tbsp scoop or a spoon, place dough in rounded mounds on sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops of the cookies are beginning to crack. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Speaking of Michigan (Brian's home state), this cookie comes from his Nana, and has been a staple since he was a little boy. I think that this may be his very favorite cookie recipe. I get the best reaction from him when I make a batch, way better than any layer cake I labor over for a full day. They take 10 minutes to whip up, another 20 to harden, and you're done. So simple. Plus, we always have the ingredients needed to pull these treats together, so they are perfect for last-minute guests or a holiday pot luck.

I tried once, years ago, to make these cookies healthier by substituting out the butter, using less sugar, etc.  Big mistake.  Just keep them as are and enjoy.

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup peanut butter (go for the non-natural stuff…like Jif or Peter Pan)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-½ cups instant oatmeal
Method
  1. Combine cocoa, sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size sauce pan over medium heat.  Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
  2. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal to pan and stir to combine well.
  3. Spoon onto waxed paper in 1 tbsp lumps (a small ice cream scoop works well for this) and let sit until the cookies are set.
  4. Store in a sealed container for 3 days.

categories cookies
tags baked, black forest, cherry, chocolate, christmas, cookies, dessert, holiday, no bake, sugar

homemade gift ideas

Andrea

Christmas is only 5 days away (!), and I'm guessing that most of you already have holiday gifts determined and purchased...right?!?  This post is probably a bit late, but I thought it might be helpful to those of you still looking for last minute gifts for friends, family and co-workers. Brian and I have given homemade gifts out for the last few years, and always enjoy the pleased responses we receive in return.  In a time when spending significant amounts of money is difficult for most, putting personal effort into gifts rather than cash is a nice alternative.  I've compiled a few ideas for you to choose from...enjoy!

Homemade Jam

Homemade jam can be made with fresh and frozen fruit.  Be sure to use a proper method of preservation if you plan to give the gifts un-refrigerated.  If you'd rather not tackle the canning process, tell recipients to keep their jam refrigerated for up to 4 weeks. blackberry peach jam

Homemade Granola

A batch of granola is quick to whip up, and keeps for weeks in an airtight container in the pantry. mixed fruit granola

Homemade Almond Butter

Nut butter made from scratch is so much better than store-bought because you can mix your own interesting combinations.  It can be a bit pricey though, depending on the nuts you choose. cinnamon vanilla almond butter

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and Marshmallows

Homemade marshmallows are nothing like their store-bought cousins.  So light and fluffy, they truly melt in your mouth (or your hot cocoa).  For a little twist, add some peppermint extract in place of vanilla.  If you don't have vanilla sugar for the cocoa mix (it takes about 2 weeks to make your own) just substitute regular sugar. hot cocoa mix marshmallows

Homemade Baked Goods

Always a winner, nobody frowns at a box/tin/basket/bag full of baked treats. triple ginger cookies dark chocolate almond bites peppermint eggnog scones citrus scones with cranberries and ginger
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categories Uncategorized
tags almond butter, christmas, cookies, gifts, granola, homemade, hot cocoa, jam, marshmallows, scones

perfect for a 'snow day'

Andrea

As I write this post snow is softly falling outside, turning my little city into a winter wonderland.  In the five winters that Brian and I have spent in Virginia, we've never seen a snowfall like this.  Its breathtakingly beautiful, the 22-inches we've received so far softening the landscape with a blanket of white, turning our street into an unrecognizable scene dotted with pedestrians in bright winter parkas out enjoying the snow. Holed up inside for the day, I managed to pull myself away from the window for about an hour to satisfy the urge to bake.  An urge  that is unavoidable when your outside world is blanketed with snow and inside, curled up in your favorite chair, under a quilt, with hot coffee (and perhaps a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream...), you are toasty warm and feeling very domestic.  I'll share the cake that I just pulled from the oven in the next day or two, but on this snowy afternoon I feel it appropriate to give you a recipe for some chewy ginger cookies.  They feel so very 'snow day', the perfect snack waiting on the counter when you come in from making snowmen and snow angels. Ginger cookies have been a longtime favorite in our household, but I do believe that this is the first time I've ever made them myself.  I've helped my momma on many past Christmas Eves to roll out perfect little balls of ginger snap dough, the delightfully crunchy cookies a staple between meals on Christmas day.  But last year Brian and I were introduced to a different variety of ginger cookie, one that was chewy rather than crispy in texture, and laced with chunks of crystallized ginger. Brian declared them his favorite cookie, ever, and I vowed to find a recipe to replicate them prior to the next Christmas.  Lucky for me, Bon Appetit read my mind. We love the soft, chewy interior texture of these cookies, complemented perfectly by the crunchy shell of turbinado sugar that coats the exterior.  The bits of crystallized ginger throughout are wonderful surprises.

