Category: Cookies

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I saw a glowing review of a 2011 cookbook entitled Good to the Grain, so when I saw that the library had it, I snagged it. The first recipe I tried was the 100% whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, deciding that if the author could pull off this recipe, I would know the cookbook was really well tested and tried. Well, she did it. These are great! In fact, I used winter white wheat, and the cookies didn’t even look much different than if I had used all-purpose flour, and honestly, not one of my kids made a comment or thought they “tasted different.” I thought they were delicious (notice, though, that they are not low-sugar or fat), and I am planning a solid future with them 🙂 Incidentally, I have since tried many recipes from Good to the Grain, and if you’re interested in adding more whole grain flours to your baking, this is a really terrific book. Can’t wait till I own a copy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Whisk the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes. Once they are creamy, add the eggs and vanilla. Beat to combine, about 30 seconds.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, stir in the chopped chocolate.

Scoop 1-2 T. of dough per cookie. Bake for 16-20 minutes, rotating the pans front to back, and top to bottom at 8 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the sheet (on a wire rack), then remove to the rack to cool completely cool. Yields about 24.

Henry (my pickiest eater) loving these!

Homemade Graham Crackers

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Every new year, it seems I renew my resolve in general to make more, and consume less, especially when it comes to boxed items at the grocery store. This year, I’m also trying to make my sugar intake meaningful rather than inevitable, so making most of what we eat is a big part of that. Anywhoo, this is a great recipe, whether you think of it as a healthy cookie or a sweet snack; I think the last batch lasted an hour before they disappeared. This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen’s 2009 Annual.

One more note: you can make these into cinnamon grahams by adding another 1/4 t. cinnamon to the recipe, and then sprinkling cinnamon (1 t.) and sugar (1/4 c.) on top of the crackers right before baking. Oh, and graham flour can be found at health food stores like Sunflower Market as a Bob’s Red Mill product. You can also use wheat flour, but it’s not exactly the same thing, so it will taste a bit different.

Homemade Graham Crackers

1¾ cup graham flour
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
5 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons of the water, the molasses and vanilla and stir until the dough comes together. If the dough seems dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons water a little at a time. You may need to use your hands to get the dough to meld into a large ball. (Alternatively, process the dry ingredients in a food processor for 3 seconds, then add the butter and process for 15 seconds, until it resembles coarse meal. Add water, molasses, and vanilla and process till the dough comes together, 20 seconds more.)

Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece out between two pieces of parchment paper to a rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick and measures about 16 inches by 8 inches. Remove the top sheet and trim the dough with a knife into a tidy 15 inch-by-7½ inch rectangle, then score it into 18 2½-inch squares. Prick each square several times with a fork. [I find it works better to score them before baking, but then to do it again after they bake. They actually break easily this way.]

Slide each piece of dough and parchment paper onto separate baking sheets. Bake until the crackers are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Let the crackers cool completely on the baking sheets, then break them apart along the scored lines and serve.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Makes 36 graham crackers.

 

White Christmas Dream Drops

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christmas-dream-dropsI tried a bunch of new recipes this year for Christmas, and even though I’m not a huge fan of meringues, I really loved this recipe. It was unique, beautiful, and tastes great, so I’ll definitely repeat. I also was surprised at how much my kids loved them! This recipe comes from Sunset Magazine’s December 2011 issue.

White Christmas Dream Drops

  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. coarsely crushed peppermint candies
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 250°. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a deep bowl with a mixer, using whisk attachment if you have one, just until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and salt. With motor running and mixer on high speed, pour in 1 tbsp. sugar and beat 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat until all sugar has been added. Scrape inside of bowl and beat another 15 seconds. At this point, meringue should form straight peaks when beaters are lifted. Fold in chocolate chips and 1/3 cup candies with a flexible spatula.
  2. 2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, using a bit of meringue at corners as glue. Using a soup spoon, drop meringue in rounded 1-tbsp. portions slightly apart onto sheets, scraping off with another spoon. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. candies.
  3. 3. Bake until meringues feel dry and set when touched but are still pale, 30 to 35 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through. Turn off oven, open door, and let cookies stand about 10 minutes. Let cool on pans.
  4. Make ahead: Up to 2 days, stored airtight.

Halloween Whoopie Pies

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I started making this recipe in February this year, and it’s great. I went ahead last week and outfitted them like Martha does in October 2008’s

This picture turned out quite dramatic, I'd say . . .

