All posts in category Cookies

Flour Bakery’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite to bake because they are also my favorite to eat.  Though I will say, my kids and my husband can tear them up pretty good too.  :D I’m not sure how many different recipes I have tried, but it’s a lot.  I am always on the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  So, I decided to try Flour Bakery’s chocolate chunk cookie because everything I’ve made so far has been delicious.  I have never used bread flour in my chocolate chip cookies, but it is added to make them more thick and chewy.  That’s exactly what I am going for.  And then, oh my goodness this cookie sure does pack a chocolate punch with both semisweet and milk chocolate mixed into the dough.  This recipe uses chocolate cut from a bar instead of chocolate chips.  Chips have stabilizers that help them keep their shape when baked.  But, when you use real chocolate and you bite into a cookie right from the oven, the chocolate melts and oozes from the cookie.  If you haven’t tried it, you won’t believe how delicious it is.  You won’t ever have your chocolate chip cookies any other way.

Everyone says they have the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but I won’t say that.  I will say that these were some of the best I’ve had.  A bit crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bits of chocolate throughout.  This is exactly how a chocolate chip cookie should be.  I think my husband ate half of them and my kids loved them.  Sammie keeps asking for more of the Amazin’ cookies. Amazin’?  I love it.

Flour Bakery’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen (I got 20 cookies)

1 cup (2 sticks/228 grams) unsalted butter, at room temp

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (140g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup (150g) bread flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

9 ounces (255g) semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 1/2 ounces (70 grams) milk chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer a few times to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to release clinging butter or sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla on medium for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl and paddle to make sure the eggs are fully mixed in.

In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add the semi sweet and milk chocolate pieces and toss to combine.  On low speed (or with a wooden spoon), slowly add the flour-chocolate mixture to the butter-sugar mixture.  Mix just until the flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.

For the best results, scrape the dough into an airtight container and let rest in the fridge overnight (or at least 3-4 hours) before baking.  When you are ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.

Drop the dough in 1/4 cup balls onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment) about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden on the edges but still soft in the center. I rotated the pans halfway through baking. Don’t let them brown through or you will lose the chewiness of the slightly underbaked centers.  Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.  Then, transfer the cookies with a spatula to the wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  Unbaked dough can stay in the fridge, in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Source:  Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe

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by Just Baked on August 15, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on August 15, 2012

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Sprinkle Cookies

We were meeting some of Sammie’s friends at the zoo and I wanted to make some fun, easy to transport cookies for the kids to share after lunch.  I meant to make them the night before, but I got caught up with other things, namely the Olympics.  So, there I was, at 6AM the day of, baking cookies, when my husband stopped in the kitchen before leaving for work to ask if I was crazy.  We have been together for 20 years this November, since we were seniors in high school, so he knows the answer to this question is yes, maybe just a little bit. :D

Kids love sprinkles, so I thought these would be perfect.  This dough is so easy to put together, you can even make it half asleep.  Trust me, I tested it.  The dough is a bit sticky, but if you use a cookie scoop you can just use the trigger to release the dough right into the bowl of the sprinkles.  Reading the recipe, I thought these would taste like sugar cookies.  But to me, the texture was more of a cross between a cake and a cookie.  The cookies taste mostly of butter and vanilla, as any good sugar cookie should.  The kids (and their moms) really loved these soft, cakey sugar cookies covered in sprinkles.  Come on, what’s not to love?

Sprinkle Cookies

Yield: 24 large cookies (I got 22)

2 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1⁄2 cup multicolor sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

Pour the sprinkles in a small bowl. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. I used a medium cookie scoop because it was sticky. Roll the top half of each ball in the sprinkles. Place the balls, sprinkle side up, on a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.  I got 9 cookies per sheet.  Bake the cookies until they are pale golden around the edges but still soft on top, about 10 minutes. Let them stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then remove them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

To freeze dough:  Cookies may be placed next to each other on parchment-lined baking sheets, frozen, transferred to zipper-lock plastic freezer bags, and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Frozen cookies may be placed in the oven directly from the freezer and baked as directed.  You may need to bake a minute or two longer.