Triple Ginger Cookies

adapted from bon appetit, december 2009 Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temp
  • 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
  • 1-1/2 tsp finely grated fresh peeled ginger
  • 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling cookies in)
Method
  1. Position 1 rack in top third of oven, 1 rack in bottom third; preheat to 350*.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, crystallized ginger, baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy and light in a separate bowl for about 2 minutes.  Gradually add brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg, molasses, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  Beat to blend.
  4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture in two additions, beating on low speed just to blend between additions.
  5. Place 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar in small bowl.  Measure 1 tbsp of dough (a 1-tbsp ice cream scoop works really well) and roll into a ball between palms of hands.  Roll dough in sugar and place on baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining cookie dough, spacing cookies 1-1/2 to 2-inches apart.
  6. Bake cookies until surfaces crack and cookies are firm around edges but still slightly soft in center, about 15 minutes.  Cool completely on sheets on rack.
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categories baking, cookies, recipes
tags chewy, cookies, ginger, spiced

one year closer to...?

Andrea

I sit at our dining table in the morning, a heaping spoonful of almond butter resting on top of my oatmeal, a dollop of jam alongside it. The windows are open to let the cool morning breeze whisper past my skin, and through them I hear kids squealing as they make their way to the school bus stop on the corner by our house. I find myself lost in thought, reminiscing about the past and contemplating the future, each almond butter + jam-laced bite taking me further into my own head. PBJ-merge I’ve been eating a lot of PB+J lately. Actually, to be more accurate, AB+HJ - almond butter and homemade jam. I just can’t seem to get enough of it. I’m slathering almond butter and jam on my Kashi waffles and toast, mounding it on top of oatmeal or sandwiching it between two slices of whole wheat bread for a quick and satisfying lunch. I partly blame the incredible amount of jam we have in our refrigerator right now - a few ounces of each flavor we made that wasn’t quite enough to process in a canning jar, plus a delightful fig jam made by some dear friends after a reconnaissance fig-gathering mission to some public trees down the street. But even more than the excess, I blame the fast-approaching end of Summer. PBJ-2 As we transition into Autumn, I find myself in a very nostalgic frame of mind. This time of year seemed to have so much more significance in my youth, always marking the start of a new chapter in my young life. Going back to school, with its new clothes and fancy backpack filled with blank notebooks and freshly-sharpened pencils signified another year of progress. I’d eagerly seek out friends I hadn’t seen in 3 months to discuss our summer vacations, who’s dating who, class schedules and the fact that we were one year closer to graduation, college and “real” life. PBJ-merge 2 In college, the return to another semester was bittersweet. I was studying architecture, and while I was eager to tackle the challenges that a new design studio - with its new city, site and building program - offered, I was also wary of letting go of a care-free summer job in exchange for the stress of all-night charrettes and design reviews in front of a panel of my peers and professors. But still, there was the seeking out of missed friends to discuss summer internships, who’s engaged to who, how we had finagled our schedules to allow for one or two(!!!) days without class and the fact that we were one year closer to graduation and finding our “dream” jobs. PBJ-5 And now, here I am. Post undergraduate and graduate degrees, working in my field for a firm I respect designing projects I enjoy, one year closer to...what? For the first time in my life, I am settled into a place with no “end” in sight. I am happily married, living in a city I adore, with a job I enjoy waking up for. There’s no impending school, or graduation, or job search in my future. Its a comfortable feeling, but is at the same time a little bit unnerving. And when I’m feeling a little bit unnerved I seek additional comfort in food. Of late, that food has been the AB+HJ combination. PBJ-11 It was only a matter of time before my latest obsession made it into a baked good. And then, this recipe showed up in my reader to push me right over the edge. I made the cookies, which have a classic butter cookie texture laced with the flavor of high-quality natural peanut butter, and was initially disappointed with the pre-jam outcome. I was looking for a softer specimen, and was worried that when sandwiched on either side of a dollop of jam this cookie would, well, crumble. So I quickly searched for a new option, found a recipe that boasted a softer outcome and incorporated oats(!!!) and decided to try a thumbprint version. I loved the chewiness that the oats added to the cookie, and the fact that the jam-to-cookie ratio was more equal than the sandwich version. But, after all that worry, the sandwich cookie turned out to be really fantastic as well, with or without the addition of a little blackberry peach jam. PBJ-9 Each of these cookies is really wonderful on their own. I recommend filling and sandwiching only the amount of cookies you and yours can eat in a day, as they will get soft when stored in an airtight container with jam. On their own, in a ziplock bag, the cookies maintain their texture for a full 5 days. I think that each of these recipes would be wonderful with almond butter in place of the peanut butter.  When I made the suggestion to Brian, who is very traditional in his dessert choices and hates to see a good thing tampered with, he vetoed it.  That was ok, the tried and true PB+J combo was a success both in taste and nostalgia-induced comfort. PB+J Sandwich Cookies recipe from the new york times makes about 18 sandwich cookies Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound [2 sticks] unsalted butter, softened, plus more to grease cookie sheets
  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter [I used creamy]
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, more for work surface
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp milk, or as needed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup high-quality fruit jam [I used this one]
Method:
  1. Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter together with an electric mixer.  Add egg, and beat until well blended.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, adding milk as necessary to make dough just soft enough to handle.  Stir in vanilla.
  3. Shape dough into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.  [I suggest making two logs...the amount of dough makes one very long log that is difficult to transfer to the fridge].  Wrap dough log[s] in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.  Can be frozen if wrapped well.
  4. Heat oven to 400*.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Remove dough from refrigerator and cut slices between 1/8" and 1/4" thick from log.  Try to make the slices as even in thickness as possible.  Place on baking sheets and sprinkle with sugar.
  5. Bake until edges are lightly browned and centers are set, about 10 minutes.  Cool for about 2 minutes on sheets before using a spatula to transfer cookies to a rack to finish cooling.
  6. Sandwich flat sides of two cookies together with a heaping teaspoonful of jam.
PBJ-7 PB+J Thumbprint Cookies recipe for cookie from foodnetwork.com makes about 3 dozen thumbprint cookies Ingredients:
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2-cup creamy, natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup quick oats (I used rolled, and they were fine)
  • 1/2 cup high-quality fruit jam (I used this one)
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350* and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter and peanut butter together in an electric mixer on high speed.  Add the sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until combined.
  3. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and oats together in a separate bowl and add to the wet mixture.  Mix until well combined.
  4. Roll dough into 1-inch diameter balls and place on baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  Using your pinkie finger, make a deep indentation in the top of each dough ball, being careful not to press all the way down to the baking sheet.
  5. Bake in the top half of the oven until cookies are golden, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and re-shape indentations while cookies are still pliable, if needed.  Let cool completely.
  6. Once the cookies are cool, place on countertop and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Spoon a teaspoonful of jam into each cookie.
PBJ-6
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categories baking, cookies
tags cookies, jam, oats, peanut butter

