thecookieblogger.com

some of you may know of my quest to duplicate my all-time favorite cookie in the universe — conti’s chocolate sprinkle cookies. a staple growing up at every holiday meal, these cookies were as much a part of family tradition as my mom’s manicotti or my grandma’s stuffed artichokes. anyway, living 3000 miles from the nearest bronx italian pastry shop has forced this cookie girl to try to make her own version of this buttery, sandy-textured cookie. and though i have tried many, many recipe variations, i am still hot on the trail of this sadly-missed cookie.

one such recipe that held promise was this browned butter cookie. it sounded promising, but alas, did not resemble the much-beloved cookie at all. that being said, however, this cookie is quite delicious in its own right — the nutty flavor of the browned butter gives this cookie a nice richness that is often missing from basic butter cookies. though it’s not the cookie i was searching for, it certainly will be a ‘keeper’ in my cookie recipe box!

lovely browned butter cookies
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

instructions
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. heat butter over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until it turns brown in color. stir frequently, and use a light-colored pan if you are new to browning butter — it goes from nice nut-colored brown to burnt very easily, so you really need to keep an eye on this. remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. pour browned butter into bowl of stand mixer. beat butter with the brown sugar until butter is completely cooled.
4. mix in eggs, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt. mix well.
5. mix in flour until incorporated. do not overmix.
6. drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
7. bake for approximately 10 minutes until cookies are light brown around the edges.
8. remove from oven. let rest on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to wire cooling rack.
9. enjoy!
yield: approximately 50 cookies

variations on this recipe: feel free to add 2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to this recipe to make it a nutty cookie! or feel free to dip the edge of this cookie into a dark chocolate coating to dress it up a bit! or why not do both?!

today, you will need to practice restraint. why, you may ask? because these cookies are outstanding. peanut butter cups in cookie form. and they just shout out “eat me!” i know. i’ve been hearing the shouting all morning, and they really are hard to resist! for chocolate lovers and peanut butter lovers alike, i think you will find these well-received – and you’ll find a very empty cookie jar in only a matter of minutes!

chocolate peanut butter chunkers
ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) solid vegetable shortening (i use unflavored crisco)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use all-natural peanut butter)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup baker’s sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of peanut butter cups, cut up into small to medium-sized pieces

instructions
1. preheat oven to 325 degrees. line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
2. using a stand mixer, cream the butter, vegetable oil, peanut butter and both sugars until smoothly blended and lighter in color.
3. add the egg and vanilla. continue to mix until just blended.
4. sift in the flour, baking soda and salt, and then mix at low speed just until blended. do not overmix. the dough will seem soft.
5. add peanut butter cup pieces, mixing gently with a spoon or spatula.
6. using your #50 cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) drop onto prepared cookie sheets about 3 inches apart (they will spread a bit).
7. bake for about 16-18 minutes — the cookie tops will have some small cracks and should feel somewhat firm.
8. remove from oven. let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes, then remove cookies to wire cooling rack.
9. enjoy!

yield: about 20 – 22 cookies.

with the november winds blowing, the leaves swirling, and the scent of my neighbor’s wood-burning stove filling the air, i’m craving a cookie that shouts out ‘autumn’ — and to me, that’s anything with a little ginger in it! there’s something familiar and cozy about the taste of ginger, a kind of homey goodness. i even remember the taste of ginger ale making me feel better on those rare occasions when i had the flu as a child…

that being said, the ultimate in ginger cookies would have to be ginger snaps. they are perfectly flavorful, with just the right amount of ‘bite’ to them. both kids and adults enjoy their munchy goodness, and crumbled, they make an excellent ice cream topping or pie crust!

this recipe is based on one i found in sweet maria’s cookie jar cookbook by maria bruscino sanchez. if you’ve read my past blog entries, you’ll see that maria is one of my cookie heroes! i love her cookbooks, her writing style, and mostly her cookies. and though i discovered maria’s books while researching some recipes of my ancestral italian cookies, i’ve discovered that her repertoire exceeds far beyond italian recipes! this recipe is based on her classic gingersnap cookie – her original recipe can be found in the above-mentioned cookbook! enjoy!