Sprinkle Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Source:  slightly adapted from Stephanie Cooks,  originally from Parenting.com (Lauren Chattman)

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by Just Baked on August 10, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on August 10, 2012

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Sugar Cookies

When I was in college at University of Illinois, one of my roommates, Dawn, used to get care packages from her boyfriend’s mom (now mother-in-law).  In the box, there were always some of these super delicious sugar cookies.  Dawn was nice enough to share with us and I loved them!  I made sure to get the recipe.  Although I’m not sure why because I didn’t really bake back then.  It was probably so my mom could make them for me.  I totally forgot about those cookies until Alex pulled an old (okay, really old) binder off the bookshelf and a bunch of recipes fell out of it.  As I was cleaning up the mess, I saw this recipe and I couldn’t wait to make them.  I haven’t had these cookies in probably 15 years! Geez, now I have dated myself.  I had to double check the recipe with Dawn because the baking time and temperature was cut off.  And, I remember leaving out the cream of tartar from the ingredient list, because at the time, I didn’t know what it was.  It must not be important then, right?  She emailed me a photo of the original recipe and I was surprised that it didn’t have any vanilla or salt.  So, I decided to add them.  I also chose to use butter rather than margarine, because, well, it’s butter.  Enough said.

So, how were they?  Mmmm…just as good as I remembered.  The cookies are really buttery, not really chewy but very soft.  They are versatile in that you can change the color of the sanding sugar to coordinate with any holiday.  Or, even school colors would be cute.  Since there isn’t a holiday right now, we decided to go with Sammie’s favorite color, which for at least today, is rainbow.  I guess I could have coordinated with the colors of the Olympic rings or support Team USA with red, white and blue sugars.  But, of course, I didn’t think of that until now.  Oh, well.  Rainbow sugar tasted just fine. :D

Old-fashioned sugar cookies

Yield: I got 29 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature   the original recipe calls for margarine

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for rolling)

1 cup of canola oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkles optional

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter, sugar and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well until combined.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt with a spoon.  Sift the flour mixture into another bowl or onto wax paper.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture slowly.  Beat just until combined.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight.  The dough is very soft, but will firm up quite a bit with refrigeration.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put about 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Roll the dough loosely into balls (I used a medium sized cookie scoop) and then roll completely in granulated sugar.   Place balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Press down gently with a flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar (it should be thick if you want a chewy cookie).  Store the bowl of dough in the fridge between batches.  Sprinkle on colored sugar if you wish.  Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes.  You want to pull them out when they look set.  There should be almost no browning.  They should be very white.

They freeze well in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Source:  Adapted from Lois Curran ( My friend Steve’s mom)

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by Just Baked on August 6, 2012  •  Permalink
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Soft Sugar Cookies with Cookie Dough Frosting

I have to admit that I love those Lofthouse cookies at the grocery store.   You know the ones.  The soft sugar cookies with thick frosting and sprinkles to coordinate with each holiday.  So delicious.  Even with all the baking I do, I have a hard time resisting them.  But, I think next time it will be a little bit easier.  Why?  Because I have found some cookies that blow those out of the water.  I came across a recipe for sugar cookies in The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook that were described as tasting like the grocery store cookies only better with the addition of chocolate chip cookie dough frosting.  How could they not be better?

I must warn you that these cookies are a bit time consuming because of all the steps: making the dough, refrigeration, roll and cut the dough, bake them, make the frosting and frost them.  But, each step is easy and the end result is oh so very worth it.   Upon tasting them, both my son and husband exclaimed oh my god, which was barely discernible with their mouths stuffed with cookies.  My daughter said they were the best thing I ever made.  Now, these three are some very tough critics.  If they say they are good, you can believe it.  But really, what’s not to like?  This is a super soft, not too sweet sugar cookie, smeared with cookie dough frosting and generously topped with chocolate chips.  Sounds (and tastes) pretty perfect to me. :D

Soft Sugar Cookies with Cookie Dough Frosting

Yield: 24 cookies

For the cookies:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature  Use the sticks- easier to measure and less messy

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 cups all-purpose flour (or more as needed)

For the frosting:

3/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar, or more as needed

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add heavy cream and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder, followed by the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes together. Dough should be soft but not sticky.  If it is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.  I put the dough on Saran wrap and shaped it into a disk to make it easier to roll later.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out dough to 3/8 inch thick. I had to use a small bit of flour.  Cut it into 3-inch circles (I used a biscuit cutter) and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until tops are puffed and no longer shiny and bottoms are just barely golden brown. Do not overbake. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare frosting, beat together butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in flour and salt, followed by vanilla. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until fluffy. Add more powdered sugar as necessary, 1/4 cup at a time, until frosting is thick yet spreadable.  I had to add more cream to thin it out a bit. 