no better cure

Andrea

You may have noticed that I’ve had quite a few baked goods featured here lately. Bella Eats is starting to look more like a baking blog than an all foods blog, which is not my intention even though I do have a not-so-secret desire to be a baker. The truth is, when I am stressed, overwhelmed or even underwhelmed with life in general, or just want an excuse to be lost in my head for an hour or two, I bake. Some people go for a run, others practice yoga, I pull out the flour and sugar and butter and get to work mixing and shaping. drops Maybe its because I am training to be an architect, spending my days working on minute details for buildings that won’t break ground for another six months and won’t be complete for another two years. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of patience, to get to the point in a project where you feel the satisfaction of seeing the results of your hard work. The days can be frustrating, the hours long, and at the end of it all you may not even be happy with the final result. But you continue forward, filing away the lessons learned on one project for a similar situation on the next, always striving for the perfect design against the odds of disagreeable clients and undesirable sites. drops merge 2 There are a lot of similarities between baking and architecture - formula, precision, a bit of risk taking, structure - but one very notable difference is timing. I can enter the kitchen, experiment with a new recipe that I’ve been dreaming about and have results in 1-2 hours. And if the final product doesn’t come out exactly as I had imagined, I can try again the next evening. Or immediately even, if the desire to get it right then and there is strong enough. That [nearly] instant gratification is what I love most about baking. The reactions from friends presented with something you’ve made from scratch help as well - who isn’t happy to be surprised with a plateful of baked goods? drops merge 1 There are nights when I get home from the office needing to bake. Not just wanting to, but needing to. Sometimes I’ll pick a recipe that is tried and true, other times I’ll try drastic experiments that go horribly wrong but always teach me something new. Last week I was looking for a recipe somewhere in the middle - a recipe that someone else had tried and recommended, that I could play with and put my own twist on. Luckily I had recently discovered Sweet Amandine and spent most of Sunday reading through her archives, soaking in her lovely writing and photographs. I found these chocolate hazelnut bites, put my own little spin on them and got to work. drops 7 There are a lack of preparatory photographs in this post because baking these cookies on that particular night was purely for my mental well-being.  I was tired, a little bit frazzled and a lot in need of the dark chocolatey, almondy, slightly salty goodness that these three-bite cookies delivered to my mouth.  The process to make them was really quite simple - melt chocolate, amaretto and butter in one pan while whipping together the egg and sugar in another.  You combine the two, fold in some finely processed toasted almonds and then chill the batter for 1-2 hours.  If you have the patience, shoot for two hours of chilling.  I couldn't stand it and pulled them after just one so that I could get to work on the methodical task of rolling each lump of dough between my palms and coating each ball with granular sugar and then powdered.  They bake for a quick 10-12 minutes and then you are free to pile them onto a plate, grab a glass of wine and cuddle up to your partner on the couch.  There's no better cure for a long day, I promise. Also, if you are in need of some cheer the next evening as well, they are great crumbled over vanilla ice cream. Dark Chocolate Almond Bites adapted from Sweet Amandine who adapted from Chez Pim who adapted from David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert - goodness, this cookie's been around! makes 3-4 dozen 3-bite cookies Ingredients:
  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp amaretto
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3-4 pinches sea salt
*1 cup each of granulated sugar and powdered sugar, in separate bowls, for rolling dough balls in Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*.
  2. Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes, until fragrant.  Do not burn.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a double boiler with butter and amaretto until smooth.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the eggs and 1/3 cup sugar on high speed until pale, as pictured above (5-8 minutes).  Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
  5. Pour the cooled nuts and flour into a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Add the baking powder and the salt, and pulse a few more times.  Stir the ground nut mixture into the chocolate batter.
  6. Chill for 1-2 hours, preferably 2, until batter is firm.
  7. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 350 again and set up your bowls of granulated sugar and powdered sugar.  Roll the chocolate cookie batter into 1-inch balls.  Roll each ball first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar.  Set the cookies in rows, at least 1-inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
  8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, swapping the top and bottom baking sheets about halfway through.  The cookies should be slightly firm around the edges, but otherwise soft.
  9. Cool on a rack completely, then store in an airtight container.
drops 2 Oh!  And if you haven't noticed, I've added helpful links to the right side of the page for you to subscribe to Bella Eats, or follow me on Twitter, if you desire.
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categories baking, cookies
tags almond, amaretto, chocolate, cookies, simple