ginger snappers
ingredients:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
granulated sugar for rolling cookies

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. using your stand mixer, beat oil and sugar at medium speed.
3. add egg and molasses. beat until well mixed.
4. in separate bowl, add flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. add while mixer is on low speed. mix just until blended — do not overmix.
5. using a teaspoon scoop, scoop dough and roll into a ball. roll into the additional granulated sugar. place on cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart (they will spread a bit!)
6. bake approximately 13-14 minutes until they are a nice golden color.
7. remove cookie sheet from oven. let rest on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes. remove from sheet and place on wire rack to cool.
8. enjoy!
yield: about 25 cookies.

today we have my version of the perennial favorite cowboy cookies. frankly, i’ve chosen to call them cowgirl cookies because it’s my cookie blog and i’ll do what i please. okay, that’s not really the reason, but suddenly i had the urge to assert myself!

the real reason for their female gender name is because the oats make them strong and hardy, while the combination of chocolate chunks and butterscotch chips give them a sweet edge — and i’d say the combo of sweet and strong says cowgirl to me! whatever you call them, they are tasty, filling and a real crowd-pleaser.

all-american cowgirl cookies
ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. finely ground sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cups baker’s sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (about 4 ozs.), cooled
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. whisk 1st 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; set aside.
3. beat butter and sugars with mixer until light and fluffy.
4. add eggs and vanilla. mix completely.
5. add dry ingredients, mixing until just blended.
6. stir in chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips and cooled toasted walnuts.
7. cover dough and chill in refrigerator at least one hour.
8. with tablespoon scoop, placed dough on parchment lined baking sheets. bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are golden brown around the edges and just firm in center.
9. transfer to cooling racks immediately.
enjoy!

yield: approximately 36-40 cookies.

until recently, i really wasn’t a big coffee drinker. but lately, i find a cup of green mountain breakfast blend hits the spot – it’s quite yummy! i know out here in seattle, coffee is quite a dominant force, and it’s not surprising that coffee plays a prominent role in the repertoire of local bakers.

one such recipe is today’s cookie. it’s thick and hearty, with a mild coffee flavor that complements but doesn’t overpower the chocolate chips and the toasted pecans. and forgive me for being biased, but i do believe this is an adult cookie — though the coffee flavor is quite mild, it still seems to be more of an adult favorite!

and did i mention they look quite beautiful, and they smell positively dee-lish when they’re baking!

these are best eaten on day one, because they do tend to get very hard the next day, no matter how you store them. but do not fret, if you freeze some fresh from the cooling rack, i think you will be pleasantly surprised by how fresh they taste when you defrost them!

coffee and chip chunkers
ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup baker’s sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. instant coffee
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. cream butter and both brown and white sugars until fluffy and light.
3. beat in egg and vanilla.
4. sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until they are completely blended.
5. stir in instant coffee, chocolate chips and toasted, chopped pecans.
6. drop by tablespoons on the lined cookie sheets (leave about 1″ between each scoop)
7. bake for 11 minutes till cookies are somewhat golden and crisp on bottom.
8. remove from oven. allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
9. enjoy!

yield: about 20 generous-sized cookies

when i was young, i loved my-t-fine butterscotch pudding. it was one of those treats that really ‘hit the spot’, especially on cool autumn days. as an adult, i’ve revisited that butterscotch pudding when i’ve been with family in new york, and it’s just not the same. nowadays, it’s too sweet and has a bit of a metallic taste, so it’s another case where i should have left my food memories alone. but loving the taste of butterscotch, i longed to find a cookie that could incorporate the flavor, yet not be too sweet. this oatmeal scotcheroo cookie uses those nestle toll house butterscotch flavored morsels, which when eaten out of the bag are way too strong, but when mixed in a cookie batter and baked, tone down a bit to add just the right amount of butterscotch and just the right amount of sweetness to a perfectly delightful oatmeal cookie.