With an offset spatula, spread 1 heaping tablespoon of frosting onto each cookie. You can be generous with the frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing lightly so chips adhere to frosting. Refrigerated in an airtight container, frosted cookies will keep for up to 3 days.

Source:  The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook

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by Just Baked on July 6, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on July 6, 2012

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies

A few days ago, my sister-in-law was wonderful enough to take all three of my children so my husband and I could spend a day in the city kid-free!  I ♥ her.  We went to Bleeding Heart Bakery for a late breakfast and after looking at cases upon cases of delicious looking cupcakes, cookies and other sweets, I chose a broccoli quiche.  My husband couldn’t believe it.  But, with all the desserts that I bake, I really wanted something savory and it was delicious.   My husband chose a giant whoopie pie, but was disappointed that it wasn’t nearly as good as mine.   I tasted a bite and couldn’t help but agree.  :D After breakfast, we had time before the movie, so we decided to browse some at Barnes and Noble.  Of course, I made a beeline straight for the cookbook section.  It is there that I came across the book The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, flipped through a few pages and decided that I needed it.  But, it is so hard for me to buy books at the bookstore, when I know I am able to get them so much cheaper on Amazon.  So, somehow I restrained myself and noted the title so I could order it that night.

When the book arrived, I was flipping through it and  I knew that I had to make the chocolate chip cookie dough filled sandwich cookies immediately.  I mean, are you kidding me?  My favorite cookie, sandwiched together with cookie dough filling, which I may like even more than the cookie itself?  Now, that is genius!  The cookie batter comes together easily, just like any other chocolate chip cookie dough.  The cookies bake up flat, and a bit crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle.  The cookie dough frosting tastes so much like cookie dough, I had a hard time not eating it all right out of the bowl.  Okay, I admit it.  I ate some.  But, I still had enough to fill the cookies…well, most of them anyways.   Filled or not, these cookies are simply delicious.  As if there was any doubt.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 20 to 24 sandwich cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

For Cookie Dough Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until no lumps remain, 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll chilled dough into smooth, tablespoon-size balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Flatten balls slightly into 3/4-inch disks.  Arrange about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. These flatten and spread quite a bit.  I suggest baking 9 cookies/sheet for your first batch so you can gauge size and spacing.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until cookie edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the cookie dough filling, beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in flour, powdered sugar, and salt on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

To assemble, sandwich 1 heaping tablespoon of filling between two cookies. Press cookies lightly until filling spreads to the edges. Repeat with remaining cookies.  Sandwiches can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.  Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Source:  The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook

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by Just Baked on June 27, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on June 27, 2012

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Cream filled chocolate cookies

It’s no secret that I love Oreos.  Actually, it’s the only crisp cookie that I like.  Then again, I dip them in milk, so I guess I turn them into soft cookies.  I was flipping through Martha’s (another love) Cookie book and couldn’t flip another page when I saw these Oreo looking cookies.   I had to make them today!  The cookie dough comes together easily and rolls by hand nicely.  No refrigeration, no rolling with a rolling pin or cutting out with cookie cutters.  I love how these cookies bake up with the old fashioned looking cracks, glistening from a heavy coating of sugar on the outside.  Unlike Oreos though, these are only crisp on the outside and more chewy on the inside.  But, the filling is more like the original than other recipes I have tried because it contains shortening.   To me, Oreos for eating are the double stuff, as opposed to baking Oreos, the regular.  So, you better believe I filled these cookies to capacity with icing.  While these aren’t exact Oreo replicas, they do replicate the flavors.  The intense chocolate cookie, the creamy filling…..Now I need milk. :D

Cream Filled Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen    I got 15 sandwich cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder   I used Valrhona

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Into a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.

Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar; press to flatten cookies to about 1/8 inch thick. (You may need to carefully remove dough from glass with a thin metal spatula.)  After pressing with the glass, I dipped the top of the cookie in more sugar because I like how it sparkles and the extra texture.

Transfer to oven, and bake until cookies are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely.

Place cream filling (recipe below)  in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler ( I put into a big Ziploc and snipped the corner), and pipe about 1 tablespoon filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top, and gently press on each to squeeze filling to edges. Filled cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Vanilla Filling

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening   Use the sticks, so much easier to measure!!

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use

Source:  Martha Stewart

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by Just Baked on June 20, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on June 20, 2012

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Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I had some oatmeal leftover from the oatmeal cream pies I made a few weeks ago that I wanted to use up.  I came across these chocolate oatmeal cookies in an old issue of Cook’s Country and thought they would be perfect.  But, I saw that they needed 1 3/4 cups of oats and looking in the jar, I knew it would be really close.  Do you believe I had exactly enough?  I am never this lucky, so these cookies were meant to be.  This was an interesting recipe to me for 2 reasons.  The first is that part of the oatmeal is ground finely in the food processor and the rest is put into the dough whole.  The other thing is that melted milk chocolate is added to the dough, which is a bit unusual for oatmeal cookies.  But, I guess these are supposed to be similar to the urban legend Neiman Marcus $250 cookies.  You know the one where the lady asked for the recipe, was told it would be $250, but she thought it was $2.50.   She was crazy mad, so to get Neiman Marcus back, she gave the recipe out to everyone she knew.  Neiman Marcus denies this. But, it’s a fun story anyways.

These cookies have a nice crispness to the outside and a very chewy inside thanks to the oatmeal.  The melted milk chocolate gives them an extra punch of chocolate along with the chocolate chips.   These are a nice change from the usual chocolate chip cookie.  And dare I say healthy?  Come on, they do have oatmeal! :D

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking or instant)   Divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled   I used Callebaut
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped   I omitted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust racks to upper and lower middle positions.  Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 2 sheets with parchment.

In a food processor, process 1 cup oats until well ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the butter and light brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined and no lumps, about 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the melted, but cooled, milk chocolate and beat until incorporated, 20 seconds.  On low speed, stir in the flour mixture just until combined, 15 seconds. Add the remaining 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats, the chopped nuts (if using) and the chocolate chips and beat on low until everything is evenly distributed, 1o seconds.

Roll dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls (I used a cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies, rotating and switching position of the pans halfway through the baking time, until the tops are cracked (and set), but the cookies still appear moist in between the cracks, ~ 14 to 18 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Take them out a bit underdone or they will be crisp.  Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  These will store at room temperature up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Source:  Cook’s Country June/July 2006

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by Just Baked on June 15, 2012  •  Permalink
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Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Okay, so I have quite a few chocolate cookie recipes on my blog.  But, really, can one have too many?  I say no. :D   And, though they are all chocolate cookies, each recipe is very different.  While most chocolate cookies are like cakey brownies, this one is more like a chewy chocolate sugar cookie.  The cakey texture of other cookies comes from melting chocolate into the dough, which is softened by the fat in whole chocolate.  So, dutch processed cocoa powder replaces melted chocolate in this recipe.  An egg white instead of a whole egg gives the cookie structure and the dark corn syrup contributes to the chewiness.   America’s Test Kitchen always figures this stuff out just right.  What you end up with is an intensely chocolate sugar cookie, studded with big chunks of semisweet chocolate, with a sweet crunch from the sugar that glitters across the top.  Could a chocolate cookie get much better than this?  I’m gonna go ahead and say no.  Am I wrong?  I don’t think so, but you might have to try it and find out…

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/3 cup (2 1/3 oz) granulated sugar

1 1/2 cup (7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour

3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz) dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4tsp + 1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 large egg white

1 tsp vanilla

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup ( 2 1/3 oz) packed dark brown sugar

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces    I used Callebaut semisweet

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar for rolling

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and heat oven to 375°.  (I always bake cookies 1 sheet at a time in the middle).  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl as needed. Give dough a final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to firm slightly. The dough will still be soft.

Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate.  Remove dough from fridge.  Divide dough into 16 equal portions (about 2 Tbsp, or 50g if you are a nerd like me); roll between hands into balls. Roll half of the dough balls in sugar to coat.  Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Bake until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone),  10 to 11 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Do not over bake.

Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

Source: The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

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by Just Baked on June 13, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Just Baked on June 13, 2012

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Toll House Style Tartlets

This morning I decided to make lemon cheesecake tassies.  They sound fabulous right?   Though they tasted good, they all stuck in the pan and were a big mess.  Ugh.  So, I decided to try a different recipe, along the same lines, chocolate chip cookie tartlets.  It seemed sure to be a winner.  So, I made the dough, refrigerated it, and then read in the recipe that I was to “pack” it into the muffin wells.  Hmmm…I interpret pack it to mean fill it.  I thought to myself won’t it run over?  But, the first run of the recipe I like to follow it as written so I packed those wells full, put them in the oven and hoped for the best.  Well, I should have gone with my gut, because darn it if those cookie tartlets didn’t run into each other, creating another giant mess.  So frustrating!  But, I tasted one and it was delicious.  Luckily I had some dough left, so I decided to fill the wells about 2/3 full this time.  Now they baked into perfect little blondie muffins, a bit crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  The top sinks in a bit, creating the perfect bowl for a small scoop of your favorite ice cream and some chocolate syrup.  A warm, mini cookie sundae, super cute!  Now, how can I still be mad?? :D

 Toll House Style Tartlets

Yield:  24 mini tartlets per recipe, I got 31 – even more if you fill the wells about 2/3 full.

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips  I used 1 bag, about 2 cups and it was plenty

Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Spray a 24 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy.  Blend in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Stir in the baking soda mixture, then the flour and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Pack the batter into the mini muffin cups – I suggest to only about 2/3 full or they rise too much and will run together.  Place the muffin pan on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until just set.  I would start checking at about 10 minutes.  Let cool completely on wire racks.  Freeze, in the pan, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.   I did not freeze them.

Remove the cookies from the cups.  To store, wrap each cookie in waxed paper or cellophane and refrigerate for up to 1 month.  Serve cold.  I served warm and at room temperature.

Source: The New Best Of Better Baking.com

7 Comments
by Just Baked on June 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Chocolate, Cookies
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Just Baked on June 11, 2012

http://justbakedbyme.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/toll-house-style-tartlets/

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Like most people, I grew up loving everything Little Debbie has to offer.  I’ve always had a sweet tooth, so I have eaten my share of Nutty Bars, Swiss Rolls, Zebra cakes, and my absolute favorite, Oatmeal Creme Pies.  It’s funny.  I don’t even really like oatmeal.  But, I have always loved those soft oatmeal cookies, with a hint of spice, sandwiched together with a sweet, creamy vanilla filling.  As good as they are, I knew I could do better.  I found this recipe as I was going through some old issues of Everyday Food and I knew I had to give it a try.  The batter comes together in just a few steps, all of them easy.  The filling is a simple sweetened cream cheese to replace the shortening based frosting of store bought.  The cookies are really soft and the cinnamon and molasses give them great flavor.  So, no.  These are not an exact replica of the oatmeal pies you grew up with.  Nope, they are better.  I just know, as a kid, I would have loved to see one of these cookies in my yellow, plastic Garfield lunchbox. :D

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Yield: 13 sandwich cookies ( I got 11)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/2 cup golden raisins   I omitted

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

A splash of vanilla   optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown and granulated sugars, and molasses on high, scraping down bowl, until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture and beat just until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in oats and raisins. Drop dough in 2-tablespoonful mounds, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until cookies are just set at edges and slightly soft in middle, about 11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets, 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, using mixer, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until light, 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Spread filling on flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

Source:  Everyday Food September 2010

8 Comments
by Just Baked on May 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Cookies
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Just Baked on May 30, 2012

http://justbakedbyme.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/oatmeal-cream-pies/

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