thecookieblogger.com

life with a broken water main pipe continues to keep things interesting around our house! the plumbing company started their tedious trench work today and they made a ton of progress. i’d like to believe that perhaps their quick work was due, in part, to my providing them with some of these chocolate spice bars! to me, these bars taste like the comfort of home and the holidays, but they are so good they deserve to stay front and center, even in the warm days of summer! you can serve them with a scoop of ice cream or pack them with a picnic lunch! they’re as versatile as they are tasty!

chocolate spice bars
ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (i used baker’s unsweetened chocolate baking bar)
1/4 unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter bottom and sides of 13×9 brownie pan.
2. in a medium-sized saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. when chocolate is almost melted, remove from heat.
3. with wire whisk, whisk in molasses until smooth.
4. add eggs, whisking until smooth and fully incorporated.
5. stir in flour, baker’s sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, baking soda and salt, just until blended.
6. spread batter into prepared pan.
7. bake in oven approximately 17-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. while bars are baking, mix 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
9. when bars are done, remove from oven. quickly sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the hot uncut bars. place pan on wire rack to cool completely. do not cut bars until they are completely cooled.
enjoy!
yield: 24 bars

the combo of chocolate and orange is a very popular one, both in italy and here in the u.s. as a youngster, i was never crazy about the combination, but as i’ve grown older, i find mixing these flavors often makes for a very refreshing treat. perhaps it’s the tartness of the orange flavor and the sweetness of the chocolate, but each individual flavor seems to enhance the other flavor. these cookies are easy to make, and if you’d prefer them plain, leave off the chocolate dipping and i think you’ll still be quite pleased with the end result!

this recipe is based on an excellent one for ‘melting moments’ cookies in nick malgieri’s the modern baker i am a huge fan of nick’s and find all of his cookbooks to be outstanding resources in the kitchen. his recipes are easy-to-follow, the photos are true depictions of the cookies and his baked goods taste as good as they look!

chocolate dipped orange butter cookies
ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
8 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon orange oil
1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (approximately 1 orange)

instructions:
1. preheat the oven to 325 degrees. line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. in your mixer bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar, beginning on low speed to mix the two ingredients together, then beating at medium speed for a few minutes until ingredients are light in color and fluffy.
3. add the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth.
4. add the orange oil and the zest until well combined.
5. add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt, beating on low speed just until all dry ingredients are combined with butter mixture.
6. with your #40 scoop, place scoops of cookie dough approximately 1 1/2 inch apart.
7. dip a fork into a bowl of extra flour, then press down each mound of cookie dough with the fork in a criss-cross pattern until they are flattened to about 1/3 inch high.
8. bake for about 18 minutes until cookies begin to turn medium golden brown.
9. remove from oven, but leave cookies on baking sheet for five minutes. after that time, remove cookies to wire rack to completely cool.
10. when cooled, dip edges in melted dark chocolate.
enjoy!
yield: approximately 60 cookies

these fudgy oatmeal bars are a throwback to a different time. when i make these, i imagine that they would be something my grandmother would have enjoyed as a small girl as a very special treat. the oatmeal adds a wholesomeness, the chocolate a sweetness that when combined make for a rich, filling, chewy bar. cut them small because they’re way too rich to eat ‘by the slab’.

fudgy oatmeal bars
ingredients:
oat crust
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup light brown sugar, well packed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, then cooled

chocolate filling
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, well packed
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg

instructions:
to make the crust:
1. melt your butter and let it cool.
2. preheat oven to 325 degrees. either grease an 8×8 pan, or (my preference) line the pan with a foil sling and grease well.
3. in a large bowl, whisk the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together until well-combined.
4. stir in the cooled, melted butter until well-combined.
5. reserve about 1 cup lightly packed crust mix for the topping.
6. press remaining crust ingredients into the pan, pressing it evenly with fingertips and your pie tamper.
7. bake the crust for about 10 minutes, until crust is a light golden brown.
8. remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely.