for a bit of variety and an added texture, feel free to add 1/2 cup of toasted and chopped walnut pieces to the batter. these will be a hit with young and old alike!

oatmeal scotcheroos
ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated baker’s sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 11oz. package (approximately 1 2/3 cups) butterscotch flavored morsels

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. beat butter, sugars, eggs and extract in a large mixing bowl until soft and fluffy.
4. gradually add flour mixture.
5. stir in oats and morsels just until mixed. do not overmix.
6. drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.
7. bake for 7-8 minutes – cookie will be chewy. (if you want crispy cookies, bake 9-10 minutes)
8. cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
enjoy!

yield: makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

well, we all know that recipes for peanut butter cookies are a dime-a-baker’s-dozen, and through the years they’ve been spiced up with chocolate chips, chunky peanut butter, chocolate dips and coconut, just to highlight a few. these variations augment the basic goodness, yet still beneath it all lies that peanut butter flavor and freshness.

now, i must admit, i’ve never really been a peanut butter cookie girl. they tended to be dry to me – even the ones folks raved about – and they also tended to be a bit hard or crunchy. and, as you know by now, this cookie girl tends to lean towards the soft and smooshy cookies.

so, it may come as a surprise, as it did even to me, that when i tried this recipe for peanut butter cookies, i was delighted with the results. so delighted, in fact, that i couldn’t stop scarfing them down. first, one, just to taste. then another, just to make sure that what i’d tasted had not been an apparition. then another, well, just because (did i really need to have a reason?) and by the time i’d finished my sixth cookie, i knew i’d hit upon a winner. i may have skipped dinner tonight, but six fine and sandy peanut butter cookies certainly hit the spot!

fine and sandy peanut butter cookies
ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup baker’s sugar
2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center of oven.

2. cream the butter, peanut butter, and all sugars together, until light and fluffy. add the eggs and vanilla extract.

3. sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the creamed mixture . with a spoon (not your electric mixer), stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the creamed mixture. be sure not to overmix.

4.scoop a teaspoonful of batter into your hand and roll them into a ball, then place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. with a fork, flatten slightly, making a criss-cross pattern.

5. bake the cookies until they have begun to turn a sandy brown color, about 13 minutes. the cookies will be firm around the edges but will still appear somewhat softer in the centers. as with all recipes, different oven temps will produce different results. so, watch your first batch carefully, and adjust the time accordingly.

6.remove from cookie sheet, and let cool on wire rack.

7. enjoy!
yield: about 3 ½ – 4 dozen cookies.

for years, i’ve been making oatmeal cookies. so many variations, i’ve lost track, to be honest. with nuts. with raisins. with a hint of butterscotch. drop batters and layered bars and even oatmeal-gingerbread men who looked like they had grown scales. but usually, when i’m in need of a good, favorite standby recipe, this oatmeal cookie fits the bill.

they’re filling, they’re tasty and they have a home-baked goodness about them. they keep well for a few days, though there’s usually an echo in the bare cookie jar within a few short hours of removal from the hot oven. and did i mention they’re really, really good?

…and since we keep hearing about the benefits of oatmeal to our daily diet, these cookies may even be good for you! although, i’m a firm believer that all cookies are good for you!!

tried-and-true oatmeal cookies

ingredients:
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup raisins (optional)

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. mix flour with baking soda. set aside.
3. combine butter, the sugars and pudding mix in larger mixing bowl, beating until smooth and creamy.
4. beat in eggs, one at a time.
5. gradually add in flour mixture, then stir in oats (and optional raisins). batter will be stiff.
6. drop by rounded teaspoonsfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
7. bake for 10-12 minutes. the cookies will be soft and slightly spongy. remove from oven and let sit for one minute on the cookie tray.
8. after a minute, gently remove cookies from tray and let cool on wire racks.

enjoy!!

