thecookieblogger.com

as you know by now, i’m definitely a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie girl. i’m also really keen on using butter in most of my baked goods. so imagine my surprise when i decided to give this recipe a try. this recipe’s been sitting around unused for quite awhile, and i think it may have been from the crisco container, or some long lost recipe book touting the benefits of baking with crisco. in any event, yes, it’s got crisco in it. and now that crisco has gone trans-fat free, i’m not feeling too awful about using it instead of butter for this recipe.

the flavor of these cookies is good, and most importantly, the texture is rich and chewy. and they stay chewy the next day, if there are any cookies still hanging around by then!  give them a try and let me know what you think! and if you’re partial to nuts in your chocolate chip cookies, why not add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts!

chewy chocolate chippers
ingredients:
3/4 cup crisco all-vegetable shortening (i used the convenient bars)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. whole milk
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

instructions
1. heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. beat shortening and brown sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. add milk, vanilla and egg. beat well until fully incorporated.
4. hand stir in flour, salt and baking soda.
5. stir in chocolate chips
6. drop by rounded tablespoons (i used the #40 zeroll scoop) approximately 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet.
7. bake for 10 minutes. do not overbake or they will not stay chewy.
8. cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack to let cool completely.
9. enjoy!
yield: about 30 cookies

my great aunt lou was quite a character! she enjoyed her evening cocktails, loved the racetrack and was a straight talker. we didn’t get to see her too often, as she lived on the west coast, but when she came east, it was always an adventure.

late in her life, when my dad and i visited california to help her pack her stuff to make her final move back east closer to family, she gave me a plastic bag filled with handwritten recipes. she had been one of a large family of sisters and brothers growing up in vineland, new jersey, and though she wasn’t the baker in the family, she had quite a few recipes she’d inherited from her siblings. this almond cookie recipe was one of the many crumbled sheets of paper in the bag. i don’t remember her ever making these for us, nor do i remember her sister, my grandma bessie ever making these, but the handwritten note said ‘lou’s almond cookies’, so who am i to dispute it?!

that being said, these cookies are similar to many found in italian bakeries in new york. they are dense enough to be dunk-able in a good cup of coffee, but they also are tender enough to enjoy as is. they are studded with thinly sliced almonds, and they are really, really good.

aunt lou’s almond cookies
ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 large egg
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sliced almonds (blanched, not toasted)

instructions
1. preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. combine flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. separate your egg into yolk and white.
4. using your stand mixer, beat the butter and baker’s sugar until fluffy and light.
5. add the egg yolk, mixing until incorporated and smooth.
6. add the lemon zest and the vanilla.
7. add the flour mixture in one lump, and with mixer on low, mix until mixture forms a nice solid dough.
8. wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough firms up a bit – about 30 minutes.
9. scoop a generous tablespoon (i use the #40 scoop) into your hand and roll between your palms until you make a small log, approximately two inches long by 1 inch wide.
10. beat the egg white in a small bowl. dip the dough log into the egg white until it is completely covered.
11. dip the egg-soaked dough log into a bowl filled with slivered almonds. roll the log around so the entire piece of dough is covered with almonds.
12. place onto baking sheets, about two inches apart.
13. bake at 325 degrees for about 15 – 17 minutes. depending upon the heat distribution of your oven, you may want to rotate the baking sheet midway through the baking cycle so the cookies will evenly bake. when the cookies begin to get golden, and the almonds begin to toast, it’s time to take them out!
14. let the cookies rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
enjoy!
yield: approximately 42 cookies

a number of years ago, i worked at a small new england theatre which had a great group of volunteers who provided meals to the company on two-show saturdays. these lovely people brought their delightful personalities – and their delicious home-cooking, to the greenroom every saturday afternoon, and company members who were very far from home felt a little bit closer to home and family while eating these lovingly-prepared meals. from these down-home chefs, i was able to get some really good recipes, including a yummy chicken salad and some good, chunky brownies (i promise to share that recipe with you in a few weeks!). but one of the recipes i remember most are these white chocolate walnut chunk cookies.