Everyday Food (orange nonpareils in the middle), but it’s unnecessary. Just cute. I love the applesauce in the recipe. In fact, this last time, I cored and then blended up some ripe pears I had on hand instead, and it was also great. So, here’s another fun Halloween idea–it’s also great for bake sales!

Halloween Whoopie Pies

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Orange nonpareils or sanding sugar, for decoration
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix).
  3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean, 10 to 14 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.
  5. Spread bottom of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently so filling oozes out slightly. Sprinkle exposed filling with nonpareils. Let rest 15 minutes to set.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

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This recipe appeared in Everyday Food back in March 2008, and it’s been my go-to for an everything cookie. In fact, I use it for day trips and outings instead of the sugary granola bars from the store (I figure they are about the same nutrition value–if not better). I’ve revised it a bit, but I’ll post both the original and my substitutions. I’ve also been learning how to adjust to high altitude, so I’ll put the variations in. For high altitude, you’re also supposed to add more liquid, but I’m not sure where here–I haven’t tried adding another egg. How I’ve altered it here works for 4500 feet above sea level. Anyway, this isn’t a decadent cookie, necessarily; it’s just a great kind-of healthier cookie to have in the repertoire.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour (I use 1 c. whole wheat + 1 1/2 c. white)
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder (3/4 t. if high altitude)
1/2 t. baking soda
1 c. butter, softened (I use 12 T.–less greasy)
1 c. packed brown sugar (use 2 T. less if high altitude)
1 1/2 t. light corn syrup
1 T. pure vanilla
2 large eggs
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. raisins (or craisins, dried cherries or white chocolate chips)
1/2 c. chopped pecans (toast them first, and they’re better)
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (or coconut–I do white chocolate, chocolate, coconut and pecans–it’s a great cookie)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined.

4. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chunks, raisins, pecans, and oats.

5. Drop 2-inch balls of dough, spaced 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough balls slightly. Bake 12-16 minute, or until cookies are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through.

6. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Stores at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.)

Mint Chocolate-Covered Cookies

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This is my favorite Christmas cookie. I have made it the last three years to pass out to friends, but it’s actually quite difficult to hand them all away (yet a healthy exercise in self-discipline). I think they are wonderful. I hope someone else enjoys this recipe as well. This recipe comes from the December 2007 Everyday Food.

Mint Chocolate-Covered Cookies

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. plus 1/8 t. salt
6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t. pure vanilla
12 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 t. pure peppermint extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, cocoa, powder and 1/4 t. salt together in a medium bowl.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; mix just until combined.

3. Form balls of dough (each equal to 1 t.), and place on two baking sheets, about 2″ apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in water, and flatten balls into 1 1/2″ rounds (about 1/4″ thick). Bake until slightly firm to the touch, 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Make chocolate coating: Place chocolate, peppermint extract, and remaining 1/8 t. salt in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2-3 minutes; remove from heat. [Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each zap.]

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Set each cookie across the tines of a fork, dunk in chocolate, then tap underside of fork on side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet, and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes, and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Walnut and Brown Sugar Rugelach

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This cookie was by far the best Christmas cookie I made last year, so I thought I’d share. The ingredients seem humble, but they come together

Also Martha's Picture

terrifically. I would definitely recommend this as a cookie to pass out to friends.

Walnut and Brown Sugar Rugelach

Makes 32

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  1. In a food processor, blend butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined. Add flour, and pulse just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw before baking).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, combine egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash.
  3. Working with one disk at a time, place dough on lightly floured parchment paper, and roll out into an 11-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick), dusting lightly with flour as needed. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut around dough to make a perfect circle; trim off and discard scraps. Brush circles with egg wash; dividing evenly, sprinkle with walnuts and brown sugar.
  4. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 equal triangles. Starting from the wide end, roll up each triangle of dough; place on lined baking sheets, seam side down. Brush rolls with egg wash.
  5. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 32 minutes. Transfer rugelach to a wire rack to cool completely.


Mexican Wedding Cakes

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This recipe comes from Everyday Food–I clipped it a few years ago, and my kids gave them high marks, probably because they are covered in

Martha's Picture, not mine

powdered sugar. Rex took them into his department today, and they got great reviews again. I just picked up the new Test Kitchen Cookie Magazine, which calls these Russian Tea Cakes and the main differences are that it has you toast your nuts first, and it has less than half the amount of pecans and excludes the cinnamon. The Test Kitchen also suggests rolling the cakes in powdered sugar once when the cookies are warm, and then again when they have cooled. Martha’s cookie works great, and I like the cinnamon (perhaps that’s the difference between the Mexican and the Russian version?). At any rate, you may see these as Christmas gifts this year . . .