after i copied this recipe from some old, yellowed newspaper clipping, i shoved it into one of my many recipe boxes and completely forgot about it. many months later, i discovered it again when the recipe box fell off the shelf, and deposited just this one recipe card onto my right foot. call it clumsiness, let’s just say that when a recipe presents itself at my feet, i’m not one to ignore it. so i made this cookie that very afternoon, and was delighted with the scrumptious result.

when my husband arrived home, his excitement was clearly visible — it seems he used to purchase cookies that looked just like these at a neighborhood market back in his bachelor days, and had to give them up when they added some preservative to the recipe that just didn’t agree with him. just one bite later, and he was a happy cookie camper! they were the cookies of his bachelor days!

kids love these, but they’re also a mature enough flavor to work well for the adults on your snacking list!

crackling fudge cookies
ingredients:
2 cups (12 oz. package) chocolate chip morsels, divided
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup powdered sugar

instructions:
1. microwave 1 cup chocolate chips in an uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high power for 1 minute. stir. the chips should be melted. if they are still retaining their original shape, microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring until all chips are melted. cool to room temperature.

2. mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. set aside.

3. beat granulated sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl.

4. beat in melted chocolate.

5. add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

6. gradually, beat in the flour mixture.

7. stir in the remaining chocolate chips.

8. cover and refrigerate dough until firm, a few hours.

9. preheat oven to 350 degrees. using your teaspoon scoop, and rolling in the palms of your hands, form dough into 1 ½ inch balls.

10. roll in powdered sugar.

11. place on parchment-lined baking sheets. bake for approximately 10 – 13 minutes, or until the sides of the cookies set, but the centers are still slightly springy. remove from oven. cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then gently remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

enjoy!

what kind of a new york girl would i be without lots of tasty, crumb-y memories of my all-time favorite childhood cookie – the black and white. granted, it was a bakery specialty – never to be made at home – always to be bought as a special treat from the home bakery or conti’s. but just looking at those magical discs, all lined up on their special shelf behind the counter, would make me plead with grandma or my mom for just one. and just thinking about them now makes me crave the taste of that rich cake-like cookie and its sweet and gooey chocolate and vanilla frosting combo. alas, i’ve never seen one in seattle, so if it’s a craving for a black and white that i have, well, then, i’d better get baking!

this recipe was passed along by my sister-in-law. she swore they looked and tasted just like the originals. so, rolling up my sleeves, i set out to make the perfect homemade black and white cookie. i followed the instructions to a tee, even giving up my preferred parchment-lined baking sheets for greased ones. and the end result? yummy cookies, indeed! but not quite the cookies of my youth. could it be i was missing a magical ingredient? or perhaps, as i suspect may be the case, that as i’ve gotten older, my cookie tastes have changed? whatever my feelings about black and white cookies, these are certainly worth the effort, especially if you’re providing snacks to a roomful of children! they will most certainly love them!

black and white cookies

ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups cake flour (you can use unbleached white flour, but the texture will be a bit different)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. grease 2 baking sheets.
3. mix sugar and butter until fluffy.
4. add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
5. in separate bowl, combine and mix flour, baking powder and salt
6. add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. stir lightly.
7. add milk and stir lightly again.
8. add remaining flour mixture — combine just until mixed, but do not overmix.
9. using a soup spoon, or a large scoop (like an ice cream scoop), drop mixture on cookie sheets two inches apart.
10. bake for 15 minutes, just until edges brown.

white (vanilla) glaze
ingredients:
3 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk

instructions:
mix until smooth. if too thick, add more milk one tsp. at a time until spreadable.
makes 1 cup.

black (chocolate) glaze
ingredients:
3 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
6 tbsp. unsweetened sifted cocoa powder
1/4 to 3/4 cup milk (add gradually to see how much is actually needed)

instructions:
mix until smooth. if too thick, add more milk one tsp. at a time until spreadable. makes 1 1/4 cup.

frosting instructions:
ice cookies with white half first, then black half. allow to dry completely.
after icing is dry, wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap or baggie. they store better when they are packed this way.