the very obvious difference between these cookies and others that include white chocolate, is that usually the white chocolate is cut up in chunks, so each biteful gives you a mouthful of walnut or white chocolate pieces. this recipe, however, has the white chocolate melted and included in the batter — so the only chunks you are getting are walnuts, with a quiet white chocolate flavor laced throughout the cookie. i find with the mild white chocolate flavor, the walnuts are really allowed to shine!

if you want a little more ‘oomph’ with your white chocolate flavor, why not melt an extra ounce of it and drizzle it on top?

white chocolate walnut chunk cookies

ingredients:
7 ounces white chocolate, broken or chopped into small bits
3/4 unsalted butter, softened
1 cup baker’s sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped but not too small

instructions:
1. line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. combine flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg and set aside.
3. melt white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, stirring until completely melted and is smooth.
4. in stand mixer, beat butter and baker’s sugar for about 4 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
5. add eggs, one at a time until well blended.
6. add vanilla, blending until smooth
7. add melted chocolate until well combined, but not more than 45 seconds.
8. add flour mixture to butter mixture until well-blended.
9. stir in walnut pieces. be careful not to overmix.
10. drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (i used the #40 Zeroll scoop)
11. bake in 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges and bottom are slightly browned.
12. remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2-4 minutes before removing cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.
enjoy!
yield: about 40 cookies.

i have no idea of the origins of this recipe. i found it torn out of a magazine or book, stapled to a yellowed piece of notebook paper with someone’s handwritten notes jotted beside it and ingredients crossed out and replaced with new ones. it’s been in my recipe box forever, but i’ve yet to try it. that’s until today. today was the day to see if these ‘old-fashioned’ chocolate cookies would be up-to-snuff to today’s cookie tastes. and for those of you holding your breath to learn the results, you’ll be pleased to know, they were worth the wait!

since the recipe had been tested by some ‘mystery baker’ before me who took the time to make all those handwritten changes, i decided to bake the ‘updated’ version of this recipe incorporating his/her notes. that being said, these cookies are very easy to make. they are not too sweet and a bit cakey in texture. i’m glad i saved this recipe all these years. i’m thinking that these may even move up to the ‘regularly-baked cookie list’ – they are that good!

one side note: you can certainly serve these cookies ‘naked’, but the glaze does give it a little added “oomph”! however, if you’re going to glaze, be sure to give yourself a little extra time, since it takes a few hours to set.

old-fashioned chocolate cookies
ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat milk (I used 2% milk)

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices and place in a heavy saucepan. Add the chocolate and cook over low heat until melted. remove from heat and stir in the sugar. (the mixture will look curdled)
4. add the egg and the vanilla to the warm chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.
5. stir in half of the dry ingredients. then, very gradually, just a few drops at a time a first, stir in the milk.
6. add the remaining dry ingredients and stir briskly until completely smooth.
7. use a heaping tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, place them 2 – 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
8. bake for 12 to 15 minutes. the cookies are done when the tops spring back firmly if lightly touched. remove from oven.
9. let stand for about a minute or so and then, with a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks to cool.
10. once the cookies are completely cool, you can glaze them, leaving a bit of the edge showing on each cookie! (glaze recipe below!)
11. enjoy!
yield: about 20 large cookies.

chocolate glaze recipe
ingredients:
1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

instructions:
1. in a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over low heat.
2. remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water and the whipping cream.
3. add confectioner’s sugar and stir until smooth.
4. with a small spatula, glaze the tops of the cookies, leaving a bit of the edge ‘naked’.
5. let glaze dry before stacking or eating!

my brother in new york loves spice cake from enrico’s pastry shop in the bronx. when my sister-in-law sandy shared this recipe with me, the first thought that came to my mind was “hey, she’s trying to duplicate enrico’s spice cake in cookie form!”

these cookies are quite tasty, and they present well. they are also a terrific choice to add to a holiday cookie tray — with the combo of chocolate in both the cookie dough and the glaze, and the rich flavor of cinnamon, they are truly perfect for the winter holidays.