some of the best i've had

Andrea

My momma has been telling me about these cookies for months now.  She makes them for my stepfather, Joe, because he is a BIG fan of amaretto.  We’re talking about the kind of fan that, when handed a small glass containing the thick amber liquid, will take 20 full minutes to take a sip because each time he brings it to his mouth he is overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell.  He’s Italian, so we’re all convinced he’s got a bit of amaretto coursing through his veins. amaretto cookies mrge 1 The cookies have been in my “to make” folder ever since their name rolled off of my momma’s tongue.  Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Amaretto Frosting.  Come on...who wouldn’t add them to their list?  Sadly, my folder (titled “Andrea Miscellaneous” and added to by Brian whenever he finds my printed recipes or articles torn from various magazines strewn around our house, which is often) is over-stuffed with delectable-sounding treats awaiting attention, and this recipe somehow got shuffled to the bottom.  I’m lucky that it made the menu cut for our Florida visit last weekend, otherwise it may have been another few months before I tasted the gems, declared love, and shared them with you.  amaretto cookies 1 Even if you ignore the frosting (and the only reason you should is if you’re not a fan of very sweet treats...) the cookies themselves are some of the best I’ve had.  Delicately flavored with ground oatmeal, almond extract and chopped almonds, they have an extra depth that standard chocolate chip cookies lack.  They are slightly crisp around the edges and still chewy in the middle, perfect CCC texture.  Watch them closely as they bake, you want to pull them just as they start to very slightly brown at the edges. amaretto cookies 2 I hope you’ll learn from my mistake, keep this recipe at the top of your list, make the cookies as soon as possible and share them with family and friends.  Your loved ones will thank you, I promise.  And be sure to go through your recipe folders, as I will be this weekend, to see if you have any other recipes tucked away that have been recommended by your momma.  Because those recipes shouldn't be shuffled to the bottom. Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe modified from Giada De Laurentiis via foodnetwork.com makes 4 dozen cookies or 2 dozen cookie sandwiches
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 tsp pure almond extract
  •  1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 325*.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Finely chop oats in a food processor (we used a small chopper), mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer (we used a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and beat in the eggs and extract.  
  4. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches and mix until just blended.
  5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and almonds.
  6. Drop dough (about one rounded tablespoon each) onto cookie sheet, two inches apart.  Do not flatten.  
  7. Bake until cookies are golden, about 13 minutes.
  8. Cool the cookies on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire cooling rack.
  Amaretto Frosting recipe modified from Gale Gand via  foodnetwork.com makes enough for 2 dozen sandwich cookies
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 tbsp amaretto liqueur
Method:
  1. In a stand mixer fit with whisk attachment, mix sugar and butter.  Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
  2. Add amaretto and continue to beat on medium speed for one more minute, adding more amaretto if you wish.
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categories cookies
tags amaretto, buttercream frosting, chocolate chip, cookies

its in my blood

Andrea

When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time at my grandfather's house.  We were lucky enough to have him living just 2.1 miles from us, a distance I wouldn't think twice at running these days but didn't even dream of walking back then.  I never had the experience of having a teenager down the street sit with me when my parents went out with friends because Papa was so close - he was always my babysitter.  Staying with him was such fun.  I am his only grandchild so, of course, I could do no wrong.   key-lime-1 One of the best aspects of going to Papa's house was his well-stocked kitchen.  And by well-stocked I don't mean fresh produce, top-quality olive oils or a superb selection of dried fruits and nuts (my grandfather used his oven for storage and ate most of his meals at the local all-you-can-eat buffet).  