Chocolate Chip Cookie

 

Having spent a lot of the winter snowed in, I have made a few batches of cookies just experimenting with older recipes.  One recipe that I am constantly tweaking is Chocolate Chip. 

One thing I found while I was searching chocolate chip cookies was the suggestion of adding Cream of Tartar to give your cookies that cracked look.  I added the Cream of Tartar and the cookies did have that beautiful cracked look, however, I don’t know if that was in fact the reason.  I don’t believe the Cream of Tartar had any effect on the taste of the cookie so it could be omitted without harm to the recipe.

 

These cookies, like most any chocolate chip cookie, are best right off of the cookie sheet. 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. 
2. Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and stir in vanilla.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water for several minutes;  in the meantime sift together flour, salt, and cream of tartar.  Add to creamed mixture along with baking soda mix.  Stir in chips and nuts.
3. Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven 9-10 minutes.  Cool one minute on sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 4 1/2 dozen delicious cookies.

Colt just lost the ‘big game’…again cookies

 

So what do you do when your favorite team makes it to the Superbowl?  Well, if you’re us you make a bet with your nephews involving cookies.  What happens, you might ask, when your favorite team makes it to the big game and plays horrendously?  Well, if you’re me you spend the Monday morning after the big game creating a new recipe that is (hopefully) fit for air mail. 

I was going to make something with peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips because the various websites I found about mailing cookies recommended these ingredients.  Unfortunately, I had only 1/4 cup of peanut butter in my whole house.  (Note:  We have been snowed in a lot recently.)  So I played around with a cookie that ended up having really just a hint of peanut butter than being a peanut butter cookie.  Hopefully our nephews and niece, who cheered for the Saints, will find them edible.

Colt Just Lost the ‘big game’…again Cookies

Ingredients

6 tbsp shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 bag mini semi sweet chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In large bowl cream shortening, butter, sugars, and peanut butter until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.  Add oats and chips until just combined.
3. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-10 minutes.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

I began this blog because I had been baking a lot in the fall and realized how much I loved to be in the kitchen with my fists in the flour container and because the amount of time I was perusing cooking sites had surpassed the amount of time I spent on all other sites combined. I thought it would be fun to bake and cook and have a place to share my recipes and experiences as well as a chance to work on my food photography.

I realized however that where as I had measuring cups galore and half a dozen loaf pans, I didn't have but one or two plates on which to present the decadent things I was baking. I decided that I would begin collecting plates and platters of any size and design and that in and of itself has been a bit of fun.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, the plate in the picture above was a surprise a week or so ago from my brother's girlfriend. I had told her about my plate collecting venture and she had found this at Target and thought of me. The plate and my brother's girlfriend are grand, are they not?

Ok, so on to today's cookie. Remember when I told you I was losing my hair? Well, I can't forget because every morning I have to unclog my drain. But after making those cookies that didn't have any coconut in them I decided to bake up a cookie that was almost nothing but coconut and boy were they simple and sweet. I took half of them to my grandmother today because it looks as though I am the only one around here eating them. Coconut is not everyone's favorite fruit but keep in mind that it has more protein than many other fruits, it also has many minerals your body loves like iron and zinc. My point? I think you should give these cookies a try even if coconut is not your usual thing . If coconut is your thing I definitely think you will find these chewy treats a must.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, soda and salt.

2.) In medium bowl cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture and then add coconut.

3.) Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Cookies should be 3 inches apart.

4.) Bake 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool or racks.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Drops

As I sit here writing this post I am partaking in the last of these astonishing cookies. What started as an attempt to use up a few pantry items before their use by date resulted in possibly the best cookie tested thus far. Both soft and chewy as their name implies, these cookies are nothing shy of sinful. The batch made a little more than four dozen and they are-hold on a minute-all gone just over 24 hours later which means that six of us were eating these at a rate of two per hour. Try these little bits of heavenly goodness-you won't be sorry. However, you may have to extend your next workout session because hedonism seldom entails low fat.
These cookies are very simple with only eight ingredients but they are a tad bit time consuming as the cookie dough should be refrigerated for approximately one hour between mixing and baking to make the dough more workable.
The cookie starts with butter (3/4 cup) and 4 ounces (squares) of Baker's Unsweetened baking chocolate. I have a double boiler but the microwave is so much easier and makes these cookies a one bowl (two if you count the glaze) recipe. Also, the double boiler takes longer and is no fun to clean. I microwaved the butter and chocolate for two minutes to get the better completely melted. I love recipes that call for melting butter, I hate having to soften butter, I always feel like I don't do it exactly right.
So after the butter was melted I mixed them for about three minutes to get the chocolate to melt entirely. Then I added 2 cups of sugar, 3 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Then I added the 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and covered the cookie dough with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge for almost an hour (I get inpatient and want to move on).
I made slightly bigger cookies than the recipe called for, but if I'd made more cookies that would have changed nothing but the rate at which they disappeared.
While I was baking the cookies I mixed one frozen tub of Cool Whip and 6 ounces of Baker's semisweet chocolate together and put them in the microwave for about 1:45, stopping to mix the chocolate after a little over a minute.
When the glaze was completely smooth I let it sit for about twenty minutes. I then put it in a disposable icing bag and went to work on my little chocolate cookies. The recipe told you to wait until the glaze was set and I took that as a recommendation only and took to eating them right away, however the ones I had today (about a dozen) were much better so I would recommend that you let the glaze completely set before eating all of these cookies.