sandy’s chocolate spice cookies
ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup baker’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. in medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. set aside.
3. in your large standing mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until well-blended. increase speed to high, and beat until light and creamy. be sure to scrape the bowl every few moments.
4. at low speed, beat in egg until well-blended. alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. with hands dusted with cocoa powder, roll about 2 level teaspoonfuls dough into 1″ balls. (use #40 scoop)
6. place cookies about 2″ apart on prepared baking sheets.
7. bake cookies 8-10 minutes until puffy (they will look dry and cracked.) remove from oven and immediately remove to wire cooling rack. cool completely.
8. when completely cool, dip 1/2 cookie into chocolate glaze (ingredients and instructions included below).
9. place glazed cookies onto waxed paper to catch drops, allowing glaze to set, approximately 30 minutes.
10. enjoy!

chocolate glaze
ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon boiling water

instructions:
1. in medium bowl, mix cocoa with boiling water until smooth. (you may need a little bit more boiling water to get the cocoa mixture to be smooth. just add a few drops at a time)
2. gradually sift in the confectioner’s sugar and blend well.
3. it’s ready for cookies now! happy dipping!

i’m on my quest again today to find a new cookie to add to this year’s cookie tray… and today i’m also looking for another ‘cut-out’ type cookie to add some other shapes to my traditional drop cookies, bar cookies and sandwich cookies. this one had the potential to fit the bill. they’re a little time intensive, as they need to be refrigerated to get the dough to the right consistency for cookie cutting, but they’re different than your basic butter or sugar cookie cutouts. the cream cheese gives it just a hint of additional flavor, yet isn’t overpowering.

the dough can be a little tricky to work with, so don’t be tempted to be stingy with refrigerator time! we all need time to cool down and rest some days, right? cookies are no different!

cream cheese crispies
ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat cream cheese)
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. beat together butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy.
3. add the sugar and continue beating
4. add the egg and vanilla and beat again.
5. stir in the milk.
6. stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder; stir into the dough.
7. cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
8. working with a 1/4 of the dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough slightly less than 1/8″ thick — make sure you roll this dough thin – the thinner these cookies are, the tastier they are! really, truly!!
9. cut dough with your favorite cookie cutter, and place on baking sheets, leaving about 1″ between each cookie.
10. bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
11. remove from oven, and let cookies rest for about 2 minutes on the baking sheet.
12. remove cookies to a wire cooling rack for complete cooling.
13. enjoy!
yield: 50 – 60 cookies

take note: these cookies are somewhat delicate, and don’t travel well.

happy day after thanksgiving, folks! i am not one of those crazy black friday people who stand online at 4am – my black friday usually consists of a quick trip to the annual ‘sock sale’, and then a full day of baking. and usually my baking consists of some new recipes that i’m considering for my holiday cookie tray, but not quite sure will work. so, that’s my mission today!

my first experiment is a recipe for these ‘sand’ cookies. since i continue my quest to duplicate that conti’s cookie recipe, and i would consider ‘sandy’ to be a good adjective to describe the much-sought-after recipe, i thought i’d give this cookie a whirl.

my discovery was quite delightful. not what i was totally expecting, and not at all shippable (they are too delicate, and crumble too easily), but overall a very lovely cookie. soft and crumbly in texture, very delicate in both texture and flavor, these cookies work well at the top of your cookie tray, but would also be quite at home at a tea party! the mini chocolate chips add a nice spotted look to the cookie, and also a little extra sweetness. i think this cookie may be a keeper!

…and for those of you keeping track of my conti’s quest, though the texture was closer to my beloved conti’s sprinkle cookie, i’m still missing the mark. but don’t fear, my experiments will continue!!

chocolate chip sand cookies
ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup oil (i use wesson vegetable oil for best results)
1 cup baker’s sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup granulated sugar (set aside in a bowl for rolling dough balls pre-baking)

instructions:
1. sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together. set aside.
2. cream butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. with mixer on high, beat in oil, pouring it in a thin steady stream. mixture will be soupy. add baker’s sugar and confectioner’s sugar and continue beating for 2 more minutes.
3. on medium speed, blend in egg yolks and vanilla. the mixture will look slightly creamy.
4. on low speed, blend in 1/2 the sifted ingredients.
5. mix in chocolate chips
6. blend in rest of sifted mixture in 2 batches, beating just until flour is absorbed. do not overmix. scrape sides often. the dough will be very soft.
7. refrigerate dough for approximately 2 hours.
8. preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. using a tablespoon scoop, roll dough in a ball, then dip in the granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. flatten each cookie lightly with the bottom of a glass dipped lightly in the sugar.
10. bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and golden, but not brown.
11. cool on pan for 1 minute, then onto wire rack.
enjoy!