Instead, he stocked all of the classic junk food that I wasn't allowed to eat at home - "t.v. dinners", Little Debbie cakes, KoolAid popsicles, frozen Snickers ice cream bars, Campbell's Chicken + Stars soup.  I'd run straight to the kitchen as soon as we arrived to see what goodies he had picked out especially for my visit (because of course, it was all about me). key-lime-2 My favorite treat, and his too, were the Danish Butter Cookies that were always on his counter.  You know the kind I'm talking about...blue tin, 5 or 6 different varieties of perfectly crunchy yet melt-in-your-mouth, bite-sized, sugar-topped, golden, butter cookies.  I loved them all, but my favorites were the squarish sugar-crystal topped variety - Papa saved them just for me and I ate them by the handful. key-lime-3 Papa was recently moved into a new assisted living facility that provides a more home-like environment than his last residence.  For some reason, when discussing his new home with my mother, I get images of him sitting in his wheelchair at a sunny window with a butter cookie tin in his lap.  I've had him, and those cookies, on my mind for the last couple of weeks.  It was only a matter of time before I searched out a recipe to replicate them, and only appropriate that my adaptation of them involved another of Papa's favorite flavors - key lime.  He is the 6th generation of Floridians in our family after all, making me 8th until I moved 5 years ago.  Key lime juice is practically in our blood. key-lime-4 The above picture is misleading...please don't follow its direction.  My first batch of these delights was baked on a cookie sheet with no grease, as the recipe specified.  The result?  Cookie shrapnel, as pictured below. key-lime-5 My trusty Silpat saved the day, as always.  I really don't know why I even bother to try baking without it, except that this time the recipe specified an ungreased baking sheet.  The recipe is wrong, and the Silpat is necessary.  Also, lean closer to the 1/4" dimension when slicing the log than the 1/8" - I think that thinness may have contributed to my first batch of shrapnel. key-lime-6 I sprinkled unsweetened coconut over the tops of my cookies (except for one batch, on which I forgot it and regretted it) and loved how the subtle toasted coconut flavor complimented the key lime.  Also, I really like citrus.  Really.  So if you don't, you might want to reduce your key limes to 4 instead of 6.   One last thing - these cookies are addicting.  If you don't want to eat all 36 of them I highly suggest that you share them with friends and co-workers.  Because if they are in your kitchen you will eat them.  I promise.  By the handful. key-lime-92 Key Lime Butter Cookies adapted from epicurious makes about 3 dozen cookies Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • zest of 6 key limes (about 3 tbsp)
  • juice of 6 key limes (about 3 tbsp)
  • course sugar or shredded coconut for topping (optional)
Method:
  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  2. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer, 6 with a hand-held mixer. Beat in egg, vanilla, lime juice and zest.
  3. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture.  Mix until just combined.
  4. Form dough into a 12-inch log (2-inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap.  Roll dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.*
  5. Put oven rack in middle of oven.  Preheat to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or other silicon baking mat.
  6. Cut dough log into 1/4" slices, just enough to fill baking sheet with 1" between cookies.  Refrigerate the rest of the dough until ready to bake.  Sprinkle cookies with course sugar or shredded coconut.
  7. Bake cookies until edges are golden, 14-16 minutes.  You may want to rotate the cookie sheet midway through baking if your oven bakes unevenly, as mine does, or you will have some brown cookies and some golden.  Watch the cookies CAREFULLY.  Each of my batches took a slightly different amount of time and it doesn't take long for them to over-bake.
  8. Cool on sheets for 3 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Bake remainder of cookies on cooled cookie sheets.  Cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days, but don't count on them sticking around for that long.
*Dough can be chilled for up to 5 days or frozen (wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap) for 1 month.  If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced. key-lime-7
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categories baking
tags butter, cookies, irresistable, key lime