The kids loved these, the husband loved these, my brother and his girlfriend loved them. I was going to take them to a playgroup but got too greedy and ate them all up before the playgroup even had a chance. Maybe I will make another batch...but really that just spells trouble.

At least for my waistline.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Drops

Cookies
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour

Glaze
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

COOKIES:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake approximately 7-8 min. or just until set. (Do not overbake.) Let stand on baking sheet 1 min.; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

GLAZE:

PLACE frozen whipped topping and semi-sweet chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is shiny and smooth, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 min. to thicken. Spread over cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chip Cookies

I have been perusing cookbook after cookbook here lately looking for ideas and considering new recipes to try out. In addition to salivating over Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies I have picked up a few tricks of the baking trade. My idol, Alton Brown, for example recommends that you measure everything out ahead of time and have all of your ingredients ready to go before mixing anything. This technique, Mise en place, is very popular among professional chefs. I decided I would give it a try even though it seems to dirty up a few more dishes and it was a very handy technique. For one, you will not find yourself halfway through making a Black Forest Torte before realizing that you don’t have any Heavy Whipping Cream. And even though set up takes a few minutes more the actual mixing stage goes a lot faster and easier. Having kids up and running around I have found that I can slowly get all my ingredients together and then begin the mixing phase when the kids are immersed in an activity or down for a nap. I don’t see myself proclaiming Mise en place as my religion like Anthony Bourdain does, but I can definitely understand its appeal.

In addition to perusing many books about cooking I have also been checking my pantry for recipes on the backs of such staples as Craisins, chocolate chips and rolled oats. I figure these recipes must have been baked in test kitchens and must be worthy enough if gracing the back labels of such fine products. So Monday after putting all the ingredients in place I whipped up Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, a recipe taken right off the back of the Ocean Spray Craisin package. Having Oatmeal and craisins in them, I thought they were bound to be a big hit with my tastebuds.

These cookies called for flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. I swapped some (1/2 cup) of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour and added a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. Like I said, I do love cinnamon.
These cookies also called for two large eggs, brown sugar and 2/3 cup butter softened. To soften butter quickly I cut it into tablespoon or smaller slices and set it out for about 10 minutes or so. I am very impatient when ready to get baking.

These cookies call for white chocolate chips. Unfortunately, I have failed all winter to find real chocolate chips in the grocery stores around here. I have found ‘Premier’ white chips by Hersheys and ‘white candy coating’ by Baker’s but a white chip with real cocoa butter in it has failed to reach the shelves of my local grocers. So the cookies I made this past Monday were not in fact White Chocolate cookies but white chip cookies. The difference I fear was far too great.

This cookie was fine. Not bad, moist, slight aroma and taste of cinnamon, but the white chips were just too sweet without any real flavor other than that of straight sugar. These cookies were moist and soft for several days, but they just won't ever make my favorites list as they were. I may try them again if and when I ever finally locate some honest white chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chips (should be white chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Round up and measure out all ingredients ahead of time.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are by far my favorite type of cookie. Their flavor is so rich and full and they seem to turn out well almost always so let it be no surprise to find many a cookie containing Oatmeal on this blog. Another nice thing about an oatmeal cookie is that often times you have a simple dough that you can add any number of things to; chocolate chips, raisins, walnuts, coconut, craisins, pecans, white chips (notice I didn't say white chocolate as many grocery stores don't contain white chips that contain any cocoa in them), etc. etc. You can also add any number of spices to an oatmeal cookie. My absolute favorite oatmeal cookie is made all the better by a simple teaspoon or more of Cloves.