thanksgiving always makes me think of family and friends, especially since most live 3000 miles from my thanksgiving table…and as i give thanks for each of them, i want to especially thank the very special lady who always inspired my love of cookie-baking…

this amazing cookie mentor is a very dear friend of our family, rosary. for as far back as my memory will take me, i remember the cookie trays arriving at our home every year a week or two before christmas. i remember my mom scouring the tray for her favorite bow ties, and removing them immediately so she could save them all for herself! but even with the bow ties gone, the tray was filled to the brim with every kind of cookie imaginable. it was a delightful view – and they tasted every bit as good as they looked.

when i started baking as a young girl, rosary was kind enough to share her recipes, her secrets, her love of baking and her expertise with me, and for this i am eternally grateful. one of her most delicious cookies each year were these tassies. they are always a part of my holiday repertoire, both for thanksgiving and christmas holidays, as the walnuts are perfect for autumn into winter seasonals, and they are perfect for dessert tables, as they can be served on a platter with a bit of powdered sugar sprinkled atop – an easy-to-serve, yet lovely-to-present dessert treat!

happy thanksgiving everyone!

rosary’s tassies
ingredients:
pie shell
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour

filling
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 ozs. walnuts, chopped, but not too small

instructions:
for pie shells
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease mini muffin pans.
2. soften cream cheese and butter until smooth.
3. slowly add flour until completely mixed.
4. fill each tart with filling (recipe below)
5. bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes.
6. remove from oven. remove from mini muffin tin and let cool on wire rack
7. sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar atop – enjoy!

for filling:
1. mix eggs, brown sugar and vanilla, then stir in walnuts. fill each tart with this filling, prior to baking!

it has not escaped me that a truffle is, indeed, not a cookie. but again, i am going to take some liberties here, because they are bite-sized, they are chocolate, and man, they are good. and did i mention they are perfect for a celebration?

why are we celebrating today? well, let’s just say that my parents are celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary — way to go, punky and poppy! and since these truffles are true delicacies, i thought they would be a fitting celebratory snack! and most importantly, since it’s the day before thanksgiving, i needed something quick and easy today — and these fit the bill, no matter how rich and delicious they are!

don’t skip the refrigerator step — it is vital to making the chocolate easier to handle. and don’t eat too many of these — they are seriously rich!

dark chocolate truffles
ingredients:
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups bittersweet chocolate (2 bars (8 ozs. ghiradelli bittersweet works really well)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa – or – 3/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans

instructions:
1. bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.
2. add butter and stir until melted.
3. add chocolate to saucepan. stir continuously until completely melted and smooth
4. remove from heat and pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl.
5. cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours
6. roll mixture into 1″ ball, and roll each ball in coating.
enjoy!
yield: about 30 truffles.

well, as we are all prepping for the thanksgiving feast, i am getting ready to bake some cookies that work very well for both the thanksgiving and christmas holidays! and again, it uses one of my most favorite autumnal and winter spices – ginger. but these aren’t just any ginger cookies. no sir-ree! this dough is absolutely perfect to be rolled and cut out into any shape you wish — and are especially good to use for your annual gingerbread men and ladies! the dough is easy to work with and very forgiving, even with re-rolling scraps. the one main thing to remember, don’t skip the ‘overnight in the fridge’ step. if you plan to use them as ginger men and ladies, you can keep the dough a little thicker, but in my opinion, the thinner you roll the dough, the tastier and more delicate the cookie. they are totally scrumptious!

ginger shortbread stars
ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup golden brown sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/2 tablespoon orange peel, ground fine
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup cold butter, cut into 1″ pieces

instructions:
1. mix flour, sugar, corn starch, orange peel, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl.
2. whisk molasses, water and egg in small bowl, set aside.
3. cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. pour molasses mixture over flour and beat with mixer until dough forms a ball. knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth. divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 12 hours up to 24 hours. (don’t skip this ‘overnight in the fridge’ step.)
5. roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. cut with star-shaped cookie cutter and place on baking sheets.
6. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. bake for 11-13 minutes. cool on wire racks.
yield: approximately 36 cookies.