there will be cookies

Andrea

I didn't have a food blog in the summer of 2008, so I feel like I missed out on the David Leite's  Chocolate Chip Cookie fun that I've read about in the archives of a few of my favorite blogs, like Orangette and The Kitchen Sink.  Now, I love a good chocolate chip cookie.  Who doesn't?  But I've seen plenty of recipes out there claiming to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever, so I was skeptical that this one would be any different from all the rest.  I was intrigued, however, by the large amount of chocolate in the recipe...1-1/4 pounds for only 18 cookies!  That, my friends, is a lot of chocolate.  Also, the recipe called for the sprinkling of sea salt on the tops of the cookies just before baking...hmmm.  I am a big fan of sea salt caramels, so this seemed like a touch that would agree with me nicely. 090119-cookie-1 Typically I would take a recipe like this and try to healthify it, using natural sweeteners and substitutes for the refined sugar, oil and white flours.  But it had been awhile since I'd made a full-fat, high-cal decadent cookie, and this seemed just the recipe to indulge on.  And it helped to know that I would be sharing the 18 resulting cookies with 12 friends and co-workers tomorrow during the inauguration ceremony.  I followed David Leite's instructions almost completely, but did have to make two substitutions.  The first was to use ghirardelli chocolate bars chopped into 1/2" pieces instead of chocolate disks.  The second was to replace the cake flour.  I scoured the shelves on the baking aisle at Whole Foods and found no such flour.  I decided to substitute the whole wheat pastry flour I had at home and hope for the best. 090119-cookie-2 A warning:  the dough requires 24 hours of refrigeration before baking.  I made the dough last night and of course sampled it, which made me all the more excited to come home from work tonight to bake the cookies.  Its kind of nice, the phasing of the recipe.  You get all of the mess out of the way the first night and are left with the simple pleasure of balling dough and pulling perfectly golden cookies from the oven the second night. 090119-cookie-3 090119-cookie-4 These cookies are worth the 24-hour wait and the extensive blogger hype.  Totally worth it.  They are perfectly crisp around their golden edges, soft and chewy in their centers.  The sea salt adds an unexpected depth that heightens the flavor of the chocolate while at the same time reducing its richness...a quality that makes it even easier to finish the entire 5" mammoth cookie all at once.  In case you missed the link above, here is the recipe and the article it accompanied. So tomorrow, as we welcome our new president and toast the changes to come with a group of friends, there will be cookies.   I can't think of a better way to celebrate. 090119-cookie-5 Here's a recap of my other eats for the day, although who wants to read about them now that I've introduced cookies to the mix?!?  Especially when its a day full of repeats...  Breakfast:  the standard oat bowl.  I know, I know.  But I love it and its very filling and that's good enough for me. 090119-b11
  • 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, dribble of vanilla, sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 1 mashed ripe banana
  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 dried fig, chopped
  • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
Lunch:  leftover veggie soup, 3 Back To Nature Multigrain Flax flatbreads, 2 tbsp hummus. 090119-l11 Snacks:  my Oikos is back!!!!!  1 blueberry Oikos and a tangelo.  Sadly, I didn't actually eat the Oikos 'cause I just wasn't hungry enough.  The tangelo was excellent though. 090119-s11 Dinner:  leftover veggie soup with some bulgur added to it and a hearty oat biscuit.  So good, and this is the last of it.  :) 090119-d1 090119-d2 Dessert:  a cookie.  Of course.  :) And I'm off.  Have a great Tuesday, everybody!  Happy Inauguration!!!
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags chocolate, cookies, oats, soup