to make the chocolate filling:
9. whisk the flour, sugar, instant espresso powder and salt together until well-combined.
10. in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the butter together in your microwave. (1 – 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave, stirring often.) let cool for about five minutes.
11. add the egg into the chocolate mixture until well-combined.
12. add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture until just incorporated. do not overmix.
13. spread the chocolate mixture over the baked crust, being sure it’s evenly distributed over the entire crust surface. sprinkle the reserved crust over the chocolate filling to cover top.
14. bake 30 minutes, until edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan. a toothpick inserted into the center will come out with some loose crumbs.
15. remove from oven and place pan on wire rack for cooling. do not attempt to remove foil sling until the pan has completely cooled. at that time, pull foil sling out of pan, and gently cut into bars.
enjoy!
yield:16-20 bars.

i’ve been baking for the crew down at seattle opera this summer – they’ve been working long hours on wagner’s ring cycle and all those long days inside a dark building can make folks grumpy. i figure some cookies can brighten their days a bit and let them know that they’re appreciated!

i’ve found that theatre crews love chocolate chips. any baked good that includes a chocolate chip is a total stagehand magnet! these bars are chock-full-of chocolate-chips, so i’m certain these will go over quite well!

bar cookies are especially easy for these dog days of summer – quick baking time and not too much work for the baker, leaving you with plenty of time to dig in your garden or lie on your local sandy beach or sit in the hammock and read a good book. i just finished reading the art of racing in the rain by garth stein and loved it. i highly recommend it, especially if you’re a dog lover!

chocolate chip bars
ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for top crust)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup + 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (divided)
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vaking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. grease bottom and sides of 13×9 pan.
2. in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, the oats and 1/2 cup light brown sugar until well-combined. with a pastry blender, cut the butter into this dry mixture.
3. press this mixture into your prepared pan. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.
4. in your mixer bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and remaining brown sugar until completely combined.
5. add the coconut, walnuts, baking powder, salt and remaining flour to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips.
6. spread evenly over the cooled crust. sprinkle sparkling sugar over the top layer.
7. bake for 20 minutes until topping is golden brown. (sugar will not have melted during baking)
8. remove from oven, let cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. remove bars to wire rack to cool completely.
enjoy!
yield: 32 bars

you’re right. muffins are not cookies. but this cookie blogger has a husband who just loves blueberry muffins, and since they’re minis and are bite-sized, they fit nicely into the family cookie jar. so, today’s cookie is officially the mini blueberry muffin! i have a number of different recipes, but this one’s my most consistent favorite. and for those of you who don’t think they have the time to make homemade blueberry muffins, why not just grab a box of krusteaz blueberry muffin mix at your local grocer — replace the water with 2% milk — and you’ve got yourself a delicious ‘homemade’ blueberry muffin!

mini blueberry muffins
ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups baker’s sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups blueberries (can be fresh or frozen. if frozen, defrost them in a colander in your sink before adding them to your recipe.)
sparkling white sugar for top (optional)

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. line mini muffin tins with small paper muffin cups
2. cream butter and sugar.
3. add the eggs, one at a time, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well until combined.
4. add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.
5. fold in blueberries. do not overmix – batter will be thick.
6. with your #100 scoop, fill each muffin tin until 3/4 way full. if wanted, sprinkle a bit of sparkling white sugar on top of each muffin.
7. bake for 13 – 15 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.
8. cool in muffin tin for approximately 10 minutes. remove to wire rack to cool completely.
enjoy!
yield: approximately 48 mini muffins

i have found snickerdoodle recipes to be somewhat, well, persnickety, over the years. the crispy ones tend to be dry or heavy, while the chewier ones are way too dense. after years of combining recipes, i found this one to be a perfect mix of crisp, but still light and airy. even the most diehard snickerdoodle fans seem to love this recipe. be sure to use a good cinnamon, since the flavor is baked into the cookie in both the dough and the topping. i use vietnamese cinnamon from king arthur flour, offering a more robust flavor than most store-bought cinnamons!

cinnamon snickerdoodles
ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil (i use wesson for this recipe – it makes a lighter, crisper cookie than the other veggie oils)
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/4 all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. beat butter, oil, 1 cup bakers sugar and confectioners sugar until smooth and very well blended.
3. beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.
4. add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt to the butter mixture. beat until fully blended.
5. in a small, separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
6. with your #40 scoop, shape dough into 1″ balls, then roll them in cinnamon/sugar mixture. place on prepared baking sheets approximately 2″ apart (they spread a little bit!)
7. bake for 15 minutes, until edges begin to brown lightly.
8. remove from oven, and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. then remove them from the baking sheet, transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
enjoy!
yield: approximately 60 cookies.