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Makes 24 cookies

FOR THE DOUGH

  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

    FOR THE GARNISH

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  1. In a food processor, pulse pecans, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal; add butter and pulse until a dough forms [I don’t have a large cuisinart, so I pulsed the pecans, and then added the other dry, whisked, then cut in the butter like you would a pie dough, and stirred it together. Make sure the butter is incorporated well; a large clump of butter will cause misshapen cookies]. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 to 60 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 level tablespoon (I just used a cookie scoop). Space 1 1/2 inches apart on two large baking sheets. Bake, switching sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until cookies are just golden around edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
  3. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Place confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Roll cookies in sugar twice to coat thoroughly, tapping off excess.


Homemade Mint Milano Cookies

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Mint Milano 2So, Martha published this recipe in September’s Everyday Food, and it’s delightful. Not only are Pepperidge Farm’s Mint Milano cookies a favorite around here, it’s just fantastic to make 20+ of them at a time (I’m sure you could freeze the extras if this doesn’t excite you). I’ve made them twice now, and they’ve all disappeared within 2 hours, even with doubling the recipe.

A tip: I had better results not chilling the dough before piping them (I wanted them to look flatter, like Pepperidge Farms’, and chilling them made mine too stiff; they didn’t spread at all), and I flattened them slightly with the back of a spatula before baking.  I also just added 1/2 t. peppermint extract to the chocolate, rather than making the icing. This worked a lot better: the cookies set up easier, the taste was just as great,  and I forewent a little unnecessary sugar.

Homemade Mint Milano Cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt [I used table]
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add egg and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Transfer dough to a quart-size zip-top bag; with scissors, snip a 3/4-inch hole in one corner (or use a pastry bag with a plain tip). Pipe 54 cookies (3/4 by 2 inches), 1/2 inch apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, 20 minutes.
  2. Bake until cookies are light golden at edges, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer immediately to wire racks and let cool.
  3. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted, 2 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. (Alternatively, melt chocolate in microwave at 30 second intervals.) In another medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, peppermint extract, and 4 teaspoons water [I didn’t do this–I just added the extract to the chocolate–I recommend!]. With a small offset spatula or table knife, spread chocolate on flat side of half the cookies and mint glaze on the other half. Sandwich cookie halves together.

Martha’s Hint on piping the cookies: Twist and squeeze the bag so that the batter is in one corner. Snip an opening, then squeeze out excess air. To pipe, hold bag at an angle to sheet with one hand and apply pressure from top with the other.


Peanut Butter & Kisses Cookies

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I don’t know what these cookies are called, so I kind-of made up this name. In my America’s Test Kitchen book, they call them Peanut

Don't these take you back?

Blossom cookies, but I had never heard that before, and in fact, skimmed over the recipe several times before I looked at it. When I did look at it, I actually preferred an older recipe I had for these cookies, which came from my second cousin. This recipe below is super reliable, and tastes just how I want these cookies to taste. The Test Kitchen recipe is similar, but blends a cup of peanuts with the flour before adding it to the cookies–I don’t need that many peanuts for my taste. The suggestion of the Test Kitchen that I did like, though, is to put the Hershey Kiss on the cookie  1-2 minutes before they have finished baking. When the cookies cool, the interior of the kisses stay soft, which is a nice touch, and they have a nice sheen. This recipe yields about 24-28 cookies.

Peanut Butter & Kisses Cookies

1 3/4 c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened, but not too soft (1 stick)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 package Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375. Get out a cookie sheet, but there’s no need to grease it. In a small bowl, whisk flour, soda and salt. In another bowl, cream butter, then add peanut butter and beat until combined (1 minute). Add sugars and cream for 2-3 minutes. Then add egg and vanilla and mix another 30 seconds, until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the flour has been absorbed, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

Roll the dough into balls the shape of walnuts, and then roll the balls in granulated sugar and place on cookie sheet (they will spread to be about 1 1/2″ as they bake). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. After removing them from the oven, place a kiss in the middle of the cookie. Wait one minute, then twist the kiss into the middle to secure. (Or see note above for the Test Kitchen’s alternative.)