leftovers and no-bakes!

Andrea

Happy Wednesday!  Can you believe Thanksgiving was already one week ago?!?  Crazy.  I hope you have all had a fabulous day.  Thank you all for the great comments today and for being so supportive of my blog and decision to try one post a day...I think it will be better to keep the food diary consolidated into a summary each night.  I'll give it a trial period and see how it goes!  :)  I'm sorry I haven't been responding to comments...I need to play catch-up!!! My day was pretty busy, but not as busy as it really needed to be.  I've got a big meeting on Tuesday in Raleigh for my project, and just 2 weeks until a big big big deadline.  I'm not feeling the pressure yet which scares me...I'm afraid its going to mean some REALLY late nights at the end of this two weeks.  :(  I did have a fabulous run after work though! Brian and I went to UVA campus for a lovely 2 mile run.  It felt SO GOOD!!!  Brian's legs are much longer than mine so he gets ahead of me but is sweet enough to slow down and let me catch up.  We don't talk much, which I'm actually starting to like because it gives me time to get lost in my own thoughts.  I'm just so excited that running is becoming enjoyable for me again and that so far I seem to be steering clear of injury!  WooHoo!  I can't wait to keep increasing my mileage and run the New Year's Day 5k, it'll be here before I know it! On to food... Breakfast: Slice of Maple Banana Cornbread (still moist after 4 days!!!) with 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 cup of vanilla Oikos and my persimmon. 081203-b1 081203-b2 081203-b3 This was my first persimmon, and I was surprised at how sweet/mild the flavor was. I was expecting it to be much more tart. The flesh is very similar to a mango, and the skin (in my opinion) is inedible. I enjoyed it, but wound up picking it out of the yogurt to eat on its own. The yogurt overpowered the mild taste of the fruit. Lunch: I made a quick lima bean and corn salad (inspired from a Self recipe this summer...) and tossed it on a bed of spinach.
  • 3/4 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
This was such a yummy combo, the dressing from the salad coated the spinach leaves perfectly. 081203-l1 081203-l2 Snack:  Pink Lady Apple (of course!) and the other 1/2 of my Cinnamon Roll Larabar. 081203-s2 Dinner:  Leftover Healthified Baked Ziti and a spinach salad.  Look at that monster piece Brian cut me!  Its actually only 1.5 servings, and I managed to eat most of it...! 081203-d1 My salad tonight had fresh spinach, hearts of palm, red bell pepper, celery, almonds and light ranch dressing.  Yum! 081203-d2 Dessert:  I made cookies!!!  I've been in such a baking mood lately...  This is another of Brian's favorite recipes from his grandmother.  I did make a few modifications...I just can't help myself!!!  These cookies are so great and simple because they require NO BAKING!!!  They are completely similar to Gina's breakfast cookies but not quite as healthy...  I thought about adding banana to these but I just don't know that they would hold up well enough to actually be little bite-size cookies.  Plus, I didn't want to derail Brian too much...  :)  Anyway, they are still hardening (but seem to be taking awhile...hopefully my modifications didn't screw them up!!!) so I will snap some pictures tonight and post the recipe tomorrow if they turn out ok.  And if not, I'll post Brian's grandmothers original recipe because I KNOW they are delicious!!! Here they are hardening... 081203-d3 Oh little chocolate-y, peanut butter-y, oatmeal-y bites of goodness I could eat all of you!!!! What is your favorite family recipe?
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags cookies, larabar, oikos, salad

cranberry walnut sandies - BSI!!!