But I digress, yesterday I was in the mood for a warm your heart and soul simple oatmeal cookies but I wanted to try something new. I had searched high and low for Hershey's Cinnamon Chips this season to make a crumb cake with and having finally found the chips I set right about to forgetting to make the crumb cake. So here it is, January and I have several (read five) bags of Cinnamon chips on my hands. I decided to try the Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookie recipe right on the back of the bag and boy am I glad I did because not only do I love Oatmeal, I love cinnamon. A lot.

I mean I did buy five bags of the chips. I knew I could find a use for them crumb cake or not.

The only change I made was to swap Craisins for raisins as most of the people in my family can do without shriveled grapes. The dough was a little stiff but pretty easy to work with. The recipe made more than four dozen cookies.
Four dozen cookies yesterday...and only 11 left today. Yes, they were that good, especially right off the cookie sheet while the oatmeal was still very soft.
They didn't even need the traditional slice of bread stored with them to keep them soft, they are as soft today as you could expect from a cookie a day old.
So oatmeal and cinnamon is definitely a do. The craisins didn't add as much as I would have expected but perhaps I could have used more.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Cinnamon Chips
• 3/4 cup craisins

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter and sugars in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and craisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls unto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 9-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes approximately four dozen delicious cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

This Christmas, in addition to several cookbooks, I received not one but two cupcake holders. I decided to try them both out as well as a new recipe I have been eyeing recently on allrecipes. You see I went looking for a good homemade cupcake recipe and found a homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe in which you drop unbaked, frozen cookie dough into cupcakes using a simple cake mix bought from anywhere.

On the first night I whipped up the cookie dough and stuck the balls into the freezer to freeze overnight. They looked so cozy next morning I almost felt bad disturbing them.

But I did. I decided to try out both cupcake carriers and went ahead and made two dozen yellow cake mix cupcakes and two dozen with devil food cake mix.

These cupcakes were in fact the best cupcakes ever. They were best within a few hours of being baked but we had taste testers the following day say they were the best cupcake they had ever had as well. I followed the recipe to a tee and even baked one of the cookies just to see if the cookies themselves were good...and they were. Both flavors of cake were good but most of the people who tried them agreed that the yellow cake mix made for a better overall cupcake.

One thing I will add however is that I like my cupcakes loaded with icing so I went through three tubs of icing on these four dozen cookies, three different kinds of icing. From here on out I am a Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Milk Chocolate Icing fan. The tub says it's America's Favorite Frosting. I am not surprised.

As for the cupcake carriers themselves I have a hard time deciding which I liked better. You can bake and store your cupcakes in the Oneida cupcake carrier, but I didn't, I only stored the cupcakes in it. The Progressive cupcake carrier is a decorative stand but it collapses which makes storage nice. Overall, I'm not sure which I would choose if I had to but fortunately I don't have to. However, I think if you're looking for a carrier the Oneida is 33% cheaper than the Progressive and is just a tad less fancy.

Banana Bread Cookie

For Christmas this year I received several cookbooks, mostly written by Alton Brown, but a few others including "The Cookie Bible". With over 400 cookie recipes in it I began to wonder who really makes all of these cookies? Thing is though I've met several cookies I didn't particularly care for, I've never met a cookie I wouldn't at least try. I decided then and there that I was going to start giving more cookie recipes a shot, as I can think of only a handful of things better than a cookie (Cherry Coke, Powdered Donuts, Waterstone Hummus).

I was going to wait for the New Year, and a cleaner house, to begin my cookie experimenting when I happened upon these, glaring at me on the kitchen counter.

Any other day I would have thrown together a simple Banana Bread but two things were stopping me. First, I seem to fail whenever I attempt Banana Bread. I get most quick breads like Zucchini and Pumpkin but I have never found that perfect Banana bread recipe that never fails. My nana bread is always just so-so. Secondly, I had just the day before been thinking about my love of cookies and my new willingness to try more recipes.

Without any more thought I decided to attempt a banana recipe without cookbooks or prior experience. The result? A most delectable treat.

These cookies have a very surprising resemblance to Banana Bread so to shake things up a bit and to interest the kids in them, I topped them, quite heavily I should add, with confectioners sugar.

It worked, the kids each ate three and were asking for more, but being only a few hours before dinner I cut them off.

Today the cookies are a tad bit soft, not quite soggy but I think in the future I will freeze whatever won't be eaten right away.

Banana Bread Cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup salted butter

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 bananas, peeled and mashed

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Walnuts

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2.) In medium bowl cream shortening, butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, vanilla and bananas.

3.) Combine flours, baking soda, and salt. Blead with creamed mixture. Add walnuts.

4.) Drop by rounded tablespoons on cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 9 1/2-11 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.