with a double dose of smooth peanut butter and chopped roasted peanuts, these bar cookies are the perfect treat for peanut lovers everywhere! add the mini chocolate chips and you automatically ‘up’ the yum factor! the best thing about these cookies is that they are super-easy! it takes about 10 minutes to mix the ingredients and get the dough into the pan – and then just about another 30 minutes to bake. they are a quick and easy snack, and get rave reviews! and they can be ‘dressed up’ quite nicely by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and drizzled with a bit of dark chocolate syrup!

peanutty peanut butter bars
ingredients:
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 13×9 brownie pan.
2. mix together peanut butter and oil until combined.
3. add 1 cup flour to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.
4. add brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 the milk, beating until well-combined.
5. add remaining 1/2 cup of flour and remaining milk. dough will be thick – mix until well-combined.
6. stir in chocolate chips and chopped peanuts.
7. spoon batter into brownie pan, spreading evenly.
8. bake for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. remove from oven.
9. place on wire rack to cool. when completely cool, cut into bars.
enjoy!
yield: 24 bars

chewy brownie cookies are one of my most requested cookies. so, today was a day all about baking a fan-favorite! go over to the november page for these delicious cookies and give them a try! And they work really well if you sandwich two together with some vanilla ice cream in between. let the ice cream soften a bit, place a big scoop on the bottom of one cookie, then place a second cookie, with it’s bottom facing the other ice cream-covered cookie bottom and squeeze together so that the ice cream flattens a bit and spreads over the entire center of the cookie. place in freezer for at least 20 minutes. eat and enjoy!!

let it be known, my husband is a big fan of raspberries. one of his favorite desserts is a nice hunk of yellow cake with dark chocolate frosting, paired with lots of fresh raspberries. lucky for us, we’ve got an abundance of raspberries growing right outside my study window and our summers are filled with lots of raspberry treats. the combo of raspberries and dark chocolate is a classic flavor, much loved by many, so i thought it was time to highlight a delicious cookie marrying the two flavors!

now, as a side note, i need to mention that we are having 100+ degree temperatures today in seattle! completely out of character for this usual cool and comfortable city by puget sound. so, the last thing i wanted to do was spend the day baking. to that end, i figured doing a bar cookie would mean less oven time, less ‘opening and closing’ the oven door to let all that hot air escape into the house, and a bar cookie would work well paired with some ice cream or some fresh raspberries! perfect summer treat!

also, feel free to frost these brownies – frosting makes them a bit richer, and even more delicious!

raspberry fudge brownies
ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups baking sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 13×9 baking pan.
2. place butter and chocolate in small heavy duty pan and, over low heat, stir until melted.
3. in your mixing bowl, blend sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract until well-blended.
4. add the chocolate/butter mixture to your sugar/egg mixture, blending until combined.
5. add flour and salt, mixing just until combined.
6. spread batter into 13×9 pan.
7. stir jam so that it’s consistency becomes smooth. drop spoonfuls of the jam over the batter already in the pan. once you’ve got all the jam in the pan, take a knife or small metal spatula and swirl jam throughout the batter.
8. place in oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the side of the pan. the center of the brownies will look set.
9. remove from oven and place pan on wire rack to cool.
10. cool completely before cutting!
enjoy!
yield: 24 brownies

a long time ago, i ate my first blondie, and there was no going back. but blondies are finicky. sometimes they are too sweet. sometimes they are too gooey. and sometimes they are just way too heavy. a friend shared this recipe a few years back, and i have found them to be the absolute perfect blondie. just enough sweetness, just the right texture, just the right consistency. and they are good. very good. especially, if i may suggest, with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. a special thanks goes out to my friend (you know who you are) who shared this with me. but honestly, these don’t get made too often because i can’t afford all the calories and i can’t just stop at one.

karen’s signature blondies
ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup baker’s sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 13 x 9 brownie pan
2. with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and both sugars until smooth.
3. add eggs and vanilla, beating until well-blended.
4. stir in flour, salt and baking soda until combined.
5. stir in butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
6. spread batter in greased pan. bake for 35 minutes (toothpick inserted may come out with some moist crumbs clinging to it.)
7. remove from oven and transfer pan to wire cooling rack.
8. do not cut blondies until the pan is completely cool.
enjoy!
yield: 24 blondies.