Andrea

Good morning! Sorry I missed a post last night...I was wrapped up in BSI baking and then two movies on the couch with my hubby. :) I'm very excited about this week's BSI ingredient chosen by Amy over at Coffee Talk...WALNUTS!!!  As you've probably noticed, all of my BSI entries thus far have involved baking.  I love to bake and realized that I wasn't doing enough of it so this has been a great way for me to get creative with making up my own recipes and experimenting in the kitchen.  Walnuts were a tough one for me this week because I really don't cook much with nuts...my hubby HATES cooked nuts in baked goods.  Something about the texture.  So I never add walnuts to my banana bread or brownies because he won't eat them, which means I would be left with the whole batch to eat all by myself. A feat I am certainly capable of but which is not so helpful in my quest to eat healthier or lose weight. So this recipe comes from two points of inspiration...  1.  How do I incorporate walnuts into a baked good in a way in which Brian will eat the baked good?  2.  How can I incorporate some of our leftover Thanksgiving ingredients so that they don't go to waste (buttermilk and fresh cranberries)? The solution?  Cranberry Walnut Sandies!!! bsi-92 Whenever I have buttermilk in the fridge that is needing to be used I think of a wonderful scone recipe that a friend gave me a long time ago.  Her scones are wonderfully fluffy, unlike most dry, hard scones you find in stores.  I decided to start with her recipe, but to substitute the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour, and substitute some of the total amount of flour for some ground up walnuts.  I was hoping that the ground walnuts would give the scones a wal-nutty taste without the big chunks of baked nuts that my husband despises so much.  I added turbinado sugar in place of refined, and threw in the leftover fresh cranberries I had in the fridge. I was surprised when I got everything all mixed together and the result resembled cookie dough rather than scone or bread dough like I thought it would.  Because of this unexpected twist, the recipe quickly turned into a cookie recipe rather than a scone recipe.  Warning: this is not one of my healthier recipes...  :) Cranberry Walnut Sandies makes 18 cookies calories: 252  fat: 15.4g  sat. fat: 5.8g  carbs: 26g  fiber: 3g  sugar: 13.2g  protein: 4.8g Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup buttermillk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1-1/2 cups walnut halves and pieces
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 8 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 cup whole fresh cranberries, chopped finely in processor
  • 4 oz baking chocolate, broken into small pieces
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 375*.
  2. Spread walnut halves on ungreased baking sheet and place in oven to toast for about 10 minutes or until fragrant.  Stir once at about 5 minutes.
  3. Pull walnut halves from oven and grind to fine flour in food processor or blender.
  4. Mix WWW flour with ground walnuts, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  5. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles course bread crumbs.
  6. Add sugar, chopped cranberries and chocolate pieces.
  7. In separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, egg and extract until smooth. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and fold together until well blended.
  8. Place golf ball sized drops of dough on greased cookie sheet.  Press each dough ball down to flatten slightly.
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
walnut "flour"
walnut flour chopped cranberries chopped cranberries chocolate chunks chocolate chunks pre-baking pre-baking I am so happy with the result, especially since I really wasn't sure what to expect.  The cookies came out perfectly crunchy on the outside and wonderfully moist on the inside.  The walnut flavor in the dough is fantastic...I was worried that it might be overpowering but it is not at all.   Because the cranberries are chopped so finely they add more of a sweetness to the cookie than a tartness.   And the ultimate test...Brian LOVED them!   bsi-81 bsi-101 bsi-11 I love the little red cranberry specs in them.  I will definitely be making these again...probably as a holiday cookie this Christmas.  I'd like to try them out as smaller, bite-size drop cookies to increase their crunch a bit. A quick dinner recap for last night... Dinner:  Leftovers!!!  (thankfully the last of them) along with a new batch of roasted veggies.  We had none leftover after Thanksgiving!!!  But luckily we hadn't roasted all the veggies we had in the fridge, so I was able to do another batch of them last night. 081129-d3
  • broccoli
  • brussels sprouts
  • parsnips
  • beats
  • tomatoes
  • garlic
081129-d5
  • mashed sweet potatoes
  • mashed russet potatoes and celery root
  • stuffing
  • cornbread pudding
  • veggies
081129-d4 And two glasses of wine, one while cooking/eating and one while movie watching. 081129-d1 And, 1/2 a cookie for dessert.  Bri took the other 1/2... bsi-123 Busy day ahead... Christmas decorating (didn't get to it last night what with all the movie watching...), yoga!!!, more baking, cooking a few things to get a head start on the week, maybe spin....  I'll report back later! Enjoy your Sunday!
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categories baking, dinner
tags BSI, cookies, veggies, walnuts